In the closing hours of its session last week, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013 and Governor O’Malley is expected to sign it soon. Even so, the changes do not take effect until after the 2014 state elections.

The final version of the bill is largely unchanged from the initial House-passed version we described previously, meaning that after the 2014 elections, contribution limits will increase, certain business entities will be limited in their giving, pay-to-play reporting will be simplified, and enforcement strengthened.

Last Thursday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed a new campaign finance law. Among other provisions, the law requires disclosure of contributors to independent expenditure and electioneering groups. The new law, which generally goes into effect in 2015, will require disclosure of the identity of any person contributing $6,000 or more to independent expenditures or independent electioneering groups that are involved in Maryland state elections. The new law also restricts contributions by limited liability companies and other non-corporate business entities, and it raises contribution limits from $4,000 to a single candidate in a cycle to $6,000 and from $10,000 to all candidates in a cycle to $24,000.