Calling All Government Contractors: Upcoming New Jersey Political Contribution Disclosure Form

For government contractors, the start of a new year brings with it a host of filing requirements in many states along the Northeast Corridor. Although some states (such as New York and Connecticut) do not impose annual or semi-annual filing requirements on government contractors, other states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland require government contractors to file reports. This is the final part of our series of blog posts that focuses on the upcoming filing deadlines in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. These reports generally require government contractors to disclose certain information about their political contributions, but no two filing requirements are the same. As your company prepares to put its best foot forward in 2015, this series will share what you need to know about these disclosure requirements and some compliance tips to make sure that your company is accurately capturing all relevant information. New Jersey (Filing Deadline – March 30, 2015) The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (“ELEC”) requires each business entity that received payments of $50,000 or more (in the aggregate) as a result of government contracts during the 2014 calendar year to electronically file a Business Entity Annual Statement (“Form BE”) with ELEC no later than Monday, March 30, 2015. Compliance Tip - All businesses that received payments in excess of the $50,000 threshold must file Form BE. Whether a company is required to file a “detailed” Form BE (setting forth contract and contribution information) depends on whether the company and/or certain associated individuals made any “reportable” contributions (a contribution in excess of $300) during the 2014 calendar year.