527 Reform Act of 2004

The 527 Reform Act of 2004 (H.R. 5127) was designed to bring "527 organizations"—tax-exempt groups that engage in political activities—under the same federal oversight and spending limits as traditional political action committees (PACs). The bill would have required these groups to register with the Federal Election Commission if their primary purpose was to influence elections, effectively limiting the amount of "soft money" they could spend on advertisements and mobilization efforts. For citizens, this legislation aimed to increase transparency regarding who funds political messaging and to curb the influence of large, unregulated donations in federal elections.