The Uncheck the Box Act prohibits political committees from automatically enrolling donors into recurring contribution plans without their explicit, affirmative consent and mandates clear disclosure and cancellation procedures for all recurring donations.
Mike Levin
Representative
CA-49
The Uncheck the Box Act prohibits political committees from automatically enrolling donors into recurring contribution plans based on pre-checked boxes or inaction. Donors must provide explicit, affirmative consent to establish any recurring donation. Furthermore, committees accepting these funds must provide clear receipts detailing future payments and easily accessible cancellation instructions.
No More Pre-Checked Boxes: New Bill Forces Political Campaigns to Get Clear 'Yes' for Recurring Donations
The “Uncheck the Box Act” takes aim at a common, often irritating, fundraising tactic: the pre-checked box that automatically enrolls you in recurring payments. This legislation focuses specifically on political committees, independent spenders, and groups funding electioneering communications, fundamentally changing how they can ask for and accept automatic donations.
The core of Section 2 is simple: no more passive enrollment. If you’re donating to a political campaign, they can no longer use a pre-checked box or rely on your inaction to sign you up for automatic, recurring withdrawals (Sec. 2). They must now get your “clear, positive action” to agree to the recurring payment, meaning you have to actively click or check something that specifically says, “Yes, I want this to be recurring.” This is a big win for donors who have been surprised by monthly charges after making a single contribution.
Once you do agree to a recurring payment, the groups accepting the money have new transparency requirements. Every time a payment is processed—starting with the very first one—they have to send you a receipt that clearly details the date and amount of the next scheduled payment (Sec. 2). Think of it like a monthly subscription service, but with more required upfront transparency. Crucially, every communication about that recurring payment must also include all the necessary information for you to stop future payments immediately, and they have to honor that cancellation request right away.
For the average person, this means better control over your bank account. If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through a campaign website, making a quick $25 donation, and then realizing six months later you’ve been unintentionally giving $25 every month, this bill is designed to stop that specific headache. It shifts the burden of proof onto the campaign to show clear, affirmative consent, rather than relying on donor fatigue or oversight. While it might slightly reduce the automatic revenue stream for political groups that relied on these tactics, it increases trust and reduces friction for donors who want to feel in control of their spending.