The state Senate voted 38-0 for a bill requiring ballot-question campaigns to provide more information about their funding. The House approved a similar measure, 149-0. The bills aim to end an eight-month period beginning in January when campaigns are not required to report their donors, until reporting is required 60 days before the election. Candidates for office, by contrast, file campaign finance reports monthly.

Sen. Sal DiDomenico, a Democrat and the Senate bill’s lead sponsor, said voters should be able to see who is paying for campaign advertising and how much money is being spent. Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano have warned that wealthy interest groups can exert undue influence through ballot campaigns. Mariano called the existing process “fundamentally broken” in a statement.

The debate also raises questions about the balance of power between voters and the Legislature. Axios Boston reporter Mike Deehan said lawmakers have legitimate concerns about undisclosed money, but may also be uncomfortable when major policy questions bypass Beacon Hill. Secretary of State William Galvin, who oversees elections, said ballot measures reach voters after being presented to the Legislature, where lawmakers can vote or take other action. In his view, legislative inaction helps explain why so many questions are on the ballot.

Republican Sen. Peter Durant supported the disclosure legislation, saying voters should be trusted but need information to make decisions. He also acknowledged that the Legislature sometimes fails to address issues important to residents in a timely way.

The House bill would establish a review board to recommend by the end of 2027 whether Massachusetts should amend its constitution to change the ballot-question process. Any constitutional amendment would itself require voter approval through a ballot question. The House and Senate must reconcile their different bills before the measure can become law.