Text: SF00398 Text: SF00400 Text: SF00300 - SF00399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMMISSION. The campaign
1 2 finance commission is established to study the laws relating
1 3 to the financing of elections for office and to recommend
1 4 reforms in these laws, according to the following:
1 5 1. Appointment. The commission shall be composed of seven
1 6 members, bipartisan and gender-balanced in accordance with
1 7 sections 69.16 and 69.16A, and appointed as follows:
1 8 a. Three members shall be the state chairs of each of the
1 9 political parties, as defined in section 43.2, or their
1 10 designees.
1 11 b. Four members shall be jointly appointed by the majority
1 12 and minority leaders of the house and senate. These members
1 13 shall be appointed from nonpartisan organizations which have
1 14 researched, studied, and advocated the issue of political
1 15 campaign finance reform for fifteen years or more, or who are
1 16 specially qualified to serve on the commission because of
1 17 training or experience.
1 18 c. The commission shall elect a chair and vice-chair at
1 19 its first meetings.
1 20 2. Terms. The members of the commission shall serve for
1 21 the life of the commission.
1 22 3. Vacancies. A vacancy in the commission shall be filled
1 23 in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
1 24 Sec. 2. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
1 25 1. Hearings. The commission may hold hearings which shall
1 26 be open and announced in advance to the public, take
1 27 testimony, and receive evidence as the commission considers
1 28 appropriate. Activities of the commission shall be held in
1 29 accordance with chapter 21.
1 30 The commission shall hold at least one hearing in each
1 31 congressional district within the state specifically to obtain
1 32 public input on the issue of campaign finance reform.
1 33 2. Quorum. Four members of the commission shall
1 34 constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
1 35 3. Report. Not later than December 15, 1997, the
2 1 commission shall submit to the general assembly a report of
2 2 the activities of the commission, together with a draft of
2 3 legislation recommended by the commission to reform the laws
2 4 regarding the financing of political campaigns for
2 5 consideration by the general assembly in 1998 according to the
2 6 provisions of this Act.
2 7 4. Matters to be considered. In holding hearings and
2 8 preparing the report required under subsection 3, the
2 9 commission shall consider all issues related to campaign
2 10 finance reform, including, but not limited to expenditure
2 11 limits, expenditure and contribution disclosure, contribution
2 12 limits by individuals and committees, soft money, independent
2 13 expenditures, and negative campaigning. The commission may
2 14 secure directly from any department or agency such information
2 15 as the commission considers necessary, and the department or
2 16 agency shall promptly furnish such information to the
2 17 commission.
2 18 5. Staffing. Assistance shall be provided to the
2 19 commission by the central nonpartisan legislative staff
2 20 bureaus. The commission may utilize the services of the
2 21 legislative service bureau in formulating a draft of
2 22 legislation. The attorney general's office and the ethics and
2 23 campaign disclosure board shall serve as consultants, and
2 24 advise the commission as necessary.
2 25 Sec. 3. FAST-TRACK PROCEDURE.
2 26 1. The legislation drafted by the commission shall be
2 27 filed with each chamber on the first day of the 1998
2 28 legislative session, and immediately assigned to the committee
2 29 on state government in each chamber.
2 30 2. Each committee on state government shall have no more
2 31 than one week from the first day of the legislative session to
2 32 review the legislation. If approved by the committee, the
2 33 legislation shall immediately be placed on the calendar for
2 34 consideration by the full chamber. The legislation must be
2 35 approved or rejected by both chambers within thirty days of
3 1 the first day of the 1998 legislative session.
3 2 3. No amendment to the draft legislation shall be in order
3 3 in either chamber of the general assembly, either in committee
3 4 or on the floor. No motion to suspend the application of
3 5 these rules shall be in order in either chamber of the general
3 6 assembly, either in committee or on the floor.
3 7 4. All time periods under this section shall be calculated
3 8 according to calendar days. Weekends and days when the
3 9 general assembly is not in session shall be included in any
3 10 calculation.
3 11 Sec. 4. TERMINATION. The commission shall cease to exist
3 12 one month after the submission of its report under section 2
3 13 of this Act.
3 14 EXPLANATION
3 15 This bill creates the campaign finance commission, to
3 16 review issues related to campaign finance reform, to prepare a
3 17 report to be submitted to the legislature by December 15,
3 18 1997, and to prepare draft reform legislation. The members of
3 19 the commission are composed of the chairs of the state
3 20 political parties, representatives of nonpartisan
3 21 organizations that have studied and advocated campaign finance
3 22 reform, and a representative of the ethics and campaign
3 23 disclosure board. Public hearings shall be held in each
3 24 congressional district.
3 25 The bill provides for fast-track consideration of the draft
3 26 legislation by the general assembly. Both chambers must
3 27 debate and vote on the legislation, without any amendment,
3 28 within 30 days of the start of the 1998 legislative session.
3 29 LSB 1854XS 77
3 30 jls/jj/8
Text: SF00398 Text: SF00400 Text: SF00300 - SF00399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
Iowa General Assembly
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