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House File 2409

Partial Bill History

Bill Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Section 1.  Section 56.2, subsection 14, paragraph c, Code
  1  2 Supplement 1999, is amended by striking the paragraph.
  1  3    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  56.4A  FALSE MATERIAL STATEMENTS.
  1  4    A person shall not knowingly or willfully make a false
  1  5 material statement in any report, form, or statement filed
  1  6 with the board, or with a commissioner.
  1  7    Sec. 3.  Section 56.12A, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code
  1  8 Supplement 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  1  9    The state and the governing body of a county, city, or
  1 10 other political subdivision of the state A person shall not
  1 11 expend or permit the expenditure of public moneys for
  1 12 political purposes, including expressly advocating the passage
  1 13 or defeat of a ballot issue.
  1 14    Sec. 4.  Section 56.13, Code Supplement 1999, is amended by
  1 15 striking the section and inserting in lieu thereof the
  1 16 following:
  1 17    56.13  INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES.
  1 18    1.  Any individual who meets all of the following criteria
  1 19 shall file an independent expenditure statement with the board
  1 20 or commissioner where the benefited committee files statements
  1 21 and reports under this chapter:
  1 22    a.  The individual is not a candidate.
  1 23    b.  The individual is acting independently and not in
  1 24 coordination with another individual, organization, or
  1 25 committee.
  1 26    c.  The individual makes one or more expenditures in excess
  1 27 of five hundred dollars in the aggregate, or incurs
  1 28 indebtedness in excess of five hundred dollars in the
  1 29 aggregate, to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a
  1 30 clearly identified candidate or the passage or defeat of a
  1 31 ballot issue.
  1 32    2.  Any combination of two or more individuals, or a person
  1 33 other than an individual, that makes one or more expenditures
  1 34 in excess of five hundred dollars in the aggregate, or incurs
  1 35 indebtedness in excess of five hundred dollars in the
  2  1 aggregate, to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a
  2  2 clearly identified candidate or the passage or defeat of a
  2  3 ballot issue, shall file an independent expenditure statement
  2  4 with the board or commissioner where the benefited committee
  2  5 files statements and reports under this chapter.
  2  6    3.  An independent expenditure statement shall be filed
  2  7 within ten days of the making of any expenditure or incurring
  2  8 of indebtedness that exceeds the five hundred dollar aggregate
  2  9 threshold.
  2 10    4.  The independent expenditure statement shall contain all
  2 11 of the following information:
  2 12    a.  Identification of the individuals or persons filing the
  2 13 statement.
  2 14    b.  Description of the position advocated by the
  2 15 individuals or persons with regard to the clearly identified
  2 16 candidate or ballot issue.
  2 17    c.  Identification of the candidate or ballot issue
  2 18 benefited by the independent expenditure.
  2 19    d.  The dates on which the expenditures or incurrence of
  2 20 indebtedness took place.
  2 21    e.  Description of the nature of the action taken that
  2 22 resulted in the expenditures or debts.
  2 23    f.  The cost of the expenditures at fair market value.
  2 24    5.  The filing requirements of this section shall apply in
  2 25 addition to any other applicable filing requirements under
  2 26 this chapter.
  2 27    6.  The board shall develop, prescribe, furnish, and
  2 28 distribute forms for the independent expenditure statements
  2 29 required by this section.
  2 30    Sec. 5.  Section 56.14, Code Supplement 1999, is amended to
  2 31 read as follows:
  2 32    56.14  ATTRIBUTION STATEMENT ON POLITICAL MATERIAL – YARD
  2 33 SIGNS EXEMPTED.
  2 34    1.  a.  A person who causes the publication or distribution
  2 35 of published material designed to expressly advocate the
  3  1 nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate for public
  3  2 office or the passage or defeat of a constitutional amendment
  3  3 or public measure shall include conspicuously on the published
  3  4 material the identity and address of the person responsible
  3  5 for the material.
  3  6    (1)  If the person responsible is an organization, the name
  3  7 of one officer of the organization shall appear on the
  3  8 material.  However, if the organization is a registered
  3  9 committee which has filed a statement of organization under
  3 10 this chapter, only the name of the committee is required to be
  3 11 included on the published material.
  3 12    (2)  Published material designed to expressly advocate the
  3 13 nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate for public
  3 14 office or the passage or defeat of a constitutional amendment
  3 15 or public measure which contains language or depictions which
  3 16 a reasonable person would understand as asserting that an
  3 17 entity which is incorporated or is a registered committee had
  3 18 authored the material shall, if the entity is not incorporated
  3 19 or a registered committee, include conspicuously on the
  3 20 published material a statement that the apparent organization
  3 21 or committee is not incorporated or a registered committee in
  3 22 addition to the attribution statement required by this
  3 23 section.
  3 24    b.  For purposes of this section, "registered:
  3 25    (1)  "Registered committee" means a committee which has an
  3 26 active statement of organization filed under section 56.5.
  3 27    (2)  "Published material" means any newspaper, magazine,
  3 28 shopper, outdoor advertising facility, poster, direct mailing,
  3 29 brochure, or any other form of printed general public
  3 30 political advertising; however, the identification need not be
  3 31 conspicuous on posters.  This subsection does not apply to
  3 32 yard signs, bumper stickers, pins, buttons, pens, matchbooks,
  3 33 and similar small items upon which the inclusion of the
  3 34 attribution statement would be impracticable or to published
  3 35 material which is subject to federal regulations regarding an
  4  1 attribution requirement.
  4  2    b. c.  This subsection does not apply to the editorials or
  4  3 news articles of a newspaper or magazine which are not
  4  4 political advertisements.  For the purpose of this subsection,
  4  5 "published material" means any newspaper, magazine, shopper,
  4  6 outdoor advertising facility, poster, direct mailing,
  4  7 brochure, or any other form of printed general public
  4  8 political advertising; however, the identification need not be
  4  9 conspicuous on posters.  This subsection does not apply to
  4 10 yard signs, bumper stickers, pins, buttons, pens, matchbooks,
  4 11 and similar small items upon which the inclusion of the
  4 12 attribution statement would be impracticable or to published
  4 13 material which is subject to federal regulations regarding an
  4 14 attribution requirement.
  4 15    c. d.  This subsection shall not be construed to require
  4 16 the inclusion on published material of information which
  4 17 discloses the identity or address of any individual who is
  4 18 acting independently and using the individual's own modest
  4 19 resources expends five hundred dollars or less to publish or
  4 20 distribute the material that expressly advocates the passage
  4 21 or defeat of a ballot issue.
  4 22    2.  a.  Yard signs shall not be placed on any property
  4 23 which adjoins a city, county, or state roadway sooner than
  4 24 forty-five days preceding a primary or general election and
  4 25 shall be removed within seven days after the primary or
  4 26 general election in which the name of the particular candidate
  4 27 or ballot issue described on the yard sign appears on the
  4 28 ballot.  Yard signs are subject to removal by highway
  4 29 authorities as provided in section 319.13, or by county or
  4 30 city law enforcement authorities in a manner consistent with
  4 31 section 319.13.  The placement or erection of yard signs shall
  4 32 be exempt from the requirements of chapter 480.  Notice may be
  4 33 provided to the chairperson of the appropriate county central
  4 34 committee if the highway authorities are unable to provide
  4 35 notice to the candidate, candidate's committee, or political
  5  1 committee regarding the yard sign.
  5  2    b. 2.  This subsection chapter does not prohibit the
  5  3 placement of yard signs on agricultural any of the following
  5  4 property:
  5  5    a.  Agricultural land owned by individuals or by a family
  5  6 farm operation as defined in section 9H.1, subsections 8, 8A,
  5  7 9, and 10; does not prohibit the placement of yard signs on
  5  8 property.  For the purposes of this section, "agricultural
  5  9 land" means agricultural land as defined in section 9H.1.
  5 10    b.  Property owned by private individuals who have rented
  5 11 or leased the property to a corporation, if the prior written
  5 12 permission of the property owner is obtained; and does not
  5 13 prohibit the placement of yard signs on residential.
  5 14    c.  Residential property owned by a corporation but rented
  5 15 or leased to a private individual, or property rented or
  5 16 leased to a candidate's committee, county statutory political
  5 17 committee, or other political committee, if the prior
  5 18 permission of the renter or lessee is obtained.  For the
  5 19 purposes of this chapter, "agricultural land" means
  5 20 agricultural land as defined in section 9H.1.
  5 21    3.  A person shall not alter, remove, move, vandalize,
  5 22 deface, or destroy any sign that expressly advocates the
  5 23 election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or the
  5 24 passage or defeat of a ballot issue without the prior
  5 25 permission of the owner of the sign.
  5 26    Sec. 6.  Section 56.41, subsection 2, paragraph i, Code
  5 27 1999, is amended to read as follows:
  5 28    i.  Meals, groceries, or other food expense, except for
  5 29 tickets the following:
  5 30    (1)  Tickets to meals that the candidate attends solely for
  5 31 the purpose of enhancing the candidacy or the candidacy of
  5 32 another person.  However, payment for food
  5 33    (2)  Food and drink purchased for campaign related purposes
  5 34 and for entertainment of campaign volunteers is permitted.
  5 35    (3)  Meals of up to twenty-five dollars for an event
  6  1 attended by the candidate for purposes of constituency
  6  2 services or for the purposes of holding elected office.
  6  3    Sec. 7.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of
  6  4 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.  
  6  5                           EXPLANATION
  6  6    This bill amends certain provisions of Code chapter 56
  6  7 pertaining to campaign finance law.
  6  8    The bill strikes part of the definition of "express
  6  9 advocacy" in Code section 56.2, subsection 14.  The United
  6 10 States court of appeals for the eighth circuit has held that
  6 11 the language in that portion of the definition is
  6 12 unconstitutional.
  6 13    The bill adds new Code section 56.4A to provide that a
  6 14 person shall not knowingly and willfully make a false material
  6 15 statement in a campaign report or form.  Violations of this
  6 16 provision are punishable as a serious misdemeanor under Code
  6 17 section 56.16.  A serious misdemeanor is punishable by
  6 18 confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least
  6 19 $250 but not more than $1,500.
  6 20    The bill amends Code section 56.12A to prohibit any person
  6 21 from using public moneys for political purposes.  The current
  6 22 statute prohibits only the state and political subdivisions
  6 23 from making such expenditures.
  6 24    The bill replaces language in Code section 56.13 relating
  6 25 to independent expenditures and removes certain provisions
  6 26 held to be unconstitutional by the United States court of
  6 27 appeals for the eighth circuit.  The new language requires the
  6 28 filing by individuals or certain persons of an independent
  6 29 expenditure statement within 10 days of making an expenditure
  6 30 or incurring an indebtedness exceeding $500 in the aggregate
  6 31 to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly
  6 32 identified candidate or the passage or defeat of a ballot
  6 33 issue.  The new language specifies the criteria for filing, as
  6 34 well as the contents of the statement.
  6 35    The bill amends and reorganizes Code section 56.14 relating
  7  1 to attribution statements on political material and to yard
  7  2 signs.  The bill specifies a $500 limit for political material
  7  3 that can be distributed by an individual to expressly advocate
  7  4 the passage or defeat of a ballot issue, rather than the
  7  5 current limit of the individual's "modest resources" regarding
  7  6 candidates or ballot issues.
  7  7    The bill removes restrictions on the placement of yard
  7  8 signs held to be unconstitutional by the United States court
  7  9 of appeals for the eighth circuit.  The bill reorganizes the
  7 10 remaining subsection pertaining to placement of yard signs on
  7 11 certain types of property and adds that such signs can be
  7 12 placed on corporate property that is rented by a political
  7 13 committee.
  7 14    The bill also adds a provision prohibiting the movement or
  7 15 destruction of yard signs without permission.  Violations of
  7 16 this provision are punishable as a serious misdemeanor under
  7 17 Code section 56.16.  A serious misdemeanor is punishable by
  7 18 confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least
  7 19 $250 but not more than $1,500.
  7 20    Code section 56.41 is amended to permit the use of campaign
  7 21 funds, up to $25, for payment of meals for an event attended
  7 22 by a candidate for purposes of constituency services or for
  7 23 the purposes of holding elected office.
  7 24    This bill takes effect upon enactment.  
  7 25 LSB 5280HV 78
  7 26 jj/gg/8
     

Text: HF02408                           Text: HF02410
Text: HF02400 - HF02499                 Text: HF Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index

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