Senate File 49

                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  KIBBIE


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act to limit certain political campaign advertising prior to
  2    an election, and applying a penalty.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 1805SS 80
  5 jj/pj/5

PAG LIN

  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  56.14A  NEW ADVERTISING BEFORE
  1  2 ELECTION == RESTRICTIONS.
  1  3    1.  For purposes of this subsection, "published material"
  1  4 includes "published material" as defined under section 56.14,
  1  5 as well as paid political announcements broadcast through
  1  6 electronic media including, but not limited to, radio,
  1  7 television, and computer networks.
  1  8    2.  Within the five=day period that immediately precedes
  1  9 the election in which a candidate is seeking office, the
  1 10 candidate or the candidate's committee shall not publish,
  1 11 distribute, or cause to be published or distributed, published
  1 12 material categorized as express advocacy, as defined in
  1 13 section 56.2, in relation to the candidate or the candidate's
  1 14 opponent unless the material was previously published or
  1 15 distributed during the period of time that preceded that five=
  1 16 day period.
  1 17                           EXPLANATION
  1 18    This bill relates to political campaign advertising under
  1 19 Code chapter 56.
  1 20    The bill creates new Code section 56.14A which prohibits
  1 21 candidates or candidate's committees from publishing certain
  1 22 forms of new political advertising during the five=day period
  1 23 that immediately precedes an election.  Political advertising
  1 24 covered under the new prohibition includes advertising in
  1 25 newspapers, magazines, shoppers, outdoor advertising
  1 26 facilities, posters, direct mailings, brochures, or any other
  1 27 form of printed general public political advertising, as well
  1 28 as paid political announcements broadcast through electronic
  1 29 media.
  1 30    A violation of the prohibition against new advertising is a
  1 31 serious misdemeanor under Code section 56.16, punishable by a
  1 32 fine of at least $250 but not more than $1,500 and may also
  1 33 include possible imprisonment not to exceed one year.
  1 34 LSB 1805SS 80
  1 35 jj/pj/5.1