House File 61 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  RAECKER


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

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to electronic filing of campaign finance
  2    organizational statements, dissolution reports, and disclosure
  3    reports by candidates for statewide office or for the general
  4    assembly and by political committees and state statutory
  5    political committees and providing an effective date.
  6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  7 TLSB 1637HH 81
  8 jr/pj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 68A.401, subsection 1, Code 2005, is
  1  2 amended by adding the following new paragraphs:
  1  3    NEW PARAGRAPH.  a.  A candidate's committee of a candidate
  1  4 for statewide office or the general assembly, a state
  1  5 statutory political committee, or a political committee shall
  1  6 file all statements and reports in an electronic format, by
  1  7 five p.m. of the day the filing is due and according to rules
  1  8 adopted by the board.  Any other candidate or political
  1  9 committee may submit the statements and reports in an
  1 10 electronic format as prescribed by rule.
  1 11    NEW PARAGRAPH.  b.  All information submitted to the board
  1 12 in an electronic format by twelve noon shall be accessible to
  1 13 the public on the internet on the day the information is
  1 14 filed.  However, information that is filed on a Saturday,
  1 15 Sunday, or after twelve noon on Friday shall be made available
  1 16 on the internet by five p.m. on the following business day.
  1 17    Sec. 2.  Section 68A.403, subsection 1, Code 2005, is
  1 18 amended to read as follows:
  1 19    1.  A Unless filed in an electronic format in accordance
  1 20 with section 68A.401, subsection 1, a report or statement
  1 21 required to be filed under this chapter shall be signed by the
  1 22 person filing the report.
  1 23    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect January 1,
  1 24 2006.
  1 25                           EXPLANATION
  1 26    Effective January 1, 2006, this bill institutes mandatory
  1 27 electronic filing of campaign finance statements of
  1 28 organization, dissolution reports, and disclosure reports by
  1 29 all candidates for statewide office and for the general
  1 30 assembly and by all political (action) committees and state
  1 31 statutory political committees (state party central
  1 32 committees).  The required electronic filing shall be made by
  1 33 5:00 p.m. on the day the filing is due; information filed by
  1 34 12 noon shall be made available to the public via the internet
  1 35 on the same day, unless filed on a Saturday, Sunday, or after
  2  1 12 noon on a Friday in which case the information shall be
  2  2 made available by 5:00 p.m. on the following business day.
  2  3    Any other candidate or committee may submit its campaign
  2  4 finance statements of organization, dissolution reports, and
  2  5 disclosure reports in an electronic format.
  2  6    A willful violation of the bill's requirements constitutes
  2  7 a serious misdemeanor under Code section 68A.701.  A serious
  2  8 misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one
  2  9 year and a fine of at least $250 but not more than $1,500.
  2 10 Civil penalty assessments for late filing of disclosure
  2 11 reports may be made by the board under its administrative
  2 12 rules.
  2 13 LSB 1637HH 81
  2 14 jr/pj/5