House File 2070 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY McCARTHY
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to campaign contributions by lobbyists and
2 political committees and providing an effective date.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 5271YH 82
5 jr/rj/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 68A.402, subsection 2, Code Supplement
1 2 2007, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
1 3 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT == BUNDLED
1 4 CONTRIBUTIONS. A candidate's committee of a candidate for
1 5 statewide office or the general assembly shall file a
1 6 supplementary report listing each lobbyist, as defined in
1 7 section 68B.2, or each political committee acting under the
1 8 direction of a lobbyist that provides bundled contributions to
1 9 the committee in excess of five thousand dollars in the
1 10 aggregate in a six=month period. The report shall contain all
1 11 of the following:
1 12 (1) The name of the lobbyist or political committee.
1 13 (2) The address of the lobbyist or political committee.
1 14 (3) The employer or client, or both, of the lobbyist.
1 15 (4) The aggregate amount of bundled contributions provided
1 16 by the lobbyist or political committee to the committee during
1 17 the six=month period.
1 18 (5) The name and address of each person contributing to
1 19 the bundled contribution.
1 20 As used in this paragraph "d", "bundled contribution" means
1 21 a contribution, made by a lobbyist or by a political committee
1 22 under the direction of a lobbyist, which consists of
1 23 contributions provided by two or more persons.
1 24 Sec. 2. Section 68A.504, subsection 1, Code 2007, is
1 25 amended to read as follows:
1 26 1. a. (1) A lobbyist or political committee, other than
1 27 a state statutory political committee, county statutory
1 28 political committee, or a national political party, shall not
1 29 contribute to, act as an agent or intermediary for
1 30 contributions to, or arrange for the making of monetary or
1 31 in=kind contributions to the campaign of an elected state
1 32 official, member of the general assembly, or candidate for
1 33 state office on any day during the regular legislative session
1 34 and, in the case of the governor or a gubernatorial candidate,
1 35 during the thirty days following the adjournment of a regular
2 1 legislative session allowed for the signing of bills.
2 2 (2) A lobbyist shall not contribute to, act as an agent or
2 3 intermediary for contributions to, or arrange for the making
2 4 of monetary or in=kind contributions to the campaign of an
2 5 elected state official or candidate for state office on any
2 6 day during the regular legislative session and, in the case of
2 7 the governor or a gubernatorial candidate, during the thirty
2 8 days following the adjournment of a regular legislative
2 9 session allowed for the signing of bills.
2 10 (3) A lobbyist shall not contribute to the campaign of a
2 11 member of the general assembly or candidate for the general
2 12 assembly.
2 13 b. Except as set out in subsection 2, an elected state
2 14 official, member of the general assembly, or candidate for
2 15 state office shall not accept a contribution as prohibited in
2 16 this subsection.
2 17 Sec. 3. Section 68B.24, subsection 1, Code 2007, is
2 18 amended to read as follows:
2 19 1. An official, member of the general assembly, state
2 20 employee, legislative employee, or candidate for state office
2 21 shall not, directly or indirectly, seek or accept a loan or
2 22 series of loans from a person who is a lobbyist. A member of
2 23 the general assembly shall not accept a contribution from a
2 24 lobbyist as prohibited under section 68A.504, subsection 1,
2 25 paragraph "b".
2 26 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1,
2 27 2009.
2 28 EXPLANATION
2 29 This bill requires a candidate's committee of a candidate
2 30 for statewide office or the general assembly to file a
2 31 supplementary report with the ethics and campaign disclosure
2 32 board listing each lobbyist, or each political committee
2 33 acting under the direction of a lobbyist that provides bundled
2 34 contributions to the committee in excess of $5,000 in the
2 35 aggregate in a six=month period. A bundled contribution is a
3 1 contribution, made by a lobbyist or by a political committee
3 2 under the direction of a lobbyist, which consists of
3 3 contributions provided by two or more persons.
3 4 The bill prohibits a lobbyist from contributing to the
3 5 campaign of a member of the general assembly or candidate for
3 6 the general assembly and prohibits such a member or candidate
3 7 from accepting such a contribution. Under current law, that
3 8 prohibition applies only during the regular legislative
3 9 session.
3 10 As provided in Code section 68A.701, a willful violation of
3 11 any provision of the campaign finance chapter is a serious
3 12 misdemeanor punishable by confinement for up to one year and a
3 13 fine of at least $315 but not more than $1,875. A variety of
3 14 civil remedies are also available in Code section 68B.32D for
3 15 a violation of Code chapters 68A or 68B or rules of the ethics
3 16 and campaign disclosure board, ranging from a reprimand to a
3 17 civil penalty of not more than $2,000.
3 18 The bill takes effect January 1, 2009.
3 19 LSB 5271YH 82
3 20 jr/rj/8.1