Senate File 287 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SF 181) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing campaign contribution limits for candidates 2 for statewide office or the general assembly and making civil 3 and criminal penalties applicable and including an effective 4 date. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 1622SV 83 7 jr/sc/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 68A.502A LIMITATIONS ON 1 2 CONTRIBUTIONS. 1 3 1. A state statutory political committee, county statutory 1 4 political committee, or political committee shall not make and 1 5 a candidate or candidate's committee shall not accept 1 6 contributions that, during any election campaign cycle, in the 1 7 aggregate, exceed the following: 1 8 a. Two thousand dollars to any candidate or candidate's 1 9 committee for a statewide office. 1 10 b. Five hundred dollars to any candidate or candidate's 1 11 committee for the Iowa house of representatives. 1 12 c. One thousand dollars to any candidate or candidate's 1 13 committee for the Iowa senate. 1 14 2. During any election campaign cycle a person shall not 1 15 make and a candidate or candidate's committee shall not accept 1 16 any contribution, as defined in section 68A.102, that in the 1 17 aggregate exceeds the following: 1 18 a. Four thousand dollars to any candidate or candidate's 1 19 committee for a statewide office. 1 20 b. One thousand dollars to any candidate or candidate's 1 21 committee for the Iowa house of representatives. 1 22 c. Two thousand dollars to any candidate or candidate's 1 23 committee for the Iowa senate. 1 24 3. The term "election campaign cycle" means the time 1 25 period between elections for a particular office. For 1 26 purposes of this section, each primary, general, and special 1 27 election is a separate election campaign cycle. Separate 1 28 contribution limits for each type of election for a particular 1 29 office, including primary, general, and special elections, 1 30 apply in an election campaign cycle. 1 31 4. The contribution limitations in this section do not 1 32 include contributions made by the candidate or the candidate's 1 33 spouse or dependent to the candidate's own campaign or in=kind 1 34 contributions from a state statutory political committee or a 1 35 county statutory political committee. 2 1 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1, 2 2 2011. 2 3 EXPLANATION 2 4 This bill establishes campaign contribution limits for 2 5 candidates for statewide office and the general assembly. 2 6 Separate limits are established for individuals, political 2 7 committees, state party central committees, and political 2 8 parties. It is a violation both for a contributor to make and 2 9 a candidate or candidate's committee to accept contributions 2 10 in excess of the amounts set out in the bill. 2 11 The specified limitations are for each election cycle, 2 12 i.e., a primary, general, or special election. By operation 2 13 of law, the limitations apply to in=kind contributions, such 2 14 as printing, but do not apply to the cash value of volunteer 2 15 activity. The bill excludes limitations on in=kind 2 16 contributions from a state statutory political committee or a 2 17 county statutory political committee. 2 18 The bill provides that the contribution restrictions do not 2 19 apply to contributions made by the candidate or the 2 20 candidate's spouse or dependent to the candidate's own 2 21 campaign. 2 22 As provided in Code section 68A.701, a willful violation of 2 23 any provision of the campaign finance chapter is a serious 2 24 misdemeanor punishable by confinement for up to one year and a 2 25 fine of at least $315 but not more than $1,875. A variety of 2 26 civil remedies are also available in Code section 68B.32D for 2 27 a violation of Code chapter 68A or rules of the ethics and 2 28 campaign disclosure board, ranging from a reprimand to a civil 2 29 penalty of not more than $2,000. 2 30 The bill has a January 1, 2011, effective date. 2 31 LSB 1622SV 83 2 32 jr/sc/8