House File 12 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 12 BY COWNIE A BILL FOR An Act to prohibit political telephone calls during the 1 nighttime hours and making penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1182YH (6) 84 jr/rj
H.F. 12 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 68A.507 Restrictions on telephone 1 calls made for campaign purposes. 2 1. A person shall not make a telephone call intended to 3 urge the recipient to expressly advocate, as defined in section 4 68A.102, subsection 14, paragraph “b” , the election or defeat 5 of a candidate or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue 6 beginning at ten p.m. and ending at eight a.m. the next day. 7 2. “Telephone call” means a call made using or received on 8 a telecommunications service or voice over internet protocol 9 service. 10 3. A person who violates this section is subject to sections 11 68A.701 and 68B.32D. 12 EXPLANATION 13 This bill would prohibit telephone calls intended to urge 14 the recipient to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a 15 candidate or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue between 16 the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. 17 As provided in Code section 68A.701, a willful violation 18 of any provision of the campaign finance chapter is a serious 19 misdemeanor punishable by confinement for up to one year and 20 a fine of at least $315 but not more than $1,875. A variety 21 of civil remedies are also available in Code section 68B.32D 22 for a violation of Code chapter 68A or rules of the ethics and 23 campaign disclosure board, ranging from a reprimand to a civil 24 penalty of not more than $2,000. 25 -1- LSB 1182YH (6) 84 jr/rj 1/ 1