House File 149 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 149 BY MITCHELL A BILL FOR An Act relating to the publication of defamatory political 1 advertisements. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1687YH (2) 89 ss/jh

H.F. 149 Section 1. Section 68A.302, subsection 2, Code 2021, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . l. Publication of published material that 3 disparages or expressly advocates against a candidate or ballot 4 measure if that published material includes a defamatory 5 falsehood made with actual malice. For the purposes of this 6 paragraph, “published material” means the same as defined in 7 section 68A.405. Section 68A.701 shall not apply to this 8 paragraph. 9 EXPLANATION 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 11 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 12 This bill prohibits candidates and candidates’ committees 13 from using campaign funds on the publication of published 14 material that disparages or expressly advocates against a 15 candidate or ballot measure if the published material contains 16 a defamatory falsehood made with actual malice. The bill is 17 exempted from the provisions of Code section 68A.701 (penalty). 18 -1- LSB 1687YH (2) 89 ss/jh 1/ 1