HF 544 (LSB 1402HV (1) 91)

HOUSE FILE 544

BY  COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 110)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to matters before the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board, including campaign finance filings and attribution statements.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 68A.201, subsection 2, paragraphs a and b, Code 2025, are amended to read as follows:
   a.  The name, purpose, mailing address, electronic mail address, and telephone number of the committee. The committee name shall not duplicate the name of another committee organized under this section. For candidate’s committees filing initial statements of organization on or after July 1, 1995, the candidate’s name shall be contained within the committee name.
   b.  The name, mailing address, electronic mail address, and position of the committee officers.
    Sec. 2.  Section 68A.201A, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   6.  The verified statement shall be filed by 4:30 in an electronic format no later than 11:59 p.m. of the day the filing is due.
    Sec. 3.  Section 68A.303, subsection 5, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   5.  A candidate, candidate’s committee, or any other person shall not directly or indirectly receive or transfer campaign funds with the intent of circumventing the requirements of this section. A candidate for statewide or legislative office shall not establish, direct, or maintain a political committee.
    Sec. 4.  Section 68A.401, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  A state statutory political committee, a county statutory political committee, a political committee, and a candidate’s committee shall file all statements and reports in an electronic format by 4:30 no later than 11:59 p.m. of the day the filing is due and according to rules adopted by the board.
    Sec. 5.  Section 68A.405, subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (3), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   (3)  “Published material” means any newspaper, magazine, shopper, outdoor advertising facility, poster, direct mailing, brochure, internet site, campaign sign, or any other form of printed or electronic general public political advertising. “Published material” includes radio, television, video, or motion picture internet advertising.
    Sec. 6.  Section 68B.32, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  The board shall annually elect one member to serve as the chairperson of the board and one member to serve as vice chairperson. The vice chairperson shall act as the chairperson in the absence or disability of the chairperson or in the event of a vacancy in that office.  The chairperson and vice chairperson shall not be members of the same political party.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to matters before the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board (board).
   The bill requires a political committee and a candidate’s committee to provide an electronic mail address along with the name, purpose, mailing address, and telephone number of the committee when the committee files a statement of organization with the board. When a committee or organization is not organized under Code section 68A.201, the committee officers are also required to provide an electronic mail address when filing full disclosure reports of all financial activities with the federal election commission or another state’s disclosure commission.
   The bill extends the deadline for required filings to be submitted electronically to the board from 4:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on the day the filings are due. By operation of law, in computing time, the first day is excluded and the last included, unless the last falls on Sunday or holiday, in which case the time prescribed is extended so as to include the whole of the following Monday, or day after the holiday, as applicable.
   The bill prohibits all candidates from establishing, directing, or maintaining a political committee. Under current law, the prohibition only applies to candidates for statewide or legislative office.
   The bill adds radio and internet advertising to the definition of “published material” as used in Code chapter 68A, and strikes motion picture advertising from the definition. “Published material”, including radio and internet advertising under the bill, that is designed to expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate for public office or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue is required to include an attribution statement disclosing who is responsible for the material.
   Current law requires the board to annually elect one member to serve as the chairperson of the board and one member to serve as vice chairperson. The bill prohibits the chairperson and vice chairperson from being members of the same political party.