HF 306

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:35am

A bill for an act
relating to campaign finance; specifying certain items as noncampaign
disbursements; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 10A.01, subdivision
26.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 10A.01, subdivision 26, is amended to
read:

Subd. 26.

Noncampaign disbursement.

"Noncampaign disbursement" means
a purchase or payment of money or anything of value made, or an advance of credit
incurred, or a donation in kind received, by a principal campaign committee for any of
the following purposes:

(1) payment for accounting and legal services;

(2) return of a contribution to the source;

(3) repayment of a loan made to the principal campaign committee by that
committee;

(4) return of a public subsidy;

(5) payment for food, beverages new text begin , and necessary utensils and supplies new text end , entertainment,
and facility rental for a fund-raising event;

(6) services for a constituent by a member of the legislature or a constitutional officer
in the executive branch, including the costs of preparing and distributing a suggestion or
idea solicitation to constituents, performed from the beginning of the term of office to
adjournment sine die of the legislature in the election year for the office held, and half
the cost of services for a constituent by a member of the legislature or a constitutional
officer in the executive branch performed from adjournment sine die to 60 days after
adjournment sine die;

(7) payment for food and beverages consumed by a candidate or volunteers while
they are engaged in campaign activities;

(8) payment for food or a beverage consumed while attending a reception or meeting
directly related to legislative duties;

(9) payment of expenses incurred by elected or appointed leaders of a legislative
caucus in carrying out their leadership responsibilities;

(10) payment by a principal campaign committee of the candidate's expenses for
serving in public office, other than for personal uses;

(11) costs of child care for the candidate's children when campaigning;

(12) fees paid to attend a campaign school;

(13) costs of a postelection party during the election year when a candidate's name
will no longer appear on a ballot or the general election is concluded, whichever occurs
first;

(14) interest on loans paid by a principal campaign committee on outstanding loans;

(15) filing fees;

(16) post-general election thank-you notes or advertisements in the news media;

(17) the cost of campaign material purchased to replace defective campaign material,
if the defective material is destroyed without being used;

(18) contributions to a party unit;

(19) payments for funeral gifts or memorials;

(20) the cost of a magnet less than six inches in diameter containing legislator
contact information and distributed to constituents;

(21) costs associated with a candidate attending a political party state or national
convention in this state; and

(22) other purchases or payments specified in board rules or advisory opinions as
being for any purpose other than to influence the nomination or election of a candidate
or to promote or defeat a ballot question.

The board must determine whether an activity involves a noncampaign disbursement
within the meaning of this subdivision.

A noncampaign disbursement is considered to be made in the year in which the
candidate made the purchase of goods or services or incurred an obligation to pay for
goods or services.