1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; campaign finance; providing
1.3 	that certain costs of a suggestion solicitation and
1.4 	postage are constituent services; amending Minnesota
1.5 	Statutes 2004, section 10A.01, subdivision 26.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 10A.01,
1.8 	subdivision 26, is amended to read:
1.9 		Subd. 26.Noncampaign disbursement.  "Noncampaign
1.10 	disbursement" means a purchase or payment of money or anything
1.11 	of value made, or an advance of credit incurred, or a donation
1.12 	in kind received, by a principal campaign committee for any of
1.13 	the following purposes:
1.14 	(1) payment for accounting and legal services;
1.15 	(2) return of a contribution to the source;
1.16 	(3) repayment of a loan made to the principal campaign
1.17 	committee by that committee;
1.18 	(4) return of a public subsidy;
1.19 	(5) payment for food, beverages, entertainment, and
1.20 	facility rental for a fund-raising event;
1.21 	(6) services for a constituent by a member of the
1.22 	legislature or a constitutional officer in the executive branch,
1.23 	including the costs of preparing and mailing a suggestion
1.24 	solicitation postcard to constituents,performed from the
1.25 	beginning of the term of office to adjournment sine die of the
2.1 	legislature in the election year for the office held, and half
2.2 	the cost of services for a constituent by a member of the
2.3 	legislature or a constitutional officer in the executive branch
2.4 	performed from adjournment sine die to 60 days after adjournment
2.5 	sine die;
2.6 	(7) payment for food and beverages provided to campaign
2.7 	volunteers while they are engaged in campaign activities;
2.8 	(8) payment of expenses incurred by elected or appointed
2.9 	leaders of a legislative caucus in carrying out their leadership
2.10 	responsibilities;
2.11 	(9) payment by a principal campaign committee of the
2.12 	candidate's expenses for serving in public office, other than
2.13 	for personal uses;
2.14 	(10) costs of child care for the candidate's children when
2.15 	campaigning;
2.16 	(11) fees paid to attend a campaign school;
2.17 	(12) costs of a postelection party during the election year
2.18 	when a candidate's name will no longer appear on a ballot or the
2.19 	general election is concluded, whichever occurs first;
2.20 	(13) interest on loans paid by a principal campaign
2.21 	committee on outstanding loans;
2.22 	(14) filing fees;
2.23 	(15) post-general election thank-you notes or
2.24 	advertisements in the news media;
2.25 	(16) the cost of campaign material purchased to replace
2.26 	defective campaign material, if the defective material is
2.27 	destroyed without being used;
2.28 	(17) contributions to a party unit; and
2.29 	(18) other purchases or payments specified in board rules
2.30 	or advisory opinions as being for any purpose other than to
2.31 	influence the nomination or election of a candidate or to
2.32 	promote or defeat a ballot question.
2.33 	The board must determine whether an activity involves a
2.34 	noncampaign disbursement within the meaning of this subdivision.
2.35 	A noncampaign disbursement is considered to be made in the
2.36 	year in which the candidate made the purchase of goods or
3.1 	services or incurred an obligation to pay for goods or services.