1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; regulating certain electioneering communications; changing 
1.3 	certain filing requirements; requiring a study;amending Minnesota Statutes 
1.4 	2006, sections 10A.01, by adding a subdivision; 10A.14, subdivision 1; 10A.20, 
1.5 	by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.6 	chapter 10A.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a 
1.9 	subdivision to read:
1.10 		Subd. 16a.Electioneering communication. "Electioneering communication" 
1.11 	means any communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate and is made 
1.12 	between the day following the special or primary election and the day of the special or 
1.13 	general election, for the office sought by the candidate. "Electioneering communication" 
1.14 	does not include:
1.15 	(1) a communication appearing in a news story, commentary, or editorial distributed 
1.16 	by a broadcasting station, unless the broadcasting station is owned or controlled by a 
1.17 	political party unit, political committee, or candidate; or
1.18 	(2) a campaign expenditure.

1.19 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.14, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.20 		Subdivision 1.First registration. The treasurer of a political committee, political 
1.21 	fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit must register with the board by filing 
1.22 	a statement of organization no later than 14 days 48 hours after the committee, fund, 
1.23 	or party unit has made a contribution, received contributions, or made expenditures in 
1.24 	excess of $100.

2.1 	Sec. 3. [10A.165] COORDINATED ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS; 
2.2 	CONTRIBUTIONS; EXPENDITURES.
2.3 	If an individual, political committee, political fund, or political party unit makes 
2.4 	an expenditure for an electioneering communication that is coordinated with a principal 
2.5 	campaign committee or political party unit, the electioneering communication constitutes 
2.6 	a contribution to, and an expenditure by, the principal campaign committee of the 
2.7 	candidate named in the electioneering communication or of the political party unit whose 
2.8 	candidate is named in the electioneering communication.

2.9 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.20, is amended by adding a subdivision 
2.10 	to read:
2.11 		Subd. 6c.Electioneering communication. (a) An individual, political committee, 
2.12 	political fund, or political party unit that makes an expenditure for an electioneering 
2.13 	communication between the day following the special or general primary through the 
2.14 	special or general election that in an aggregate amount exceeds $500 must, within 24 hours 
2.15 	of the public distribution of the electioneering communication, file a report, electronically 
2.16 	or by fax, with the board containing the following information:
2.17 	(1) the amount of each expenditure over $100, the name and address of the person 
2.18 	whom the expenditure was made, and the purpose of the expenditure;
2.19 	(2) the election or primary to which each electioneering communication pertains and 
2.20 	the name of any candidate to be identified in the communication; and
2.21 	(3) in the case of a report filed by an individual, the name, address, and employer 
2.22 	or occupation, if self-employed, of the individual making the expenditure for the 
2.23 	electioneering communication.
2.24 	(b) An additional report containing the information specified in this subdivision must 
2.25 	be filed within 24 hours after the public distribution of an electioneering communication 
2.26 	each time an individual, political committee, political fund, or political party unit has made 
2.27 	an expenditure for the electioneering communication that in the aggregate exceeds $500.

2.28 	Sec. 5. INTERNET CAMPAIGN REPORTING STUDY.
 2.29 	The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board shall study the feasibility of 
2.30 	creating an online campaign finance reporting system. The board must study the initial 
2.31 	costs and long-term savings of creating a system for filing online all reports required by 
2.32 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 10A. The board must report to the chairs of the Governmental 
2.33 	Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee, and the State Government 
2.34 	Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the State and Local 
3.1 	Government Operations and Oversight Committee and the State Government Budget 
3.2 	Division in the senate by January 15, 2008.