HF 524

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to elections; regulating certain electioneering communications; changing
certain filing requirements; requiring a study; amending Minnesota Statutes
2006, sections 10A.01, by adding a subdivision; 10A.14, subdivision 1; 10A.20,
by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 10A.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 16a. new text end

new text begin Electioneering communication. new text end

new text begin "Electioneering communication"
means any communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate and is made
between the day following the special or primary election and the day of the special or
general election, for the office sought by the candidate. "Electioneering communication"
does not include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a communication appearing in a news story, commentary, or editorial distributed
by a broadcasting station, unless the broadcasting station is owned or controlled by a
political party unit, political committee, or candidate; or
new text end

new text begin (2) a campaign expenditure.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.14, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

First registration.

The treasurer of a political committee, political
fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit must register with the board by filing
a statement of organization no later than deleted text begin 14 days deleted text end new text begin 48 hours new text end after the committee, fund,
or party unit has made a contribution, received contributions, or made expenditures in
excess of $100.

Sec. 3.

new text begin [10A.165] COORDINATED ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS;
CONTRIBUTIONS; EXPENDITURES.
new text end

new text begin If an individual, political committee, political fund, or political party unit makes
an expenditure for an electioneering communication that is coordinated with a principal
campaign committee or political party unit, the electioneering communication constitutes
a contribution to, and an expenditure by, the principal campaign committee of the
candidate named in the electioneering communication or of the political party unit whose
candidate is named in the electioneering communication.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.20, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 6c. new text end

new text begin Electioneering communication. new text end

new text begin (a) An individual, political committee,
political fund, or political party unit that makes an expenditure for an electioneering
communication between the day following the special or general primary through the
special or general election that in an aggregate amount exceeds $500 must, within 24 hours
of the public distribution of the electioneering communication, file a report, electronically
or by fax, with the board containing the following information:
new text end

new text begin (1) the amount of each expenditure over $100, the name and address of the person
whom the expenditure was made, and the purpose of the expenditure;
new text end

new text begin (2) the election or primary to which each electioneering communication pertains and
the name of any candidate to be identified in the communication; and
new text end

new text begin (3) in the case of a report filed by an individual, the name, address, and employer
or occupation, if self-employed, of the individual making the expenditure for the
electioneering communication.
new text end

new text begin (b) An additional report containing the information specified in this subdivision must
be filed within 24 hours after the public distribution of an electioneering communication
each time an individual, political committee, political fund, or political party unit has made
an expenditure for the electioneering communication that in the aggregate exceeds $500.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin INTERNET CAMPAIGN REPORTING STUDY.
new text end

new text begin The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board shall study the feasibility of
creating an online campaign finance reporting system. The board must study the initial
costs and long-term savings of creating a system for filing online all reports required by
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 10A. The board must report to the chairs of the Governmental
Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee, and the State Government
Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the State and Local
Government Operations and Oversight Committee and the State Government Budget
Division in the senate by January 15, 2008.
new text end