HF 2567

1st Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/10/2014 04:22pm

A bill for an act
relating to campaign finance; modifying the definition of noncampaign
disbursement; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 10A.01, subdivision
26.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, 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, and necessary utensils and supplies, 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 new text begin holiday or seasonal cards, new text end thank-you notes new text begin , new text end or
advertisements in the news media new text begin mailed or published prior to the end of the election cycle new text end ;

(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;

(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; and

(23) costs paid to a third party for processing contributions made by a credit card,
debit card, or electronic check.

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.