HF 2704

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; requiring certain membership 
  1.3             organizations to provide notices, provide an 
  1.4             accounting, refund a portion of dues on request, and 
  1.5             report certain activities to the ethical practices 
  1.6             board; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes, chapter 211B. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [211B.155] [MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] (a) The definitions in this 
  1.11  subdivision apply to this section. 
  1.12     (b) "Member" means a person who has joined and pays dues to 
  1.13  a membership organization and a person who has not joined but is 
  1.14  required by law or contract to pay dues to a membership 
  1.15  organization for representation by that organization. 
  1.16     (c) "Membership organization" means an organization, no 
  1.17  matter how organized, that is made up of dues paying members. 
  1.18     (d) "Political activity" does not include issues education, 
  1.19  which may not advocate support for a particular political party 
  1.20  or refer to any candidate by name. 
  1.21     Subd. 2.  [NOTICE; REFUND OF DUES.] A membership 
  1.22  organization shall provide an annual notice to its members no 
  1.23  later than February 1 of their right to reduce the dues payable 
  1.24  by them by the same percentage as the percentage of the 
  1.25  organization's revenues that are expended on any type of 
  1.26  political activity.  The notice must inform the members that 
  2.1   they may reduce their obligation by this percentage amount by 
  2.2   providing written notice to the organization and to any employer 
  2.3   deducting dues from their pay and that they will suffer no harm 
  2.4   or retribution from the employer or the organization for doing 
  2.5   so. 
  2.6      The notice must also inform the members that they have a 
  2.7   right not to have any portion of their dues used for political 
  2.8   activity and that they may request within six months of paying 
  2.9   them a refund of any portion of their dues that was spent on 
  2.10  political activity.  The refund must be made within 30 days of 
  2.11  the request. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [ACCOUNTING.] A membership organization shall 
  2.13  provide to its members an annual accounting by February 1 of the 
  2.14  organization's revenues and expenditures, specifying the amounts 
  2.15  spent on political contributions, lobbying, other political 
  2.16  activity, and issues education. 
  2.17     Subd. 4.  [REPORTING.] A membership organization shall 
  2.18  provide the following information to the ethical practices board 
  2.19  by February 1 each year: 
  2.20     (1) expenditures for issues education; and 
  2.21     (2) revenue from payroll deductions or special payroll 
  2.22  deductions that was specifically raised for political activity.