SF 1907

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 11/09/2021 01:43pm

A bill for an act
relating to campaign finance; amending public subsidy disbursements for certain
candidates; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 10A.31, subdivision 7.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 10A.31, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Distribution of general account.

(a) As soon as the board has obtained the
results of the primary election from the secretary of state, but no later than one week after
certification of the primary results by the State Canvassing Board, the board must distribute
the available money in the general account, as certified by the commissioner of revenue
one week before the state primary and according to allocations set forth in subdivision 5,
in equal amounts to all candidates of a major political party whose names are to appear on
the ballot in the general election and who:

(1) have signed a spending limit agreement under section 10A.322;

(2) have filed the affidavit of contributions required by section 10A.323; and

(3) were opposed in either the primary election or the general election.

new text begin (b) If one or more candidates for an office are not eligible for the public subsidy, and
one or more candidates for the same office are eligible for the public subsidy, then the
amount of public subsidy that would have otherwise been paid to the ineligible candidate
or candidates must be equally distributed to the eligible candidate or candidates.
new text end

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The public subsidy under this subdivision may not be paid in an amount that
would cause the sum of the public subsidy paid from the party account plus the public
subsidy paid from the general account to exceed 50 percent of the expenditure limit for the
candidate or 50 percent of the expenditure limit that would have applied to the candidate if
the candidate had not been freed from expenditure limits under section 10A.25, subdivision
10. Money from the general account not paid to a candidate because of the 50 percent limit
must be distributed equally among all other qualifying candidates for the same office until
all have reached the 50 percent limit or the balance in the general account is exhausted.