1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; modifying notice required of 
  1.3             independent expenditures; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.4             1996, section 10A.20, subdivision 6b. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 10A.20, 
  1.7   subdivision 6b, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 6b.  [INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES; NOTICE.] (a) 
  1.9   Within 24 48 hours after an individual, political committee, or 
  1.10  political fund makes or becomes obligated by oral or written 
  1.11  agreement to make an independent expenditure in support of a 
  1.12  candidate in excess of $100, other than an expenditure by an 
  1.13  association targeted to inform solely its own dues-paying 
  1.14  members of the association's position on a candidate the amount 
  1.15  that may be contributed to the candidate, or in opposition to a 
  1.16  candidate in excess of the amount that may be contributed to the 
  1.17  candidate's opponent, the individual, political committee, or 
  1.18  political fund shall file with the board an affidavit notifying 
  1.19  the board a notice of the intent to make the independent 
  1.20  expenditure and serve a copy of the affidavit notice on each 
  1.21  candidate in the affected race and on the treasurer of the 
  1.22  candidate's principal campaign committee.  The affidavit notice 
  1.23  must contain the information with respect to the expenditure 
  1.24  that is required to be reported under subdivision 3, paragraph 
  1.25  (g); except that if an expenditure is reported before it is 
  2.1   made, the notice must include a reasonable estimate of the 
  2.2   anticipated amount.  Each new expenditure requires a new notice. 
  2.3      (b) A notice is not required for an expenditure by an 
  2.4   association targeted to inform solely its own dues-paying 
  2.5   members of the association's position on a candidate.  
  2.6      (c) An individual or the treasurer of a political committee 
  2.7   or political fund who fails to give notice as required by this 
  2.8   subdivision, or who files a false affidavit of notice, is guilty 
  2.9   of a gross misdemeanor and is subject to a civil fine of up to 
  2.10  four times the amount of the independent expenditure stated in 
  2.11  the notice or of which notice was required, whichever is greater.