Bill Text: IA HF168 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act providing for public financing in certain political campaigns and making appropriations and including applicability provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-09 - Subcommittee: Koester, Highfill and Hunter. H.J. 262. [HF168 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HF168-Introduced.html
House File 168 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY ISENHART A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for public financing in certain political 2 campaigns and making appropriations and including 3 applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1591HH (3) 87 aw/sc PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 68A.610 Checkoff ==== income tax ==== 1 2 Iowa elections fund. 1 3 A person whose state income tax liability for any taxable 1 4 year is five dollars or more may direct that five dollars of 1 5 that liability be paid over to the Iowa elections fund, as 1 6 established in section 68A.802, when submitting the person's 1 7 state income tax return to the department of revenue. In the 1 8 case of married persons filing jointly and having a state 1 9 income tax liability of ten dollars or more, each spouse may 1 10 direct that five dollars be paid to the fund. The director of 1 11 revenue shall provide space for the Iowa elections fund income 1 12 tax checkoff on the income tax form. An explanation shall 1 13 be included which clearly states that this checkoff does not 1 14 constitute an additional tax liability. The action taken by a 1 15 person for the checkoff is irrevocable. 1 16 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 68A.801 Public campaign funding. 1 17 1. If a candidate for election to the house of 1 18 representatives or the senate is opposed on the ballot, the 1 19 Iowa elections fund shall match any eligible contribution 1 20 received by the candidate to that candidate's committee up to 1 21 a maximum of five thousand dollars for a primary election and 1 22 a maximum of five thousand dollars for the general election 1 23 for the house of representatives, and up to a maximum of ten 1 24 thousand dollars for a primary election and a maximum of ten 1 25 thousand dollars for the general election for the senate. 1 26 2. If a candidate for election to a statewide elective 1 27 office is opposed on the ballot, the Iowa elections fund shall 1 28 match any eligible contribution received by the candidate to 1 29 that candidate's committee up to a maximum of one hundred 1 30 thousand dollars for a primary election and a maximum of one 1 31 hundred thousand dollars for the general election for the 1 32 statewide elective office. 1 33 3. For purposes of subsections 1 and 2, "eligible 1 34 contribution" means a contribution of one hundred dollars or 1 35 less from an eligible elector residing in the candidate's 2 1 district. 2 2 4. Public contributions provided under this section 2 3 shall not be transferred to a political committee. When 2 4 a candidate's committee is closed, any unspent public 2 5 contributions shall be returned to the Iowa elections fund, 2 6 up to the amount received by the candidate in the last 2 7 election cycle during which the candidate received a public 2 8 contribution. 2 9 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 68A.802 Iowa elections fund ==== nature 2 10 and purposes. 2 11 1. An Iowa elections fund is established as a separate fund 2 12 within the office of the state treasurer under the control of 2 13 the board. The fund is established for the following purposes: 2 14 a. Providing financial assistance for state election 2 15 campaigns during primary election and general election campaign 2 16 periods pursuant to section 68A.801. 2 17 b. Paying for the administrative and enforcement costs of 2 18 the board in relation to this subchapter. 2 19 2. The fund shall consist of moneys received pursuant to 2 20 section 68A.803 and moneys appropriated to the fund pursuant 2 21 to subsection 3 of this section. Notwithstanding section 8.33 2 22 and section 12C.7, unencumbered or unobligated moneys and any 2 23 interest earned on moneys in the fund on June 30 of any fiscal 2 24 year shall not revert to the general fund of the state but 2 25 shall remain in the fund and be available for expenditure in 2 26 subsequent years. 2 27 3. a. For each year of the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2 28 2017, and ending June 30, 2020, there is appropriated annually 2 29 from the general fund of the state to the Iowa elections fund 2 30 the sum of two million two hundred fifty thousand dollars to 2 31 be used by the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board for 2 32 the purposes designated in subsection 1. This paragraph "a" is 2 33 repealed effective July 1, 2020. 2 34 b. Commencing with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, 2 35 and each subsequent fiscal year, there is appropriated annually 3 1 from the general fund of the state to the Iowa elections fund 3 2 an amount sufficient to restore the balance of the fund to four 3 3 million five hundred thousand dollars for expenditure for the 3 4 purposes designated in subsection 1. 3 5 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 68A.803 Other sources of funding. 3 6 1. In addition to any moneys appropriated by the general 3 7 assembly to the fund established in section 68A.802, the 3 8 following moneys shall be deposited in the fund: 3 9 a. Moneys credited to the fund pursuant to section 68A.610. 3 10 b. Moneys distributed to any candidate who does not remain 3 11 a candidate until the primary or general election for which the 3 12 moneys were distributed. 3 13 c. Civil penalties levied by the board against candidates 3 14 for violation of this subchapter. 3 15 d. Voluntary donations made directly to the fund. 3 16 e. Any other sources of revenue designated by the general 3 17 assembly. 3 18 2. Moneys in the fund are appropriated annually to the Iowa 3 19 ethics and campaign disclosure board for purposes of section 3 20 68A.802, subsection 1. 3 21 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 68A.804 Rules promulgated. 3 22 The Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board shall 3 23 administer the provisions of this subchapter and shall 3 24 promulgate all necessary rules in accordance with chapter 17A. 3 25 Sec. 6. Section 422.12E, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended 3 26 to read as follows: 3 27 1. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, 3 28 there shall be allowed no more than four income tax return 3 29 checkoffs on each income tax return. For tax years beginning 3 30 on or after January 1, 2017, when the same four income tax 3 31 return checkoffs have been provided on the income tax return 3 32 for two consecutive years, the two checkoffs for which the 3 33 least amount has been contributed, in the aggregate for the 3 34 first tax year and through March 15 of the second tax year, are 3 35 repealed. This section does not apply to the income tax return 4 1checkoffcheckoffs provided insectionsections 68A.601 and 4 2 68A.610. 4 3 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 422.12N Income tax checkoff for Iowa 4 4 election fund. 4 5 A person who files an individual or a joint income tax 4 6 return with the department of revenue under section 422.13 may, 4 7 pursuant to section 68A.610, designate a contribution to the 4 8 Iowa elections fund established in section 68A.802. 4 9 Sec. 8. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies beginning with 4 10 the general election in November 2018, and its related primary 4 11 election, and to all subsequent general and primary elections. 4 12 EXPLANATION 4 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 4 14 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 4 15 This bill establishes a fund within the state treasurer's 4 16 office, administered by the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure 4 17 board. The bill appropriates $2.25 million annually to the 4 18 fund for the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2017, and ending 4 19 June 30, 2020. Beginning in fiscal year 2020=2021, the bill 4 20 appropriates an amount sufficient to restore the fund to a 4 21 balance of $4.5 million. Effective with the 2018 election 4 22 cycle, the board shall match contributions to a candidate who 4 23 receives a contribution in an amount of $100 or less from 4 24 eligible electors residing in the candidate's district, up to a 4 25 maximum of $5,000 per primary election and $5,000 per general 4 26 election for the house of representatives; $10,000 per primary 4 27 election and $10,000 per general election for the senate; and 4 28 $100,000 per primary election and $100,000 per general election 4 29 for statewide elective offices, if the candidate is opposed on 4 30 the ballot. 4 31 The bill provides that public contributions provided under 4 32 the bill shall not be transferred to a political committee. 4 33 Any unspent contributions shall be returned to the Iowa 4 34 elections fund when a candidate's committee is closed, up to 4 35 the amount received by the candidate in the last election cycle 5 1 during which the candidate received a public contribution. 5 2 The bill enacts new Code section 68A.610, which establishes 5 3 a $5 income tax checkoff ($10 for joint filers) for deposit in 5 4 the fund, paid out of any refund owed the taxpayer. 5 5 The bill provides for several sources of revenue for the Iowa 5 6 elections fund: 5 7 1. Moneys credited to the fund pursuant to the checkoff in 5 8 new Code section 68A.610. 5 9 2. Moneys distributed to any candidate who does not remain a 5 10 candidate. 5 11 3. Civil penalties. 5 12 4. Voluntary donations. 5 13 5. Any other sources of revenue designated by the general 5 14 assembly. 5 15 The bill applies to the general election held in November 5 16 2018, and the related primary election, and to all subsequent 5 17 general and primary elections. LSB 1591HH (3) 87 aw/sc
