1. As used in this section, “independent expenditure” means one or more expenditures in excess of one thousand dollars in the aggregate for a communication that expressly advocates the nomination, election, or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue that is made without the prior approval or coordination with a candidate, candidate’s committee, or a ballot issue committee.
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Terms Used In Iowa Code 68A.404

  • Ballot issue: means a question, other than the nomination or election of a candidate to a public office, which has been approved by a political subdivision or the general assembly or is required by law to be placed before the voters of the political subdivision by a commissioner of elections, or to be placed before the voters by the state commissioner of elections. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Board: means the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board established under section 68B. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Candidate: means any individual who has taken affirmative action to seek nomination or election to a public office and shall also include any judge standing for retention in a judicial election. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Clearly identified: means that a communication contains an unambiguous reference to a particular candidate or ballot issue, including but not limited to one or more of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Committee: includes a political committee and a candidate's committee. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Consultant: means a person who provides or procures services including but not limited to consulting, public relations, advertising, fundraising, polling, managing or organizing services. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • corporation: means a for-profit or nonprofit corporation organized pursuant to the laws of this state, the United States, or any other state, territory, or foreign country. See Iowa Code 68A.503
  • County statutory political committee: means a committee as described in section 43. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • expressly advocate: means communication that can be characterized according to at least one of the following descriptions:
     a. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: means , without limitation, any individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, labor union, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Political committee: means any of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 68A.102
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. a.  A person, other than an individual or individuals, shall not make an independent expenditure or disburse funds from its treasury to pay for, in whole or in part, an independent expenditure made by another person without the authorization of a majority of the person’s board of directors, executive council, or similar organizational leadership body of the use of treasury funds for an independent expenditure involving a candidate or ballot issue committee. Such authorization must occur in the same calendar year in which the independent expenditure is incurred.

 b. Such authorization shall expressly provide whether the board of directors, executive council, or similar organizational leadership body authorizes one or more independent expenditures that expressly advocate the nomination or election of a candidate or passage of a ballot issue or authorizes one or more independent expenditures that expressly advocate the defeat of a candidate or ballot issue.
 c. A foreign national shall not make an independent expenditure, directly or indirectly, that advocates the nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate or the passage or defeat of any ballot issue. As used in this section, “foreign national” means a person who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence. “Foreign national” includes a foreign principal, such as a government of a foreign country or a foreign political party, partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons that has its primary place of business in or is organized under the laws of a foreign country. “Foreign national” does not include a person who is a citizen of the United States or who is a national of the United States.
 d. This section does not apply to a candidate, candidate’s committee, state statutory political committee, county statutory political committee, or a political committee. This section does not apply to a federal committee or an out-of-state committee that makes an independent expenditure. A person who makes one or more independent expenditures and files all statements required by this section shall not be required to organize a committee or file the statement of organization required under section 68A.201.
 3. A person, other than a committee registered under this chapter, that makes one or more independent expenditures shall file an independent expenditure statement. All statements required by this section shall be filed in an electronic format as prescribed by rule.
 4. a. An independent expenditure statement shall be filed within forty-eight hours of the making of an independent expenditure in excess of one thousand dollars in the aggregate, or within forty-eight hours of disseminating the communication to its intended audience, whichever is earlier. For purposes of this section, an independent expenditure is made when the independent expenditure communication is purchased or ordered regardless of whether or not the person making the independent expenditure has been billed for the cost of the independent expenditure.

 b. An independent expenditure statement shall be filed with the board and the board shall immediately make the independent expenditure statement available for public viewing.
 c. For purposes of this section, an independent expenditure is made at the time that the cost is incurred.
 5. The independent expenditure statement shall contain all of the following information:

 a. Identification of the individuals or persons filing the statement.
 b. Description of the position advocated by the individuals or persons with regard to the clearly identified candidate or ballot issue.
 c. Identification of the candidate or ballot issue benefited by the independent expenditure.
 d. The dates on which the expenditure or expenditures took place or will take place.
 e. Description of the nature of the action taken that resulted in the expenditure or expenditures.
 f. The fair market value of the expenditure or expenditures.
 g. A certification by an officer representing the person, if the person is other than an individual or individuals, that the board of directors, executive council, or similar organizational leadership body expressly authorized the independent expenditure or use of treasury funds for the independent expenditure by resolution or other affirmative action within the calendar year when the independent expenditure was incurred.
 h. The name and address of every contributor or source of funding that provided anything of value that was provided for the purpose of furthering the independent expenditure. A person making an independent expenditure shall not be required to disclose the names and addresses of individual members who pay dues to a labor union, organization, or association or individual stockholders of a business corporation.
 6. Any person making an independent expenditure shall comply with the attribution requirements of section 68A.405.
 7. A person making an independent expenditure shall not engage or retain an advertising firm or consultant that has also been engaged or retained within the prior six months by the candidate, candidate’s committee, or ballot issue committee that is benefited by the independent expenditure.
 8. a. The board shall develop, prescribe, furnish, and distribute forms for the independent expenditure statements required by this section.

 b. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for the implementation of this section.
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