This bill amends Iowa's campaign finance laws to enhance regulations regarding the participation of foreign nationals in ballot issue campaigns and to establish penalties for violations. It introduces definitions for "directly or indirectly" and "foreign national," clarifying the scope of individuals and entities that fall under these categories. The bill mandates that political committees advocating for or against ballot issues must obtain affirmations from donors confirming they are not foreign nationals and have not accepted significant funds from foreign nationals in the past four years. Additionally, political committees are required to include these affirmations in their reports to the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board.

Furthermore, the bill prohibits foreign nationals from participating in the decision-making processes related to influencing ballot issues and outlines the procedures for investigations into violations of these provisions. It emphasizes the protection of donor identities for tax-exempt organizations during such investigations and restricts governmental entities from disclosing donor information unless a violation has been confirmed. Violators of the bill's provisions face civil penalties of $10,000 or three times the amount of the contribution or expenditure, along with potential misdemeanor charges, which could result in confinement and fines.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 68A.102, 68A.203, 68A.402, 68A.404