A bill for an act relating to matters before the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board, including campaign finance filings and attribution statements.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Expands published material to include radio and online political ads that expressly advocate for candidates or ballot issues, requiring attribution.

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 544.

#campaignfinance #ethicsandcampaigndisclosureboard

Purpose and intent

HSB 110, introduced January 30, 2025, aims to modify how the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board handles campaign finance filings and attribution for political advertising. The bill expands and clarifies what counts as “published material” subject to attribution, updates the types of media covered, and adjusts internal governance rules for the board. The committee subsequently approved the bill and renumbered it as HF 544.

Key provisions

Expanded definition of “published material” (Code chapter 68A)

The bill adds radio advertising and internet advertising to the definition of “published material.”

It removes motion picture advertising from that definition.

As a result, materials communicated via radio or online channels that expressly advocate for a candidate’s nomination/election or a ballot issue’s passage/defeat would fall under the board’s oversight and attribution requirements (when they meet the bill’s criteria for “published material”).

Attribution requirement

For material defined as “published material” under the bill, if it is designed to expressly advocate for the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate, or for the passage or defeat of a ballot issue, the material must include an attribution statement.

The attribution must disclose who is responsible for the material.

Board governance

The bill maintains the board’s practice of annually electing a chairperson and a vice chairperson.

It adds a new restriction: the chairperson and the vice chairperson may not be members of the same political party.

Who/what is affected

Political committees and entities engaging in radio or online advertising that expressly advocate for or against candidates or ballot issues (and that meet the definition of “published material”) would be subject to attribution requirements.

The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, and its leadership (chairperson and vice chairperson), would be governed by the new party-composition restriction.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced: January 30, 2025, and referred to State Government.

Subcommittee: Meeting scheduled (February 6, 2025); subcommittee members listed as Dunwell, Turek, and Wilz (H).

Subcommittee action: Recommends passage (February 6, 2025).

Committee action: Passed the committee with a recommendation for passage (February 19, 2025); committee report approved (February 20, 2025).

Status: The bill was approved by committee and renumbered as HF 544.

Potential impact and considerations

Increased transparency: Attribution requirements heighten accountability for political messaging delivered via radio and internet advertising.

Expanded scope of covered materials: The removal of motion picture advertising from the definition broadens or focuses coverage on other media forms.

Governance change: The party-diversity restriction for the chair and vice chair may affect board leadership dynamics.

Compliance implications: Entities engaging in relevant media campaigns should review communications to ensure proper attribution when the material falls within the updated definition of “published material.”

Bill