From Rep. Ashley Hinson’s newsletter:
The bill of the week is House Study Bill 223. This bill is a strong statement in support of your first amendment rights.
There has been a recent push to publish donor lists for all non-profit organizations, commonly known as 501(c) organizations. I believe that is contrary to many Supreme Court decisions that place value on your right to associate and support groups as you see fit, without fear of retaliation or retribution. This bill limits government overreach by protecting those who donate to qualifying tax-exempt organizations, but still allows the Attorney General and State Auditor to exercise their right to investigate and audit sham charities.
You can read the bill here. There were amendments to the bill that aren’t showing up yet (it gets a new bill number as it comes to the floor for debate with the committee changes). The changes allow for organizations to willingly enter into partnerships where they do share that donor information. This is especially important for our Universities, who fundraise and support students with those dollars.
I’m also including a link to a case that I believe laid the foundation for this bill, decades ago.
It is important to note that candidate donor disclosures are still required and transparent in this process, and this bill does not make any changes to those reporting requirements. It is important you as the public know where our campaign dollars come from and where they go. You can find any candidate or PAC disclosure for Iowa races by visiting the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board’s page.
