Subd. 1. Contributions during legislative session.

1. (a) A candidate for the legislature or for constitutional office, the candidate's principal campaign committee, or a political committee or party unit established by all or a part of the party organization within a house of the legislature, must not solicit or accept a contribution from a registered lobbyist, political committee, political fund, or dissolving principal campaign committee, or from a party unit established by the party organization within a house of the legislature, during a regular session of the legislature.
2. (b) A registered lobbyist, political committee, political fund, or dissolving principal campaign committee, or a party unit established by the party organization within a house of the legislature, must not make a contribution to a candidate for the legislature or for constitutional office, the candidate's principal campaign committee, or a political committee or party unit established by all or a part of the party organization within a house of the legislature during a regular session of the legislature.

Subd. 2. Party unit solicitations.

A political party unit must not solicit or receive at an event hosted by a candidate for the legislature or by a candidate for constitutional office a contribution from a lobbyist, political committee, political fund, or party unit during a regular session of the legislature.

Subd. 3. Definition.

For purposes of this section, "regular session" does not include a special session or the interim between the two annual sessions of a biennium.

Subd. 4. Civil penalty.

A candidate, political committee, party unit, political fund, principal campaign committee, or registered lobbyist that violates this section is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000. If the board makes a public finding that there is probable cause to believe a violation of this section has occurred, the board must bring an action, or transmit the finding to a county attorney who must bring an action, in the District Court of Ramsey County, to collect a civil penalty as imposed by the board. Penalties paid under this section must be deposited in the general fund in the state treasury.

Subd. 5. Special election.

This section does not apply in a legislative special election during the period beginning when the person becomes a candidate in the special election and ending on the day of the special election.