A bill that would make it easier for third-party candidates to appear on state ballots may die soon in committee.

The bill strives to change the definition of “political party” to any party that receives 2 percent of the vote for any state office.

Currently, a third party must receive 2 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial election to be recognized by the state as a political party, said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who cosponsored the bill.

Sarah Davidson, co-chair of the Iowa Green Party, signed a letter with six other third-party leaders asking senators on the State Government Committee to bring the bill out of subcommittee.

“[The bill] is essential for the life of third parties,” Davidson said.

She also said that if the bill isn’t debated this year, she and other third-party leaders will continue to lobby for similar legislation.

The bill, which was originally introduced as Senate File 439 on March 13, 2001, was sent to the State Government subcommittee after its introduction, according to the bill history on the Iowa Legislature Web site.

SF 349, which was renamed Senate Study Bill 3133, is still in the State Government subcommittee, and representatives from third parties throughout the state are pressing their senators to debate the bill in the current session.

This week is “Funnel Week” in the Iowa Legislature, which means that any bill that will be debated during the current legislative session must be out of committee by the end of the week, Bolkcom said.

Sen. Steve King, R-Kiron, is chair of the State Government Committee. He said the bill has “very little prospect” of being debated in the current legislative session.

“There are a lot of bills that go into committee that don’t make it,” King said. “I wish we had time to debate it. I think that it would be good to raise the issue.”

King said the bill might have a difficult time because the “current political structure is wired to maintain itself” and third parties disrupt that.

Jeff Hall, secretary of the Story County Greens, hopes the bill will get out of committee for what he calls “pragmatic reasons.”

“Voter turnout might go up if people had more choices on the ballot,” Hall said.