Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1997

Summary: Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to:  (1) set a limitation on the amount of non-Federal money that may be contributed by any person to any political committee of a national political party; (2) redefine the term "independent expenditure"; (3) restrict the solicitation of contributions by candidates and Federal officeholders to or on behalf of certain nonprofit organizations; (4) prohibit solicitations for or donations to nonprofit organizations by political parties and specified entities; and (5) revise reporting requirements to require certain principal campaign committees to file additional monthly reports electronically and make such reports available on the Internet.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Campaign Finance Reform Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF NON-FEDERAL MONEY CONTRIBUTED BY 
              NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES.

    Section 315(a) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
U.S.C. 441a(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(9)(A) In addition to the limitation on the amount of 
contributions a person may make under this subsection, no person may 
make any payment described in subparagraph (C) to any political 
committee established and maintained by a national political party in 
any calendar year in an amount which, in the aggregate, exceeds 
$10,000.
    ``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the Senatorial campaign 
committee and the Congressional campaign committee of each national 
political party shall each be treated as a separate political committee 
established and maintained by the party.
    ``(C) A payment described in this subparagraph is a payment of any 
gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of 
value made in support of the activities of a political committee 
established and maintained by a national political party or the party 
(other than any payment treated as a contribution for purposes of the 
limitations on contributions imposed under this subsection).''.

SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS AS INDEPENDENT 
              EXPENDITURES.

    Section 301(17) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
U.S.C. 431(17)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(17)(A) The term `independent expenditure' means an expenditure 
made by a person expressly advocating the election or defeat of a 
clearly identified candidate which is made without cooperation or 
consultation with any candidate, or any authorized committee or agent 
of such candidate, and which is not made in concert with, or at the 
request or suggestion of, any candidate, or any authorized committee or 
agent of such candidate.
    ``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), a person shall be deemed to 
be `expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified 
candidate' if the person makes any expenditure for a communication 
disseminated during the 90-day period which ends on the date of an 
election which includes the name, image, or likeness of a candidate for 
election for Federal office, if the person has expended an aggregate 
amount equal to or greater than $10,000 for such communications during 
such period, taking into account any expenditures for such 
communications made by any other person who is under the direction or 
control of or otherwise affiliated with the person.''.

SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS ON SOLICITATION AND TRANSFER OF FUNDS BY 
              CANDIDATES AND PARTIES TO CERTAIN NONPROFIT 
              ORGANIZATIONS.

    Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
431 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

   ``solicitation and transfer of funds by candidates and parties to 
                    certain nonprofit organizations

    ``Sec. 323. (a) Restrictions on Solicitation of Contributions by 
Candidates and Officeholders.--
            ``(1) In general.--No individual who is a candidate for 
        election for Federal office or who holds Federal office may 
        solicit contributions to, or on behalf of, any organization 
        that is exempt from Federal taxation under section 501(c) of 
        the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 during any period for which 
        the individual is such a candidate or holds such office if the 
        organization is established, maintained, or controlled by such 
        individual.
            ``(2) Certain individuals treated as holding federal 
        office.--For purposes of this subsection, an individual shall 
        be treated as holding Federal office if such individual holds a 
        position described in level I of the Executive Schedule under 
        5312 of title 5, United States Code.
    ``(b) Prohibiting Solicitations for or Donations to Nonprofit 
Organizations by Parties.--No national, State, district or local 
committee of a political party, including the national congressional 
campaign committees of a political party, any entity that is directly 
or indirectly established, financed, maintained, or controlled by a 
committee of a political party, any entity acting on behalf of a 
committee of a political party, and any officer or agent acting on 
behalf of any such party committee or entity, may solicit any funds for 
or make any donations to any organization that is exempt from Federal 
taxation under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.''.

SEC. 5. REQUIRING MONTHLY REPORTS FOR CERTAIN CANDIDATE COMMITTEES.

    (a) In General.--Section 304(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(2)(A)(iii)) is amended to read as 
follows:
                    ``(iii)(I) in the case of a committee that has 
                reported an aggregate amount of contributions during 
                the year in an amount equal to or greater than $50,000, 
                additional monthly reports for all months in the year 
                other than November and December, which shall be filed 
                no later than the 20th day after the last day of the 
                month and shall be complete as of the last day of the 
                month, together with a year end report which shall be 
                filed no later than January 31 of the following 
                calendar year, or
                    ``(II) in the case of any other committee, 
                additional quarterly reports, which shall be filed no 
                later than the 15th day after the last day of each 
                calendar quarter, and which shall be complete as of the 
                last day of each calendar quarter: except that the 
                report for the quarter ending December 31 shall be 
                filed no later than January 31 of the following 
                calendar year; and''.
    (b) Requiring Committees To Make Reports Available on Internet.--
            (1) In general.--Section 304(a)(11)(A) of such Act (2 
        U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(A)) is amended by striking the period at the 
        end and inserting the following: ``, except that a principal 
        campaign committee of a candidate filing monthly reports 
        pursuant to paragraph (2)(A)(iii)(I) shall file such reports by 
        such electronic format or method and at the time of filing 
        shall post such reports on the Internet at an Internet site 
        established by the committee.''.
            (2) Internet defined.--Section 301 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
        431) is amended by striking paragraph (19) and inserting the 
        following new paragraph:
    ``(19) The term `Internet' means the international computer network 
of both Federal and non-Federal interoperable packet-switched data 
networks.''.

SEC. 6. NONSEVERABILITY OF PROVISIONS.

    If any provision of this Act or any amendment made by this Act, or 
the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, 
the remaining provisions of this Act or any amendment made by this Act 
shall be treated as invalid.

SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to amounts 
contributed or expended on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.