Presidential Primary Act of 1996

Summary: Presidential Primary Act of 1996 - Requires that each State hold a presidential primary according to a schedule specified by region for the first election primary cycle after enactment and for subsequent election primary cycles. 
Sets forth provisions regarding voting at national party conventions by State delegates.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Presidential Primary Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``election year'' means a year during which a 
        Presidential election is to be held;
            (2) the term ``national committee'' means the organization 
        which, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party, is 
        responsible for the day-to-day operation of such political 
        party at the national level, as determined by the Federal 
        Election Commission;
            (3) the term ``political party'' means an association, 
        committee, or organization which--
                    (A) nominates a candidate for election to any 
                Federal office whose name appears on the election 
                ballot as the candidate of such association, committee, 
                or organization; and
                    (B) won electoral votes in the preceding 
                Presidential election;
            (4) the term ``primary'' means a primary election held for 
        the selection of delegates to a national Presidential 
        nominating convention of a political party, but does not 
        include a caucus, convention, or other indirect means of 
        selection; and
            (5) the term ``State committee'' means the organization 
        which, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party, is 
        responsible for the day-to-day operation of such political 
        party at the State level, as determined by the Federal Election 
        Commission.

SEC. 3. SCHEDULE.

    (a) Schedule.--
            (1) First election cycle.--In the first election year after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, each State shall hold a 
        primary in accordance with this Act, according to the following 
        schedule:
                    (A) Region i.--Each State in Region I shall hold 
                its primary on the first Tuesday in March.
                    (B) Region ii.--Each State in Region II shall hold 
                its primary on the first Tuesday in April.
                    (C) Region iii.--Each State in Region III shall 
                hold its primary on the first Tuesday in May.
                    (D) Region iv.--Each State in Region IV shall hold 
                its primary on the first Tuesday in June.
            (2) Subsequent election cycles.--
                    (A) General rule.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), in the second and each subsequent 
                election year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
                each State in each region shall hold its primary on the 
                first Tuesday of the month following the month in which 
                it held its primary in the preceding election year.
                    (B) Limitation.--If the States in a region were 
                required to hold their primaries not earlier than the 
                first Tuesday in June of the preceding year, such 
                States shall hold their primaries on the first Tuesday 
                in March of the succeeding election year.
    (b) Regions.--For purposes of subsection (a):
            (1) Region i.--Region I shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Connecticut.
                    (B) Delaware.
                    (C) District of Columbia.
                    (D) Maine.
                    (E) Maryland.
                    (F) Massachusetts.
                    (G) New Hampshire.
                    (H) New Jersey.
                    (I) New York.
                    (J) Pennsylvania.
                    (K) Rhode Island.
                    (L) Vermont.
                    (M) West Virginia.
            (2) Region ii.--Region II shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Alabama.
                    (B) Arkansas.
                    (C) Florida.
                    (D) Georgia.
                    (E) Kentucky.
                    (F) Louisiana.
                    (G) Mississippi.
                    (H) North Carolina.
                    (I) Oklahoma.
                    (J) South Carolina.
                    (K) Tennessee.
                    (L) Texas.
                    (M) Virginia.
            (3) Region iii.--Region III shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Illinois.
                    (B) Indiana.
                    (C) Iowa.
                    (D) Kansas.
                    (E) Michigan.
                    (F) Minnesota.
                    (G) Missouri.
                    (H) Nebraska.
                    (I) North Dakota.
                    (J) Ohio.
                    (K) South Dakota.
                    (L) Wisconsin.
            (4) Region iv.--Region IV shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Alaska.
                    (B) Arizona.
                    (C) California.
                    (D) Colorado.
                    (E) Hawaii.
                    (F) Idaho.
                    (G) Montana.
                    (H) Nevada.
                    (I) New Mexico.
                    (J) Oregon.
                    (K) Utah.
                    (L) Washington.
                    (M) Wyoming.
            (5) Territories.--The national committees shall jointly 
        determine the region of each territory of the United States.

SEC. 4. QUALIFICATION FOR BALLOT.

    (a) Certification by Federal Election Commission.--The Federal 
Election Commission shall certify to the States in the relevant region 
the names of all seriously considered candidates of each party--
            (1) for the first primary in the election year, not later 
        than 6 weeks before such primary; and
            (2) in the subsequent primaries in the election year, not 
        later than 1 week after the preceding primary in that election 
        year.
    (b) State Primary Ballots.--Each State shall include on its primary 
ballot--
            (1) the names certified by the Federal Election Commission; 
        and
            (2) any other names determined by the appropriate State 
        committee.

SEC. 5. VOTING AT NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS BY STATE DELEGATES.

    (a) In General.--Each State committee shall establish a procedure 
for the apportionment of delegates to the national Presidential 
nominating convention of each political party based on 1 of the 
following models:
            (1) Winner-take-all.--A binding, winner-take-all system in 
        which the results of the primary bind each member of the State 
        delegation or Congressional district delegation (or combination 
        thereof) to the national convention to cast his or her vote for 
        the primary winner in the State.
            (2) Proportionate preference.--A binding proportionate 
        representation system in which the results of the State primary 
        are used to allocate members of the State delegation or 
        Congressional district delegation (or combination thereof) to 
        the national convention to Presidential candidates based on the 
        proportion of the vote for some or all of the candidates 
        received in the primary in the State.
    (b) Selection of Delegates.--
            (1) Submission of names.--Not later than the date on which 
        a candidate is certified on the ballot for a State, such 
        candidate shall submit to the State committee, in priority 
        order, a list of names of individuals proposed by the candidate 
        to serve as delegates for such candidate.
            (2) Selection.--Delegates apportioned to represent a 
        candidate pursuant to the procedure established under 
        subsection (a) shall be selected according to the list 
        submitted by the candidate pursuant to paragraph (1).
    (c) Voting at the National Conventions.--Each delegate to a 
national convention who is required to vote for the winner of the State 
primary under the system established under subsection (a) shall so vote 
for at least 2 ballots at the national convention, unless released by 
the winner of the State primary to which such delegate's vote is 
pledged.

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall apply to the primaries in the year 2000 and in each 
election year thereafter.