Clean Sweep Act of 1997

Summary: Clean Sweep Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to require that the majority of a House of Representatives candidate's contributors (with respect to an election cycle) reside in the congressional district involved.  Excepts contributions from a national, State, district, or local political party committee (including any subordinate committee thereof). 
(Sec. 3) Bans Federal election activities by political action committees. 
(Sec. 4) Limits contributions or loans of the personal funds of a House candidate (including funds of members of the candidate's immediate family) during a calendar year which in the aggregate exceed $50,000. 
(Sec. 5) Requires that amounts paid by the national, State, or local political party committee (including a subordinate committee thereof) for mixed political activities:  (1) shall be subject to limitation and reporting requirements as if such payment were an expenditure; and (2) may be paid only from an account that is subject to the requirements of FECA. 
(Sec. 6) Sets forth provisions concerning eligibility and certification for reduced broadcast rates for House candidates who limit the total amount of expenditures made during an election cycle. Imposes a penalty upon a candidate who makes expenditures in excess of the limit. 
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to entitle certified candidates to receive free broadcast time from broadcasting stations within the candidate's State or an adjacent State, except where only one candidate qualifies to be on the ballot.  Exempts certain licensees. 
(Sec. 7) Amends FECA to prohibit contributions by an individual who is not a citizen of the United States. 
(Sec. 8) Bans any contribution of U.S. or foreign currency to any candidate or political committee with respect to any Federal election campaign. 
(Sec. 9) Revises Federal law relating to mass mailings sent by House members. 
(Sec. 10) Directs the Committee on House Oversight to submit a report to the President and the Congress analyzing the effects of changes made by this Act on the first general elections for the House which are held after December 31, 1998.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Clean Sweep Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING MAJORITY OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATE'S 
              CONTRIBUTORS TO RESIDE IN DISTRICT.

    Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
441a) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(i)(1) The number of persons from whom a House candidate accepts 
contributions with respect to an election cycle who are not residents 
of the congressional district involved may not exceed the number of 
persons from whom the candidate accepts contributions with respect to 
the election cycle who are residents of the congressional district 
involved.
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to contributions 
from a national, State, district, or local political party committee 
(including any subordinate committee thereof).
    ``(3) In this subsection, the term `House candidate' means a 
candidate for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident 
Commissioner to, the Congress.''.

SEC. 3. BAN ON ACTIVITIES OF POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES IN FEDERAL 
              ELECTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
1971 (2 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

  ``ban on federal election activities by political action committees

    ``Sec. 323. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this Act, no political action committee may make contributions, solicit 
or receive contributions, or make expenditures for the purpose of 
influencing an election for Federal office.
    ``(b) Political Action Committee Defined.--In this section, the 
term `political action committee' means any political committee which 
is not--
            ``(1) the principal campaign committee of a candidate; or
            ``(2) a national, State, district, or local political party 
        committee (including any subordinate committee thereof).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 301(4)(A) of such Act (2 
U.S.C. 431(4)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``persons'' the 
following: ``(but not including a partnership for purposes of section 
323(b))''.
    (2) Section 316(b)(2) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(2)) is 
amended--
            (A) by adding ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
            (B) by striking ``; and'' at the end of subparagraph (B) 
        and inserting a period; and
            (C) by striking subparagraph (C).

SEC. 4. LIMIT ON CONTRIBUTIONS OF PERSONAL FUNDS OF CANDIDATE.

    Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
441a), as amended by section 2, is further amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
    ``(j) A candidate for the office of Representative in, or Delegate 
or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress may not accept contributions 
or loans of the candidate's personal funds (including funds of members 
of the candidate's immediate family) during a calendar year which in 
the aggregate exceed $50,000.''.

SEC. 5. BAN ON USE OF SOFT MONEY.

    Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
431 et seq.), as amended by section 3, is further amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:

  ``limitations and reporting requirements for amounts paid for mixed 
                          political activities

    ``Sec. 324. (a) In General.--Any payment by the national, State, or 
local committee of a political party (including any subordinate 
committee thereof) for a mixed political activity--
            ``(1) shall be subject to limitation and reporting under 
        this Act as if such payment were an expenditure; and
            ``(2) may be paid only from an account that is subject to 
        the requirements of this Act.
    ``(b) Mixed Political Activity Defined.--As used in this section, 
the term `mixed political activity' means an activity which is both for 
the purpose of influencing an election for Federal office and for any 
purpose unrelated to influencing an election for Federal office, 
including voter registration, absentee ballot programs, and get-out-
the-vote programs.''.

SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF FREE BROADCAST TIME FOR CANDIDATES ADOPTING 
              VOLUNTARY SPENDING LIMITS.

    (a) Voluntary Limits Described.--Title III of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.), as amended by sections 3 
and 5, is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

   ``eligibility for reduced broadcast rates for candidates limiting 
                              expenditures

    ``Sec. 325. (a) Eligibility.--At the request of a candidate for 
election as a Member of, or Resident Commissioner or Delegate to, the 
House of Representatives, the Commission shall issue a certification 
that the candidate is eligible with respect to an election cycle for 
reduced broadcast rates under section 315(c) of the Communications Act 
of 1934 if the candidate certifies that the total amount of 
expenditures made in support of the candidate's election during the 
cycle will not exceed $600,000.
    ``(b) Process for Certification.--
            ``(1) Certification of benefits.--
                    ``(A) Deadline for response to requests.--The 
                Commission shall respond to a candidate's request for 
                certification under this subsection not later than 5 
                days after the candidate submits the request.
                    ``(B) Requests.--Any request for certification 
                submitted by a candidate shall contain--
                            ``(i) such information and be made in 
                        accordance with such procedures as the 
                        Commission may provide by regulation; and
                            ``(ii) a verification signed by the 
                        candidate and the treasurer of the principal 
                        campaign committee of such candidate stating 
                        that the information furnished in support of 
                        the request, to the best of their knowledge, is 
                        correct and fully satisfies the requirement of 
                        this title.
            ``(2) Grounds for determination.--The Commission shall make 
        an initial determination of a candidate's eligibility for 
        certification under this section based on the candidate's 
        filings under this title. Any subsequent determination shall be 
        based on relevant additional information submitted in such form 
        and manner as the Commission may require.
            ``(3) Withdrawal of certification.--If the Commission 
        determines that a candidate for whom a certification has been 
        issued under this section no longer meets the requirements for 
        such certification, the Commission shall revoke the candidate's 
        certification.
    ``(c) Penalty for Spending in Excess of Limit.--Any candidate for 
whom a certification has been issued under this section with respect to 
an election cycle who makes expenditures during the cycle in an amount 
greater than the amount of the limit described in subsection (a) shall 
pay to the Commission an amount equal to twice the difference between 
the total amount of expenditures made in support of the candidate's 
election during the cycle and the amount of the limit.''.
    (b) Free Broadcast Time.--
            (1) In general.--Section 315 of the Communications Act of 
        1934 (47 U.S.C. 315) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``within the 
                meaning of this subsection'' and inserting ``within the 
                meaning of this subsection and subsection (c)'';
                    (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``The charges'' 
                and inserting ``Except as provided in subsection (c), 
                the charges'';
                    (C) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 
                subsections (d) and (e); and
                    (D) by inserting after subsection (b) the following 
                new subsection:
    ``(c)(1) A candidate for election as a Member of, or Resident 
Commissioner or Delegate to, the House of Representatives for whom a 
certification is in effect under section 325 of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 shall be entitled to receive a total of 30 minutes 
of free broadcast time from broadcasting stations within the State or 
an adjacent State, of which at least 20 minutes shall be made available 
between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on any day that falls on Monday 
through Friday. A candidate may not request that more than 15 minutes 
of free broadcast time be aired pursuant to this subsection by any one 
broadcasting station.
    ``(2) In the case of an election where only 1 candidate qualifies 
to be on the ballot, no time shall be required to be provided by a 
licensee pursuant to this subsection.
    ``(3)(A) The amount of broadcast time that shall be provided 
pursuant to this subsection to the candidate of a minor party shall be 
equal to the number of minutes allocable to the House district involved 
multiplied by the percentage of the number of popular votes received by 
the candidate of that party in the preceding general election for the 
House of Representatives in the district.
    ``(B) In subparagraph (A), the term `minor party' means, with 
respect to an election for Member of, or Resident Commissioner or 
Delegate to, the House of Representatives, a political party--
            ``(i) whose candidate for such office in the preceding 
        general election in the district involved received 5 percent or 
        more but less than 25 percent of the number of popular votes 
        received by all candidates for the office; or
            ``(ii) whose candidate for such office in the current 
        general election in the district involved has obtained the 
        signatures of at least 5 percent of the district's registered 
        voters, as determined by the chief voter registration official 
        of the State, in support of a petition for an allocation of 
        free broadcast time under this subsection.
    ``(4) The Commission shall by regulation exempt from the 
requirements of this subsection--
            ``(A) a licensee whose signal is broadcast substantially 
        nationwide; and
            ``(B) a licensee for whom the Commission determines that 
        meeting the requirements will impose a significant financial 
        hardship.''.
            (2) Meeting requirement as condition of granting or renewal 
        of license.--Section 307 of such Act (47 U.S.C. 307) is amended 
        by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) The continuation of an existing license, the renewal of an 
expiring license, and the issuance of a new license shall be expressly 
conditioned on the agreement by the licensee or the applicant to meet 
the requirements of section 315(c).''.

SEC. 7. PROHIBITING CONTRIBUTIONS BY NONCITIZEN INDIVIDUALS.

    Section 319(b)(2) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
U.S.C. 441e(b)(2)) is amended by striking ``and who is not lawfully 
admitted'' and all that follows and inserting a period.

SEC. 8. BAN ON CASH CONTRIBUTIONS.

    Section 321 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
441g) is amended to read as follows:

                   ``ban on contribution of currency

    ``Sec. 321. No person may make any contribution of currency of the 
United States or currency of any foreign country to any candidate or 
political committee with respect to any campaign for election to 
Federal office.''.

SEC. 9. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO MASS MAILINGS SENT BY MEMBERS OF THE 
              HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    (a) In General.--Section 3210(a)(6) of title 39, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(G) Effective with respect to mailings made during sessions of 
Congress beginning after December 31, 1999, for purposes of applying 
any provision of law with respect to a Member of, or Member-elect to, 
the House--
            ``(i) `90 days' shall be substituted for `60 days' each 
        place it appears in subparagraph (A); and
            ``(ii) `100 pieces' shall be substituted for `500 pieces' 
        in subparagraph (E).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 3210(a)(6) of title 39, United 
States Code, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``It'' and inserting 
        ``Subject to subparagraph (G), it''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (E) by striking ``As'' and inserting 
        ``Subject to subparagraph (G), as''.

SEC. 10. REPORT ON EFFECTS OF CHANGES.

    Not later than 3 months after the first general elections for the 
House of Representatives which are held after December 31, 1998, the 
Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives shall 
submit a report to the President and to Congress analyzing the effects 
on such elections of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.

SEC. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
elections held after December 31, 1998.