Campaign Spending Limitation Reform Act of 1996

Summary: Campaign Spending Limitation Reform Act of 1996 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to set forth limitations on campaign spending for elections to the Senate and House of Representatives. 
Prohibits a national or State political party committee from making expenditures with respect to an election for either the office of Senator or Representative.  Limits the amount of contributions a local political party may make to candidates for such offices to $100 per office. 
Sets forth penalties for exceeding the above spending limitations.  Prohibits the use of soft money or contributions in kind with respect to a Senate or House election and establishes criminal penalties for violators.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Campaign Spending Limitation 
Reform Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. NEW TITLE OF FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT OF 1971.

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

    ``TITLE V--CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPENDING LIMITATIONS

``SEC. 501. SENATE ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPENDING LIMITATIONS.

    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act--
            ``(1) a candidate for the office of Senator and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate may not make 
        expenditures of more than $1,000,000 with respect to an 
        election cycle;
            ``(2) an individual may not make contributions of more than 
        $500 to a candidate for the office of Senator and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate with respect to an 
        election cycle;
            ``(3) a candidate for the office of Senator and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate may not accept 
        contributions from an individual who does not reside in the 
        State in which the election is held;
            ``(4) a multicandidate political committee may not make 
        contributions of more than $2,500 to a candidate for the office 
        of Senator and the authorized committees of the candidate with 
        respect to an election cycle;
            ``(5) a candidate for the office of Senator and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate may not accept 
        contributions from a multicandidate political committee that 
        does not have members in the State in which the election is 
        held; and
            ``(6) a candidate for the office of Senator may not make 
        contributions of more than $10,000 to the campaign of the 
        candidate with respect to an election cycle.

``SEC. 502. PROVISIONS RELATING TO NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL POLITICAL 
              PARTY COMMITTEES WITH RESPECT TO ELECTIONS FOR THE OFFICE 
              OF SENATOR.

    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act--
            ``(1) no national political party committee may make 
        expenditures with respect to an election for the office of 
        Senator;
            ``(2) no State political party committee may make 
        expenditures with respect to an election for the office of 
        Senator; and
            ``(3) a local political party committee may not make 
        contributions of more than $100 to a candidate for the office 
        of Senator and the authorized committees of the candidate with 
        respect to an election cycle.

``SEC. 503. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPENDING 
              LIMITATIONS.

    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act--
            ``(1) a candidate for the office of Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate may not make 
        expenditures of more than $200,000 with respect to an election 
        cycle;
            ``(2) an individual may not make contributions of more than 
        $500 to a candidate for the office of Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate with respect to an 
        election cycle;
            ``(3) a candidate for the office of Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate may not accept 
        contributions from an individual who does not reside in the 
        congressional district in which the election is held;
            ``(4) a multicandidate political committee may not make 
        contributions of more than $2,500 to a candidate for the office 
        of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, 
the Congress and the authorized committees of the candidate with 
respect to an election cycle;
            ``(5) a candidate for the office of Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress and the 
        authorized committees of the candidate may not accept 
        contributions from a multicandidate political committee that 
        does not have members in the congressional district in which 
        the election is held; and
            ``(6) a candidate for the office of Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress may not make 
        contributions of more than $10,000 to the campaign of the 
        candidate with respect to an election cycle.

``SEC. 504. PROVISIONS RELATING TO NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL POLITICAL 
              PARTY COMMITTEES WITH RESPECT TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
              ELECTIONS.

    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act--
            ``(1) no national political party committee may make 
        expenditures with respect to an election for the office of 
        Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the 
        Congress;
            ``(2) no State political party committee may make 
        expenditures with respect to an election for the office of 
        Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the 
        Congress; and
            ``(3) a local political party committee may not make 
        contributions of more than $100 to a candidate for the office 
        of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, 
        the Congress and the authorized committees of the candidate 
        with respect to an election cycle.

``SEC. 505. PENALTY ASSESSMENT FOR EXCEEDING SPENDING LIMITATIONS.

    ``(a) Monetary Penalties.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this Act, any candidate or authorized committee that makes an 
expenditure in excess of a limitation under this title--
            ``(1) in the case of an expenditure that exceeds a 
        limitation by not more than 10 percent, shall be assessed a 
        penalty in an amount equal to 10 times the amount of the excess 
        expenditure; and
            ``(2) in the case of an expenditure that exceeds a 
        limitation by more than 10 percent, shall be assessed a penalty 
        in an amount equal to 20 times the amount of the excess 
        expenditure.
    ``(b) Additional Penalties.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this Act, if a candidate or authorized committee makes an expenditure 
in excess of 20 percent of a limitation under this title--
            ``(1) in the case of a candidate who wins the election, the 
        candidate shall forfeit the office involved; and
            ``(2) in the case of a candidate who loses the election, 
        the candidate shall be ineligible to hold any Federal office 
        for 10 years after the violation.

``SEC. 506. CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR USE OF SOFT MONEY OR CONTRIBUTIONS IN 
              KIND.

    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of the Act--
            ``(1) no person may use soft money with respect to an 
        election for the office of Senator or Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress; and
            ``(2) no person may make or accept a contribution in kind 
        with respect to an election for the office of Senator or 
        Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the 
        Congress.
    ``(b) Criminal Penalty.--Whoever violates subsection (a) shall be 
fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not 
more than one year, or both.

``SEC. 507. PAYMENT OF PENALTIES.

    ``Any monetary penalties paid under this title shall be deposited 
in the Treasury.

``SEC. 508. DEFINITIONS.

    ``As used in this title--
            ``(1) the term `election cycle' means--
                    ``(A) in the case of a candidate or the authorized 
                committees of a candidate, the term beginning on the 
                day after the date of the most general election for the 
                specific office or seat which such candidate seeks and 
                ending on the date of the next general election for 
                such office or seat; or
                    ``(B) for all other persons, the term beginning on 
                the first day following the date of the last general 
                election and ending on the date of the next general 
                election.
            ``(2) the term `soft money' means--an expenditure for a 
        campaign activity with the preponderant purpose or effect of 
        which is to promote a political party rather than any 
        particular Federal or non-Federal candidate.''.