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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 03/09)

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

This form implements disclosure 

requirements set forth in 52 U.S.C. 

§30104(i) and 11 CFR 104.22.

Who Must File

Form 3L is filed by authorized committees of federal candidates, political 

party committees and Leadership 

PACs (collectively “reporting committees”) that receive certain bundled 

contributions from lobbyists/registrants and lobbyist/registrant PACs.

Note: Political committees must 

file reports in an electronic format if 

they have either received contributions or made expenditures in excess 

of $50,000 during a calendar year, or 

if they have reason to expect that they 

will exceed either of those thresholds 

during the calendar year.

A committee is considered to have 

reason to expect it will exceed the electronic filing threshold for the following 

two calendar years after the calendar 

year in which it exceeds $50,000 in 

contributions or expenditures.

A new committee with no previous 

contributions or expenditures is considered to have reason to expect it will 

exceed the electronic filing threshold if 

it exceeds $12,500 in contributions or 

expenditures during the first quarter 

of the calendar year, or $25,000 in 

contributions or expenditures in the 

first half of the calendar year.

If the committee has exceeded or 

expects to exceed this level of activity, 

DO NOT FILE THIS FORM ON 

PAPER. Instead, you must file this 

form in an electronic format.

Contact the FEC for more information on filing electronically.

When to File

Reporting committees generally 

file FEC Form 3L according to their 

regular quarterly or monthly schedule. Reports filed in January and July 

also cover the semi-annual period. A 

reporting committee must file FEC 

Form 3L for a covered period if 

within that covered period it receives 

two or more bundled contributions 

forwarded by, or credited to, a lobbyist/registrant or lobbyist/registrant 

PAC, and the contributions aggregate 

in excess of the reporting threshold. 

For calendar year 2009 that threshold 

is $16,000, per lobbyist/registrant or 

lobbyist/registrant PAC, per covered 

period.

Authorized Committees of House 

and Senate Candidates: A House or 

Senate campaign committee with 

bundled contributions in excess of the 

reporting threshold during the covered 

period files FEC Form 3L at the same 

time as its FEC Form 3.

In any calendar year in which there 

is a “regular” November general election for which the candidate is seeking 

nomination for election or election, 

the reporting deadlines for an authorized committee’s covered periods are 

as follows:

•Reports for the quarterly covered 

periods are filed no later than April 

15, July 15, October 15 of that election year and January 31 of the following calendar year. These reports 

are required if the committee receives 

bundled contributions in excess of 

the reporting threshold during the 

quarter. Quarterly reports filed on 

July 15 and January 31 must also disclose total reportable bundled contributions for the semi-annual covered 

periods of January 1 through June 

30, and July 1 through December 31, 

respectively. A quarterly report need 

not be filed if a Pre-Election report is 

filed during the period beginning on 

the 5th day and ending on the 15th 

day after the close of the calendar 

quarter.

•Reports for the 12-Day Pre-Election 

covered period include activity from 

the day after the closing date of the 

last report filed through the 20th day 

before the election and are filed no 

later than the 12th day before any 

primary or general election in which 

the candidate seeks election. These 

reports are required if the committee receives bundled contributions 

in excess of the reporting threshold 

during the pre-election covered 

period. A 12-Day Pre-Election 

report sent by certified or registered 

mail must be mailed no later than the 

15th day before the election.

•Reports for the 30-Day Post-General 

Election covered period include 

activity from the day after the closing 

date of the last report filed through 

the 20th day after the election and are 

filed no later than 30 days after the 

general election. These reports are 

required if the committee receives 

bundled contributions in excess of 

the reporting threshold during the 

post-election covered period.

In any other calendar year, reports 

for the quarterly covered periods are 

filed no later than April 15, July 15, 

October 15 of that calendar year and 

January 31 of the following calendar 

year. These reports are required if the 

committee receives bundled contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the quarter. Quarterly 

reports filed on July 15 and January 

31 must also disclose total reportable 

bundled contributions for the semiannual covered periods of January 1 

through June 30, and July 1 through 

December 31, respectively.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 03/09) 

Political Party Committees and 

Leadership PACs: A party committee or Leadership PAC with bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during a covered period 

files FEC Form 3L at the same time as 

its FEC Form 3X. However, reporting 

committees that file Form 3X on a 

monthly basis may choose to follow 

a quarterly schedule for filing Form 

3L.

(A) Quarterly/Semi-annual Schedule. In any calendar year in which 

there is a “regular” November general 

election, the reporting deadlines for a 

political party committee or Leadership PAC’s covered periods are as 

follows:

•Reports for the quarterly covered 

periods are filed no later than April 

15, July 15, October 15 of that 

election year and January 31 of 

the following calendar year. These 

reports are required if the reporting 

committee receives bundled contributions in excess of the reporting 

threshold during the quarter. Quarterly reports filed on July 15 and 

January 31 must also disclose total 

reportable bundled contributions for 

the semi-annual covered periods of 

January 1 through June 30, and July 

1 through December 31, respectively. 

A quarterly report need not be filed if 

a Pre-Election report is filed during 

the period beginning on the 5th day 

and ending on the 15th day after the 

close of the calendar quarter.

•Pre-Election reports include activity 

from the day after the closing date of 

the last report filed through the 20th 

day before the election and are filed 

no later than the 12th day before any 

primary or general election. These 

reports are required if the committee receives bundled contributions 

in excess of the reporting threshold 

during the covered period. A 12-Day 

Pre-Election report sent by certified 

or registered mail must be mailed 

no later than the 15th day before the 

election.

•A 30-Day Post-General Election 

Report includes activity from the 

day after the closing date of the last 

report filed through the 20th day 

after the election and must be filed 

no later than 30 days after the general 

election. These reports are required 

if the reporting committee receives 

bundled contributions in excess of 

the reporting threshold for the postelection covered period.

In any other calendar year, the 

following reports are required if the 

reporting committee receives bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the covered 

period:

•A Mid-Year Report must be filed no 

later than July 31 of that non-election year and disclose total reportable bundled contributions for the 

covered period beginning January 1 

and ending June 30.

•A Year-End Report must be filed no 

later than January 31 of the following calendar year and disclose total 

reportable bundled contributions for 

the covered period beginning July 1 

and ending December 31.

(B) Monthly Schedule. Reports for 

the monthly covered periods must be 

filed no later than 20 days after the 

last day of the month. These reports 

are required if the reporting committee receives bundled contributions 

in excess of the reporting threshold 

during the month. Monthly reports 

filed on July 20 and January 31 must 

also disclose total reportable bundled 

contributions for the semi-annual 

covered periods of January 1 through 

June 30, and July 1 through December 31, respectively. In lieu of the 

Monthly reports due in November 

and December for a year in which 

there is a “regular” November general election, a 12-Day Pre-General 

Election Report must be filed if the 

reporting committee receives bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the pre-election 

covered period (i.e., from the day after 

the closing date of the last report 

filed through the 20th day before the 

election). A 30-Day Post-General 

Election Report must be filed if the 

reporting committee receives bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the post-general 

election covered period (i.e., from the 

day after the closing date of the last 

report filed through the 20th day after 

the election). A Year-End Report must 

be filed no later than January 31 of the 

following calendar year if the reporting committee receives bundled contributions in excess of the reporting 

threshold during the covered period 

beginning the day after the closing 

date of the Post-General Election 

Report through December 31.

Authorized Committees of Presidential Candidates: A Presidential 

campaign committee with bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the covered 

period files FEC Form 3L at the same 

time as its FEC Form 3P. However, 

reporting committees that file Form 

3P on a monthly basis may choose to 

follow a quarterly schedule for filing 

Form 3L.

(A) Quarterly Schedule. The reporting deadlines for a Presidential committee’s quarterly covered periods are 

as follows:

•Reports for the quarterly covered 

periods are filed no later than April 

15, July 15, October 15 of that calendar year and January 31 of the following calendar year. These reports 

are required if the committee receives 

bundled contributions in excess of 

the reporting threshold during the 

quarter. Quarterly reports filed on 

July 15 and January 31 must also disclose total reportable bundled contributions for the semi-annual covered 

periods of January 1 through June 

30, and July 1 through December 31, 

respectively. A quarterly report need 

not be filed if a Pre-Election report is 

required to be filed during the period 

beginning on the 5th day and ending 

on the 15th day after the close of the 

calendar quarter.

•Reports for the 12-Day Pre-Election 

covered period include activity from 

the day after the closing date of the 

last report filed through the 20th day 

before the election and are filed no 

later than the 12th day before any 

primary or general election in which 

the candidate seeks election. These 

reports are required if the commit-
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 03/09)

tee receives bundled contributions 

in excess of the reporting threshold 

during the pre-election covered 

period. A 12-Day Pre-Election 

report sent by certified or registered 

mail must be mailed no later than the 

15th day before the election.

•Reports for the 30-Day Post-General 

Election covered period include 

activity from the day after the closing 

date of the last report filed through 

the 20th day after the election and are 

filed no later than 30 days after the 

general election. These reports are 

required if the committee receives 

bundled contributions in excess of 

the reporting threshold during the 

post-election covered period.

In any other calendar year, reports 

for the quarterly covered periods are 

filed no later than April 15, July 15, 

October 15 of that calendar year, and 

January 31 of the following calendar 

year. These reports are required if the 

committee receives bundled contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the quarter. Quarterly 

reports filed on July 15 and January 

31 must also disclose total reportable 

bundled contributions for the semiannual covered periods of January 1 

through June 30, and July 1 through 

December 31, respectively.

(B) Monthly Schedule. Reports for 

the monthly covered periods must be 

filed no later than 20 days after the 

last day of the month. These reports 

are required if the reporting committee 

receives bundled contributions in excess 

of the reporting threshold during the 

month. Monthly reports filed on July 

20 and January 31 must also disclose 

total reportable bundled contributions 

for the semi-annual covered periods of 

January 1 through June 30, and July 

1 through December 31, respectively. 

In lieu of the Monthly reports due in 

November and December for a year in 

which there is a “regular” November 

general election, a 12-Day Pre-General 

Election Report must be filed if the 

reporting committee receives bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the pre-election 

covered period (i.e., from the day after 

the closing date of the last report 

filed through the 20th day before the 

election). A 30-Day Post-General 

Election Report must be filed if the 

reporting committee receives bundled 

contributions in excess of the reporting threshold during the post-election 

covered period (i.e., from the day after 

the closing date of the last report filed 

through the 20th day after the election). 

A Year-End Report must be filed no 

later than January 31 of the following 

calendar year if the reporting committee received bundled contributions 

in excess of the reporting threshold 

during the covered period that runs 

from the day after the closing date 

of the Post-General Election Report 

through December 31.

Overlapping Covered Periods: An 

FEC Form 3L filed in July or January may cover more than one covered 

period. As such, reporting committees must calculate the total amount 

of bundled contributions received 

for each covered period to determine 

whether a Form 3L is necessary. If, 

for example, a reporting committee receives bundled contributions 

exceeding the reporting threshold 

for the January 1 through June 30 

semi-annual covered period, then the 

reporting committee must file Form 

3L in July and report information 

about those contributions, even if the 

reporting committee did not receive 

bundled contributions exceeding the 

reporting threshold for the committee’s quarterly, monthly, pre- or postelection covered period.

Timely Filed: A document is timely 

filed upon delivery to the appropriate 

office (see “Where to File”) by the close 

of the prescribed filing deadline or 

upon deposit as registered or certified 

mail in an established U.S. Post Office 

and postmarked no later than midnight 

of the day the report is due, except that 

a Pre-Election report so mailed must 

be postmarked no later than midnight 

of the 15th day before the date of the 

election. Reports and statements sent 

by first class mail must be received by 

the appropriate office by the close of 

business of the prescribed filing deadline to be timely filed. Reports filed 

electronically must be received and validated by the Commission’s computer 

system on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern 

Standard/Daylight Savings Time on the 

prescribed filing deadline in order to be 

timely filed.

Changing Filing Frequency: A reporting committee may elect to change the 

frequency of its reporting on FEC 

Form 3L to quarterly from monthly, 

or vice versa. A reporting committee 

may change its filing frequency only 

after notifying the Commission in 

writing of its intention at the time it is 

scheduled to submit a report under its 

current filing frequency. The reporting 

committee will then be required to file 

the next required report under its new 

filing frequency. A reporting committee may change its filing frequency no 

more than once per calendar year.

Where to File

An original report and any amendments to an original report must be 

filed as follows:

•Political party committees, Leadership PACs and all principal campaign 

committees file with the Federal 

Election Commission, 1050 First 

Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20463. 

Reports shipped via FedEx, UPS or 

DHL should use the ZIP code 20002. 

Other authorized committees of the 

candidate file with the principal campaign committee.

A copy of each report need only be 

filed with the Secretary of State (or 

appropriate State officer) of the state in 

which nomination or election is sought 

if that state has not qualified for the 

Commission’s state filing waiver. A list 

of qualified states is available from the 

Federal Election Commission.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 03/09) 

Line-by-Line Instructions

LINE 1. Enter the complete name 

and mailing address of the reporting 

committee.

LINE 2. Enter the FEC Identification 

Number assigned to the reporting 

committee.

LINE 3. If this is an original report, 

check the “NEW” box. If this is an 

amendment to a previous report, 

check the “AMENDED” box.

LINE 4. Authorized committees of 

House and Senate candidates enter 

the state and district (as necessary) 

in which the candidate is running for 

office. Presidential campaigns, Leadership PACs and political party committees should leave this line blank.

LINE 5. Check the appropriate box. 

If the report is a 12-Day Pre-Election 

or 30-Day Post-General Election 

Report, supply the type of election 

(primary, general, convention, special 

or runoff), the date of the election and 

the state in which the election is held. 

If the Pre- or Post-Election Report is 

due in July or January and your July 

15 Quarterly or Year-End Report has 

been waived, check the box to indicate 

that this report also covers the semiannual covered period.

LINE 6. Enter the coverage dates 

(month/day/year) for this report. If 

this report is being filed in July or 

January, you may need to enter the 

dates for the quarterly, monthly, preor post-election covered period on 6(a) 

and/or check the January 1 – June 30 

or July 1 – December 31 box on 6(b), 

as appropriate.

LINE 7. Enter the total amount of 

bundled contributions received in 

each covered period identified in Line 

6. Reports filed in July and January 

may include activity from two covered 

periods—(1) the committee’s regular 

quarterly or monthly reporting period, 

the pre-election covered period, or the 

post-election covered period; and (2) 

the semi-annual covered period. In 

box 7(a), enter the total amount of 

bundled contributions received during 

the quarterly, monthly, pre-election, 

or post-election covered period, if 

applicable. In box 7(b), enter the total 

amount of bundled contributions for 

the January – June or July – December 

semi-annual period, if applicable.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 03/09)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR 

SCHEDULE A (FEC FORM 3L)

Reportable Bundled 

Contributions Forwarded 

by or Credited to Lobbyists/

Registrants and Lobbyist/

Registrant PACs

For each lobbyist/registrant or lob-

byist/registrant PAC that forwards, 

or is credited with raising more 

than $16,000 in bundled contribu-

tions during the covered period, the 

reporting committee must provide 

the bundler’s name, address and the 

aggregate amount of contributions 

bundled during the covered period.

1

On reports filed in July and January, 

use the “Reportable Bundled Contri-

butions during the Semi-annual Cov-

ered Period” box to disclose aggregate 

amounts for the January 1-June 30 or 

July 1-December 31 covered period, 

as appropriate. On other reports, 

disclose the aggregate amount for 

each lobbyist/registrant or lobbyist/

registrant PAC in the “Reportable 

Bundled Contributions during the 

Quarterly/Monthly/Pre-Election or 

Post-Election Covered Period” box. 

If the lobbyist/registrant is an indi-

vidual, the reporting committee must 

also identify his/her employer. When 

disclosing bundled contributions for-

warded by, or credited to, a lobbyist/

registrant PAC, the reporting commit-

tee should enter the lobbyist/registrant 

PAC’s FEC Identification Number. 

(This number is readily available from 

1 The Commission notes that the reporting 

requirements of Form 3L operate independently 

of the prohibitions in the Federal Election Cam-

paign Act of 1971, as amended, and Commis-

sion regulations on certain entities making and 

facilitating contributions and acting as conduits or 

intermediaries. A registrant that is a corporation, 

for example, would be prohibited from facilitating 

the making of contributions by persons outside of 

the corporationSection 1 s restricted class. But if 

a reporting committee nonetheless credits the cor-

poration for having raised contributions received 

by that reporting committee, and the amount of 

contributions exceeds the reporting threshold in a 

covered period, information about the corporate 

registrant must be reported

the Commission’s web site or its Public 

Disclosure Division.) Do not abbrevi-

ate committee names.

The Total reported amounts (the 

last line on Schedule A) should be 

transferred to the comparable spaces 

on Line 7, Total Reportable Bundled 

Contributions by Lobbyists/Regis-

trants and Lobbyist/Registrant PACs. 

Do not subtract the Total Refunds 

This Period disclosed on Schedule B 

(if any).

Memo Text: A committee may, if 

it chooses, attach a cover letter or 

memo text to provide any additional 

information supporting or explaining 

the entries on Form 3L
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 3L

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 03/09) 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR 

SCHEDULE B (FEC FORM 3L)

Refunds of Bundled 

Contributions Forwarded 

by or Credited to Lobbyists/

Registrants and Lobbyist/

Registrant PACs

Reporting committees use Schedule B of Form 3L solely to disclose 

refunds of bundled contributions 

raised by a lobbyist/registrant or lobbyist/registrant PAC.

Returned vs. Refunded 

Contributions

If a bundled contribution is not 

deposited and is instead returned, 

then it does not aggregate toward the 

reporting threshold for disclosure of 

bundled contributions and it does not 

need to be reported on FEC Form 3L. 

By contrast, bundled contributions 

that are received, deposited and later 

refunded do aggregate toward the 

reporting threshold for the covered 

period in which they were received, 

and must be reported if the reporting 

threshold is exceeded for that covered 

period.

Reporting Refunds

When the receipt of the bundled 

contribution is reported on Form 

3L, then the refund of the bundled 

contribution should also be reported 

on Form 3L for the covered period in 

which the refund occurred.

For each refund issued during the 

covered period, provide the full name 

and mailing address of the lobbyist/

registrant or lobbyist/registrant PAC 

that forwarded, or was credited with 

raising, the contribution and the 

amount. (Report the refund to the 

contributor on Schedule B of Form 

3, 3P or 3X, as appropriate.) On 

reports filed in July and January, use 

the Refunds of Bundled Contributions during the Semi-annual Covered 

Period box to disclose aggregate 

amounts for the January 1-June 30 or 

July 1-December 31 covered period, 

as appropriate.

The Form 3L disclosure threshold for 2009 is $16,000 per covered 

period. Once a reporting committeeSection 1 s bundled contributions 

from a lobbyist/registrant or lobbyist/

registrant PAC exceed that threshold, 

the committee must file Form 3L for 

that covered period, regardless of 

any refunds it may have made. For 

example, on August 20, 2009, a lobbyist forwards $17,000 in bundled 

contributions to a reporting committee that files quarterly. The committee deposits the checks, but refunds 

all of the contributions a week later. 

On September 15, the same lobbyist 

forwards an additional $15,000 in 

bundled contributions. Since total 

bundled contributions attributed to 

the lobbyist on August 20 exceeded 

the $16,000 disclosure threshold, the 

committee must report all bundled 

contributions from that lobbyist 

during that quarterly covered period. 

As such, on Schedule A, the committee lists $32,000 ($17,000 + $15,000) 

on Schedule A as the Reportable 

Bundled Contributions during the 

Quarterly/Monthly/Pre-Election or 

Post-Election Covered Period on its 

October 15 Form 3L. The $17,000 

refund would appear in the Refunds 

of Bundled Contributions during 

the Quarterly/Monthly/Pre-Election 

or Post-Election Covered Period on 

Schedule B of that report.

On November 2, the same lobbyist forwards an additional $10,000 in 

bundled contributions, but does nothing more for the balance of the year. 

Based on that activity alone, the committee would not need to file a Form 

3L for the fourth quarter. However, 

the committee must file a Year-End 

Report because its reportable bundled 

contributions for the overlapping 

semi-annual period (i.e., from July 

1 through December 31) exceed 

the reporting threshold. On Form 

3L Schedule A, the committee lists 

$42,000 ($17,000 + $15,000 + $10,000) 

as the Reportable Bundled Contributions during the Semi-annual Covered 

Period. On Schedule B, the $17,000 

refund would appear in the Refunds 

of Bundled Contributions during the 

Semi-annual Covered Period. Since 

the total fourth quarter bundled contributions attributed to the lobbyist 

did not exceed $16,000, the committee 

may enter $0 on Schedule A as the 

Reportable Bundled Contributions 

during the Quarterly/Monthly/PreElection or Post-Election Covered 

Period or leave that box blank.

The amount refunded, as reported 

on Schedule B of Form 3L will not 

affect the total amount of bundled 

contributions received by the reporting committee, as reported on Schedule A of Form 3L or in Box 7 on page 

1 of Form 3L.