[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9925-9927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3841]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2012-02]


Price Index Adjustments for Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist 
Bundling Disclosure Threshold

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Notice of adjustments to expenditure limitations and lobbyist 
bundling disclosure threshold.

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SUMMARY: As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971, as amended (``FECA'' or ``the Act''), the Federal Election 
Commission (``FEC'' or ``the Commission'') is adjusting certain 
expenditure limitations and the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold 
set forth in the Act, to index the amounts for inflation. Additional 
details appear in the supplemental information that follows.

DATES: Effective Date: January 1, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth S. Kurland, Information 
Division, 999 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20463; (202) 694-1100 or 
(800) 424-9530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
1971, 2 U.S.C. 431 et seq., coordinated party expenditure limits (2 
U.S.C. 441a(d)(2) and (3)(A), (B)) and the disclosure threshold for 
contributions bundled by lobbyists (2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A)) are adjusted 
periodically to reflect changes in the consumer price index. See 2 
U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(B) and 441a(c)(1), 11 CFR 104.22(g), 109.32 and 
110.17(a), (f). The Commission is publishing this notice to announce 
the adjusted limits and disclosure threshold.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2012

    Under 2 U.S.C. 441a(c), the Commission must adjust the expenditure 
limitations established by 2 U.S.C. 441a(d) (the limits on expenditures 
by national party committees, state party committees, or their 
subordinate committees in connection with the general election campaign 
of candidates for Federal office) annually to account for inflation. 
This expenditure limitation is increased by the percent difference 
between the price index, as certified to the Commission by the 
Secretary of Labor, for the 12 months preceding the beginning of the 
calendar year and the price index for the base period (calendar year 
1974).

1. Expenditure Limitation for House of Representatives in States With 
More Than One Congressional District

    Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure 
limitation for each general election held to fill a seat in the House 
of Representatives in states with more than one congressional district. 
This limitation also applies to those states and territories that elect 
individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.\1\ The 
formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in such states 
multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price 
index (4.56207), rounding to the nearest $100. See 2 U.S.C. 
441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(B), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. Based 
upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2012 general 
elections for House candidates in these states is $45,600.
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    \1\ Currently, these states are the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of American Samoa, 
Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana 
Islands. See http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml 
and http://about.dc.gov/statehood.asp.
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2. Expenditure Limitation for Senate and for House of Representatives 
in States With Only One Congressional District

    Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure 
limitation for a general election held to fill a seat in the Senate or 
in the House of Representatives in states with only one congressional 
district. The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation 
considers not only the price index but also the voting age population 
(``VAP'') of the state. The VAP of each state is published annually in 
the Federal Register by the Department of Commerce. 11 CFR 110.18. The 
general election expenditure limitation is the greater of: The base 
figure ($20,000) multiplied by the difference in the price index, 
4.56207 (which totals $91,200); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the 
state, multiplied by 4.56207. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. 
See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(A), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 
110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 
2012 general election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The 
expenditure limitation for 2012 House elections in states with only one 
congressional district \2\ is $91,200.
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    \2\ Currently, these states are: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, 
North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. See 
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml.

                         Senate General Election Expenditure Limitations--2012 Elections
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                                                                                                      Senate
                                                                                                    expenditure
                                                                    Voting age      VAP x .02 x     limit (the
                              State                                 population       the price    greater of the
                                                                       (VAP)           index         amount in
                                                                                     (4.56207)      column 3 or
                                                                                                     $91,200)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.........................................................       3,675,597        $335,400        $335,400
Alaska..........................................................         534,277          48,700          91,200
Arizona.........................................................       4,857,391         443,200         443,200
Arkansas........................................................       2,227,505         203,200         203,200

[[Page 9926]]

 
California......................................................      28,419,993       2,593,100       2,593,100
Colorado........................................................       3,886,708         354,600         354,600
Connecticut.....................................................       2,777,395         253,400         253,400
Delaware........................................................         702,467          64,100          91,200
Florida.........................................................      15,063,111       1,374,400       1,374,400
Georgia.........................................................       7,325,352         668,400         668,400
Hawaii..........................................................       1,070,206          97,600          97,600
Idaho...........................................................       1,156,869         105,600         105,600
Illinois........................................................       9,771,132         891,500         891,500
Indiana.........................................................       4,919,319         448,800         448,800
Iowa............................................................       2,337,939         213,300         213,300
Kansas..........................................................       2,147,316         195,900         195,900
Kentucky........................................................       3,348,401         305,500         305,500
Louisiana.......................................................       3,456,640         315,400         315,400
Maine...........................................................       1,058,970          96,600          96,600
Maryland........................................................       4,481,654         408,900         408,900
Massachusetts...................................................       5,182,521         472,900         472,900
Michigan........................................................       7,580,375         691,600         691,600
Minnesota.......................................................       4,067,335         371,100         371,100
Mississippi.....................................................       2,228,273         203,300         203,300
Missouri........................................................       4,598,567         419,600         419,600
Montana.........................................................         775,845          70,800          91,200
Nebraska........................................................       1,382,576         126,100         126,100
Nevada..........................................................       2,059,547         187,900         187,900
New Hampshire...................................................       1,038,210          94,700          94,700
New Jersey......................................................       6,778,345         618,500         618,500
New Mexico......................................................       1,562,805         142,600         142,600
New York........................................................      15,179,189       1,385,000       1,385,000
North Carolina..................................................       7,368,808         672,300         672,300
North Dakota....................................................         532,776          48,600          91,200
Ohio............................................................       8,851,859         807,700         807,700
Oklahoma........................................................       2,855,349         260,500         260,500
Oregon..........................................................       3,008,092         274,500         274,500
Pennsylvania....................................................       9,981,727         910,700         910,700
Rhode Island....................................................         831,766          75,900          91,200
South Carolina..................................................       3,598,675         328,300         328,300
South Dakota....................................................         620,926          56,700          91,200
Tennessee.......................................................       4,911,217         448,100         448,100
Texas...........................................................      18,713,943       1,707,500       1,707,500
Utah............................................................       1,936,913         176,700         176,700
Vermont.........................................................         500,413          45,700          91,200
Virginia........................................................       6,243,058         569,600         569,600
Washington......................................................       5,248,281         478,900         478,900
West Virginia...................................................       1,470,570         134,200         134,200
Wisconsin.......................................................       4,385,559         400,100         400,100
Wyoming.........................................................         433,221          39,500          91,200
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3. Expenditure Limitation for President

    The national party committees have an expenditure limitation for 
their general election nominee for President. The formula used to 
calculate the Presidential expenditure limitation considers not only 
the price index but also the total VAP of the United States. The 
Department of Commerce also publishes the total VAP of the United 
States annually in the Federal Register. 11 CFR 110.18. The formula 
used to calculate this expenditure limitation is $0.02 multiplied by 
the total VAP of the United States (237,657,645), multiplied by the 
price index, 4.56207. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. See 2 
U.S.C. 441a(d)(2) and 11 CFR 109.32(a). Based upon this formula, the 
expenditure limitation for 2012 Presidential nominees is $21,684,200.

Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate 
Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate 
Candidates for the 2011-2012 Election Cycle

    For the convenience of the readers, the Commission is also 
republishing the contribution limitations for individuals, non-
multicandidate committees and for certain political party committees 
giving to U.S. Senate candidates for the 2011-2012 election cycle:

[[Page 9927]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Statutory provision        Statutory amount    2011-2012 Limitation
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2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)......  $2,000..............  $2,500.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B)......  $25,000.............  $30,800.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A)......  $37,500.............  $46,200.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B)......  $57,500 (of which no  $70,800 (of which no
                               more than $37,500     more than $46,200
                               may be attributable   may be attributable
                               to contributions to   to contributions to
                               political             political
                               committees that are   committees that are
                               not political         not political
                               committees of         committees of
                               national political    national political
                               parties).             parties) The
                                                     overall biennial
                                                     limit for 2011-12
                                                     is $117,000.
2 U.S.C. 441a(h)............  $35,000.............  $43,100.
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Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2012

    The Act requires certain political committees to disclose 
contributions bundled by lobbyists/registrants and lobbyist/registrant 
political action committees once the contributions exceed a specified 
threshold amount. The Commission must adjust this threshold amount 
annually to account for inflation. The disclosure threshold is 
increased by multiplying the $15,000 statutory disclosure threshold by 
1.11578, the difference between the price index, as certified to the 
Commission by the Secretary of Labor, for the 12 months preceding the 
beginning of the calendar year and the price index for the base period 
(calendar year 2006). The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest 
multiple of $100. See 2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A) and (B), 441a(c)(1)(B) and 
11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula ($15,000 x 1.11578), the 
lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2012 is 
$16,700.

     Dated: February 14, 2012.

    On behalf of the Commission.
Caroline C. Hunter,
Chair, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 2012-3841 Filed 2-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P