93148 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532— 

Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 

Survey Areas 

DEFINITIONS OF WAGE AREAS AND

WAGE AREA SURVEY AREAS

* * * * * 

ALABAMA 

Madison 

Survey Area 

Alabama: 

Madison 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Alabama: 

Jefferson 

Tennessee: 

Coffee 

Davidson 

Hamilton 

Rutherford 

Montgomery 

Survey Area 

Alabama: 

Montgomery 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Alabama: 

Dale 

Dallas 

Macon 

* * * * * 

GEORGIA 

Chatham 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Chatham 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Georgia: 

Glynn 

Liberty 

South Carolina: 

Beaufort 

Cobb 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Cobb 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Alabama: 

Calhoun 

Georgia: 

Bartow 

De Kalb 

Fulton 

Columbus 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Columbus 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Georgia: 

Chattahoochee 

DOUGHERTY

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Dougherty 

Area of Application. Survey area. 

HOUSTON 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Houston 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Georgia: 

Laurens 

Lowndes 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

DEFINITIONS OF WAGE AREAS AND

WAGE AREA SURVEY AREAS—Continued 

Lowndes 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Florida: 

Leon 

Richmond 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Richmond 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

South Carolina: 

Aiken 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2024–27662 Filed 11–25–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–39–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 984 

[Doc. No. AMS–SC–24–0039] 

Walnuts Grown in California; Increased 

Assessment Rate 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule implements a 

recommendation from the California 

Walnut Board (Board) to increase the 

assessment rate established for the 

2024–2025 and subsequent marketing 

years from $0.011 to $0.0125 per inshell 

pound of California walnuts. The 

assessment rate will remain in effect 

indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated. 

DATES: Effective December 26, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joshua R. Wilde, Marketing Specialist, 

or Barry Broadbent, Chief, Northwest 

Region Branch, Market Development 

Division, Specialty Crops Program, 

AMS, USDA; Telephone: (503) 326– 

2724, or Email: Joshua.R.Wilde@

usda.gov or Barry.Broadbent@usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on complying with this 

regulation by contacting Richard Lower, 

Market Development Division, Specialty 

Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; 

Telephone: (202) 720–8085, or Email: 

Richard.Lower@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, 

amends regulations issued to carry out 

a marketing order as defined in 7 CFR 

900.2(j). This rule is issued under 

Marketing Order No. 984, as amended (7 

CFR part 984), regulating the handling 

of walnuts grown in California. Part 984 

(referred to as the ‘‘Order’’) is effective 

under the Agricultural Marketing 

Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 

U.S.C. 601–674), hereinafter referred to 

as the ‘‘Act.’’ The Board locally 

administers the Order and comprises 

growers and handlers of California 

walnuts operating within the area of 

production, and a public member. 

The Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) is issuing this final rule in 

conformance with Executive Orders 

12866, 13563, and 14094. Executive 

Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies 

to assess all costs and benefits of 

available regulatory alternatives and, if 

regulation is necessary, to select 

regulatory approaches that maximize 

net benefits (including potential 

economic, environmental, public health 

and safety effects, distributive impacts 

and equity). Executive Order 13563 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, 

reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and 

promoting flexibility. Executive Order 

14094 reaffirms, supplements, and 

updates Executive Orders 12866 and 

further directs agencies to solicit and 

consider input from a wide range of 

affected and interested parties through 

a variety of means. This action falls 

within a category of regulatory actions 

that the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) exempted from Executive 

Order 12866 review. 

This final rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 13175— 

Consultation and Coordination with 

Indian Tribal Governments, which 

requires Federal agencies to consider 

whether their rulemaking actions would 

have Tribal implications. AMS has 

determined that this rule is unlikely to 

have substantial direct effects on one or 

more Indian Tribes, on the relationship 

between the Federal Government and 

Indian Tribes, or on the distribution of 

power and responsibilities between the 

Federal Government and Indian Tribes. 

This final rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 12988—Civil 

Justice Reform. Under the Order now in 

effect, California walnut handlers are 

subject to assessments. Funds to 

administer the Order are derived from 

such assessments. It is intended that the 

assessment rate will be applicable to all 

assessable California walnuts for the 

2024–2025 marketing year, and 

continue until amended, suspended, or 

terminated. 

The Act provides that administrative 

proceedings must be exhausted before 

parties may file suit in court. Under 

section 608c(15)(A) of the Act, any 

handler subject to an order may file 

with USDA a petition stating that the 

order, any provision of the order, or any 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 93149 

obligation imposed in connection with 

the order is not in accordance with law 

and request a modification of the order 

or to be exempted therefrom. Such 

handler is afforded the opportunity for 

a hearing on the petition. After the 

hearing, USDA would rule on the 

petition. The Act provides that the 

district court of the United States in any 

district in which the handler is an 

inhabitant, or has his or her principal 

place of business, has jurisdiction to 

review USDA’s ruling on the petition, 

provided an action is filed not later than 

20 days after the date of the entry of the 

ruling. 

This final rule increases the 

assessment rate for California walnuts 

handled under the Order from $0.011 

per inshell pound, the rate that was 

established for the 2023–2024 and 

subsequent marketing years, to $0.0125 

per inshell pound for the 2024–2025 

and subsequent marketing years. 

Sections 984.68 and 984.69 authorize 

the Board, with the approval of AMS, to 

formulate an annual budget of expenses 

and collect assessments from handlers 

to administer the program. The 

members of the Board are familiar with 

the Board’s needs and with the costs of 

goods and services in their local area 

and are able to formulate an appropriate 

budget and assessment rate. The 

assessment rate is formulated and 

discussed in a public meeting, and all 

directly affected persons have an 

opportunity to participate and provide 

input. 

For the 2023–2024 and subsequent 

marketing years, the Board 

recommended, and AMS approved, an 

assessment rate of $0.011 per inshell 

pound of California walnuts within the 

production area. That rate continues in 

effect from marketing year to marketing 

year until modified, suspended, or 

terminated by AMS upon 

recommendation and information 

submitted by the Board or other 

information available to AMS. 

The Board met on May 15, 2024, and 

unanimously recommended 2024–2025 

marketing year expenditures of 

$19,886,800 and an assessment rate of 

$0.0125 per inshell pound of California 

walnuts for the 2024–2025 marketing 

year. In comparison, last year’s 

budgeted expenditures were 

$16,811,250. The assessment rate of 

$0.0125 per inshell pound is $0.0015 

higher than the rate currently in effect. 

The Board recommended increasing the 

assessment rate to better align 

assessment revenue with budgeted 

expenses, due in part to a smaller 

estimated crop. The Board projects 

handler receipts of 730,000 tons 

(equivalent to 1.46 billion pounds) of 

assessable California walnuts for the 

2024–2025 marketing year, down from 

the approximately 820,000 tons (1.64 

billion pounds) handled during the 

2023–2024 marketing year. 

The major expenditures 

recommended by the Board for the 

2024–2025 marketing year include 

$13,330,200 for domestic marketing, 

$2,838,600 for employee expenses, 

$2,425,000 for production and postharvest research, $435,000 for office 

expenses, $473,000 for travel and other 

operating expenses, and $385,000 for 

crop and acreage reporting. For 

comparison, budgeted expenses for 

these items during the 2023–2024 

marketing year were $10,588,750, 

$2,472,500, $2,425,000, $350,000, 

$390,000, and $585,000, respectively. 

The Board derived the recommended 

assessment rate by considering 

anticipated expenses, the estimated 

volume of assessable walnuts, and the 

amount of funds available in the 

authorized reserve. The estimated 

730,000 tons (1.46 billion pounds) of 

California walnuts from the 2024–2025 

marketing year crop is expected to 

generate approximately $18,250,000 in 

assessment revenue at the amended 

assessment rate (1.46 billion pounds 

multiplied by the $0.0125 assessment 

rate). The remaining $1,636,800 needed 

to cover budgeted expenditures will 

come from an approved administrative 

services agreement with the California 

Walnut Commission, which shares staff 

and office expenses with the Board. The 

income generated from assessments, 

along with non-assessment revenue, is 

expected to be sufficient to meet the 

Board’s estimated program expenditures 

of $19,886,800. Funds available in the 

financial reserve (currently about 

$14,665,274) will be kept within the 

maximum permitted by the Order 

(approximately two years’ budgeted 

expenses as authorized in § 984.69). 

The assessment rate established 

herein will continue in effect 

indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated by AMS upon 

recommendation and information 

submitted by the Board or other 

available information. Although this 

assessment rate will be in effect for an 

indefinite period, the Board will 

continue to meet prior to or during each 

marketing year to recommend a budget 

of expenses and consider 

recommendations for modification of 

the assessment rate. The dates and times 

of Board meetings are available from the 

Board or AMS. Board meetings are open 

to the public and interested persons 

may express their views at these 

meetings. AMS will evaluate Board 

recommendations and other available 

information to determine whether 

modification of the assessment rate is 

needed. Further rulemaking would be 

undertaken as necessary. The Board’s 

2024–2025 marketing year budget, and 

those for subsequent marketing years, 

will be reviewed and, as appropriate, 

approved by AMS. 

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

Pursuant to requirements set forth in 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 

U.S.C. 601–612), AMS has considered 

the economic impact of this final rule 

on small entities. Accordingly, AMS has 

prepared this final regulatory flexibility 

analysis. 

The purpose of the RFA is to fit 

regulatory actions to the scale of 

businesses subject to such actions in 

order that small businesses will not be 

unduly or disproportionately burdened. 

Marketing orders issued pursuant to the 

Act, and the rules issued thereunder, are 

unique in that they are brought about 

through group action of essentially 

small entities acting on their own 

behalf. 

There are approximately 68 handlers 

subject to regulation under the Order 

and approximately 4,500 growers of 

California walnuts in the production 

area. At the time this analysis was 

prepared, the Small Business 

Administration (SBA) defined small 

agricultural service firms as those 

having annual receipts of less than 

$34,000,000 (North American Industry 

Classification System (NAICS) code 

115114, Postharvest Crop Activities), 

and small agricultural producers of 

walnuts as those having annual receipts 

of less than $3,750,000 (NAICS code 

111335, Tree Nut Farming) (13 CFR 

121.201). 

Data from USDA’s National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 

indicate a three-year average value of 

utilized walnut production of $828.2 

million for the most recent seasons for 

which data is available (2020–2021 

through 2022–2023 marketing years). 

Dividing that figure by the number of 

walnut growers (4,500) yields an 

average annual crop value per grower of 

approximately $184,000. This figure is 

well below the SBA small agricultural 

producer threshold of $3,750,000 in 

annual sales. Assuming a normal 

distribution, this provides evidence that 

a large majority of walnut growers 

would likely be considered small 

agricultural producers according to the 

SBA definition. Additionally, data from 

NASS’s 2017 Agricultural Census show 

that 86 percent of California farms 

growing walnuts at the time had walnut 

sales of less than $1 million. 


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93150 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Based on information from the Board, 

approximately 78 percent of California’s 

walnut handlers shipped assessable 

walnuts valued under $34 million 

during the 2023–2024 marketing year 

and would, therefore, be considered 

small handlers according to the SBA 

definition. Considering the 

abovementioned, it is reasonable to 

conclude that a substantial majority of 

both walnut growers and handlers 

would be considered small business 

entities according to current SBA 

definitions. 

This final rule increases the 

assessment rate collected from handlers 

for the 2024–2025 and subsequent 

marketing years from $0.011 to $0.0125 

per inshell pound of California walnuts. 

The Board unanimously recommended 

2024–2025 marketing year expenditures 

of $19,886,800 and an assessment rate of 

$0.0125 per inshell pound of California 

walnuts. The $0.0125 assessment rate is 

$0.0015 higher than the rate previously 

in effect. The Board expects the industry 

to handle 730,000 tons (1.46 billion 

pounds) of California walnuts during 

the 2024–2025 marketing year. Thus, 

the $0.0125 per inshell pound 

assessment rate is expected to provide 

$18,250,000 in assessment income (1.4 

billion pounds multiplied by $0.0125). 

The Board also expects to receive 

$1,636,800 from an administrative 

services agreement with the California 

Walnut Commission. Income derived 

from these sources should be adequate 

to meet budgeted expenditures for the 

2024–2025 marketing year. 

The major expenditures 

recommended by the Board for the 

2024–2025 marketing year include 

$13,330,200 for domestic marketing, 

$2,838,600 for employee expenses, 

$2,425,000 for production and postharvest research, $435,000 for office 

expenses, $473,000 for travel and other 

operating expenses, and $385,000 for 

crop and acreage reporting. For 

comparison, budgeted expenses for 

these items during the 2023–2024 

marketing year were $10,588,750, 

$2,472,500, $2,425,000, $350,000, 

$390,000, and $585,000, respectively. 

The Board recommended increasing 

the assessment rate to meet necessary 

expenses, due in part to a smaller 

estimated crop for the 2024–2025 

marketing year. The Board estimates 

shipments for the 2024–2025 marketing 

year to be approximately 730,000 tons 

(equivalent to 1.46 billion pounds). 

Given the Board’s estimate for 2024– 

2025 marketing year walnut shipments, 

the current assessment rate of $0.011 

would generate $16,060,000 in 

assessment income (1.46 billion pounds 

multiplied by $0.011 assessment rate), 

which would not cover budgeted 

expenses. By increasing the assessment 

rate to $0.0125, assessment income is 

expected to be $18,250,000 (1.46 billion 

pounds multiplied by $0.0125 

assessment rate). This amount should 

provide sufficient funds to meet 

anticipated 2024–2025 marketing year 

expenses without needing to draw from 

the Board’s financial reserve. 

Prior to arriving at this budget and 

assessment rate recommendation, the 

Board considered information from 

various sources, such as the Board’s 

Executive Committee, and discussed 

various alternatives, including 

maintaining the current assessment rate 

of $0.011 per inshell pound of 

assessable walnuts and increasing the 

assessment rate by a different amount. 

However, the Board determined that the 

recommended assessment rate is 

necessary to effectively achieve the 

Board’s goals of covering budgeted 

expenses for the 2024–2025 marketing 

year and maintaining adequate funds in 

its financial reserve. Consequently, 

these alternative assessment rates were 

rejected. 

Based upon information from the 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS), the average grower price 

reported for walnuts over the past three 

crop years (2020–2023) was 

approximate $1,093 per ton ($0.547 per 

pound). In order to determine the 

estimated assessment revenue as a 

percentage of the total grower revenue, 

we calculate the assessment rate 

($0.0125 per inshell pound) divided by 

the grower price ($0.547 per pound) and 

multiply that number by 100. Therefore, 

estimated assessment revenue as a 

percentage of total grower revenue for 

the 2024–2025 marketing year is 

expected to be about 2.3 percent 

(0.0125/0.547 * 100 = 2.29) 

This action increases the assessment 

obligation imposed on handlers. 

Assessments are applied uniformly on 

all handlers, and some of the costs may 

be passed on to growers. However, these 

costs are expected to be offset by the 

benefits derived by the operation of the 

Order. 

The Board’s meetings are widely 

publicized throughout the California 

walnut industry and all interested 

persons are invited to attend the 

meetings and participate in Board 

deliberations on all issues. Like all 

Board meetings, the May 15, 2024, 

meeting was a public meeting and all 

entities, both large and small, were able 

to express views on this issue. Finally, 

interested persons were invited to 

submit comments on this rule, 

including the regulatory and 

information collection impacts of this 

action on small businesses. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), the Order’s information 

collection requirements have been 

previously approved by OMB and 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0178, 

Vegetable and Specialty Crops. No 

changes in those requirements will be 

necessary as a result of this action. 

Should any changes become necessary, 

they would be submitted to OMB for 

approval. 

This rule will not impose any 

additional reporting or recordkeeping 

requirements on either small or large 

California walnut handlers. As with all 

Federal marketing order programs, 

reports and forms are periodically 

reviewed to reduce information 

requirements and duplication by 

industry and public sector agencies. 

AMS is committed to complying with 

the E-Government Act, to promote the 

use of the internet and other 

information technologies to provide 

increased opportunities for citizen 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

AMS has not identified any relevant 

Federal rules that duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with this rule. 

A proposed rule was published in the 

Federal Register on August 16, 2024 (89 

FR 66639). A 30-day comment period 

ending September 16, 2024, was 

provided to all interested persons to 

respond to the proposal. AMS received 

one comment in opposition to the 

proposal from a walnut grower who 

expressed that the Board should rely on 

financial reserve funds during difficult 

years, instead of increasing assessments, 

because the Board is ‘‘flush with 

money.’’ However, consideration of the 

Board’s reserve fund was part of the 

Board’s public deliberations. In recent 

years, the Board has relied more on its 

financial reserves to fund expenditures, 

and the current reserve balance is now 

below what the Board generally 

considers to be ideal. The Order 

authorizes the Board to maintain a 

financial reserve ‘‘not to exceed two 

years’ budgeted expenses.’’ The Board’s 

financial reserve at the end of the 2024– 

25 marketing year is expected to be 

approximately $14,665,274, which is 

within the maximum amount permitted 

under the Order. Accordingly, AMS 

made no changes to the rule as 

proposed. 

A small business guide on complying 

with fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop 

marketing agreements and orders may 

be viewed at: https://

www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/ 

moa/small-businesses. Any questions 


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1 52 U.S.C. 30101–45. 

2 Id. 30102(e)(1); 11 CFR 101.1(a); see also 52 

U.S.C. 30101(5) (‘‘The term ‘principal campaign 

committee’ means a political committee designated 

and authorized by a candidate under section 

30102(e)(1) of this title.’’); 11 CFR 100.5(e)(1). 

3 52 U.S.C. 30102(e)(1); 11 CFR 101.1(b); see also 

52 U.S.C. 30101(6) (‘‘The term ‘authorized 

committee’ means the principal campaign 

committee or any other political committee 

authorized by a candidate under section 30102(e)(1) 

of this title to receive contributions or make 

expenditures on behalf of such candidate.’’); 11 CFR 

100.5(f)(1). 

4 52 U.S.C. 30102(f)(1). 

5 Id. 30102(f)(2). 

6 11 CFR 104.3(f). 

7 Id. 

8Appropriations, 2000, Public Law 106–58, sec. 

639(a), 113 Stat. 430, 476 (1999); 52 U.S.C. 

30104(a)(11)(A). 

9 11 CFR. 104.18(a) (requiring electronic filing for 

certain political committee); id. § 104.18(b) 

(authorizing other committees to file electronically 

if they choose to do so); Electronic Filing of Reports 

by Political Committees, 65 FR 38415 (June 21, 

2000), https://sers.fec.gov/fosers/showpdf.

htm?docid=382. 

10 52 U.S.C. 30104(a)(11)(B), (d)(2). 

about the compliance guide should be 

sent to Richard Lower at the previously 

mentioned address in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

After consideration of all relevant 

material presented, including the 

information and recommendations 

submitted by the Board and other 

available information, AMS has 

determined that this rule is consistent 

with and will effectuate the declared 

policy of the Act. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 984 

Marketing agreements, Nuts, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, the Agricultural Marketing 

Service amends 7 CFR part 984 as 

follows: 

PART 984—WALNUTS GROWN IN 

CALIFORNIA 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 984 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674. 

■ 2. Section 984.347 is revised to read 

as follows: 

§ 984.347 Assessment rate. 

On and after September 1, 2024, an 

assessment rate of $0.0125 per inshell 

pound is established for California 

walnuts. 

Erin Morris, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27605 Filed 11–25–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 

11 CFR Part 104 

[Notice 2024–26] 

Requirement To File FEC Form 3–Z 

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule amends 

Federal Election Commission 

regulations by removing the 

requirement that the principal campaign 

committee of a candidate with multiple 

authorized committees must report 

information on FEC Form 3–Z. 

DATES: The effective date is February 1, 

2025. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Rothstein, Assistant General 

Counsel for Policy, or Jennifer 

Waldman, Attorney, 1050 First Street 

NE, Washington, DC, (202) 694–1650 or 

(800) 424–9530. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Commission is amending its regulations 

to remove the requirement that the 

principal campaign committee of a 

candidate with multiple authorized 

committees must report information on 

FEC Form 3–Z. 

Transmitting Final Rules to Congress 

Before promulgating rules or 

regulations to carry out the provisions of 

the Federal Election Campaign Act, the 

Commission transmits the rules or 

regulations to the Speaker of the House 

of Representatives and the President of 

the Senate for a thirty-legislative-day 

review period. 52 U.S.C. 30111(d). 

These final rules were transmitted to 

Congress on November 19, 2024. 

Explanation and Justification 

I. Background 

A. Act and Commission Regulations 

The Federal Election Campaign Act 

(the ‘‘Act’’) 1 and Commission 

regulations require each candidate to 

register a principal campaign committee 

within 15 days of becoming a 

candidate.2 A candidate may also 

authorize other political committees to 

receive contributions or make 

expenditures on the candidate’s behalf 

by designating the committees in 

writing and filing the designations with 

the candidate’s principal campaign 

committee.3

The Act requires ‘‘each designation, 

statement or report of receipts or 

disbursements made by an authorized 

committee’’ to be filed with the 

candidate’s principal campaign 

committee.4 The Act further requires 

each principal campaign committee, in 

turn, to ‘‘receive’’ these designations, 

statements and reports and to ‘‘compile 

and file’’ them pursuant to the Act.5

In 1980, the Commission promulgated 

a regulation (11 CFR 104.3(f)) to 

implement these requirements: Section 

104.3(f) requires each candidate’s 

principal campaign committee to file 

reports submitted to it by the 

candidate’s other authorized 

committees, along with its own report.6

In addition, § 104.3(f) requires the 

principal campaign committee to file 

FEC Form 3–Z to report specific 

consolidated information gleaned from 

the authorized committees’ reports 

when it submits those reports to the 

Commission.7 It is this FEC Form 3–Z 

that the Commission is now removing. 

When the Commission first started 

requiring FEC Form 3–Z, political 

committees filed their reports only in 

paper form and the Commission made 

the reports publicly available on paper 

and microfiche in the Commission’s 

Public Records room. By requiring a 

candidate’s principal campaign 

committee to consolidate information 

about the financial activity of all of the 

candidate’s authorized committees on 

FEC Form 3–Z, the Commission made it 

easier for the public to obtain a 

comprehensive picture of the 

candidate’s receipts and disbursements 

during the reporting period. 

B. Electronic Filing 

Public access to political committees’ 

reports has expanded dramatically since 

1980, however, due in large part to 

statutory revisions and technological 

developments. In 1999, Congress 

amended the Act to provide for 

electronic filing; 8 as a result, all 

political committees that have or 

reasonably expect to have contributions 

or expenditures exceeding $50,000 in a 

calendar year must electronically file 

their reports directly with the 

Commission, and other persons may do 

so if they choose.9 Further, Congress 

amended the Act to require the 

Commission to make all reports filed 

electronically with the Commission 

publicly available on the internet within 

24 hours of receipt and within 48 hours 

of receipt for reports not filed 

electronically.10

More recently, Congress amended the 

Act to require the Commission to 

maintain a central website ‘‘to make 

accessible to the public all publicly 

available election-related reports and 

information’’ required to be filed under 


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