I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4759 

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reform the financing 

of campaigns for election for Federal office. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2006 

Mr. DOOLITTLE (for himself, Mr. HERGER, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, and 

Mr. MCKEON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee 

on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 

reform the financing of campaigns for election for Federal office. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Citizen Legislature and 

5 Political Freedom Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
2 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 (1) The proliferation of campaign finance laws 

2 (beginning with the Federal Election Campaign Act 

3 of 1971) and the proliferation of government regula4 tions promulgated pursuant to such laws have placed 

5 strict limits on contributions by citizens to the can6 didates of their choice, limits which have served to 

7 severely hinder the ability of challengers to compete 

8 on equal terms with incumbent politicians. 

9 (2) The contribution limits imposed by the Fed10 eral Election Campaign Act of 1971 force candidates 

11 to raise funds in small amounts subject to fixed limi12 tations, inevitably fostering a system under which 

13 wealthy candidates and long-term incumbent politi14 cians hold an unfair financial advantage, which in 

15 turn serves to discourage potential candidates from 

16 seeking public office. 

17 (3) The current campaign finance laws have in18 hibited the full and fair discussion of public policy 

19 issues, as challengers who are not well known to the 

20 electorate are forced by government regulation to at21 tempt to amass contributions from large numbers of 

22 donors at the outset of a campaign. As a result, 

23 challengers who lack the necessary resources to 

24 bring new issues into the public debate often are 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
3 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 eliminated from political campaigns before their 

2 voices are even heard. 

3 (4) The regulation by government of political 

4 speech through the regulation of campaign contribu5 tions and expenditures is patently undemocratic be6 cause it favors institutionalized special interests over 

7 grassroots and citizen activity by imposing burden8 some reporting and disclosure requirements and 

9 stringent spending limits on the political parties, 

10 thereby tilting the financial and tactical advantage 

11 in political campaigns to well-financed interest 

12 groups and wealthy individuals. 

13 (5) The effect of the unreasonably low contribu14 tion limits has been to force more contributors and 

15 political activists to operate outside the system, re16 sulting in even less accountability and even greater 

17 encouragement of irresponsible behavior. 

18 (6) The only way to encourage the robust dis19 course of public issues and candidates, promote the 

20 free exchange of political speech and ideas, protect 

21 constitutional freedom, and foster a more informed 

22 electorate is to lift all current restrictions on polit23 ical candidate and party contributions and expendi24 tures and to provide full, instantaneous disclosure of 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
4 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 all contributions and expenditures in elections for 

2 Federal office. 

3 SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF LIMITATIONS ON FEDERAL ELECTION 

4 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. 

5 Section 315(a) of the Federal Election Campaign Act 

6 of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)) is amended by adding at the 

7 end the following new paragraph: 

8 ‘‘(9) The limitations established under this subsection 

9 shall not apply to contributions made during calendar 

10 years beginning after 2006.’’. 

11 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF BAN ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDI12 TURES BY CORPORATIONS AND LABOR ORGA13 NIZATIONS. 

14 Section 316(a) of the Federal Election Campaign Act 

15 of 1971 is amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘(a) It is unlawful’’ and insert17 ing ‘‘(a)(1) It is unlawful’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

19 paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect 

21 to elections occurring after December 2006.’’. 

22 SEC. 5. TERMINATION OF TAXPAYER FINANCING OF PRESI23 DENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS. 

24 (a) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF INCOME TAX

25 PAYMENTS.—Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
5 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following 

2 new subsection: 

3 ‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—This section shall not apply to 

4 taxable years beginning after December 31, 2005.’’ 

5 (b) TERMINATION OF FUND AND ACCOUNT.— 

6 (1) TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

7 CAMPAIGN FUND.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 95 of subtitle 

9 H of such Code is amended by adding at the 

10 end the following new section: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 9014. TERMINATION. 

12 ‘‘The provisions of this chapter shall not apply with 

13 respect to any presidential election (or any presidential 

14 nominating convention) after December 31, 2006, or to 

15 any candidate in such an election.’’ 

16 (B) TRANSFER OF EXCESS FUNDS TO GEN17 ERAL FUND.—Section 9006 of such Code is 

18 amended by adding at the end the following 

19 new subsection: 

20 ‘‘(d) TRANSFER OF FUNDS REMAINING AFTER

21 2006.—The Secretary shall transfer all amounts in the 

22 fund after December 31, 2006, to the general fund of the 

23 Treasury.’’ 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
6 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 (2) TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT.—Chapter 96 

2 of subtitle H of such Code is amended by adding at 

3 the end the following new section: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 9043. TERMINATION. 

5 ‘‘The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any 

6 candidate with respect to any presidential election after 

7 December 31, 2006.’’ 

8 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

9 (1) The table of sections for chapter 95 of sub10 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the 

11 end the following new item: 

‘‘9014. Termination’’ 

12 (2) The table of sections for chapter 96 of sub13 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the 

14 end the following new item: 

‘‘9043. Termination’’ 

15 SEC. 6. DISCLOSURE BY STATE AND LOCAL POLITICAL PAR16 TIES OF INFORMATION REPORTED UNDER 

17 STATE LAW. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 304 of the Federal Elec19 tion Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434) is amended 

20 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

21 ‘‘(i) If a political committee of a State or local polit22 ical party is required under a State or local law, rule, or 

23 regulation to submit a report on its disbursements to an 

24 entity of the State or local government, the committee 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
7 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 shall file a copy of the report with the Commission at the 

2 time it submits the report to such an entity.’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

4 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections occur5 ring after January 2007. 

6 SEC. 7. PROMOTING EXPEDITED AVAILABILITY OF FEC RE7 PORTS. 

8 (a) MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING FOR ALL RE9 PORTS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 304(a)(11) of the 

11 Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 

12 434(a)(11)) is amended— 

13 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘a 

14 person required to file—’’ and all that follows 

15 and inserting the following: ‘‘each person re16 quired to file a report under this Act shall be 

17 required to maintain and file such report in 

18 electronic form accessible by computers.’’; 

19 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘des20 ignations, statements, and reports’’ and insert21 ing ‘‘documents’’; and 

22 (C) in subparagraph (D), by striking 

23 ‘‘means, with respect to’’ and all that follows 

24 and inserting the following: ‘‘means any report, 

25 designation, statement, or notification required 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
8 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 by this Act to be filed with the Commission or 

2 the Secretary of the Senate.’’. 

3 (2) PLACEMENT OF ALL REPORTS ON INTER4 NET.—Section 304(a)(11)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 

5 434(a)(11)(B)) is amended— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘a designation, statement, 

7 report, or notification’’ and inserting ‘‘each re8 port’’; and 

9 (B) by striking ‘‘the designation, state10 ment, report, or notification’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘the report’’. 

12 (3) SOFTWARE FOR FILING OF ALL REPORTS.— 

13 Section 304(a)(12) of such Act (2 U.S.C 

14 434a(a)(12)), as added by section 306 of the Bipar15 tisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, is amended— 

16 (A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 

17 ‘‘each person required to file a designation, 

18 statement, or report in electronic form’’ and in19 serting ‘‘each person required to file a report 

20 (as defined in paragraph (11)(D))’’; and 

21 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘any 

22 designation, statement, or report’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘any report (as defined in paragraph 

24 (11)(D))’’. 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
9 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 (b) REQUIRING REPORTS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS

2 MADE TO ANY POLITICAL COMMITTEE WITHIN 90 DAYS

3 OF ELECTION; REQUIRING REPORTS TO BE MADE WITH4 IN 24 HOURS.—Section 304(a)(6)(A) of such Act (2 

5 U.S.C. 434(a)(6)(A)) is amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(A) Each political committee shall notify the Sec7 retary or the Commission, and the Secretary of State, as 

8 appropriate, in writing, of any contribution received by the 

9 committee during the period which begins on the 90th day 

10 before an election and ends at the time the polls close for 

11 such election. This notification shall be made within 24 

12 hours (or, if earlier, by midnight of the day on which the 

13 contribution is deposited) after the receipt of such con14 tribution and shall include the name of the candidate in15 volved (as appropriate) and the office sought by the can16 didate, the identification of the contributor, and the date 

17 of receipt and amount of the contribution.’’. 

18 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

19 this section shall apply with respect to reports for periods 

20 beginning on or after January 1, 2007. 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
10 

•HR 4759 IH 

1 SEC. 8. WAIVER OF ‘‘BEST EFFORTS’’ EXCEPTION FOR IN2 FORMATION ON IDENTIFICATION OF CON3 TRIBUTORS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 302(i) of the Federal 

5 Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(i)) is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘(i) When the treasurer’’ and 

8 inserting ‘‘(i)(1) Except as provided in paragraph 

9 (2), when the treasurer’’; and 

10 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

11 paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to 

13 information regarding the identification of any person who 

14 makes a contribution or contributions aggregating more 

15 than $200 during a calendar year (as required to be pro16 vided under subsection (c)(3)).’’. 

17 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

18 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to persons making 

19 contributions for elections occurring after January 2007. 

Æ 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with BILLS