I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1922

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

MAY 25, 1999

Mr. DOOLITTLE (for himself, Mr. DELAY, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr.

MCINTOSH, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. PAUL, Mrs.

CHENOWETH, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. TAYLOR of North

Carolina, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr.

TIAHRT, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. CRANE,

Mr. ARMEY, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CANNON, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. LEWIS

of California, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. LINDER, Mr.

SPENCE, Mr. DREIER, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. POMBO, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr.

WICKER, Mr. CAMP, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr.

BAKER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. COOK, Ms. DUNN,

Mr. HUNTER, Mr. KING, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. GARY MILLER of California, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. JONES of North

Carolina, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. COBLE, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. SALMON,

Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. MICA, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. SWEENY, Mr.

ROGAN, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. HAYES, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr.

EVERETT, and Mr. HERGER) 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.
2

•HR 1922 IH

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. REMOVAL OF LIMITATIONS ON FEDERAL ELECTION

7 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

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

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

10 end the following new paragraph:

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

12 shall not apply to contributions made during calendar

13 years beginning after 2000.’’.

14 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF TAXPAYER FINANCING OF PRESI15 DENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

16 (a) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF INCOME TAX

17 PAYMENTS.—Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code

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

19 new subsection:

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

21 taxable years beginning after December 31, 1999.’’

22 (b) TERMINATION OF FUND AND ACCOUNT.—

23 (1) TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

24 CAMPAIGN FUND.—
3

•HR 1922 IH

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

2 H of such Code is amended by adding at the

3 end the following new section:

4 ‘‘SEC. 9014. TERMINATION.

5 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply with

6 respect to any presidential election (or any presidential

7 nominating convention) after December 31, 2000, or to

8 any candidate in such an election.’’

9 (B) TRANSFER OF EXCESS FUNDS TO GEN10 ERAL FUND.—Section 9006 of such Code is

11 amended by adding at the end the following

12 new subsection:

13 ‘‘(d) TRANSFER OF FUNDS REMAINING AFTER

14 1998.—The Secretary shall transfer all amounts in the

15 fund after December 31, 2000, to the general fund of the

16 Treasury.’’

17 (2) TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT.—Chapter 96

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

19 the end the following new section:

20 ‘‘SEC. 9043. TERMINATION.

21 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any

22 candidate with respect to any presidential election after

23 December 31, 2000.’’

24 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
4

•HR 1922 IH

1 (1) The table of sections for chapter 95 of sub2 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the

3 end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 9014. Termination.’’

4 (2) The table of sections for chapter 96 of sub5 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the

6 end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 9043. Termination.’’

7 SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SOFT

8 MONEY EXPENDITURES OF POLITICAL PAR9 TIES.

10 (a) TRANSFERS OF FUNDS BY NATIONAL POLITICAL

11 PARTIES.—Section 304(b)(4) of the Federal Election

12 Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(b)(4)) is amended—

13 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara14 graph (H);

15 (2) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara16 graph (I); and

17 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub18 paragraph:

19 ‘‘(J) in the case of a political committee of

20 a national political party, all funds transferred

21 to any political committee of a State or local

22 political party, without regard to whether or not

23 the funds are otherwise treated as contributions

24 or expenditures under this title;’’.
5

•HR 1922 IH

1 (b) DISCLOSURE BY STATE AND LOCAL POLITICAL

2 PARTIES OF INFORMATION REPORTED UNDER STATE

3 LAW.—Section 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434) is amend4 ed by adding at the end the following new subsection:

5 ‘‘(d) If a political committee of a State or local polit6 ical party is required under a State or local law, rule, or

7 regulation to submit a report on its disbursements to an

8 entity of the State or local government, the committee

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

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

11 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

12 this section shall apply with respect to elections occurring

13 after January 2001.

14 SEC. 5. PROMOTING EXPEDITED AVAILABILITY OF FEC RE15 PORTS.

16 (a) MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING.—Section

17 304(a)(11)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of

18 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(A)) is amended by striking

19 ‘‘permit reports required by’’ and inserting ‘‘require re20 ports under’’.

21 (b) REQUIRING REPORTS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS

22 MADE TO ANY POLITICAL COMMITTEE WITHIN 90 DAYS

23 OF ELECTION; REQUIRING REPORTS TO BE MADE WITH24 IN 24 HOURS.—Section 304(a)(6) of such Act (2 U.S.C.

25 434(a)(6)) is amended to read as follows:
6

•HR 1922 IH

1 ‘‘(6)(A) Each political committee shall notify the Sec2 retary or the Commission, and the Secretary of State, as

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

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

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

6 such election. This notification shall be made within 24

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

8 contribution is deposited) after the receipt of such con9 tribution and shall include the name of the candidate in10 volved (as appropriate) and the office sought by the can11 didate, the indentification of the contributor, and the date

12 of receipt and amount of the contribution.

13 ‘‘(B) The notification required under this paragraph

14 shall be in addition to all other reporting requirements

15 under this Act.’’.

16 (c) INCREASING ELECTRONIC DISCLOSURE.—Section

17 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)), as amended by section

18 4(b), is further amended by adding at the end the fol19 lowing new subsection:

20 ‘‘(e)(1) The Commission shall make the information

21 contained in the reports submitted under this section

22 available on the Internet and publicly available at the of23 fices of the Commission as soon as practicable (but in no

24 case later than 24 hours) after the information is received

25 by the Commission.
7

•HR 1922 IH

1 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘Internet’ means the

2 international computer network of both Federal and non3 Federal interoperable packet-switched data networks.’’.

4 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

5 this section shall apply with respect to reports for periods

6 beginning on or after January 1, 2001.

7 SEC. 6. WAIVER OF ‘‘BEST EFFORTS’’ EXCEPTION FOR IN8 FORMATION ON IDENTIFICATION OF CON9 TRIBUTORS.

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

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

12 amended—

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

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

15 (2), when the treasurer’’; and

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

17 paragraph:

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

19 information regarding the identification of any person who

20 makes a contribution or contributions aggregating more

21 than $200 during a calendar year (as required to be pro22 vided under subsection (c)(3)).’’.
8

•HR 1922 IH

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

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

3 contributions for elections occurring after January 2001.

Æ