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Union Calendar No. 176

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1922

[Report No. 106–296, Part I]

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

AUGUST 5, 1999

Reported from the Committee on House Administration
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AUGUST 5, 1999

Referral to the Committee on Ways and Means extended for a period ending

not later than August 5, 1999

AUGUST 5, 1999

Additional sponsor: Mr. STUMP

AUGUST 5, 1999

Committee on Ways and Means discharged; committed to the Committee of

the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

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. 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.’’.
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1 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF TAXPAYER FINANCING OF PRESI2 DENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

3 (a) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF INCOME TAX

4 PAYMENTS.—Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code

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

6 new subsection:

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

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

9 (b) TERMINATION OF FUND AND ACCOUNT.—

10 (1) TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

11 CAMPAIGN FUND.—

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

13 H of such Code is amended by adding at the

14 end the following new section:

15 ‘‘SEC. 9014. TERMINATION.

16 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply with

17 respect to any presidential election (or any presidential

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

19 any candidate in such an election.’’

20 (B) TRANSFER OF EXCESS FUNDS TO GEN21 ERAL FUND.—Section 9006 of such Code is

22 amended by adding at the end the following

23 new subsection:

24 ‘‘(d) TRANSFER OF FUNDS REMAINING AFTER

25 1998.—The Secretary shall transfer all amounts in the
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1 fund after December 31, 2000, to the general fund of the

2 Treasury.’’

3 (2) TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT.—Chapter 96

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

5 the end the following new section:

6 ‘‘SEC. 9043. TERMINATION.

7 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any

8 candidate with respect to any presidential election after

9 December 31, 2000.’’

10 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—

11 (1) The table of sections for chapter 95 of sub12 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the

13 end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 9014. Termination.’’

14 (2) The table of sections for chapter 96 of sub15 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the

16 end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 9043. Termination.’’

17 SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SOFT

18 MONEY EXPENDITURES OF POLITICAL PAR19 TIES.

20 (a) TRANSFERS OF FUNDS BY NATIONAL POLITICAL

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

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

23 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara24 graph (H);
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1 (2) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara2 graph (I); and

3 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub4 paragraph:

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

6 a national political party, all funds transferred

7 to any political committee of a State or local

8 political party, without regard to whether or not

9 the funds are otherwise treated as contributions

10 or expenditures under this title;’’.

11 (b) DISCLOSURE BY STATE AND LOCAL POLITICAL

12 PARTIES OF INFORMATION REPORTED UNDER STATE

13 LAW.—Section 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434) is amend14 ed by adding at the end the following new subsection:

15 ‘‘(d) If a political committee of a State or local polit16 ical party is required under a State or local law, rule, or

17 regulation to submit a report on its disbursements to an

18 entity of the State or local government, the committee

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

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

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

22 this section shall apply with respect to elections occurring

23 after January 2001.
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1 SEC. 5. PROMOTING EXPEDITED AVAILABILITY OF FEC RE2 PORTS.

3 (a) MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING.—Section

4 304(a)(11)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of

5 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(A)) is amended by striking

6 ‘‘permit reports required by’’ and inserting ‘‘require re7 ports under’’.

8 (b) REQUIRING REPORTS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS

9 MADE TO ANY POLITICAL COMMITTEE WITHIN 90 DAYS

10 OF ELECTION; REQUIRING REPORTS TO BE MADE WITH11 IN 24 HOURS.—Section 304(a)(6) of such Act (2 U.S.C.

12 434(a)(6)) is amended to read as follows:

13 ‘‘(6)(A) Each political committee shall notify the Sec14 retary or the Commission, and the Secretary of State, as

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

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

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

18 such election. This notification shall be made within 24

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

20 contribution is deposited) after the receipt of such con21 tribution and shall include the name of the candidate in22 volved (as appropriate) and the office sought by the can23 didate, the identification of the contributor, and the date

24 of receipt and amount of the contribution.
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1 ‘‘(B) The notification required under this paragraph

2 shall be in addition to all other reporting requirements

3 under this Act.’’.

4 (c) INCREASING ELECTRONIC DISCLOSURE.—Section

5 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)), as amended by section

6 4(b), is further amended by adding at the end the fol7 lowing new subsection:

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

9 contained in the reports submitted under this section

10 available on the Internet and publicly available at the of11 fices of the Commission as soon as practicable (but in no

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

13 by the Commission.

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

15 international computer network of both Federal and non16 Federal interoperable packet-switched data networks.’’.

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

18 this section shall apply with respect to reports for periods

19 beginning on or after January 1, 2001.

20 SEC. 6. WAIVER OF ‘‘BEST EFFORTS’’ EXCEPTION FOR IN21 FORMATION ON IDENTIFICATION OF CON22 TRIBUTORS.

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

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

25 amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘(i) When the treasurer’’ and

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

3 (2), when the treasurer’’; and

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

5 paragraph:

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

7 information regarding the identification of any person who

8 makes a contribution or contributions aggregating more

9 than $200 during a calendar year (as required to be pro10 vided under subsection (c)(3)).’’.

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

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

13 contributions for elections occurring after January 2001.

Union Calendar No. 176

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1922

[Report No. 106–296, Part I]

A BILL

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of

election for Federal office.1971 to reform the financing of campaigns for

AUGUST 5, 1999

Reported from the Committee on House Administration

AUGUST 5, 1999

Referral to the Committee on Ways and Means extended

for a period ending not later than August 5, 1999

AUGUST 5, 1999

Committee on Ways and Means discharged; committed to

Union and ordered to be printedthe Committee of the Whole House on the State of the