[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7101-7103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02627]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2016-01]


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 
(``the Act''), the Federal Election Commission (``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, 2016.

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, 52 
U.S.C. 30101-46, coordinated party expenditure limits (52 U.S.C. 
30116(d)(2)-(3)) and the disclosure threshold for contributions bundled 
by lobbyists (52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3)(A)) are adjusted periodically to 
reflect changes in the consumer price index. See 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3), 
30116(c)(1); 11 CFR 109.32, 110.17(a), (f). The Commission is 
publishing this notice to announce the adjusted limits and disclosure 
threshold for 2016.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2016

    Under 52 U.S.C. 30116(c), the Commission must adjust the 
expenditure limitations established by 52 U.S.C. 30116(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). 52 U.S.C. 30116(c).

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. 
See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(B). This limitation also applies to the 
District of Columbia and territories that elect individuals to the 
office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.\1\ Id. The formula used to 
calculate the expenditure limitation in such states and territories 
multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price 
index (4.80703), rounding to the nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 
30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(B); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. Based upon this 
formula, the expenditure limitation for 2016 general elections for 
House candidates in these states, districts, and territories is 
$48,100.
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    \1\ Currently, these are 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/representatives.

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[[Page 7102]]

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. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(A). The formula used to calculate 
this expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also 
the voting age population (``VAP'') of the state. Id. The VAP figures 
used to calculate the expenditure limitations were certified by the 
U.S. Census Bureau. The VAP of each state is also published annually in 
the Federal Register by the U.S. 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, 
4.80703 (which totals $96,100); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the 
state, multiplied by 4.80703. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. 
See 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(A); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. The 
chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2016 general 
election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The expenditure 
limitation for 2016 House elections in states with only one 
congressional district \2\ is $96,100.
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    \2\ Currently, these states are: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, 
North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. See http://www.house.gov/representatives/.

                     Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits--2016 Elections
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                                                                                             Senate expenditure
                                                             Voting age   VAP x .02 x the    limit (the greater
                           State                             population     price index       of  the amount in
                                                               (VAP)         (4.80703)      column 3 or $96,100)
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Alabama...................................................    3,755,483           $361,100              $361,100
Alaska....................................................      552,166             53,100                96,100
Arizona...................................................    5,205,215            500,400               500,400
Arkansas..................................................    2,272,904            218,500               218,500
California................................................   30,023,902          2,886,500             2,886,500
Colorado..................................................    4,199,509            403,700               403,700
Connecticut...............................................    2,826,827            271,800               271,800
Delaware..................................................      741,548             71,300                96,100
Florida...................................................   16,166,143          1,554,200             1,554,200
Georgia...................................................    7,710,688            741,300               741,300
Hawaii....................................................    1,120,770            107,800               107,800
Idaho.....................................................    1,222,093            117,500               117,500
Illinois..................................................    9,901,322            951,900               951,900
Indiana...................................................    5,040,224            484,600               484,600
Iowa......................................................    2,395,103            230,300               230,300
Kansas....................................................    2,192,084            210,700               210,700
Kentucky..................................................    3,413,425            328,200               328,200
Louisiana.................................................    3,555,911            341,900               341,900
Maine.....................................................    1,072,948            103,200               103,200
Maryland..................................................    4,658,175            447,800               447,800
Massachusetts.............................................    5,407,335            519,900               519,900
Michigan..................................................    7,715,272            741,800               741,800
Minnesota.................................................    4,205,207            404,300               404,300
Mississippi...............................................    2,265,485            217,800               217,800
Missouri..................................................    4,692,196            451,100               451,100
Montana...................................................      806,529             77,500                96,100
Nebraska..................................................    1,425,853            137,100               137,100
Nevada....................................................    2,221,681            213,600               213,600
New Hampshire.............................................    1,066,610            102,500               102,500
New Jersey................................................    6,959,192            669,100               669,100
New Mexico................................................    1,588,201            152,700               152,700
New York..................................................   15,584,974          1,498,300             1,498,300
North Carolina............................................    7,752,234            745,300               745,300
North Dakota..............................................      583,001             56,100                96,100
Ohio......................................................    8,984,946            863,800               863,800
Oklahoma..................................................    2,950,017            283,600               283,600
Oregon....................................................    3,166,121            304,400               304,400
Pennsylvania..............................................   10,112,229            972,200               972,200
Rhode Island..............................................      845,254             81,300                96,100
South Carolina............................................    3,804,558            365,800               365,800
South Dakota..............................................      647,145             62,200                96,100
Tennessee.................................................    5,102,688            490,600               490,600
Texas.....................................................   20,257,343          1,947,600             1,947,600
Utah......................................................    2,083,423            200,300               200,300
Vermont...................................................      506,119             48,700                96,100
Virginia..................................................    6,512,571            626,100               626,100
Washington................................................    5,558,509            534,400               534,400
West Virginia.............................................    1,464,532            140,800               140,800
Wisconsin.................................................    4,476,711            430,400               430,400
Wyoming...................................................      447,212             43,000                96,100
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[[Page 7103]]

3. Expenditure Limitation for President

    The national party committees have an expenditure limitation for 
their general election nominee for President. 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(2). 
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 VAP figure used to calculate the expenditure limitation was 
certified by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Department of Commerce 
also publishes the total VAP of the United States annually. 11 CFR 
110.18. The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation is 
$0.02 multiplied by the total VAP of the United States (247,773,709), 
multiplied by the price index, 4.80703. Amounts are rounded to the 
nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(2) and 11 CFR 109.32(a). Based 
upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2016 Presidential 
nominees is $23,821,100.

Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate 
Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate 
Candidates and National Party Committees for the 2015-2016 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 and national party committees for the 
2015-2016 election cycle:

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                                                   Statutory   2015-2016
               Statutory provision                  amount       limit
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52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A)........................      $2,000      $2,700
52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B)........................      25,000      33,400
52 U.S.C. 30116(h)..............................      35,000      46,800
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Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2016

    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. 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(1), (3)(A). 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 1.17569, 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 52 U.S.C. 
30104(i)(3), 30116(c)(1)(B); 11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula 
($15,000 x 1.17569), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for 
calendar year 2016 is $17,600, unchanged from 2015.

    On behalf of the Commission.

    Dated: February 3, 2016.
Matthew S. Petersen,
Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 2016-02627 Filed 2-9-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P