I

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 965

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

MARCH 6, 1997

Mr. DOOLITTLE (for himself, Mr. DELAY, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.

YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. BALLENGER, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. MCKEON,

Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr.

MCINNIS, Mr. HUNTER, and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight, 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’’.
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1 SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF LIMITATIONS ON FEDERAL ELECTION

2 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

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

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

5 end the following new paragraph:

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

7 shall not apply to contributions made during calendar

8 years beginning after 1998.’’

9 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF TAXPAYER FINANCING OF PRESI10 DENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

11 (a) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF INCOME TAX

12 PAYMENTS.—Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code

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

14 new subsection:

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

16 taxable years beginning after December 31, 1997.’’

17 (b) TERMINATION OF FUND AND ACCOUNT.—

18 (1) TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

19 CAMPAIGN FUND.—

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

21 H of such Code is amended by adding at the

22 end the following new section:

23 ‘‘SEC. 9014. TERMINATION.

24 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply with

25 respect to any presidential election (or any presidential
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1 nominating convention) after December 31, 1998, or to

2 any candidate in such an election.’’

3 (B) TRANSFER OF EXCESS FUNDS TO GEN4 ERAL FUND.—Section 9006 of such Code is

5 amended by adding at the end the following

6 new subsection:

7 ‘‘(d) TRANSFER OF FUNDS REMAINING AFTER

8 1998.—The Secretary shall transfer all amounts in the

9 fund after December 31, 1998, to the general fund of the

10 Treasury.’’

11 (2) TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT.—Chapter 96

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

13 the end the following new section:

14 ‘‘SEC. 9043. TERMINATION.

15 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any

16 candidate with respect to any presidential election after

17 December 31, 1998.’’

18 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—

19 (1) The table of sections for chapter 95 of sub20 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the

21 end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 9014. Termination.’’

22 (2) The table of sections for chapter 96 of sub23 title H of such Code is amended by adding at the

24 end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 9043. Termination.’’
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1 SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SOFT

2 MONEY EXPENDITURES OF POLITICAL PAR3 TIES.

4 (a) TRANSFERS OF FUNDS BY NATIONAL POLITICAL

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

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

7 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara8 graph (H);

9 (2) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara10 graph (I); and

11 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub12 paragraph:

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

14 a national political party, all funds transferred

15 to any political committee of a State or local

16 political party, without regard to whether or not

17 the funds are otherwise treated as contributions

18 or expenditures under this title;’’.

19 (b) DISCLOSURE BY STATE AND LOCAL POLITICAL

20 PARTIES OF INFORMATION REPORTED UNDER STATE

21 LAW.—Section 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434) is amend22 ed by adding at the end the following new subsection:

23 ‘‘(d) If a political committee of a State or local politi24 cal party is required under a State or local law, rule, or

25 regulation to submit a report on its disbursements to an

26 entity of the State or local government, the committee
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1 shall file a copy of the report with the Commission at the

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

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

4 this section shall apply with respect to elections occurring

5 after January 1999.

6 SEC. 5. PROMOTING EXPEDITED AVAILABILITY OF FEC RE7 PORTS.

8 (a) MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING.—Section

9 304(a)(11)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of

10 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(A)) is amended by striking

11 ‘‘permit reports required by’’ and inserting ‘‘require re12 ports under’’.

13 (b) REQUIRING REPORTS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS

14 MADE TO ANY POLITICAL COMMITTEE WITHIN 90 DAYS

15 OF ELECTION; REQUIRING REPORTS TO BE MADE WITH16 IN 24 HOURS.—Section 304(a)(6) of such Act (2 U.S.C.

17 434(a)(6)) is amended to read as follows:

18 ‘‘(6)(A) Each political committee shall notify the Sec19 retary or the Commission, and the Secretary of State, as

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

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

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

23 such election. This notification shall be made within 24

24 hours (or, if earlier, by midnight of the day on which the
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1 contribution is deposited) after the receipt of such con2 tribution and shall include the name of the candidate in3 volved (as appropriate) and the office sought by the can4 didate, the indentification of the contributor, and the date

5 of receipt and amount of the contribution.

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

7 shall be in addition to all other reporting requirements

8 under this Act.’’.

9 (c) INCREASING ELECTRONIC DISCLOSURE.—Section

10 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)), as amended by section

11 4(b), is further amended by adding at the end the follow12 ing new subsection:

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

14 contained in the reports submitted under this section

15 available on the Internet and publicly available at the of16 fices of the Commission as soon as practicable (but in no

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

18 by the Commission.

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

20 international computer network of both Federal and non21 Federal interoperable packet-switched data networks.’’.

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

23 this section shall apply with respect to reports for periods

24 beginning on or after January 1, 1999.
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1 SEC. 6. 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 1999.

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