in a tie, the vote of the longest-serving member (or, in 
the case of members first appointed to serve for initial 
terms under paragraph (2) of subsection (b), the vote of 
the member appointed for the longest term) shall prevail. 
(e) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT
TO
EXECUTIVE 
SCHEDULE LEVEL IV POSITIONS.—Section 5315 of title 
5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘Member, Democracy Fund Commission.’’. 
SEC. 203. STAFF. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO APPOINT STAFF.—The Commis-
sion may appoint and fix the pay of such personnel as 
the Commission considers appropriate. 
(b) APPLICABILITY
OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE 
LAWS.—The personnel of the Commission may be ap-
pointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions 
of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that 
title relating to classification and General Schedule pay 
rates, except that an individual so appointed may not re-
ceive pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay in effect 
for grade GS–15 of the General Schedule. 
(c) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission 
may procure temporary and intermittent services to the 
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same extent as is authorized by section 3109(b) of title 
5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to 
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
in effect for grade GS–15 of the General Schedule (5 
U.S.C. 5332). 
(d) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request 
of the Commission, the head of any Federal department 
or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 
personnel of that department or agency to the Commission 
to assist it in carrying out its duties. 
SEC. 204. FUNCTIONS. 
The Commission shall administer the Democracy 
Dollars Program under this Act. In administering the Pro-
gram, the Commission shall carry out the following: 
(1) The Commission shall promulgate regula-
tions to carry out the Democracy Dollars Program, 
including regulations applicable to State implemen-
tation plans under section 205, and shall review the 
regulations not less frequently than every 4 years. 
(2) The Commission shall solicit and review ap-
plications from States for the approval of State im-
plementation plans under section 205(b). 
(3) In the case of States whose implementation 
plans are approved under section 205(b), the Com-
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mission shall monitor and audit the performance of 
such States in carrying out such plans. 
(4) In accordance with section 206, the Com-
mission carry out the Democracy Dollars Program 
with respect to States that do not have an approved 
implementation plan in effect. 
(5) The Commission shall carry out such other 
activities as the Commission considers appropriate to 
administer the Democracy Dollars Program. 
SEC. 205. STATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION 
OF PROGRAM. 
(a) RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADMINISTRATION OF PRO-
GRAM.—Except as provided in section 206, each State 
shall administer the Democracy Dollars Program with re-
spect to individuals who are residents of the State, in ac-
cordance with a State implementation plan approved by 
the Commission under subsection (b). 
(b) 
APPROVAL
OF
STATE
IMPLEMENTATION 
PLANS.— 
(1) APPROVAL
BY
COMMISSION.—Each State 
shall submit its plan for administering the Democ-
racy Dollars Program to the Commission, who shall 
approve the plan if the Commission finds that the 
plan meets each of the following conditions: 
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(A) The plan includes such provisions and 
safeguards as are necessary to ensure the effec-
tive administration of the Program in the State 
in a nonpartisan and competent manner. 
(B) If the plan permits the use of private 
financial intermediaries to assist in the proc-
essing of requests made by eligible individuals 
to make payments to candidates and political 
committees under subtitle B of title I— 
(i) to the greatest extent feasible, the 
State uses a competitive bidding process to 
select such intermediaries for participation 
in the implementation of the plan; and 
(ii) the plan requires these inter-
mediaries to meet the requirements of sec-
tion 114(b) (relating to ensuring the ano-
nymity of such individuals) and to take ac-
tions to deter fraud and abuse. 
(C) The plan is overseen by a certified au-
thority designated by the State. 
(D) The plan meets such other require-
ments as the Commission may by regulation re-
quire. 
(2) PERIOD FOR WHICH APPROVED PLAN IS IN 
EFFECT.—If the Commission approves a State plan 
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under this subsection, the plan shall be in effect for 
a 4-year period, and the Commission may extend the 
plan for additional 4-year periods at the request of 
the State if the Commission finds that the plan con-
tinues to meet the conditions set forth in paragraph 
(1). 
(c) PAYMENT OF COSTS OF IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS.— 
A State whose implementation plan under this sub-
title is approved and in effect with respect to a year 
may receive payments from the Commission to cover 
the costs of carrying out the plan during the year, 
in the form of advance payments in accordance with 
paragraph (2) or reimbursement in accordance with 
paragraph (3), at the option of the State. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY
TO
RECEIVE
ADVANCE
PAY-
MENTS.—A State is eligible to receive advance pay-
ments under this subsection with respect to a year 
if the State submits to the Commission, at such time 
and in such form as the Commission may require, 
an application containing— 
(A) a statement of the reasonable and nec-
essary costs the State expects to incur in car-
rying out its implementation plan under this 
subtitle during the year; and 
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(B) such other information and assurances 
as the Commission may require. 
(3) ELIGIBILITY
TO
RECEIVE
REIMBURSE-
MENT.—A State is eligible to receive reimbursement 
under this subsection for the reasonable and nec-
essary costs the State incurred in carrying out its 
implementation plan during a year if the State sub-
mits to the Commission, at such time and in such 
form as the Commission may require, an application 
containing— 
(A) a statement of the reasonable and nec-
essary costs the State incurred in carrying out 
its implementation plan during the year; and 
(B) such other information and assurances 
as the Commission may require. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary for payments under this subsection. 
(d) REVOCATION OF APPROVAL; RECAPTURE OF AD-
VANCE PAYMENTS.—If the Commission determines that 
the implementation plan of a State whose implementation 
plan under this subtitle is approved is no longer in compli-
ance with the applicable requirements for such a plan, or 
if the Commission determines that the State is admin-
istering the plan in a biased or incompetent manner— 
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(1) the Commission shall revoke the approval of 
the plan; and 
(2) the State shall repay the Commission for 
any advance payments made under subsection (c) 
with respect to any period during which the plan 
was not in compliance with such requirements or 
was administered in a biased or incompetent man-
ner. 
SEC. 206. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM IN CASE OF 
STATES WITHOUT APPROVED IMPLEMENTA-
TION PLANS IN EFFECT. 
(a) ADMINISTRATION
BY
COMMISSION
AUTHOR-
IZED.—If a State does not have an approved State imple-
mentation plan in effect with respect to a year under sec-
tion 205, the Commission shall administer the Democracy 
Dollars Program during the year with respect to individ-
uals who are residents of the State, in accordance with 
a Federal implementation plan for the State that meets 
the requirements of subsection (b). 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL RECEIVERSHIP IN 
CASE OF REVOCATION ON GROUNDS OF BIAS OR INCOM-
PETENCE.— 
(1) RECEIVERSHIP.—If a State does not have 
an approved State implementation plan in effect be-
cause, in accordance with subsection (d) of section 
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205, the Commission revoked its approval of a State 
implementation plan on the grounds that the State 
administered the plan in a biased or incompetent 
manner, the Commission may file an action to ap-
point a receiver to administer the Democracy Dollars 
Program in the State. 
(2) PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERATION OF RE-
QUEST FOR RECEIVERSHIP.—In any action brought 
by the Commission to appoint a receiver under this 
subsection, the following rules shall apply: 
(A) The action shall be filed in the appro-
priate district court of the United States and 
shall be heard by a 3-judge court convened pur-
suant to section 2284 of title 28, United States 
Code. 
(B) A final decision in the action shall be 
reviewable only by appeal directly to the Su-
preme Court of the United States. Such appeal 
shall be taken by the filing of a notice of appeal 
within 10 days, and the filing of a jurisdictional 
statement within 30 days, of the entry of the 
final decision. 
(C) It shall be the duty of the appropriate 
district court of the United States and the Su-
preme Court of the United States to advance on 
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the docket and to expedite to the greatest ex-
tent possible the disposition of the action and 
the appeal. 
(c) 
FEDERAL
IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN
DE-
SCRIBED.—A Federal implementation plan for a State 
meets the requirements of this subsection if— 
(1) the plan meets the conditions described in 
paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 205(b) which 
would apply to a State implementation plan of the 
State under such section; 
(2) to the extent that the Commission requests 
information and assistance from the State in order 
to carry out the plan, the plan provides for a method 
by which the Commission may reimburse the State 
for the costs incurred in providing such information 
and assistance; and 
(3) the plan meets such other requirements as 
the Commission may require. 
TITLE III—DEMOCRACY 
DOLLARS FUND 
SEC. 301. DEMOCRACY DOLLARS FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the 
‘‘Democracy Dollars Fund’’ (hereafter referred to as the 
‘‘Fund’’). 
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(b) USES OF FUND.—Amounts in the Fund shall be 
used— 
(1) for payments to candidates and political 
committees under subtitle B of title I; 
(2) for advance payments and reimbursements 
to States under section 205; 
(3) for payments to States as described in para-
graph (2) of section 206(b); and 
(4) for the administration of the Democracy 
Dollars Program by the Democracy Fund Commis-
sion. 
(c) CONTENTS OF FUND.—The Fund shall consist 
of— 
(1) amounts appropriated or transferred to the 
Fund under law, including amounts transferred 
under section 9006(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986; 
(2) repayments made by States under para-
graph (2) of section 205(d); 
(3) unspent payments under the Program which 
are remitted under section 115; 
(4) civil penalties assessed under section 401; 
and 
(5) interest earned on balances of the Fund. 
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(d) AUTHORITY TO MAKE PAYMENTS AT REQUEST 
OF STATE OR DEMOCRACY FUND COMMISSION.—With re-
spect to a payment made under the Program at the direc-
tion of an eligible individual pursuant to section 112, the 
Secretary of the Treasury shall make such payment from 
the Fund upon the request of the Democracy Dollar Ad-
ministrator for the individual involved. 
SEC. 302. TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAM-
PAIGN FUND; TRANSFER OF BALANCE TO DE-
MOCRACY DOLLARS FUND. 
(a) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF INCOME TAX 
PAYMENTS.—Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—This section shall not apply to 
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2016.’’. 
(b) TERMINATION OF FUND AND ACCOUNT.— 
(1) TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
CAMPAIGN FUND.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 95 of subtitle 
H of such Code is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9014. TERMINATION. 
‘‘The provisions of this chapter shall not apply with 
respect to any presidential election (or any presidential 
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nominating convention) after the date of the enactment 
of this section, or to any candidate in such an election.’’. 
(B) TRANSFER OF REMAINING FUNDS.— 
Section 9006 of such Code is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) TRANSFER OF FUNDS REMAINING AFTER TER-
MINATION.—Of the amounts in the fund as of the date 
of the enactment of this subsection— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary shall transfer $63,002,400 
to the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund 
described in section 9008(i)(2), to be available as de-
scribed in such section; and 
‘‘(2) the Secretary shall transfer the remainder 
to the Democracy Dollars Fund under title III of 
the Democracy Dollars Act.’’. 
(2) TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT.—Chapter 96 
of subtitle H of such Code is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9043. TERMINATION. 
‘‘The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any 
candidate with respect to any presidential election after 
the date of the enactment of this section.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
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election cycle involved in violation of section 103(c), the 
Administrator shall so notify the candidate or committee, 
and may impose a civil penalty on the candidate or com-
mittee in an amount equal to 200 percent of the amounts 
used by the candidate or committee in violation of section 
103(c) in connection with the election. 
(c) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.— 
(1) IMPOSITION OF PENALTY.—Any person who 
knowingly and willfully commits a violation of this 
Act which involves the making, receiving, or report-
ing of any amounts— 
(A) aggregating $25,000 or more during a 
calendar year shall be fined under title 18, 
United States Code, or imprisoned for not more 
than 5 years, or both; or 
(B) aggregating $2,000 or more (but less 
than $25,000) during a calendar year shall be 
fined under title 18, United States Code, or im-
prisoned for not more than 1 year, or both. 
(2) REFERRAL TO ATTORNEY GENERAL.—If the 
Democracy Dollar Administrator determines that 
there is probable cause to believe that a knowing 
and willful violation of this Act has occurred, the 
Administrator may refer such apparent violation to 
the Attorney General. 
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SEC. 402. DEMOCRACY DOLLAR ADMINISTRATOR DEFINED. 
In this Act, the ‘‘Democracy Dollar Administrator’’ 
with respect to an eligible individual is— 
(1) in the case of an individual who is a resi-
dent of a State with a State implementation plan 
approved by the Democracy Fund Commission under 
section 205(b), the official of the State who is des-
ignated to administer the Democracy Dollars Pro-
gram in the State under such plan; or 
(2) in the case of an individual who is not a 
resident of a State described in paragraph (1), the 
Democracy Fund Commission under section 206. 
SEC. 403. OTHER DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) each of the terms ‘‘candidate’’, ‘‘election’’, 
‘‘authorized committee’’, and ‘‘political committee’’ 
has the meaning given such term in the Federal 
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et 
seq.); 
(2) the term ‘‘election cycle’’ means, with re-
spect to an office, the period beginning on the day 
after the date of the most recent regularly scheduled 
general election for such office and ending on the 
date of the next regularly scheduled general election 
for such office; 
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(3) the term ‘‘House election’’ means an elec-
tion for the office of Representative in, or Delegate 
or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress; and 
(4) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several 
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United 
States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands. 
TITLE V—SEVERABILITY 
SEC. 501. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act or any amendment made 
by this Act, or the application of a provision of this Act 
or an amendment made by this Act to any person or cir-
cumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder 
of this Act, and the application of the provisions to any 
person or circumstance, shall not be affected by the hold-
ing. 
Æ 
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