I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4900 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to exclude certain 
communications made over the Internet from certain requirements of 
such Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2006 
Mr. ALLEN (for himself and Mr. BASS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on House Administration 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 
exclude certain communications made over the Internet 
from certain requirements of such Act, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Internet Free Speech 
Protection Act of 2006’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS FROM 
TREATMENT AS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. 
Section 301(22) of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(22)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The term’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) 
The term’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) The term ‘public communication’ 
does not include any communication made over 
the Internet, other than any of the following: 
‘‘(i) Any communication placed by a 
person on another person’s website, if the 
aggregate amount spent for such commu-
nications exceeds $5,000 during the cal-
endar year. 
‘‘(ii) Any communication made by a 
State, district, or local committee of a po-
litical party described in section 323(b). 
‘‘(iii) A communication made by any 
political committee. 
‘‘(iv) A communication made by any 
person described in section 316 (other than 
a corporation described in such section 
whose principal purpose is operating an 
online discussion forum or disseminating 
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social or political ideas or commentary 
through operation of a website, web log, 
podcast, or other similar forms of Internet 
communication and which is not estab-
lished, financed, maintained or controlled 
by a labor organization or by another cor-
poration without such a principal pur-
pose).’’. 
SEC. 3. EXCLUSION OF INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS FROM 
CERTAIN REPORTING AND DISCLAIMER RE-
QUIREMENTS. 
(a) REPORTS BY PERSONS MAKING INDEPENDENT 
EXPENDITURES.—Section 304(c)(1) of the Federal Elec-
tion Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(c)(1)) is 
amended— 
(1) 
by 
striking 
‘‘(c)(1)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘(c)(1)(A)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) In the case of an individual, in determining the 
aggregate amount or value of independent expenditures 
made by the individual in a calendar year for purposes 
of subparagraph (A), there shall be excluded up to an an-
nual aggregate amount of $5,000 for communications 
made over the Internet.’’. 
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(b) DISCLAIMERS ON UNAUTHORIZED ADVERTISE-
MENTS AND SOLICITATIONS.—Section 318(a)(3) of such 
Act (2 U.S.C. 441d(a)(3)) is amended by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, except that 
no such information shall be required in any communica-
tion made over the Internet by an individual during any 
calendar year for which the aggregate amount paid by 
such individual for such communications does not exceed 
$5,000.’’. 
SEC. 4. EXCLUSION OF EXPENDITURES ON INTERNET COM-
MUNICATIONS FROM DETERMINATION OF 
THRESHOLD FOR REGISTRATION OF POLIT-
ICAL COMMITTEES. 
Section 301(4) of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(4)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), 
and (C) as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii); 
(2) by striking ‘‘(4)’’ and inserting ‘‘(4)(A)’’; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) In determining the amount of con-
tributions or expenditures made for purposes of 
this paragraph, there shall be excluded up to an 
annual aggregate amount of $10,000 for Inter-
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net-related expenses such as expenses for Inter-
net access and hosting services, creation of an 
Internet site, and creating, hosting, or partici-
pating in an online discussion using blogging or 
other software.’’. 
SEC. 5. INCLUSION OF ONLINE MEDIA WITHIN EXEMPTION 
FROM TREATMENT AS EXPENDITURES OF 
STORIES AND COMMENTARIES APPEARING IN 
MEDIA. 
Section 301(9)(B)(i) of the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(9)(B)(i)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘or other periodical publication,’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘other periodical publication, or Internet 
site or service,’’. 
SEC. 6. INDEXING OF AMOUNTS. 
Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘INDEXING OF CERTAIN AMOUNTS 
‘‘SEC. 325. (a) INDEXING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In any calendar year after 
2008, each of the following amounts shall be in-
creased by the inflation adjustment described in sub-
section (b): 
‘‘(A) The amount referred to in section 
301(4)(B) (relating to the exclusion of expendi-
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tures on Internet communications from the de-
termination of the threshold for registration of 
political committees). 
‘‘(B) The amount referred to in section 
301(22)(B)(i) (relating to the exclusion of 
Internet communications from treatment as 
public communications). 
‘‘(C) The amount referred to in section 
304(c)(1)(B) (relating to the exclusion of ex-
penditures on Internet communications from 
the determination of the threshold for the filing 
of reports on independent expenditures). 
‘‘(D) The amount referred to in section 
318(a)(3) (relating to disclaimers in commu-
nications made over the Internet). 
‘‘(2) 
APPLICATION
IN
ODD-NUMBERED 
YEARS.—Increases made under this subsection shall 
only be made in odd-numbered years and such in-
creases shall remain in effect for the 2-year period 
beginning on the first day following the date of the 
last general election in the year preceding the year 
in which the amount is increased and ending on the 
date of the next general election. 
‘‘(b) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT DESCRIBED.—In sub-
section (a), the ‘inflation adjustment’ is the percent dif-
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ference determined under section 315(c)(1)(A), except 
that for purposes of this subsection, the base period under 
such section shall be 2007.’’. 
SEC. 7. PUBLICATION BY FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 
OF GUIDELINE ON INDIVIDUAL INTERNET AC-
TIVITIES. 
Not later than 150 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Federal Election Commission shall 
publish a single policy guideline for the use of individuals 
engaging in online communications which describes in 
plain language the rules and regulations applicable under 
the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to individual 
Internet activity. 
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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