I 
★
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 268 
To reform the financing of Congressional elections by encouraging grassroots 
participation in the funding of campaigns, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 15, 2013 
Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
CAPUANO, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COURTNEY, 
Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. DINGELL, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. ELLI-
SON, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
HIMES, Mr. HOLT, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. LEE of California, 
Mr. MAFFEI, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. NOLAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
O’ROURKE, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Mr. POLIS, Mr. PRICE of North 
Carolina, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. SIRES, Mr. TONKO, Mr. 
VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. YARMUTH) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition 
to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To reform the financing of Congressional elections by encour-
aging grassroots participation in the funding of cam-
paigns, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Grassroots Democracy Act of 2013’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION IN FUNDING OF 
ELECTIONS 
Subtitle A—Grassroots Democracy Dollars 
Sec. 101. Refundable credit for grassroots contributions to Federal congres-
sional candidates. 
Subtitle B—Grassroots Democracy Coupon Pilot Program 
Sec. 111. Establishment of pilot program. 
Sec. 112. Reports to Congress. 
TITLE II—GRASSROOTS FINANCING OF CONGRESSIONAL 
ELECTION CAMPAIGNS 
Sec. 201. Benefits and eligibility requirements for candidates. 
‘‘TITLE V—GRASSROOTS FINANCING OF CONGRESSIONAL 
ELECTION CAMPAIGNS 
‘‘Subtitle A—Benefits 
‘‘Sec. 501. Benefits for participating candidates. 
‘‘Sec. 502. Procedures for making payments. 
‘‘Sec. 503. Use of funds. 
‘‘Sec. 504. Qualified grassroots contributions described. 
‘‘Subtitle B—Eligibility and Certification 
‘‘Sec. 511. Eligibility. 
‘‘Sec. 512. Qualifying requirements. 
‘‘Sec. 513. Certification. 
‘‘Subtitle C—Requirements for Candidates Certified as Participating 
Candidates 
‘‘Sec. 521. Contribution and expenditure requirements. 
‘‘Sec. 522. Administration of campaign. 
‘‘Sec. 523. Preventing unnecessary spending of public funds. 
‘‘Sec. 524. Remitting unspent funds after election. 
‘‘Subtitle D—Supplemental Grassroots Democracy People’s Fund Payments 
‘‘Sec. 531. Eligibility of participating candidates for payments. 
‘‘Sec. 532. Amount of payment; use of funds. 
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‘‘Commission’’) shall establish a pilot program under 
which— 
(1) a qualified individual who resides in a State 
selected for participation in the program shall be 
provided with a voucher to be known as a ‘‘Grass-
roots Democracy Coupon’’ during the election cycle 
which will be assigned a routing number and which 
at the option of the individual will be provided in ei-
ther paper or electronic form; 
(2) using the routing number assigned to the 
Coupon, the individual may submit the Grassroots 
Democracy Coupon in either electronic or paper 
form to qualified candidates for election for Federal 
office and allocate such portion of the value of the 
voucher in increments of $5 (in an amount not to 
exceed $50 for any single candidate) as the indi-
vidual may select to any such candidate; and 
(3) if the candidate transmits such Grassroots 
Democracy Coupon to the Commission, the Commis-
sion shall pay the candidate the portion of the value 
of the voucher that the individual allocated to the 
candidate, which shall be considered a contribution 
by the individual to the candidate for purposes of 
the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. 
(b) SELECTION OF STATES.— 
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