I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2608
To protect individuals from having money involuntarily collected and used
for political activities by a corporation or labor organization.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 6, 1997
Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado (for himself, Mr. NEY, Mr. HOSTETTLER,
Mr. ARMEY, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BAKER, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. BARR of
Georgia, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr.
BARTON of Texas, Mr. BASS, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. BILI-
RAKIS, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. BONO, Mr.
BRADY, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. BURTON of Indi-
ana, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CAMP, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr.
CANADY of Florida, Mr. CANNON, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs.
CHENOWETH, Mr. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. COBLE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COL-
LINS, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. COOK, Mr. COOKSEY, Mr. COX of California,
Mr. CRANE, Mr. CRAPO, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. DAVIS of
Virginia, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. DELAY, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. DOO-
LITTLE, Mr. DREIER, Mr. DUNCAN, Ms. DUNN, Mr. EHRLICH, Mr. EN-
SIGN, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. FAWELL, Mr. FOLEY, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr. FOX
of Pennsylvania, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr.
GILCHREST, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. GOSS,
Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. HANSEN, Mr.
HASTERT, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. HEFLEY,
Mr. HERGER, Mr. HILL, Mr. HILLEARY, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. HULSHOF,
Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. HYDE, Mr. INGLIS of South Caro-
lina, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JONES, Mr. KASICH, Mr. KINGS-
TON, Mr. KLUG, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. LARGENT, Mr.
LATHAM, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. LINDER, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr.
MANZULLO, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr.
MCINTOSH, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. MICA, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mrs.
MYRICK, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. NEUMANN, Mrs. NORTHUP, Mr. NOR-
WOOD, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. PARKER, Mr. PAXON, Mr. PE-
TERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. PITTS, Mr. POMBO, Mr.
PORTER, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr.
REDMOND, Mr. RILEY, Mr. ROGAN, Mr. ROGERS, Mr. ROHRABACHER,
Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SCARBOROUGH, Mr. DAN SCHAEFER of
Colorado, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr.
SKEEN, Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mrs. LINDA SMITH
of Washington, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. SNOWBARGER, Mr. SOUDER,
Mr. SPENCE, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. STUMP, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. TALENT, Mr.
TAUZIN, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. THUNE,
Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. UPTON, Mr. WALSH, Mr. WAMP, Mr. WATKINS, Mr.
WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr.
WICKER, and Mr. YOUNG of Florida) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on House Oversight
A BILL
To protect individuals from having money involuntarily col-
lected and used for political activities by a corporation
or labor organization.
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 ‘‘Paycheck Protection
Act’’.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITING INVOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT OF EM-
PLOYEE FUNDS FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 316 of the Federal Elec-
tion Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441b) is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(c)(1) Except with the separate, prior, written, vol-
untary authorization of each individual, it shall be unlaw-
ful—
‘‘(A) for any national bank or corporation de-
scribed in this section to collect from or assess its
stockholders or employees any dues, initiation fee, or
other payment as a condition of employment if any
part of such dues, fee, or payment will be used for
political activity in which the national bank or cor-
poration is engaged; and
‘‘(B) for any labor organization described in
this section to collect from or assess its members or
nonmembers any dues, initiation fee, or other pay-
ment if any part of such dues, fee, or payment will
be used for political activity in which the labor orga-
nization is engaged.
‘‘(2) An authorization described in paragraph (1)
shall remain in effect until revoked and may be revoked
at any time. Each entity collecting from or assessing
amounts from an individual with an authorization in effect
under such paragraph shall provide the individual with a
statement that the individual may at any time revoke the
authorization.
‘‘(3) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘politi-
cal activity’ means any activity carried out for the purpose
of influencing (in whole or in part) any election for Fed-
eral office, influencing the consideration or outcome of any
Federal legislation or the issuance or outcome of any Fed-
eral regulations, or educating individuals about candidates
for election for Federal office or any Federal legislation,
law, or regulations.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall apply to amounts collected or assessed
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Æ