I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2051
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to promote increased
disclosure of spending on campaigns for election for Federal office, im-
prove the ability of the Federal Election Commission to enforce the
laws governing the financing of such campaigns, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 25, 1997
Mr. FORD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on House Oversight, and in addition to the Committee on 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 amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to
promote increased disclosure of spending on campaigns
for election for Federal office, improve the ability of
the Federal Election Commission to enforce the laws
governing the financing of such campaigns, 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 ‘‘Public Voice Campaign
Finance Reform Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. PROMOTING DISCLOSURE OF CAMPAIGN SPEND-
ING.
(a) REQUIRING INTERMEDIARIES AND CONDUITS TO
REPORT
ON
BUNDLED
CONTRIBUTIONS.—Section
315(a)(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
(2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(8)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(8)’’ and inserting ‘‘(8)(A)’’;
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph:
‘‘(B) Any person acting as an intermediary or conduit
for the collection or delivery of contributions on behalf of
a candidate shall file reports with the Commission (at the
same time and in the same manner as a political commit-
tee which is not an authorized committee of a candidate
is required to file reports under section 304(a)(4)) on the
contributions collected or delivered and on related activi-
ties conducted on the candidate’s behalf.’’.
(b) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS AS
INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
FOR REPORTING PUR-
POSES.—Section 301(17) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 431(17))
is amended by striking ‘‘identified candidate’’ and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘identified candidate, or any payment
for any communication made during the 90-day period
ending on the date of an election which includes the name
or likeness of a candidate,’’.
mission which are associated with the submission of re-
ports under this title.
‘‘(3) The Commission may waive the application of
paragraph (1) with respect to a political committee if the
Commission determines that the payment required would
result in a financial hardship to the committee.
‘‘(4) The Commission may charge a nominal fee for
the distribution of documents to the public.
‘‘(5) The amount appropriated to the Commission for
a fiscal year pursuant to the authorization under section
314 may not be adjusted to take into account any amounts
anticipated to be received by the Commission during the
year pursuant to this subsection.’’.
(b) REVISED STANDARD FOR REFERRAL OF CERTAIN
VIOLATIONS
TO
ATTORNEY
GENERAL.—Section
309(a)(5)(C) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 437g(a)(5)(C)) is
amended by striking ‘‘by an affirmative vote of 4 of its
members, determined that there is probable cause to be-
lieve’’ and inserting ‘‘believes’’.
(c) PERMITTING RANDOM AUDITS.—Section 311(b)
of such Act (2 U.S.C. 438(b)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘(b)(1)’’;
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Commission
shall conduct random audits of the reports of political
committees during the 1-year period which begins on the
date of a general election, in accordance with such criteria
as the Commission may establish.’’.
SEC. 4. REDUCED BROADCAST RATES FOR CANDIDATES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 315(b)(1) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 315(b)(1)) is amended
by striking ‘‘the lowest unit charge’’ and inserting ‘‘the
applicable percentage of the lowest unit charge’’.
(b) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE DEFINED.—Section
315(c) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 315(c)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph
(1);
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (2) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(3) the term ‘applicable percentage’ means—
‘‘(A) 70 percent, in the case of a small
broadcast station (as determined by the Com-
mission in accordance with ratings, market area
analysis, and such other criteria as the Com-
mission may establish), or
‘‘(B) 50 percent, in the case of any other
candidate and any other broadcast station.’’.
SEC. 5. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.
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:
‘‘RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF NON-FEDERAL FUNDS
‘‘SEC. 323. (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
subsection (b), no funds which are not subject to the limi-
tations and prohibitions of this Act may be expended or
disbursed by any person for any activity which signifi-
cantly affects an election for Federal office or which pro-
motes or identifies (in whole or in part) any candidate for
election for Federal office, including any get-out-the-vote
drive which identifies or targets supporters of a candidate
for election for Federal office, or any voter registration
drive or development or maintenance of voter files which
occurs during an even-numbered year.
‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply
with respect to any of the following activities:
‘‘(1) The construction, maintenance, or oper-
ation of buildings or broadcast facilities for political
parties.
‘‘(2) State or local political party conventions.
‘‘(3) State or local political party administra-
tion.
‘‘(4) Generic campaign activity to promote a po-
litical party.
‘‘(5) Any activity which would be described in
clause (i), (iii), or (v) of section 301(9)(B) if pay-
ment for the activity were an expenditure under
such section.’’.
SEC. 6. APPOINTMENT AND SERVICE OF MEMBERS OF FED-
ERAL ELECTION COMMISSION.
(a) APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL, INDEPENDENT
COMMISSIONER.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 306(a)(1) of the
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
437c(a)(1)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘(a)(1)’’ and inserting
‘‘(a)(1)(A)’’;
(B) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘6
members appointed by the President,’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘7 members appointed by
the President, of whom one shall be a political
independent nominated for appointment by the
other members serving on the Commission,’’;
and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
‘‘(B) In subparagraph (A), the term ‘political inde-
pendent’ means an individual who at no time after Janu-
ary 1992—
‘‘(i) has held elective office as a member of the
Democratic or Republican party;
‘‘(ii) has received any wages or salary from the
Democratic or Republican party or from a Demo-
cratic or Republican party office-holder or candidate;
or
‘‘(iii) has provided substantial volunteer services
or made any substantial contribution to the Demo-
cratic or Republican party or to a Democratic or Re-
publican party office-holder or candidate.’’.
(2) DEADLINE FOR INITIAL APPOINTMENT.—
The members of the Federal Election Commission
shall provide the President with a nominee for ap-
pointment 
to 
the 
Commission 
under 
section
306(a)(1)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (as amended by paragraph (1)) not later
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(b) LIMITING COMMISSIONERS TO SINGLE TERM.—
Section 
306(a)(2)(A) 
of 
such 
Act 
(2 
U.S.C.
437c(a)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘terms’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘a single term’’.