I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 965
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reform the financing
of campaigns for election for Federal office.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 6, 1997
Mr. DOOLITTLE (for himself, Mr. DELAY, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.
YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. BALLENGER, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. MCKEON,
Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr.
MCINNIS, Mr. HUNTER, and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the follow-
ing bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight, and
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to
reform the financing of campaigns for election for Fed-
eral office.
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 ‘‘Citizen Legislature and
Political Freedom Act’’.
SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF LIMITATIONS ON FEDERAL ELECTION
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.
Section 315(a) of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)) is amended by adding at the
end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(9) The limitations established under this subsection
shall not apply to contributions made during calendar
years beginning after 1998.’’
SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF TAXPAYER FINANCING OF PRESI-
DENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.
(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, 1997.’’
(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
nominating convention) after December 31, 1998, or to
any candidate in such an election.’’
(B) TRANSFER OF EXCESS FUNDS TO GEN-
ERAL
FUND.—Section 9006 of such Code is
amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
‘‘(d) TRANSFER
OF
FUNDS
REMAINING
AFTER
1998.—The Secretary shall transfer all amounts in the
fund after December 31, 1998, to the general fund of the
Treasury.’’
(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
December 31, 1998.’’
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
(1) The table of sections for chapter 95 of sub-
title H of such Code is amended by adding at the
end the following new item:
‘‘Sec. 9014. Termination.’’
(2) The table of sections for chapter 96 of sub-
title H of such Code is amended by adding at the
end the following new item:
‘‘Sec. 9043. Termination.’’
SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SOFT
MONEY EXPENDITURES OF POLITICAL PAR-
TIES.
(a) TRANSFERS OF FUNDS BY NATIONAL POLITICAL
PARTIES.—Section 304(b)(4) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(b)(4)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (H);
(2) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (I); and
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph:
‘‘(J) in the case of a political committee of
a national political party, all funds transferred
to any political committee of a State or local
political party, without regard to whether or not
the funds are otherwise treated as contributions
or expenditures under this title;’’.
(b) DISCLOSURE BY STATE AND LOCAL POLITICAL
PARTIES
OF INFORMATION REPORTED UNDER STATE
LAW.—Section 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(d) If a political committee of a State or local politi-
cal party is required under a State or local law, rule, or
regulation to submit a report on its disbursements to an
entity of the State or local government, the committee
shall file a copy of the report with the Commission at the
time it submits the report to such an entity.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply with respect to elections occurring
after January 1999.
SEC. 5. PROMOTING EXPEDITED AVAILABILITY OF FEC RE-
PORTS.
(a) MANDATORY
ELECTRONIC
FILING.—Section
304(a)(11)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of
1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(A)) is amended by striking
‘‘permit reports required by’’ and inserting ‘‘require re-
ports under’’.
(b) REQUIRING REPORTS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS
MADE TO ANY POLITICAL COMMITTEE WITHIN 90 DAYS
OF ELECTION; REQUIRING REPORTS TO BE MADE WITH-
IN 24 HOURS.—Section 304(a)(6) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
434(a)(6)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(6)(A) Each political committee shall notify the Sec-
retary or the Commission, and the Secretary of State, as
appropriate, in writing, of any contribution received by the
committee during the period which begins on the 90th day
before an election and ends at the time the polls close for
such election. This notification shall be made within 24
hours (or, if earlier, by midnight of the day on which the
contribution is deposited) after the receipt of such con-
tribution and shall include the name of the candidate in-
volved (as appropriate) and the office sought by the can-
didate, the indentification of the contributor, and the date
of receipt and amount of the contribution.
‘‘(B) The notification required under this paragraph
shall be in addition to all other reporting requirements
under this Act.’’.
(c) INCREASING ELECTRONIC DISCLOSURE.—Section
304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)), as amended by section
4(b), is further amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(e)(1) The Commission shall make the information
contained in the reports submitted under this section
available on the Internet and publicly available at the of-
fices of the Commission as soon as practicable (but in no
case later than 24 hours) after the information is received
by the Commission.
‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘Internet’ means the
international computer network of both Federal and non-
Federal interoperable packet-switched data networks.’’.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
this section shall apply with respect to reports for periods
beginning on or after January 1, 1999.
SEC. 6. WAIVER OF ‘‘BEST EFFORTS’’ EXCEPTION FOR IN-
FORMATION ON IDENTIFICATION OF CON-
TRIBUTORS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 302(i) of the Federal
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(i)) is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(i) When the treasurer’’ and
inserting ‘‘(i)(1) Except as provided in paragraph
(2), when the treasurer’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to
information regarding the identification of any person who
makes a contribution or contributions aggregating more
than $200 during a calendar year (as required to be pro-
vided under subsection (c)(3)).’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to persons making
contributions for elections occurring after January 1999.
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