I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3700
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit interactive
computer services to provide their facilities free of charge to candidates
for Federal offices for the purpose of disseminating campaign information
and enhancing public debate.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 20, 1996
Mr. WHITE (for himself, Mr. THOMAS, Ms. DUNN of Washington, Ms. PRYCE,
and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on House Oversight
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to
permit interactive computer services to provide their fa-
cilities free of charge to candidates for Federal offices
for the purpose of disseminating campaign information
and enhancing public debate.
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 Election In-
formation Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) For the purposes of enhancing public debate
and awareness, candidates for Federal office should
be encouraged to provide voters with meaningful and
substantive information about their candidacy and
important public policy issues.
(2) The Internet and other interactive computer
services did not exist when the laws that currently
govern Federal elections were enacted, and these
services represent a new medium where voters can
obtain meaningful and substantive information about
issues and candidates.
SEC. 3. EXEMPTION OF DONATED INTERACTIVE COMPUTER
SERVICES FROM COVERAGE UNDER FED-
ERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT OF 1971.
(a) EXEMPTION FROM TREATMENT AS CONTRIBU-
TION.—Section 301(8)(B) of the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(8)(B)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (xiii);
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause
(xiv) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
clause:
‘‘(xv) the value of services provided without
charge to a candidate by an interactive computer
service (as defined in section 230(e)(2) of the Com-
munications Act of 1934) in permitting the can-
didate to use its facilities for distributing election or
candidate information, posting position papers, re-
sponding to campaign related inquiries, soliciting
lawful contributions, convening electronic campaign
forums, or otherwise lawfully utilizing the resources
of the interactive computer service, if the service
permits its facilities to be used for such purposes
under the same terms and conditions by all other
candidates in the election for the same office.’’.
(b) EXEMPTION FROM TREATMENT AS EXPENDI-
TURE.—Section 301(9)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
431(9)(B)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (ix);
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause
(x) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
clause:
‘‘(xi) any direct costs incurred by an interactive
computer service (as defined in section 230(e)(2) of
the Communications Act of 1934) in permitting a
candidate to use its facilities for distributing election
or candidate information, posting position papers,
responding to campaign related inquiries, soliciting
lawful contributions, convening electronic campaign
forums, or otherwise lawfully utilizing the resources
of the interactive computer service, if the service
permits its facilities to be used for such purposes
under the same terms and conditions by all other
candidates in the election for the same office.’’.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments shall take effect on the date of the
enactment of this Act.
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