I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2183
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reform the financing
of campaigns for elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 17, 1997
Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BOYD, Mr. COOK, Mr. DAVIS
of Florida, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. HILL, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. KIND, Mr.
LAMPSON, 
Mr. 
PASCRELL, 
Mrs. 
TAUSCHER, 
Mr. 
BERRY, 
Mr.
BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BRADY, Ms.
DEGETTE, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. FORD, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. HOOLEY of
Oregon, Mr. JOHN, Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New
York, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. REDMOND, Mr. SNYDER, Mr.
TURNER, Mr. WAMP, Mr. WEXLER, and Mr. WEYGAND) 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
reform the financing of campaigns for elections for Fed-
eral office, 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 ‘‘Bipartisan Campaign
Integrity Act of 1997’’.
TITLE I—SOFT MONEY AND CON-
TRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDI-
TURES OF POLITICAL PAR-
TIES
SEC. 101. BAN ON SOFT MONEY OF NATIONAL POLITICAL
PARTIES AND CANDIDATES.
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:
‘‘BAN ON USE OF SOFT MONEY BY NATIONAL POLITICAL
PARTIES AND CANDIDATES
‘‘SEC. 323. (a) NATIONAL PARTIES.—A national
committee of a political party, including the national con-
gressional campaign committees of a political party, and
any officers or agents of such party committees, may not
solicit, receive, or direct any contributions, donations, or
transfers of funds, or spend any funds, which are not sub-
ject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting require-
ments of this Act. This subsection shall apply to any entity
that is established, financed, maintained, or controlled (di-
rectly or indirectly) by, or acting on behalf of, a national
committee of a political party, including the national con-
gressional campaign committees of a political party, and
any officers or agents of such party committees.
‘‘(b) CANDIDATES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No candidate for Federal
office, individual holding Federal office, or any agent
of such candidate or officeholder may solicit, receive,
or direct—
‘‘(A) any funds in connection with any
Federal election unless such funds are subject
to the limitations, prohibitions and reporting re-
quirements of this Act;
‘‘(B) any funds that are to be expended in
connection with any election for other than a
Federal office unless such funds are not in ex-
cess of the amounts permitted with respect to
contributions to Federal candidates and politi-
cal committees under section 315(a) (1) and
(2), and are not from sources prohibited from
making contributions by this Act with respect
to elections for Federal office; or
‘‘(C) any funds on behalf of any person
which are not subject to the limitations, prohi-
bitions, and reporting requirements of this Act
if such funds are for the purpose of financing
any activity on behalf of a candidate for elec-
tion for Federal office or any communication
which refers to a clearly identified candidate for
election for Federal office.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to—
‘‘(A) the solicitation or receipt of funds by
an individual who is a candidate for a non-Fed-
eral office if such activity is permitted under
State law for such individual’s non-Federal
campaign committee; or
‘‘(B) the attendance by an individual who
holds Federal office at a fundraising event for
a State or local committee of a political party
of the State which the individual represents as
a Federal officeholder, if the event is held in
such State.
‘‘(c) PROHIBITING TRANSFERS
OF NON-FEDERAL
FUNDS BETWEEN STATE PARTIES.—A State committee
of a political party may not transfer any funds to a State
committee of a political party of another State unless the
funds are subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and re-
porting requirements of this Act.
‘‘(d) 
APPLICABILITY
TO
FUNDS
FROM
ALL
SOURCES.—This section shall apply with respect to funds
of any individual, corporation, labor organization, or other
person.’’.
SEC. 102. INCREASE IN AGGREGATE ANNUAL LIMIT ON
CONTRIBUTIONS BY INDIVIDUALS TO POLITI-
CAL PARTIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The first sentence of section
315(a)(3) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
(2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘in any cal-
endar year’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘to political com-
mittees of political parties, or contributions aggregating
more than $25,000 to any other persons, in any calendar
year’’.
(b) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
315(a)(1)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B)) is
amended by striking ‘‘$20,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$25,000’’.
SEC. 103. REPEAL OF LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT OF CO-
ORDINATED EXPENDITURES BY POLITICAL
PARTIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 315(d) of the Federal
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)) is
amended by striking paragraphs (2) and (3).
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 315(d)(1)
of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(d)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(d)’’;
and
(2) by striking ‘‘, subject to the limitations con-
tained in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection’’.
TITLE II—INDEXING
CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
SEC. 201. INDEXING CONTRIBUTION LIMITS.
Section 315(c) of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(c)) is amended by adding at the
end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(3)(A) The amount of each limitation established
under subsection (a) shall be adjusted as follows:
‘‘(i) For calendar year 1999, each such amount
shall be equal to the amount described in such sub-
section, increased (in a compounded manner) by the
percentage increase in the price index (as defined in
subsection (c)(2)) for each of the years 1997
through 1998.
‘‘(ii) For calendar year 2003 and each fourth
subsequent year, each such amount shall be equal to
the amount for the fourth previous year (as adjusted
under 
this 
subparagraph), 
increased 
(in 
a
compounded manner) by the percentage increase in
the price index for each of the four previous years.
‘‘(B) In the case of any amount adjusted under this
subparagraph which is not a multiple of $100, the amount
shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $100.’’.
TITLE III—EXPANDING DISCLO-
SURE OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE
INFORMATION
SEC. 301. DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any person who expends an ag-
gregate amount of funds during a calendar year in excess
of $25,000 for communications described in subsection (b)
relating to a single candidate for election for Federal office
(or an aggregate amount of funds during a calendar year
in excess of $100,000 for all such communications relating
to all such candidates) shall file a report describing the
amount expended for such communications, together with
the person’s address and phone number (or, if appro-
priate, the address and phone number of the person’s prin-
cipal officer).
(b) COMMUNICATIONS DESCRIBED.—A communica-
tion described in this subsection is any communication
which is broadcast to the general public through radio or
television and which mentions or includes (by name, rep-
resentation, or likeness) any candidate for election for
Senator or for Representative in (or Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to) the Congress, other than any commu-
nication which would be described in clause (i), (iii), or
(v) of section 301(9)(B) of the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 if the payment were an expenditure under
such section.
(c) DEADLINE FOR FILING.—A person shall file a re-
port required under subsection (a) not later than 7 days
after the person first expends the applicable amount of
funds described in such subsection, except that in the case
of a person who first expends such an amount within 10
days of an election, the report shall be filed not later than
24 hours after the person first expends such amount. For
purposes of the previous sentence, the term ‘‘election’’
shall have the meaning given such term in section 301(1)
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
(d) PLACE OF SUBMISSION.—Reports required under
subsection (a) shall be submitted—
(1) to the Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives, in the case of a communication involving a
candidate for election for Representative in (or Dele-
gate or Resident Commissioner to) the Congress;
and
(2) to the Secretary of the Senate, in the case
of a communication involving a candidate for elec-
tion for Senator.
(e) PENALTIES.—Whoever knowingly fails to—
(1) remedy a defective filing within 60 days
after notice of such a defect by the Secretary of the
Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives;
or
(2) comply with any other provision of this sec-
tion,
shall, upon proof of such knowing violation by a prepon-
derance of the evidence, be subject to a civil fine of not
more than $50,000, depending on the extent and gravity
of the violation.
SEC. 302. REQUIRING MONTHLY FILING OF REPORTS.
(a) PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES.—Section
304(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of
1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(2)(A)(iii)) is amended to read as
follows:
‘‘(iii) monthly reports, which shall be filed
no later than the 20th day after the last day of
the month and shall be complete as of the last
day of the month, except that, in lieu of filing
the reports otherwise due in November and De-
cember of the year, a pre-general election report
shall be filed in accordance with clause (i), a
post-general election report shall be filed in ac-
cordance with clause (ii), and a year end report
shall be filed no later than January 31 of the
following calendar year.’’.
(b) 
OTHER
POLITICAL
COMMITTEES.—Section
304(a)(4) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(4)) is amended
to read as follows:
‘‘(4)(A) In a calendar year in which a regularly
scheduled general election is held, all political committees
other than authorized committees of a candidate shall
file—
‘‘(i) monthly reports, which shall be filed no
later than the 20th day after the last day of the
month and shall be complete as of the last day of
the month, except that, in lieu of filing the reports
otherwise due in November and December of the
year, a pre-general election report shall be filed in
accordance with paragraph clause (ii), a post-general
election report shall be filed in accordance with
clause (iii), and a year end report shall be filed no
later than January 31 of the following calendar
year;
‘‘(ii) a pre-election report, which shall be filed
no later than the 12th day before (or posted by reg-
istered or certified mail no later than the 15th day
before) any election in which the committee makes
a contribution to or expenditure on behalf of a can-
didate in such election, and which shall be complete
as of the 20th day before the election; and
‘‘(iii) a post-general election report, which shall
be filed no later than the 30th day after the general
election and which shall be complete as of the 20th
day after such general election.
‘‘(B) In any other calendar year, all political commit-
tees other than authorized committees of a candidate shall
file a report covering the period beginning January 1 and
ending June 30, which shall be filed no later than July
31 and a report covering the period beginning July 1 and
ending December 31, which shall be filed no later than
January 31 of the following calendar year.’’.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 304(a)
of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)) is amended by striking
paragraph (8).
(2) Section 309(b) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 437g(b))
is amended by striking ‘‘for the calendar quarter’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for the month’’.
SEC. 303. MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING FOR CERTAIN
REPORTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 304(a)(11)(A) of the Fed-
eral Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
434(a)(11)(A)) is amended by striking the period at the
end and inserting the following: ‘‘, except that the Com-
mission shall require the reports to be filed and preserved
by such means, format, or method, unless the aggregate