I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2565
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to ban activities
of political action committees in House of Representatives elections, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 31, 1995
Mr. HORN (for himself, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, and Mrs. SMITH of
Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Oversight
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to
ban activities of political action committees in House
of Representatives elections, 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. BAN ON ACTIVITIES OF POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEES IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES ELECTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—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 ACTIVITIES OF POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES
IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTIONS
‘‘SEC. 323. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, no person other than an individual or a political
committee may make contributions, solicit or receive con-
tributions, or make expenditures for the purpose of influ-
encing an election for the office of Representative in, or
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.’’.
(b) DEFINITION
OF POLITICAL COMMITTEE.—(1)
Section 301(4) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of
1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(4)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(4) The term ‘political committee’ means—
‘‘(A) the principal campaign committee of a
candidate;
‘‘(B) any national, State, or district committee
of a political party, including any subordinate com-
mittee thereof; and
‘‘(C) any local committee of a political party
which—
‘‘(i) receives contributions aggregating in
excess of $5,000 during a calendar year;
‘‘(ii) makes payments exempted from the
definition of contribution or expenditure under
paragraph (8) or (9) aggregating in excess of
$5,000 during a calendar year; or
‘‘(iii) makes contributions or expenditures
aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a cal-
endar year.’’.
(2) Section 316(b)(2) of the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(2)) is amended by
striking out subparagraph (C).
(c) CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEES.—(1) 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) For the purposes of the limitations provided by
paragraphs (1) and (2), any political committee which is
established or financed or maintained or controlled by any
candidate or Federal officeholder shall be deemed to be
an authorized committee of such candidate or office-
holder.’’.
(2) Section 302(e)(3) of the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(e)(3)) is amended to
read as follows:
‘‘(3) No political committee that supports or has sup-
ported more than one candidate may be designated as an
authorized committee, except that a candidate for the of-
fice of President nominated by a political party may des-
ignate the national committee of such political party as
the candidate’s principal campaign committee, but only if
that national committee maintains separate books of ac-
count with respect to its functions as a principal campaign
committee.’’.
(d) RULES APPLICABLE WHEN BAN NOT IN EF-
FECT.—For purposes of the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971, during any period in which the limitation
under section 323 of that Act (as added by subsection (a))
is not in effect—
(1) the amendments made by subsections (a)
and (b) shall not be in effect; and
(2) it shall be unlawful—
(A) for any person that is treated as a po-
litical committee by reason of paragraph (1)
and is directly or indirectly established, admin-
istered, or supported by a connected organiza-
tion which is a corporation, labor organization,
or trade association to make contributions to
any candidate or the candidate’s authorized
committee; and
(B) for any person that is treated as a po-
litical committee by reason of paragraph (1)
and is not directly or indirectly established, ad-
ministered, or supported by a connected organi-
zation which is a corporation, labor organiza-
tion, or trade association to make contributions