‘‘(ii) In this subparagraph, the term ‘Internet’ means
the international computer network of both Federal and
non-Federal interoperable packet-switched data net-
works.’’.
(c) CHANGE IN CERTAIN REPORTING FROM A CAL-
ENDAR YEAR BASIS TO AN ELECTION CYCLE BASIS.—
Section 304(b) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(b)) is amended
by inserting ‘‘(or election cycle, in the case of an author-
ized committee of a candidate for Federal office)’’ after
‘‘calendar year’’ each place it appears in paragraphs (2),
(3), (4), (6), and (7).
(d) CLARIFICATION OF PERMISSIBLE USE OF FAC-
SIMILE
MACHINES
TO
FILE
REPORTS.—Section
304(a)(11)(A) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)) is
amended by striking ‘‘method,’’ and inserting ‘‘method
(including by facsimile device in the case of any report
required to be filed within 24 hours after the transaction
reported has occurred),’’.
(e) REQUIRING RECEIPT OF INDEPENDENT EXPEND-
ITURE REPORTS WITHIN 24 HOURS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 304(c)(2) of such
Act (2 U.S.C. 434(c)(2)) is amended in the matter
following subparagraph (C)—
(A) by striking ‘‘shall be reported’’ and in-
serting ‘‘shall be filed’’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
sentence: ‘‘Notwithstanding subsection (a)(5),
the time at which the statement under this sub-
section is received by the Secretary, the Com-
mission, or any other recipient to whom the no-
tification is required to be sent shall be consid-
ered the time of filing of the statement with the
recipient.’’.
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
304(a)(5) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(5)), as
amended by subsection (a)(2)(B), is further amend-
ed by striking ‘‘or (6)’’ and inserting ‘‘or (6), or
subsection (c)(2)’’.
(f) REQUIRING RECORD KEEPING AND REPORT OF
SECONDARY PAYMENTS BY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES.—
(1) REPORTING.—Section 304(b)(5)(A) of such
Act (2 U.S.C. 434(b)(5)(A)) is amended by striking
the semicolon at the end and inserting the following:
‘‘, and, if such person in turn makes expenditures
which aggregate $500 or more in an election cycle
to other persons (not including employees) who pro-
vide goods or services to the candidate or the can-
didate’s authorized committees, the name and ad-
dress of such other persons, together with the date,
amount, and purpose of such expenditures;’’.
(2) RECORD
KEEPING.—Section 302 of such
Act (2 U.S.C. 432), as amended by section 105(a),
is further amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(k) A person described in section 304(b)(5)(A) who
makes expenditures which aggregate $500 or more in an
election cycle to other persons (not including employees)
who provide goods or services to a candidate or a can-
didate’s authorized committees shall provide to a political
committee the information necessary to enable the com-
mittee to report the information described in such sec-
tion.’’.
(3) NO EFFECT ON OTHER REPORTS.—Nothing
in the amendments made by this subsection may be
construed to affect the terms of any other record-
keeping or reporting requirements applicable to can-
didates or political committees under title III of the
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
(g) INCLUDING REPORT ON CUMULATIVE CONTRIBU-
TIONS
AND EXPENDITURES
IN POST ELECTION RE-
PORTS.—Section 304(a)(7) of such Act (2 U.S.C.
434(a)(7)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(7)’’ and inserting ‘‘(7)(A)’’;
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph:
‘‘(B) In the case of any report required to be filed
by this subsection which is the first report required to be
filed after the date of an election, the report shall include
a statement of the total contributions received and expend-
itures made as of the date of the election.’’.
(h) INCLUDING INFORMATION ON AGGREGATE CON-
TRIBUTIONS IN REPORT ON ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS.—
Section 304(b)(3) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(b)(3)) is
amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting after
‘‘such contribution’’ the following: ‘‘and the total
amount of all such contributions made by such per-
son with respect to the election involved’’; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting after
‘‘such contribution’’ the following: ‘‘and the total
amount of all such contributions made by such com-
mittee with respect to the election involved’’.
SEC. 302. STREAMLINING PROCEDURES AND RULES OF
FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION.
(a) STANDARDS FOR COMMISSION REGULATION AND
JUDICIAL INTERPRETATION.—Section 307 of the Federal
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 437d) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(f)(1) When developing prescribed forms and mak-
ing, amending, or repealing rules pursuant to the author-
ity granted to the Commission by subsection (a)(8), the
Commission shall act in a manner that will have the least
restrictive effect on the rights of free speech and associa-
tion so protected by the First Article of Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States.
‘‘(2) When the Commission’s actions under para-
graph (1) are challenged, a reviewing court shall hold un-
lawful and set aside any actions of the Commission that
do not conform with the principles set forth in paragraph
(1).’’.
(b) WRITTEN RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Title III of such Act (2
U.S.C. 431 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 308 the following new section:
‘‘OTHER WRITTEN RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS
‘‘SEC. 308A. (a) PERMITTING RESPONSES.—In addi-
tion to issuing advisory opinions under section 308, the
Commission shall issue written responses pursuant to this
section with respect to a written request concerning the
application of this Act, chapter 95 or chapter 96 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, a rule or regulation pre-
scribed by the Commission, or an advisory opinion issued
by the Commission under section 308, with respect to a
specific transaction or activity by the person, if the Com-
mission finds the application of the Act, chapter, rule, reg-
ulation, or advisory opinion to the transaction or activity
to be clear and unambiguous.
‘‘(b) PROCEDURE FOR RESPONSE.—
‘‘(1) ANALYSIS BY STAFF.—The staff of the
Commission shall analyze each request submitted
under this section. If the staff believes that the
standard described in subsection (a) is met with re-
spect to the request, the staff shall circulate a state-
ment to that effect together with a draft response to
the request to the members of the Commission.
‘‘(2) ISSUANCE OF RESPONSE.—Upon the expi-
ration of the 3-day period beginning on the date the
statement and draft response is circulated (excluding
weekends or holidays), the Commission shall issue
the response, unless during such period any member
of the Commission objects to issuing the response.
‘‘(c) EFFECT OF RESPONSE.—
‘‘(1) SAFE
HARBOR.—Notwithstanding any
other provisions of law, any person who relies upon
any provision or finding of a written response issued
under this section and who acts in good faith in ac-
cordance with the provisions and findings of such re-
sponse shall not, as a result of any such act, be sub-
ject to any sanction provided by this Act or by chap-