I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 506
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for public
funding for House of Representatives elections, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 4, 1997
Mr. ANDREWS 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
provide for public funding for 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. PUBLIC FUNDING FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENT-
ATIVES ELECTIONS.
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is
amended by adding at the end the following new title:
‘‘TITLE V—PUBLIC FUNDING FOR
HOUSE 
OF 
REPRESENTA-
TIVES ELECTIONS
‘‘SEC. 501. QUALIFICATIONS FOR PUBLIC FUNDING.
‘‘A House of Representatives candidate qualifies for
public funding if, as determined by the Commission—
‘‘(1) at least 6 weeks before the general elec-
tion, the candidate obtains the signatures of 3 per-
cent of the registered voters in the congressional dis-
trict involved; or
‘‘(2) the candidate is the candidate of a political
party, the candidate of which, in the preceding gen-
eral election, received more than 25 percent of the
vote.
‘‘SEC. 502. LIMITATIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS TO QUALIFY-
ING 
HOUSE 
OF 
REPRESENTATIVES 
CAN-
DIDATES.
‘‘(a) INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS REQUIREMENT.—
A qualifying House of Representatives candidate may not
accept contributions other than contributions from individ-
uals that total not more than $100 per individual per elec-
tion cycle.
‘‘(b) IN-STATE
CONTRIBUTION
REQUIREMENT.—
With respect to each reporting period for an election, at
least 80 percent of the total sum of contributions accepted
by a qualifying House of Representatives candidate shall
be from the State in which the congressional district in-
volved is located.
‘‘SEC. 503. USE OF PUBLIC FUNDING.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A qualifying House of Rep-
resentatives candidate may use public funds only for—
‘‘(1) buying time on radio, cable, or television
broadcast stations;
‘‘(2) buying rental space on billboards or other
outdoor signs;
‘‘(3) buying advertising space in magazines,
newspapers, 
periodicals, 
and 
other 
advertising
media, including theaters, the internet, and the
worldwide web;
‘‘(4) payment of the cost of producing adver-
tisements for media referred to in paragraphs (1),
(2), and (3);
‘‘(5) procurement of computerized campaign
software, voter lists, and other voter contact tools;
‘‘(6) payment of the cost of printing and mail-
ing campaign literature;
‘‘(7) payment of the cost of telephone expenses;
‘‘(8) payment of legal and accounting costs as-
sociated with campaigning;
‘‘(9) payment of campaign employees’ salaries;
‘‘(10) payment of the cost of campaign office
equipment and supplies; and
‘‘(11) payment of incidental expenses of the
candidate, such as travel and food.
‘‘(b) SPECIFIC EXCLUSION.—A qualifying House of
Representatives candidate may not use public funds under
this title to pay the candidate a salary or personal mort-
gages.
‘‘(c) CALCULATION OF PUBLIC DISBURSEMENT.—A
qualifying House of Representatives candidate shall re-
ceive public funds closely approximating the cost of pro-
curing 21⁄2 hours of television commercial time on local
television stations in the district’s media markets. An
exact amount shall be determined by the Commission,
using (i) the average cost of a media point per media mar-
ket, as defined by Arbitron Area of Dominant Influence,
for the 4th quarter of the preceding calendar year, and
(ii) a multiplier of 5,000 media points. The funds may
be used for any purpose specified in subsection (a).
‘‘(d) DISBURSEMENTS.—The Commission shall make
disbursements of public funds under this title upon sub-
mission of evidence that an eligible expense has been in-
curred. No disbursement may be made with respect to an
expense incurred more than 4 months before the election
involved.
‘‘SEC. 504. MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PUBLIC FUNDING.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The maximum amount of public
funding that a qualifying House of Representatives can-
didate may receive is $750,000.
‘‘(b) INDEXING.—The amount under subsection (a)
shall be increased as of the beginning of each even-num-
bered calendar year, based on the increase in the price
index determined under section 315(c), except that the
base period shall be calendar year 1995.
‘‘SEC. 505. TELEVISION DEBATE REQUIREMENT.
‘‘A qualifying House of Representatives candidate
shall be required to participate in at least 2 televised de-
bates, organized by a bipartisan or nonpartisan group, in
the congressional district media market.
‘‘SEC. 506. REQUIREMENT FOR ACCEPTANCE OF ADVERTIS-
ING BY RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each radio station and each tele-
vision station shall be—
‘‘(1) required to accept orders for advertise-
ments to be paid for under this title until such ad-
vertising constitutes 40 percent of the station’s total
advertising time; and
‘‘(2) subject to random periodic examination of
advertising charges paid under this title to ensure
that such charges are correct.
‘‘(b) CONDITION OF LICENSE.—The continuation of
an existing license, the renewal of an expiring license, and
the issuance of a new license under section 307 of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 307) shall be
conditioned on the agreement by the licensee to abide by
the provisions of subsection (a)(1).
‘‘SEC. 507. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘As used in this title—
‘‘(1) the term ‘House of Representatives can-
didate’ means a candidate for the office of Rep-
resentative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to, the Congress;
‘‘(2) the term ‘qualifying House of Representa-
tives candidate’ means a House of Representatives
candidate who qualifies for public funding under this
title; and
‘‘(3) the term ‘congressional district media mar-
ket’ means, with respect to a congressional district,
the media market of that district, as determined
from the licensing records of the Federal Commu-
nications Commission.’’.
SEC. 2. ø211¿
A national committee of a political party, including
the national congressional campaign committees of a polit-
ical party, and any officers or agents of such party com-
mittees, shall not solicit or receive any contributions, do-
nations, or transfers of funds, or spend any funds, not
subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting re-
quirements of this Act. This provision shall apply to any
entity that is established, financed, maintained or con-
trolled by a national committee of a political party, includ-
ing the national congressional campaign committees of a
political party, and any officer or agents of such party
committees, other than an entity that is regulated by sec-
tion (2) below.
SEC. 3. ø212¿
(a) Any amount expended or disbursed by a State,
district, or local committee of a political party, during a
calendar year in which a Federal election is held, for any
activity which might affect the outcome of a Federal elec-
tion, including but not limited to any voter registration
and get-out-the-vote activity, any generic campaign activ-
ity, and any communication that identifies a Federal can-
didate (regardless of whether a State or local candidate
is also mentioned or identified) shall be made from funds
subject to the limitations, prohibitions and reporting re-
quirements of this Act.
(b) Paragraph (a) shall not apply to expenditures or
disbursements made by a State, district or local committee
of a political party for—
(1) a contribution to a candidate other than for
Federal office, provided that such contribution is not
designated or otherwise earmarked to pay for activi-
ties described in subparagraph (a) above;
(2) the costs of a State or district/local political
convention;
(3) the non-Federal share of a State, district or
local party committee’s administrative and overhead
expenses (but not including the compensation in any
month of any individual who spends more than 20
percent of his or her time on activity during such
month which may affect the outcome of a Federal
election). For purposes of this provision, the non-
federal share of a party committee’s administrative
and overhead expenses shall be determined by apply-
ing the ratio of the non-Federal disbursements to
the total Federal expenditures and non-Federal dis-
bursements made by the committee during the pre-
vious presidential election year to the committee’s
administrative and overhead expenses in the election
year in question;
(4) the costs of grassroots campaign materials,
including buttons, bumperstickers, and yard signs,
which material solely name or depict a State or local
candidate; and
(5) the cost of any campaign activity conducted
solely on behalf of a clearly identified State or local
candidate, provided that such activity is not covered
by subparagraph (a) above.
(c) Any amount spent by a national, State, district
or local committee or entity of a political party to raise
funds that are used, in whole or in part, to pay the costs
of any activity covered by paragraph 2(a) above shall be
made from funds subject to the limitations, prohibitions,
and reporting requirements of this Act.
This provision shall apply to any entity that is estab-
lished, financed, maintained, or controlled by a State, dis-
trict or local committee of a political party or any agent
or officer of such party committee in the same manner
as it applies to that committee.
SEC. 4. ø213¿
No national, State, district or local committee of a
political party shall solicit any funds for or make any do-
nations to any organization that is exempt from Federal
taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(c).
SEC. 5. ø214¿
No candidate for Federal office, individual holding
Federal office, or any agent of such candidate or office-
holder, may solicit or receive any funds in connection with
any Federal election unless such funds are subject to the
limitations, prohibitions and reporting requirements of
this Act; This provision shall not apply to the solicitation
or receipt of funds by an individual who is a candidate
for a non-Federal office if such activity is permitted under
State law for such individual’s non-Federal campaign com-
mittee.
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. ø215¿
(a) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 304 of the
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434)
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(d) POLITICAL COMMITTEES.—(1) The national
committee of a political party, any congressional campaign
committee of a political party, and any subordinate com-
mittee of either, shall report all receipts and disburse-
ments during the reporting period, whether or not in con-
nection with an election for Federal office.
‘‘(2) A political committee (not described in para-
graph (1)) to which section 325 applies shall report all
receipts and disbursements including separate schedules
for receipts and disbursements for any State Party Grass-
roots Fund described in section 301(21).
‘‘(3) Any political committee to which section 325 ap-
plies shall include in its report under paragraph (1) or
(2) the amount of any transfer described in section
325(d)(2) and shall itemize such amounts to the extent
required by subsection (b)(3)(A).
‘‘(4) Any political committee to which paragraph (1)
or (2) does not apply shall report any receipts or disburse-
ments that are used in connection with a Federal election.
‘‘(5) If a political committee has receipts or disburse-
ments to which this subsection applies from any person
aggregating in excess of $200 for any calendar year, the
political committee shall separately itemize its reporting
for such person in the same manner as required in sub-
section (b) (3)(A), (5), or (6).
‘‘(6) Reports required to be filed under this sub-
section shall be filed for the same time periods required
for political committees under subsection (a).’’.
(b) REPORT OF EXEMPT CONTRIBUTIONS.—Section
301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2
U.S.C. 431(8)) is amended by inserting at the end the
following:
‘‘(C) The exclusion provided in subpara-
graph (B)(viii) shall not apply for purposes of
general election, and any other election in which
the candidate participates;’’.
(2) 
NAMES
AND
ADDRESSES.—Section
304(b)(5)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(b)(5)(A)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘within the calendar year’’;
and
(B) by inserting ‘‘, and the election to
which the operating expenditure relates’’ after
‘‘operating expenditure’’.
SEC. 7. SOFT MONEY OF PERSONS OTHER THAN POLITICAL
PARTIES. ø221¿
Section 304 of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434), as amended by section 215(c),
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(f) ELECTION ACTIVITY OF PERSONS OTHER THAN
POLITICAL PARTIES.—(1)(A)(i) If any person to which
section 325 does not apply makes (or obligates to make)
disbursements for activities described in section 325(b) in
excess of $2,000, such person shall file a statement—
‘‘(I) on or before the date that is 48 hours be-
fore the disbursements (or obligations) are made; or
‘‘(II) in the case of disbursements (or obliga-
tions) that are required to be made within 14 days
of the election, on or before such 14th day.
‘‘(ii) An additional statement shall be filed each time
additional disbursements aggregating $2,000 are made (or
obligated to be made) by a person described in clause (i).
‘‘(B) This paragraph shall not apply to—
‘‘(i) a candidate or a candidate’s authorized
committees; or
‘‘(ii) an independent expenditure (as defined in
section 301(17)).
‘‘(2) Any statement under this section shall be filed
with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House
of Representatives, and the Secretary of State (or equiva-
lent official) of the State involved, as appropriate, and
shall contain such information as the Commission shall
prescribe, including whether the disbursement is in sup-
port of, or in opposition to, 1 or more candidates or any
political party. The Secretary of the Senate or Clerk of
the House of Representatives shall, as soon as possible
(but not later than 24 hours after receipt), transmit a
statement to the Commission. Not later than 48 hours
after receipt, the Commission shall transmit the statement
to—
‘‘(A) the candidates or political parties involved;
or
‘‘(B) if the disbursement is not in support of,
or in opposition to, a candidate or political party,
the State committees of each political party in the
State involved.
‘‘(3) The Commission may make its own determina-
tion that disbursements described in paragraph (1) have
been made or are obligated to be made. The Commission
shall notify the candidates or political parties described
in paragraph (2) not later than 24 hours after its deter-
mination.’’.
SEC. 8. CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES AND
CONDUITS. ø231¿
Section 315(a)(8) of the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(8)) is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘(8) For the purposes of this subsection:
‘‘(A) Contributions made by a person, ei-
ther directly or indirectly, to or on behalf of a
particular candidate, including contributions
that are in any way earmarked or otherwise di-
rected through an intermediary or conduit to a
candidate, shall be treated as contributions
from the person to the candidate. If a contribu-
tion is made to a candidate through an
intermediary or conduit, the intermediary or
conduit shall report the original source and the
intended recipient of the contribution to the
Commission and the intended recipient.
‘‘(B) Contributions made directly or indi-
rectly by a person to or on behalf of a particu-
lar candidate through an intermediary or con-
duit, including contributions arranged to be
made by an intermediary or conduit, shall be
treated as contributions from the intermediary
or conduit to the candidate if—
‘‘(i) the contributions made through
the intermediary or conduit are in the form
of a check or other negotiable instrument
made payable to the intermediary or con-
duit rather than the intended recipient; or
‘‘(ii) the intermediary or conduit is—
‘‘(I) a political committee, a po-
litical party, or an officer, employee,
or agent of either;
‘‘(II) a person whose activities
are required to be reported under sec-
tion 308 of the Federal Regulation of
Lobbying Act (2 U.S.C. 267), the
Foreign Agents Registration Act of
1938 (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.), or any
successor Federal law requiring a per-
son who is a lobbyist or foreign agent
to report the activities of such person;
‘‘(III) a person who is prohibited
from making contributions under sec-
tion 316 or a partnership; or
‘‘(IV) an officer, employee, or
agent of a person described in sub-
clause (II) or (III) acting on behalf of
such person.
‘‘(C) The term ‘contributions arranged to
be made’ includes—
‘‘(i)(I) contributions delivered directly
or indirectly to a particular candidate or
the candidate’s authorized committee or
agent by the person who facilitated the
contribution; and
‘‘(II) contributions made directly or
indirectly to a particular candidate or the
candidate’s authorized committee or agent
that are provided at a fundraising event
sponsored by an intermediary or conduit
described in subparagraph (B);
(D) This paragraph shall not prohibit—
‘‘(i) fundraising efforts for the benefit
of a candidate that are conducted by an-
other candidate or Federal officeholder; or
‘‘(ii) the solicitation by an individual
using the individual’s resources and acting
in the individual’s own name of contribu-
tions from other persons in a manner not
described in paragraphs (B) and (C).’’.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with
respect to elections taking place after øTO BE SUP-
PLIED¿.
Æ