I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 874
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for a
voluntary system of spending limits and benefits for congressional elec-
tion campaigns, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 4, 1993
Mr. CARDIN introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the
Committees on House Administration, Energy and Commerce, and Post
Office and Civil Service
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to
provide for a voluntary system of spending limits and
benefits for congressional election campaigns, 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; AMENDMENT OF CAMPAIGN ACT;
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Con-
gressional Campaign Reform Act of 1993’’.
(b) AMENDMENT OF FECA.—When used in this Act,
the term ‘‘FECA’’ means the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.).
(c) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—
Sec. 1. Short title; amendment of Campaign Act; table of contents.
TITLE I—CONTROL OF CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN SPENDING
Subtitle A—Expenditure Limitations, Contribution Limitations, and Matching
Funds for Eligible House of Representatives Candidates
Sec. 101. Provisions applicable to eligible House of Representatives candidates.
Sec. 102. Limitations on political committee and large donor contributions that
may be accepted by House of Representatives candidates.
Sec. 103. Excess funds of incumbents who are candidates for the House of
Representatives.
Subtitle B—General Provisions
Sec. 121. Broadcast rates and preemption.
Sec. 122. Extension of reduced third-class mailing rates to eligible House of
Representatives candidates.
Sec. 123. Reporting requirements for certain independent expenditures.
Sec. 124. Campaign advertising amendments.
Sec. 125. Definitions.
Sec. 126. Provisions relating to franked mass mailings.
Sec. 127. Debate Requirement.
TITLE II—INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Sec. 201. Clarification of definitions relating to independent expenditures.
TITLE III—EXPENDITURES
Subtitle A—Personal Loans; Credit
Sec. 301. Personal contributions and loans.
Sec. 302. Extensions of credit.
Subtitle B—Provisions Relating to Soft Money of Political Parties
Sec. 311. Contributions to political party committees.
Sec. 312. Provisions relating to national, State, and local party committees.
Sec. 313. Restrictions on fundraising by candidates and officeholders.
Sec. 314. Reporting requirements.
TITLE IV—CONTRIBUTIONS
Sec. 401. Contributions through intermediaries and conduits.
Sec. 402. Contributions by dependents not of voting age.
Sec. 403. Contributions to candidates from State and local committees of politi-
cal parties to be aggregated.
Sec. 404. Limited exclusion of advances by campaign workers from the defini-
tion of the term ‘‘contribution’’.
TITLE V—REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Sec. 501. Change in certain reporting from a calendar year basis to an election
cycle basis.
Sec. 502. Personal and consulting services.
Sec. 503. Reduction in threshold for reporting of certain information by per-
sons other than political committees.
Sec. 504. Computerized indices of contributions.
TITLE VI—FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION
Sec. 601. Use of candidates’ names.
Sec. 602. Reporting requirements.
Sec. 603. Provisions relating to the general counsel of the Commission.
Sec. 604. Enforcement.
Sec. 605. Penalties.
Sec. 606. Random audits.
Sec. 607. Prohibition of false representation to solicit contributions.
Sec. 608. Regulations relating to use of non-Federal money.
TITLE VII—BALLOT INITIATIVE COMMITTEES
Sec. 701. Definitions relating to ballot initiatives.
Sec. 702. Amendment to definition of contribution.
Sec. 703. Amendment to definition of expenditure.
Sec. 704. Organization of ballot initiative committees.
Sec. 705. Ballot initiative committee reporting requirements.
Sec. 706. Enforcement amendment.
Sec. 707. Prohibition of contributions in the name of another.
Sec. 708. Limitation on contribution of currency.
TITLE VIII—MISCELLANEOUS
Sec. 801. Prohibition of leadership committees.
Sec. 802. Polling data contributed to candidates.
Sec. 803. Debates by general election candidates who receive amounts from the
Presidential Election Campaign Fund.
Sec. 804. Prohibition of certain election-related activities of foreign nationals.
Sec. 805. Amendment to FECA section 316.
Sec. 806. Telephone voting by persons with disabilities.
Sec. 807. Prohibition of use of Government aircraft in connection with elections
for Federal office.
Sec. 808. Sense of the Congress.
TITLE IX—EFFECTIVE DATES; AUTHORIZATIONS
Sec. 901. Effective date.
Sec. 902. Budget neutrality.
Sec. 903. Severability.
Sec. 904. Expedited review of constitutional issues.
TITLE 
I—CONTROL 
OF 
CON-
GRESSIONAL 
CAMPAIGN
SPENDING
Subtitle 
A—Expenditure 
Limita-
tions, Contribution Limitations,
and Matching Funds for Eligible
House of Representatives Can-
didates
SEC. 101. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ELIGIBLE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—FECA is amended by adding at
the end the following new title:
‘‘TITLE V—EXPENDITURE LIMI-
TATIONS, 
CONTRIBUTION
LIMITATIONS, 
AND 
MATCH-
ING 
FUNDS 
FOR 
ELIGIBLE
HOUSE 
OF 
REPRESENTA-
TIVES CANDIDATES
‘‘SEC. 501. EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible House of Representa-
tives candidate may not, in an election cycle, make expend-
itures aggregating more than $600,000, of which not more
than $400,000 may be expended in the general election
period.
‘‘(b) RUNOFF ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTION
AMOUNTS.—
‘‘(1) RUNOFF ELECTION AMOUNT.—In addition
to the expenditures under subsection (a), an eligible
House of Representatives candidate who is a can-
didate in a runoff election may make expenditures
aggregating not more than 20 percent of the general
election period limit under subsection (a).
‘‘(2) SPECIAL ELECTION AMOUNT.—An eligible
House of Representatives candidate who is a can-
didate in a special election may make expenditures
aggregating not more than $400,000 with respect to
the special election.
‘‘(c) CLOSELY CONTESTED PRIMARY.—If, as deter-
mined by the Commission, an eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate in a contested primary election wins that
primary election by a margin of 10 percentage points or
less, subject to the general election period limitation in
subsection (a), the candidate may make additional expend-
itures of not more than $150,000 in the general election
period. The additional expenditures shall be from con-
tributions described in section 503(h) and payments de-
scribed in section 504(f).
‘‘(d) NONPARTICIPATING OPPONENT PROVISIONS.—
‘‘(1) LIMITATION EXCEPTION.—The limitations
imposed by subsections (a) and (b) do not apply in
the case of an eligible House of Representatives can-
didate if any other candidate seeking nomination or
election to that office—
‘‘(A) is not an eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate; and
‘‘(B) makes expenditures in excess of 80
percent of the general election period limitation
specified in subsection (a).
‘‘(2) CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY AND ADDITIONAL
MATCHING FUNDS.—An eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate referred to in paragraph (1)—
‘‘(A) shall continue to be eligible for all
benefits under this title; and
‘‘(B) shall receive matching funds without
regard to the ceiling under section 504(a).
‘‘(3) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—A candidate
for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or
Resident Commissioner to, the Congress—
‘‘(A) who is not an eligible House of Rep-
resentatives candidate; and
‘‘(B) who—
‘‘(i) receives contributions in excess of
50 percent of the general election period
limitation specified in subsection (a)(1); or
‘‘(ii) makes expenditures in excess of
80 percent of such limit;
shall report that the threshold has been reached to
the Clerk of the House of Representatives not later
than 48 hours after reaching the threshold. The
Clerk shall transmit a report received under this
paragraph to the Commission as soon as possible
(but no later than 4 working hours of the Commis-
sion) after such receipt, and the Commission shall
transmit a copy to each other candidate in the elec-
tion within 48 hours of receipt.
‘‘(e) 
EXEMPTION
FOR
CERTAIN
COSTS
AND
TAXES.—Payments for legal and accounting compliance
costs, and Federal, State, or local taxes with respect to
a candidate’s authorized committees, shall not be consid-
ered in the computation of amounts subject to limitation
under this section.
‘‘(f) EXEMPTION FOR FUNDRAISING COSTS.—
‘‘(1) Any costs incurred by an eligible House of
Representatives candidate or his or her authorized
committee in connection with the solicitation of con-
tributions on behalf of such candidate shall not be
considered in the computation of amounts subject to
limitation under this section to the extent that the
aggregate of such costs does not exceed 5 percent of
the limitation under subsection (a) or subsection (b).
‘‘(2) An amount equal to 5 percent of salaries
and overhead expenditures of an eligible House of
Representatives candidate’s campaign headquarters
and offices shall not be considered in the computa-
tion of amounts subject to limitation under this sec-
tion. Any amount excluded under this paragraph
shall be applied against the fundraising expenditure
exemption under paragraph (1).
‘‘(g) CIVIL PENALTIES.—
‘‘(1) LOW
AMOUNT
OF
EXCESS
EXPENDI-
TURES.—Any eligible House of Representatives can-
didate who makes expenditures that exceed a limita-
tion under subsection (a) or subsection (b) by 2.5
percent or less shall pay to the Commission an
amount equal to the amount of the excess expendi-
tures.
‘‘(2) MEDIUM AMOUNT OF EXCESS EXPENDI-
TURES.—Any eligible House of Representatives can-
didate who makes expenditures that exceed a limita-
tion under subsection (a) or subsection (b) by more
than 2.5 percent and less than 5 percent shall pay
to the Commission an amount equal to three times
the amount of the excess expenditures.
‘‘(3) LARGE
AMOUNT
OF
EXCESS
EXPENDI-
TURES.—Any eligible House of Representatives can-
didate who makes expenditures that exceed a limita-
tion under subsection (a) or subsection (b) by 5 per-
cent or more shall pay to the Commission an
amount equal to three times the amount of the ex-
cess expenditures plus a civil penalty in an amount
determined by the Commission.
‘‘(h) INDEXING.—The dollar amounts specified in
subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e) shall be adjusted at the
beginning of each calendar year based on the increase in
the price index determined under section 315(c), except
that, for the purposes of such adjustment, the base period
shall be calendar year 1993.
‘‘SEC. 502. STATEMENT OF PARTICIPATION; CONTINUING
ELIGIBILITY.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall determine
whether a candidate is in compliance with this title and,
by reason of such compliance, is eligible to receive benefits
under this title. Such determination shall—
‘‘(1) in the case of an initial determination, be
based on a statement of participation submitted by
the candidate; and
‘‘(2) in the case of a determination of continu-
ing eligibility, be based on relevant additional infor-
mation submitted in such form and manner as the
Commission may require.
‘‘(b) FILING.—The statement of participation re-
ferred to in subsection (a) shall be filed with the Clerk
of the House of Representatives not later than January
31 of the election year or on the date on which the can-
didate files a statement of candidacy, whichever is later.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit
a statement received under this section to the Commission
as soon as possible.
‘‘SEC. 503. CONTRIBUTION LIMITATIONS.
‘‘(a) ELIGIBLE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CAN-
DIDATE LIMITATION.—An eligible House of Representa-
tives candidate may not, with respect to an election cycle,
accept contributions aggregating in excess of $600,000.
‘‘(b) NONPARTICIPATING OPPONENT PROVISIONS.—
The limitations imposed by subsection (a) do not apply
in the case of an eligible House of Representatives can-
didate if any other candidate seeking nomination or elec-
tion to that office—
‘‘(1) is not an eligible House of Representatives
candidate; and
‘‘(2) receives contributions in excess of 50 per-
cent of the general election period limitation speci-
fied in section 501(a).
‘‘(c) TRANSFER PROVISIONS.—
‘‘(1) If an eligible House of Representatives
candidate transfers any amount from an election
cycle to a later election cycle, the limitation with re-
spect to the candidate under subsection (a) for the
later cycle shall be an amount equal to the difference
between the amount specified in that subsection and
the amount transferred.
‘‘(2) If an eligible House of Representatives
candidate transfers any amount from an election
cycle to a later election cycle, each limitation with
respect to the candidate under section 315(j) for the
later cycle shall be one-third of the difference be-
tween the applicable amount specified in subsection
(a) and the amount transferred.
‘‘(d) RUNOFF AMOUNT.—In addition to the contribu-
tions under subsection (a), an eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate who is a candidate in a runoff election
may accept contributions aggregating not more than 20
percent of the general election expenditure limit under sec-
tion 501(a) in the general election period. Of such con-
tributions, one-half may be from political committees and
one-half may be from persons referred to in section
315(j)(2).
‘‘(e) PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible House of Rep-
resentatives candidate may not, with respect to an
election cycle, make contributions to his or her own
campaign totaling more than $50,000 from the per-
sonal funds of the candidate. The amount that the
candidate may accept from persons referred to in
section 315(j)(2) shall be reduced by the amount of
contributions made under the preceding sentence.
Contributions from the personal funds of a can-
didate may not be matched under section 504.
‘‘(2) LIMITATION EXCEPTION.—The limitation
imposed by paragraph (1) does not apply in the case
of an eligible House of Representatives candidate if
any other candidate—
‘‘(A) is not an eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate; and
‘‘(B) receives contributions in excess of 50
percent of the general election period limitation
specified in section 501(a).
‘‘(3) TRIPLE
MATCH.—An eligible House of
Representatives candidate, whose opponent makes
contributions to his or her own campaign in excess
of 50 percent of the general election period limita-
tion specified in section 501(a), shall receive $3 in
matching funds for each $1 certified by the Commis-
sion as matchable for the eligible candidate.
‘‘(f) CIVIL PENALTIES.—
‘‘(1) LOW
AMOUNT
OF
EXCESS
CONTRIBU-
TIONS.—Any eligible House of Representatives can-
didate who accepts contributions that exceed the lim-
itation under subsection (a) by 2.5 percent or less
shall refund the excess contributions to the persons
who made the contributions.
‘‘(2) MEDIUM AMOUNT OF EXCESS CONTRIBU-
TIONS.—Any eligible House of Representatives can-
didate who accepts contributions that exceed a limi-
tation under subsection (a) by more than 2.5 per-
cent and less than 5 percent shall pay to the Com-
mission an amount equal to three times the amount
of the excess contributions.
‘‘(3) LARGE
AMOUNT
OF
EXCESS
CONTRIBU-
TIONS.—Any eligible House of Representatives can-
didate who accepts contributions that exceed a limi-
tation under subsection (a) by 5 percent or more
shall pay to the Commission an amount equal to
three times the amount of the excess contributions
plus a civil penalty in an amount determined by the
Commission.
‘‘(g) EXEMPTION
FOR CERTAIN COSTS.—(1) Any
amount—
‘‘(A) accepted by a candidate for the office of
Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to the Congress; and
‘‘(B) used for legal and accounting compliance
costs, or used to pay Federal, State, or local taxes
with respect to a candidate’s authorized committees
shall not be considered in the computation of
amounts subject to limitation under subsection (a).
‘‘(2) The balance of funds maintained for legal and
accounting compliance costs by the authorized committees
of an eligible House of Representatives candidate shall not
exceed 20 percent of the limit under subsection (a) at any
time.
‘‘(3) No funds received by a candidate under section
504 may be transferred to a separate legal and accounting
compliance fund.
‘‘(h) CLOSELY CONTESTED PRIMARY.—If, as deter-
mined by the Commission, an eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate in a contested primary election wins that
primary election by a margin of 10 percentage points or
less, notwithstanding the limitation in subsection (a), the
candidate may, in the general election period, accept addi-
tional contributions of not more than $150,000, consisting
of—
‘‘(1) not more than $50,000 from political com-
mittees; and
‘‘(2) not more than $50,000 from individuals
referred to in section 315(j)(2).
‘‘(i) INDEXING.—The dollar amounts specified in
subsections (a), (d), (e), and (h) shall be adjusted at the
beginning of the calendar year based on the increase in
the price index determined under section 315(c), except
that, for the purposes of such adjustment, the base period
shall be calendar year 1992.
‘‘SEC. 504. MATCHING FUNDS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible House of Representa-
tives candidate shall be entitled to receive an amount equal
to two times the amount of contributions from individuals
received by the candidate, but not more than $400,000,
and not to the extent that contributions from any individ-
ual during the election cycle exceed $250 in the aggregate.
‘‘(b) INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE PROVISION.—If,
with respect to a general election involving an eligible
House of Representatives candidate, independent expendi-
tures totaling $10,000 are made against the eligible House
of Representatives candidate or in favor of another can-
didate, the eligible House of Representatives candidate
shall be entitled, in addition to any amount received under
subsection (a), to a matching payment of $20,000 and ad-
ditional matching payments equal to two times the amount
of such independent expenditures above $10,000, and ex-
penditures may be made from such payments without re-
gard to the limitations in section 501.
‘‘(c) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.—A candidate for the
office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Com-
missioner to, the Congress may receive matching funds
under subsection (a) only if the candidate—
‘‘(1) in an election cycle, has received $60,000
in contributions from individuals, with not more
than $250 to be taken into account per individual;
‘‘(2) qualifies for the election ballot;
‘‘(3) has an opponent on the election ballot; and
‘‘(4) files a statement of participation in which
the candidate agrees to—
‘‘(A) comply with the limitations under
sections 501 and 503;
‘‘(B) cooperate in the case of any audit by
the Commission by furnishing such campaign
records and other information as the Commis-
sion may require; and
‘‘(C) comply with any repayment require-
ment under section 505.
‘‘(d) WRITTEN INSTRUMENT REQUIREMENT.—No
contribution in any form other than a gift of money made
by a written instrument that identifies the individual mak-
ing the contribution may be used as a basis for any match-
ing payment under this section.
‘‘(e) CERTIFICATION AND PAYMENT.—
‘‘(1) CERTIFICATION.—Except as provided in
paragraphs (2) and (3), not later than 5 days after
receiving a request for payment, the Commission
shall certify for payment the amount requested
under subsection (a) or (b).
‘‘(2) PAYMENTS.—The initial payment under
subsection (a) to an eligible candidate shall be
$120,000. All payments shall be—
‘‘(A) made not later than 48 hours after
certification under paragraph (1); and
‘‘(B) subject to proportional reduction in
the case of insufficient funds.
‘‘(3) INCORRECT REQUEST.—If the Commission
determines that any portion of a request is incorrect,
the Commission shall withhold the certification for
that portion only and inform the candidate as to
how the candidate may correct the request.
‘‘(f) CLOSELY CONTESTED PRIMARY.—If, as deter-
mined by the Commission, an eligible House of Represent-
atives candidate in a contested primary election wins that
primary election by a margin of 10 percentage points or
less, the candidate shall be entitled to matching funds to-
taling not more than $50,000, in addition to any other
amount received under this section.
‘‘(g) CONVERSIONS
TO PERSONAL USE.—A can-
didate may not convert any amount received under this
section to personal use other than for reimbursement of
verifiable prior campaign expenditures.
‘‘(h) INDEXING.—The dollar amounts specified in
subsections (a), (b), (c) (other than the amount in sub-
section (c) to be taken into account per individual), and
(f) shall be adjusted at the beginning of the calendar year
based on the increase in the price index determined under
section 315(c), except that, for the purposes of such ad-
justment, the base period shall be calendar year 1993.
‘‘SEC. 505. EXAMINATION AND AUDITS; REPAYMENTS.
‘‘(a) GENERAL ELECTION.—After each general elec-
tion, the Commission shall conduct an examination and
audit of the campaign accounts of 10 percent of the eligi-
ble House of Representatives candidates, as designated by
the Commission through the use of an appropriate statis-
tical method of random selection, to determine whether
such candidates have complied with the conditions of eligi-
bility and other requirements of this title. No other factors
shall be considered in carrying out such an examination
and audit. In selecting the accounts to be examined and
audited, the Commission shall select all eligible candidates
from a congressional district where any eligible candidate
is selected for examination and audit.
‘‘(b) SPECIAL ELECTION.—After each special elec-
tion, the Commission shall conduct an examination and
audit of the campaign accounts of all eligible candidates
in the election to determine whether the candidates have
complied with the conditions of eligibility and other re-
quirements of this title.
‘‘(c) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE.—The Commission may
conduct an examination and audit of the campaign ac-
counts of any eligible House of Representatives candidate
in a general election if the Commission, by an affirmative
vote of 4 members, determines that there exists reason
to believe that such candidate may have violated any provi-
sion of this title.
‘‘(d) PAYMENTS.—If the Commission determines that
any amount of a payment to a candidate under this title
was in excess of the aggregate payments to which such
candidate was entitled, the Commission shall so notify the
‘‘(d) REPORT
OF PROPOSED REGULATIONS.—The
Commission shall submit to the House of Representatives
a report containing a detailed explanation and justification
of each rule, regulation, and form of the Commission
under this title. No such rule, regulation, or form may
take effect until a period of 30 legislative days has elapsed
after the report is received. As used in this subsection—
‘‘(1) the term ‘legislative day’ means any cal-
endar day on which the House of Representatives is
in session; and
‘‘(2) the terms ‘rule’ and ‘regulation’ mean a
provision or series of interrelated provisions stating
a single, separable rule of law.
‘‘SEC. 509. CLOSED CAPTIONING REQUIREMENT FOR TELE-
VISION COMMERCIALS OF ELIGIBLE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATES.
‘‘No eligible House of Representatives candidate may
receive amounts under section 504 unless such candidate
has certified that any television commercial prepared or
distributed by the candidate will be prepared in a manner
that contains, is accompanied by, or otherwise readily per-
mits closed captioning of the oral content of the commer-
cial to be broadcast by way of line 21 of the vertical blank-
ing interval, or by way of comparable successor tech-
nologies.’’.
(b) EFFECT OF INVALIDITY ON OTHER PROVISIONS
OF ACT.—If title V of FECA (as added by this section),
or any part thereof, is held to be invalid, all provisions
of, and amendments made by, this Act, shall be treated
as invalid.
SEC. 102. LIMITATIONS ON POLITICAL COMMITTEE AND
LARGE DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MAY
BE ACCEPTED BY HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES CANDIDATES.
Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a) is amended by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
‘‘(i)(1) A candidate for the office of Representative
in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress
may not, with respect to an election cycle, accept contribu-
tions from political committees aggregating in excess of
$200,000.
‘‘(2) A candidate for the office of Representative in,
or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress
may not, with respect to an election cycle, accept contribu-
tions aggregating in excess of $200,000 from persons
other than political committees whose contributions total
more than $250.
‘‘(3) In addition to the contributions under para-
graphs (1) and (2), a House of Representatives candidate
who is a candidate in a runoff election may accept con-
tributions aggregating not more than $80,000 with re-
spect to the runoff election. Of such contributions, one-
half may be from political committees and one-half may
be from persons referred to in paragraph (2).
‘‘(4) Any amount—
‘‘(A) accepted by a candidate for the office of
Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to the Congress; and
‘‘(B) used for legal and accounting compliance
costs, Federal, State, and local taxes,
shall not be considered in the computation of amounts
subject to limitation under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3),
but shall be subject to the other limitations of this Act.
‘‘(5) In addition to any other contributions under this
subsection, if, as determined by the Commission, an eligi-
ble House of Representatives candidate in a contested pri-
mary election wins that primary election by a margin of
10 percentage points or less, the candidate may, in the
general election period, accept contributions of not more
than $150,000, consisting of—
‘‘(A) not more than $50,000 from political
committees; and
‘‘(B) not more than $50,000 from persons
referred to in paragraph (2).
‘‘(6) The dollar amounts specified in paragraphs (1),
(2), (3), and (5) (other than the amounts in paragraphs
(2) and (5) relating to contribution totals) shall be ad-
justed in the manner provided in section 315(c), except
that, for the purposes of such adjustment, the base period
shall be calendar year 1993.’’.
SEC. 103. EXCESS FUNDS OF INCUMBENTS WHO ARE CAN-
DIDATES FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES.
An individual who—
(1) is a candidate for the office of Representa-
tive in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to,
the Congress in an election cycle to which title V of
FECA (as enacted by section 101 of this Act) ap-
plies;
(2) is an incumbent of that office; and
(3) as of the date of the first statement of par-
ticipation submitted by the individual under section
502 of FECA, has campaign accounts containing in
excess of $600,000;
shall deposit such excess in a separate account subject to
the provision of section 304 of FECA. The amount so de-
posited shall be available for any lawful purpose other
than use, with respect to the individual, for an election
for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to, the Congress.
Subtitle B—General Provisions
SEC. 121. BROADCAST RATES AND PREEMPTION.
(a) BROADCAST RATES.—Section 315(b) of the Com-
munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 315(b)) is amended
in paragraph (1)—
(1) by striking out ‘‘forty-five’’ and insert-
ing in lieu thereof ‘‘30’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘sixty’’ and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘45’’; and
(3) by striking out ‘‘lowest unit charge of
the station for the same class and amount of
time for the same period’’ and inserting ‘‘lowest
charge of the station for the same amount of
time for the same period on the same date’’.
(b) PREEMPTION; ACCESS.—Section 315 of such Act
(47 U.S.C. 315) is amended by redesignating subsections
(c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively, and
by inserting immediately after subsection (b) the following
new subsection:
‘‘(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a li-
censee shall not preempt the use, during any period speci-
fied in subsection (b)(1), of a broadcasting station by a
legally qualified candidate for public office who has pur-
chased and paid for such use pursuant to the provisions
of subsection (b)(1).
‘‘(2) If a program to be broadcast by a broadcasting
station is preempted because of circumstances beyond the
control of the broadcasting station, any candidate adver-
tising spot scheduled to be broadcast during that program
may also be preempted.’’.
SEC. 122. EXTENSION OF REDUCED THIRD-CLASS MAILING
RATES TO ELIGIBLE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES CANDIDATES.
Section 3626(e) of title 39, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(A)—
(A) by striking out ‘‘and the National’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘the National’’;
and
(B) by striking out ‘‘Committee;’’ and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘Committee, and, subject
to paragraph (3), the principal campaign com-
mittee of an eligible House of Representatives
candidate;’’;
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking out ‘‘and’’
after the semicolon;
(3) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking out the pe-
riod and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘; and’’;
(4) by adding after paragraph (2)(C) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph:
‘‘(D) the terms ‘eligible House of Representa-
tives candidate’, and ‘principal campaign committee’
have the meanings given those terms in section 301
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.’’;
and
(5) by adding after paragraph (2) the following
new paragraph:
‘‘(3) The rate made available under this subsection
with respect to an eligible House of Representatives can-
didate shall apply only to—
‘‘(A) the general election period (as defined in
section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of
1971); and
‘‘(B) that number of pieces of mail equal to the
number of individuals in the voting age population
(as certified under section 315(e) of such Act) of the
congressional district.’’.
SEC. 123. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN INDE-
PENDENT EXPENDITURES.
Section 304(c) of FECA (2 U.S.C. 434(c)) is amend-
ed—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking out the undes-
ignated matter after subparagraph (C);
not later than 4 working hours of the Commission) after
receipt of a statement transmit it to the Commission. Not
later than 48 hours after the Commission receives a re-
port, the Commission shall transmit a copy of the report
to each candidate seeking nomination or election to that
office.
‘‘(D) For purposes of this section, the term ‘made’
includes any action taken to incur an obligation for pay-
ment.
‘‘(4)(A) If any person intends to make independent
expenditures totaling $5,000 during the 20 days before
an election, such person shall file a statement no later
than the 20th day before the election.
‘‘(B) Such statement shall be filed with the Clerk of
the House of Representatives and the Secretary of State
of the State involved, and shall identify each candidate
whom the expenditure will support or oppose. The Clerk
of the House of Representatives shall as soon as possible
(but not later than 4 working hours of the Commission)
after receipt of a statement transmit it to the Commission.
Not later than 48 hours after the Commission receives a
statement under this paragraph, the Commission shall
transmit a copy of the statement to each candidate identi-
fied.
‘‘(5) The Commission may make its own determina-
tion that a person has made, or has incurred obligations
to make, independent expenditures with respect to any
Federal election which in the aggregate exceed the applica-
ble amounts under paragraph (3) or (4). The Commission
shall notify each candidate in such election of such deter-
mination within 24 hours of making it.
‘‘(6) At the same time as a candidate is notified
under paragraph (3), (4), or (5) with respect to expendi-
tures during a general election period, the Commission
shall certify eligibility to receive benefits under section
504(b).
‘‘(7) The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall
make any statement received under this subsection avail-
able for public inspection and copying in the same manner
as the Commission under section 311(a)(4), and shall pre-
serve such statements in the same manner as the Commis-
sion under section 311(a)(5).’’.
SEC. 124. CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING AMENDMENTS.
Section 318 of FECA (2 U.S.C. 441d) is amended—
(1) in the matter before paragraph (1) of sub-
section (a), by striking ‘‘an expenditure’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘a disbursement’’;
(2) in the matter before paragraph (1) of sub-
section (a), by striking ‘‘direct’’;
(3) in paragraph (3) of subsection (a), by in-
serting after ‘‘name’’ the following ‘‘and permanent
street address’’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections:
‘‘(c) Any printed communication described in sub-
section (a) shall be—
‘‘(1) of sufficient type size to be clearly read-
able by the recipient of the communication;
‘‘(2) contained in a printed box set apart from
the other contents of the communication; and
‘‘(3) consist of a reasonable degree of color con-
trast between the background and the printed state-
ment.
‘‘(d)(1) Any broadcast or cablecast communication
described in subsection (a)(1) or subsection (a)(2) shall
include, in addition to the requirements of those sub-
sections an audio statement by the candidate that identi-
fies the candidate and states that the candidate has ap-
proved the communication.
‘‘(2) If a broadcast or cablecast communication de-
scribed in paragraph (1) is broadcast or cablecast by
means of television, the statement required by paragraph
(1) shall—
‘‘(A) appear in a clearly readable manner
with a reasonable degree of color contrast be-
tween the background and the printed state-
ment, for a period of at least 4 seconds; and
‘‘(B) be accompanied by a clearly identifi-
able photographic or similar image of the can-
didate.
‘‘(e) Any broadcast or cablecast communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(3) shall include, in addition to
the requirements of those subsections, in a clearly spoken
manner, the following statement—
‘
is responsible for the content of
this advertisement.’
with the blank to be filled in with the name of the political
committee or other person paying for the communication
and the name of any connected organization of the payor;
and, if broadcast or cablecast by means of television, shall
also appear in a clearly readable manner with a reasonable
degree of color contrast between the background and the
printed statement, for a period of at least 4 seconds.’’.
SEC. 125. DEFINITIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 301 of FECA (2 U.S.C.
431) is amended by striking paragraph (19) and inserting
the following new paragraphs:
‘‘(19) The term ‘general election’ means any election
which will directly result in the election of a person to a
Federal office, but does not include an open primary elec-
tion.
‘‘(20) The term ‘general election period’ means, with
respect to any candidate, the period beginning on the day
after the date of the primary or runoff election for the
specific office the candidate is seeking, whichever is later,
and ending on the earlier of—
‘‘(A) the date of such general election; or
‘‘(B) the date on which the candidate withdraws
from the campaign or otherwise ceases actively to
seek election.
‘‘(21) The term ‘immediate family’ means—
‘‘(A) a candidate’s spouse;
‘‘(B) a child, stepchild, parent, grandparent,
brother, half-brother, sister or half-sister of the can-
didate or the candidate’s spouse; and
‘‘(C) the spouse of any person described in sub-
paragraph (B).
‘‘(22) The term ‘major party’ has the meaning given
such term in section 9002(6) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, except that if a candidate qualified under State
law for the ballot in a general election in an open primary
in which all the candidates for the office participated and
which resulted in the candidate and at least one other can-
didate qualifying for the ballot in the general election,
such candidate shall be treated as a candidate of a major
party for purposes of title V.
‘‘(23) The term ‘primary election’ means an election
which may result in the selection of a candidate for the
ballot in a general election for a Federal office.
‘‘(24) The term ‘primary election period’ means, with
respect to any candidate, the period beginning on the day
following the date of the last election for the specific office
the candidate is seeking and ending on the earlier of—
‘‘(A) the date of the first primary election for
that office following the last general election for that
office; or
‘‘(B) the date on which the candidate withdraws
from the election or otherwise ceases actively to seek
election.
‘‘(25) The term ‘runoff election’ means an election
held after a primary election which is prescribed by appli-
cable State law as the means for deciding which candidate
will be on the ballot in the general election for a Federal
office.
‘‘(26) The term ‘runoff election period’ means, with
respect to any candidate, the period beginning on the day
following the date of the last primary election for the spe-
cific office such candidate is seeking and ending on the
date of the runoff election for such office.
‘‘(27) The term ‘voting age population’ means the
resident population, 18 years of age or older, as certified
pursuant to section 315(e).
‘‘(28) The term ‘eligible House of Representatives
candidate’ means a candidate for election to the office of
Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner
to, the Congress, who, as determined by the Commission
under section 502, is eligible to receive matching payments
and other benefits under title V by reason of filing a state-
ment of participation and complying with the continuing
eligibility requirements under section 502.
‘‘(29) The term ‘election cycle’ means—
‘‘(A) in the case of a candidate or the author-
ized committees of a candidate, the term beginning
on the day after the date of the most recent general
election for the specific office or seat which such
candidate seeks and ending on the date of the next
general election for such office or seat; or
‘‘(B) for all other persons, the term beginning
on the first day following the date of the last general
election and ending on the date of the next general
election.’’.
(b) IDENTIFICATION.—Section 301(13) of FECA (2
U.S.C. 431(13)) is amended by striking ‘‘mailing address’’
and inserting ‘‘permanent residence address’’.
SEC. 126. PROVISIONS RELATING TO FRANKED MASS
MAILINGS.
(a) Section 3210 of title 39, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(7), by striking ‘‘, except
that—’’ and all that follows through the end of sub-
paragraph (B) and inserting a period; and
(2) in
subsection
(d)(1),
by
striking
‘‘de-
livery—’’ and all that follows through the end of
subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘delivery within
that area constituting the congressional district or
State from which the Member was elected.’’.
(b) PROHIBITION ON USE OF OFFICIAL FUNDS.—
The Committee on House Administration of the House of
Representatives may not approve any payment, nor may
a Member of the House of Representatives make any ex-
penditure from, any allowance of the House of Represent-
atives or any other official funds if any portion of the pay-
ment or expenditure is for any cost related to a mass mail-
ing by a Member of the House of Representatives outside
the congressional district of the Member.
SEC. 127. DEBATE REQUIREMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL .—To be eligible to receive any bene-
fits under this title with respect to a general election, a
candidate shall participate in at least one public debate
(moderated by a nonpartisan group selected by the Fed-
eral Election Commission) during the 45 days before the
election.
(b) REGULATIONS.—In accordance with regulations
prescribed by the Federal Election Commission, the Fed-
eral Communications Commission shall implement a plan
which provides that the television stations that serve a sig-
nificant concentration of residents of a congressional dis-
trict shall make time available to broadcast at least one
such public debate on a rotating basis.
TITLE II—INDEPENDENT
EXPENDITURES
SEC. 201. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITIONS RELATING TO
INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES.
(a) 
INDEPENDENT
EXPENDITURE
DEFINITION
AMENDMENT.—Section 301 of FECA (2 U.S.C. 431) is
amended by striking paragraphs (17) and (18) and insert-
ing the following:
‘‘(17)(A) The term ‘independent expenditure’ means
an expenditure for an advertisement or other communica-
tion that—
‘‘(i) contains express advocacy; and
‘‘(ii) is made without the participation or co-
operation of a candidate or a candidate’s representa-
tive.
‘‘(B) The following shall not be considered an inde-
pendent expenditure:
‘‘(i) An expenditure made by a political commit-
tee of a political party.
‘‘(ii) An expenditure made by a person who,
during the election cycle, has communicated with or
received information from a candidate or a rep-
resentative of that candidate regarding activities
that have the purpose of influencing that candidate’s
election to Federal office, where the expenditure is
in support of that candidate or in opposition to an-
other candidate for that office.
‘‘(iii) An expenditure if there is any arrange-
ment, coordination, or direction with respect to the
expenditure between the candidate or the candidate’s
agent and the person making the expenditure.
‘‘(iv) An expenditure if, in the same election
cycle, the person making the expenditure is or has
been—
‘‘(I) authorized to raise or expend funds on
behalf of the candidate or the candidate’s au-
thorized committees; or
‘‘(II) serving as a member, employee, or
agent of the candidate’s authorized committees
in an executive or policymaking position.
‘‘(v) An expenditure if the person making the
expenditure has advised or counseled the candidate
or the candidate’s agents at any time on the can-
didate’s plans, projects, or needs relating to the can-
didate’s pursuit of nomination for election, or elec-
tion, to Federal office, in the same election cycle, in-
cluding any advice relating to the candidate’s deci-
sion to seek Federal office.
‘‘(vi) An expenditure if the person making the
expenditure retains the professional services of any
individual or other person also providing those serv-
ices in the same election cycle to the candidate in
connection with the candidate’s pursuit of nomina-
tion for election, or election, to Federal office, in-
cluding any services relating to the candidate’s deci-
sion to seek Federal office.
‘‘(vii) An expenditure if the person making the
expenditure has consulted at any time during the
same election cycle about the candidate’s plans,
projects, or needs relating to the candidate’s pursuit
of nomination for election, or election, to Federal of-
fice, with—
‘‘(I) any officer, director, employee or
agent of a party committee that has made or
intends to make expenditures or contributions,
pursuant to subsections (a), (d), or (h) of sec-
tion 315 in connection with the candidate’s
campaign; or
‘‘(II) any person whose professional serv-
ices have been retained by a political party com-
mittee that has made or intends to make ex-
penditures or contributions pursuant to sub-
sections (a), (d), or (h) of section 315 in con-
nection with the candidate’s campaign.
For purposes of this subparagraph, the person making the
expenditure shall include any officer, director, employee,
or agent of such person.
‘‘(18) The term ‘express advocacy’ means, when a
communication is taken as a whole, an expression of sup-
port for or opposition to a specific candidate, to a specific
group of candidates, or to candidates of a particular politi-
cal party, or a suggestion to take action with respect to
an election, such as to vote for or against, make contribu-
tions to, or participate in campaign activity.’’.
(b) CONTRIBUTION DEFINITION AMENDMENT.—Sec-
tion 301(8)(A) of FECA (2 U.S.C. 431(8)(A)) is amend-
ed—
(1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ after the
semicolon at the end;
(2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
clause:
‘‘(iii) any payment or other transaction referred
to in paragraph (17)(A)(i) that does not qualify as
an 
independent 
expenditure 
under 
paragraph
(17)(A)(ii).’’.
TITLE III—EXPENDITURES
Subtitle A—Personal Loans; Credit
SEC. 301. PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS.
Section 315 of FECA (2 U.S.C. 441a), as amended
by section 102, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection:
‘‘(k) LIMITATIONS ON PAYMENTS TO CANDIDATES.—
(1) If a candidate or a member of the candidate’s imme-
diate family made any loans to the candidate or to the
candidate’s authorized committees during any election
cycle, no contributions after the date of the general elec-
tion for such election cycle may be used to repay such
loans.
‘‘(2) No contribution by a candidate or member of
the candidate’s immediate family may be returned to the
candidate or member other than as part of a pro rata dis-
tribution of excess contributions to all contributors.’’.
SEC. 302. EXTENSIONS OF CREDIT.
Section 301(8)(A) of FECA (2 U.S.C. 431(8)(A)), as
amended by section 201(b), is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of clause (ii);
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause
(iii) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and
(3) by inserting at the end the following new
clause:
‘‘(iv) with respect to a candidate and the
candidate’s authorized committees, any exten-
sion of credit for goods or services relating to
advertising on broadcasting stations, in news-
papers or magazines, or by mailings, or relating
to other similar types of general public political
advertising, if such extension of credit is—
‘‘(I) in an amount of more than
$1,000; and
‘‘(II) for a period greater than the pe-
riod, not in excess of 60 days, for which
credit is generally extended in the normal
course of business after the date on which
such goods or services are furnished or the
date of the mailing in the case of advertis-
ing by a mailing.’’.
Subtitle B—Provisions Relating to
Soft Money of Political Parties
SEC. 311. CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLITICAL PARTY COMMIT-
TEES.
(a) 
INDIVIDUAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
TO
STATE
PARTY.—Paragraph (1) of section 315(a) of FECA (2
U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end
of subparagraph (B), by redesignating subparagraph (C)
as subparagraph (D), and by inserting after subparagraph
(B) the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(C) to political committees established and
maintained by a State committee of a political party
in any calendar year which, in the aggregate, exceed
$10,000; or’’.
(b) MULTICANDIDATE COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTIONS
TO STATE PARTY.—Paragraph (2) of section 315(a) of
FECA (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘or’’
at the end of subparagraph (B), by redesignating subpara-
graph (C) as subparagraph (D), and by inserting after
subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(C) to political committees established and
maintained by a State committee of a political party
(2 U.S.C. 437g(a)(6)(A)) is amended by striking all that
follows ‘‘appropriate order’’ and inserting ‘‘, including an
order for a civil penalty in the amount determined under
subparagraph (A) or (B) in the district court of the Unit-
ed States for the district in which the defendant resides,
transacts business, or may be found.’’.
(2) Section 309(a)(6)(B) of FECA (2 U.S.C.
437g(a)(6)(B)) is amended by striking all that follows
‘‘other order’’ and inserting ‘‘, including an order for a
civil penalty which is—
‘‘(i) not less than all contributions and expendi-
tures involved in the violation; and
‘‘(ii) not greater than 200 percent of all con-
tributions and expenditures involved in the violation,
upon a proper showing that the person involved has com-
mitted, or is about to commit (if the relief sought is a
permanent or temporary injunction or a restraining
order), a violation of this Act or chapter 95 or chapter
96 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.’’.
(3) Section 309(a)(6)(C) of FECA (29 U.S.C.
437g(6)(C)) is amended by striking ‘‘a civil penalty’’ and
all that follows and inserting ‘‘a civil penalty which is—
‘‘(i) not less than 200 percent of all contribu-
tions and expenditures involved in the violation; and
tional committee of such political party as the can-
didate’s principal campaign committee, but only if
that national committee maintains separate books of
account with respect to its functions as a principal
campaign committee; and
‘‘(B) a candidate may designate a political com-
mittee established solely for the purpose of joint
fundraising by such candidates as an authorized
committee.’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(6)(A) A candidate for Federal office or any individ-
ual holding Federal office may not establish, maintain, or
control any political committee other than a principal cam-
paign committee of the candidate, authorized committee,
party committee, or other political committee designated
in accordance with paragraph (3). A candidate for more
than one Federal office may designate a separate principal
campaign committee for each Federal office.
‘‘(B) For one year after the effective date of this
paragraph, any such political committee may continue to
make contributions. At the end of that period such politi-
cal committee shall disburse all funds by one or more of
the following means: making contributions to an entity
qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue