I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 356
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to ban activities
of political action committees in Federal elections.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mr. PORTMAN 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
ban activities of political action committees in Federal
elections.
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 FEDERAL 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 FEDERAL ELECTION ACTIVITIES BY POLITICAL
ACTION COMMITTEES
‘‘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 Federal office.’’.
(b) DEFINITION OF POLITICAL COMMITTEE.—Sec-
tion 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;
‘‘(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; and
‘‘(D) any committee jointly established by a
principal campaign committee and any committee
described in subparagraph (B) or (C) for the pur-
pose of conducting joint fundraising activities.’’.
(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) a candidate for the office of President
nominated by a political party may designate the na-
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.’’.
(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
on making contributions under section 323 of that Act (as
added by subsection (a)) is not in effect—
(1) the amendments made by subsections (a),
(b), and (c) shall not be in effect; and
(2) the limitation amount under section
315(a)(2)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(2)(A)) shall be $1,000.
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