Fair Elections Now Act

Bill: 111-hr-1826
Sponsor: Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Introduced: 2009-03-31 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Congressional elections
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Government information and archives
Government trust funds
House of Representatives
Judicial review and appeals
Licensing and registrations
Senate
Supreme Court

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: 
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements and benefits of fair elections financing of House of Representatives election campaigns; (2) establishment of a Fair Elections Fund; (3) eligibility for Fund allocations; (4) contribution and expenditure requirements; (5) a public debate requirement; (6) certification of whether or not a federal election candidate is a participating candidate; (7) benefits for participating candidates; (8) matching payments for qualified small dollar contributions; (9) political advertising vouchers; (10) establishment of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; (11) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; (12) prohibition of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee; and (13) a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates.
 
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the deposit into the Fair Elections Fund of 10% of the proceeds from competitive auctions for recovered analog spectrum.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for designation of a certain amount of income tax liability to the Fair Elections Fund. 
 
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified House candidate who has purchased and paid for such use; (2) revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to revoke licenses for broadcasting stations who fail to provide access to House candidates; and (3) revise the formula for determining reduced broadcast rates for participating candidates in certain circumstances. 
 
Directs the FCC to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a standardized form to be used by broadcasting stations to record and report the purchase of advertising time by or on behalf of a candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to federal elective office.
 
Amends FECA to: (1) empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action; (2) require all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed directly with the FEC, and in computer-accessible electronic form; and (3) reduce from 48 to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-07-30
text: Committee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-04-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to House Administration
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Introduced in House