Fair Elections Now Act

Bill: 112-s-750
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2011-04-06 in the Senate
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
Political parties and affiliation
Senate
Supreme Court

Summary:
action_date: 2011-04-06
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 Senate 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) 500% matching payments to candidates for certain 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) an exception to a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates for any expenditure from a qualified political party-participating candidate coordinated expenditure fund.
 
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified Senate 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 Senate 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: 2011-04-12
text: Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights. Hearings held.
action_date: 2011-04-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2262-2263)
action_date: 2011-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2202-2208)
action_date: 2011-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate