To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to improve the electoral process by permitting electronic filing and preservation of Federal Election Commission reports, and for other purposes.
PL 104-79 (H.R.2527), enacted 12/28/1995

PUBLIC lAW 104-79—DEC. 28, 1995 
109 STAT. 791 
Public Law 104-79 
104th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to improve the electoral 
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process by permitting electronic filing and preservation of Federal Election Com- 
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mission reports, and for other purposes. 
[H.R. 2527] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. ELECTRONIC FILING AND PRESERVATION OF FEDERAL 
ELECTION COMMISSION REPORTS. 
(a) SECTION 304 AMENDMENT.—Subsection (a) of section 304 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
"(11)(A) The Commission shall permit reports required by this 
Act to be filed and preserved by means of computer disk or any 
other appropriate electronic format or method, as determined by 
the Commission. 
"(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A) with respect to filing 
of reports, the Commission shall provide for one or more methods 
(other than requiring a signature on the report being filed) for 
verifying reports filed by means of computer disk or other electronic 
format or method. Any verification under the preceding sentence 
shall be treated for all purposes (including penalties for perjury) 
in the same manner as a verification by signature. 
"(C) As used in this paragraph, the term 'report' means, with 
respect to the Commission, a report, designation, or statement 
required by this Act to be filed with the Commission.". 
(b) SECTION 302 AMENDMENT.—Subsection (d) of section 302 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(d)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: 
"For any report filed in electronic format under section 304(a)(ll), 
the treasurer shall retain a machine-readable copy of the report 
as the copy preserved under the preceding sentence.". 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection 
2 use 432 note, 
(a) and subsection (b) shall apply with respect to reports for periods 
beginning after December 31, 1996. 
SEC. 2. WAIVER OF DUI»LICATE FILING REQUIREMENT FOR STATES 
WITH ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO FEDERAL 
ELECTION 
COMMISSION REPORTS AND STATEMENTS. 
Section 312 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(2 U.S.C. 439) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
"(c) Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply with respect to 
any State that, as determined by the Commission, has a system 
109 STAT. 792 
PUBLIC LAW 104-79—DEC. 28, 1995 
that permits electronic access to, and duplication of, reports and 
statements that are filed with the Commission.". 
SEC. 3. FILING OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION REPORTS 
WITH THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, RATHER 
THAN WITH THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES. 
(a) SECTION 302 AMENDMENTS.—Subsection (g) of section 302 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(g)) 
is amended— 
(1) by striking out paragraph (1); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as para-
graphs (1) through (4), respectively; 
(3) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated by paragraph (2) 
of this subsection— 
(A) by striking out "Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives and the"; and 
(B) by striking out "them" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"the Secretary"; 
(4) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by paragraph (2) 
of this subsection, by striking out "paragraphs (1) and (2)" 
and inserting in lieu thereof "paragraph (1)"; and 
(5) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated by paragraph (2) 
of this subsection, by striking out "Clerk of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the". 
(b) SECTION 304 AMENDMENTS.—Section 304 of the Federal 
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of subsection (a)(6), by striking 
out "Clerk, the Secretary," and inserting in lieu thereof "Sec-
retary"; and 
(2) in the third sentence of subsection (c)(2), by striking 
out "Clerk, the Secretary," and inserting in lieu thereof "Sec-
retary". 
(c) SECTION 311 AMENDMENT.—Section 311(a)(4) of the Federal 
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 438(a)(4)) is amended 
by striking out "Clerk, Secretary," and inserting in lieu thereof 
"Secretary". 
PUBLIC LAW 104-79—DEC. 28, 1995 
109 STAT. 793 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—^The amendments made by this section 2 use 432 note, 
shall apply with respect to reports, designations, and statements 
required to be filed after December 31, 1995. 
Approved December 28, 1995. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2527: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 141 (1995): 
Nov. 13, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 20, considered and passed Senate.