[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1978 Introduced in House (IH)]
103d CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1978
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to lower the maximum
amount of contributions a multicandidate political committee may make
to a House of Representatives candidate, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 5, 1993
Mr. Blute introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to
the Committees on House Administration, Rules, and Post Office and
Civil Service
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to lower the maximum
amount of contributions a multicandidate political committee may make
to a House of Representatives candidate, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REDUCTION IN LIMITATION AMOUNT APPLICABLE TO CONTRIBUTIONS
BY A MULTICANDIDATE POLITICAL COMMITTEE TO A HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATE.
Section 315(a)(2)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
(2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``$5,000'' the
following: ``, except that in the case of an election for the office of
Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the
Congress, the limitation shall be $1,000.''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GENERAL ELECTION
CONTRIBUTIONS IN NONELECTION YEARS.
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) A candidate for the office of Representative in, or Delegate
or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress may not solicit or accept any
contribution in an odd-numbered year with respect to a general election
for such office or any primary election relating to the general
election.''.
SEC. 3. BAN ON SOFT MONEY.
(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:
``limitations and reporting requirements for amounts paid for mixed
political activities
``Sec. 323. (a) Any payment by the national committee of a
political party or a State committee of a political party for a mixed
political activity--
``(1) shall be subject to limitation and reporting under
this Act as if such payment were an expenditure; and
``(2) may be paid only from an account that is subject to
the requirements of this Act.
``(b) As used in this section, the term `mixed political activity'
means, with respect to a payment by the national committee of a
political party or a State committee of a political party, an activity,
such as a voter registration program, a get-out-the-vote drive, or
general political advertising, that is both (1) for the purpose of
influencing an election for Federal office, and (2) for any purpose
unrelated to influencing an election for Federal office.''.
(b) Repeal of Building Fund Exception to the Definition of the Term
``Contribution''.--Section 301(8)(B) of the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(8)(B)) is amended--
(1) by striking out clause (viii); and
(2) by redesignating clauses (ix) through (xiv) as clauses
(viii) through (xiii), respectively.
SEC. 4. VOLUNTARY EXPENDITURE LIMITATION FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ELECTIONS.
Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
441a), as amended by section 2, is further amended by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
``(j) In such form and manner as the Commission may prescribe, each
candidate for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to, the Congress in a general election or a primary
election for such office shall be given the opportunity to comply with
a voluntary expenditure limitation of $500,000 with respect to the
general election and any primary election relating to the general
election. In the case of a candidate who declines to comply with the
voluntary limitation, the limitation under subsection (a)(1)(A) shall
be $250.''.
SEC. 5. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION LIMITATION ON CONTRIBUTIONS
FROM PERSONS OTHER THAN IN-STATE RESIDENTS.
Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
441a), as amended by sections 2 and 4, is further amended by adding at
the end the following new subsection:
``(k)(1) A candidate for the office of Representative in, or
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress may not, with
respect to a reporting period for an election, accept contributions
from persons other than in-State residents totaling in excess of one-
half of the total of contributions accepted with respect to the
reporting period.
``(2) As used in this subsection, the term `in-State resident'
means an individual who resides in the State in which the congressional
district involved is located.''.
SEC. 6. PROHIBITION OF FRANKED MASS MAILINGS BY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IN ELECTION YEARS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, or any rule or other
authority, a Member of the House of Representatives may not make any
franked mass mailing in an even-numbered year. As used in this
section--
(1) the term ``mass mailing'' has the meaning given that
term in section 3210 of title 39, United States Code; and
(2) the term ``Member of the House of Representatives''
means a Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to, the Congress.
SEC. 7. ELIMINATION OF CARRY-OVER OF CAMPAIGN FUNDS BETWEEN HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES ELECTIONS.
Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
441a), as amended by sections 2, 4, and 5, is further amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
``(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if after
satisfying all financial obligations with respect to a general election
and any primary election relating to the general election, a candidate
for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to, the Congress has a campaign account balance, the
candidate shall return the excess funds to contributors or, at the
option of the candidate, donate the excess funds to charity. No excess
funds may be carried forward or used for any other purpose.''.
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