[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3800 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3800

    To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit 
 political action committees from making contributions or expenditures 
 for the purpose of influencing elections for Federal office, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 1996

   Mr. Wamp 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 prohibit 
 political action committees from making contributions or expenditures 
 for the purpose of influencing elections for Federal office, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pure Congress Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. 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. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

  ``ban on federal election activities by political action committees

    ``Sec. 323. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this Act, no political action committee may make contributions, solicit 
or receive contributions, or make expenditures for the purpose of 
influencing an election for Federal office.
    ``(b) Political Action Committee Defined.--In this section, the 
term `political action committee' means any political committee which 
is not--
            ``(1) the principal campaign committee of a candidate; or
            ``(2) a national, State, local, or district committee of a 
        political party, including any subordinate committee 
        thereof.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 301(4)(A) of such Act (2 
U.S.C. 431(4)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``persons'' the 
following: ``(but not including a partnership for purposes of section 
323(b))''.
    (2) Section 316(b)(2) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(2)) is 
amended--
            (A) by adding ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
            (B) by striking ``; and'' at the end of subparagraph (B) 
        and inserting a period; and
            (C) by striking subparagraph (C).
    (c) Rules Applicable When Ban Not in Effect.--For purposes of the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, during any period occurring 
after the date of the enactment of this Act in which the limitation 
under section 323 of that Act (as added by subsection (a)) is not in 
effect--
            (1) the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall 
        not be in effect; and
            (2) it shall be unlawful for any person that would be 
        treated as a political action committee under section 323 of 
        such Act if such amendments were in effect to make 
        contributions to any candidate, authorized committee of a 
        candidate, political committee established and maintained by a 
        national political party, or any other political committee for 
        any election aggregating in excess of the limitations 
        applicable under such Act to contributions made by persons 
        other than political committees to a candidate or any such 
        committee.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITED COURT REVIEW.

    (a) Right to Bring Action.--The Federal Election Commission, a 
political committee under title III of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971, or any individual eligible to vote in any election for the 
office of President of the United States may institute an action in an 
appropriate district court of the United States (including an action 
for declaratory judgment) as may be appropriate to construe the 
constitutionality of section 2 or any amendment made by such section.
    (b) Hearing by Three-Judge Court.--Upon the institution of an 
action described in subsection (a), a district court of three judges 
shall immediately be convened to decide the action pursuant to section 
2284 of title 28, United States Code. Such action shall be advanced on 
the docket and expedited to the greatest extent possible.
    (c) Appeal of Initial Decision to Supreme Court.--An appeal may be 
taken directly to the Supreme Court of the United States from any 
interlocutory order or final judgment, decree, or order issued by the 
court of 3 judges convened pursuant to subsection (b) in an action 
described in subsection (a). Such appeal shall be brought not later 
than 20 days after the issuance by the court of the judgment, decree, 
or order.
    (d) Expedited Review by Supreme Court.--The Supreme Court shall 
accept jurisdiction over, advance on the docket, and expedite to the 
greatest extent possible an appeal taken pursuant to subsection (c).
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