[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1789 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1789

To provide for a rotating schedule for regional selection of delegates 
    to a national Presidential nominating convention, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 26, 1999

  Mr. Gorton (for himself and Mr. Lieberman) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for a rotating schedule for regional selection of delegates 
    to a national Presidential nominating convention, 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 ``Regional Presidential Selection Act 
of 1999''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Caucus.--The term ``caucus'' means any convention, 
        meeting, or series of meetings held for the selection of 
        delegates to a national Presidential nominating convention of a 
        political party.
            (2) Election year.--The term ``election year'' means a year 
        during which a Presidential election is to be held.
            (3) National committee.--The term ``national committee'' 
        means the organization which, by virtue of the bylaws of a 
        political party, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of 
        such political party at the national level, as determined by 
        the Federal Election Commission.
            (4) Political party.--The term ``political party'' means an 
        association, committee, or organization which--
                    (A) nominates a candidate for election to any 
                Federal office whose name appears on the election 
                ballot as the candidate of such association, committee, 
                or organization; and
                    (B) won electoral votes in the preceding 
                Presidential election.
            (5) Primary.--The term ``primary'' means a primary election 
        held for the selection of delegates to a national Presidential 
        nominating convention of a political party, but does not 
        include a caucus, convention, or other indirect means of 
        selection.
            (6) State committee.--The term ``State committee'' means 
        the organization which, by virtue of the bylaws of a political 
        party, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of such 
        political party at the State level, as determined by the 
        Federal Election Commission.

SEC. 3. SCHEDULE.

    (a) Schedule.--
            (1) First election cycle.--Subject to paragraph (3), in 
        2004, each State shall hold a primary in accordance with this 
        Act, according to the following schedule:
                    (A) Region i.--Each State in Region I shall hold a 
                primary on the first Tuesday in March.
                    (B) Region ii.--Each State in Region II shall hold 
                a primary on the first Tuesday in April.
                    (C) Region iii.--Each State in Region III shall 
                hold a primary on the first Tuesday in May.
                    (D) Region iv.--Each State in Region IV shall hold 
                a primary on the first Tuesday in June.
            (2) Subsequent election cycles.--
                    (A) General rule.--Subject to paragraph (3), except 
                as provided in subparagraph (B), in each subsequent 
                election year after 2004, each State in each region 
                shall hold a primary on the first Tuesday of the month 
                following the month in which the State held a primary 
                in the preceding election year.
                    (B) Limitation.--If the States in a region were 
                required to hold primaries on the first Tuesday in June 
                of the preceding election year, such States shall hold 
                primaries on the first Tuesday in March of the 
                succeeding election year.
            (3) Exception.--If all but one of the seriously considered 
        candidates withdraw from a primary in a State before the date 
        on which the primary for such State is scheduled, the State may 
        cancel the primary in the State.
    (b) Regions.--For purposes of subsection (a):
            (1) Region i.--Region I shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Connecticut.
                    (B) Delaware.
                    (C) District of Columbia.
                    (D) Maine.
                    (E) Maryland.
                    (F) Massachusetts.
                    (G) New Hampshire.
                    (H) New Jersey.
                    (I) New York.
                    (J) Pennsylvania.
                    (K) Rhode Island.
                    (L) Vermont.
                    (M) West Virginia.
            (2) Region ii.--Region II shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Alabama.
                    (B) Arkansas.
                    (C) Florida.
                    (D) Georgia.
                    (E) Kentucky.
                    (F) Louisiana.
                    (G) Mississippi.
                    (H) North Carolina.
                    (I) Oklahoma.
                    (J) South Carolina.
                    (K) Tennessee.
                    (L) Texas.
                    (M) Virginia.
            (3) Region iii.--Region III shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Illinois.
                    (B) Indiana.
                    (C) Iowa.
                    (D) Kansas.
                    (E) Michigan.
                    (F) Minnesota.
                    (G) Missouri.
                    (H) Nebraska.
                    (I) North Dakota.
                    (J) Ohio.
                    (K) South Dakota.
                    (L) Wisconsin.
            (4) Region iv.--Region IV shall be comprised of the 
        following:
                    (A) Alaska.
                    (B) Arizona.
                    (C) California.
                    (D) Colorado.
                    (E) Hawaii.
                    (F) Idaho.
                    (G) Montana.
                    (H) Nevada.
                    (I) New Mexico.
                    (J) Oregon.
                    (K) Utah.
                    (L) Washington.
                    (M) Wyoming.
            (5) Territories.--The national committees shall jointly 
        determine the region of each territory of the United States.

SEC. 4. QUALIFICATION FOR BALLOT.

    (a) Certification by Federal Election Commission.--The Federal 
Election Commission shall certify to the States in the relevant region 
the names of all seriously considered candidates of each political 
party--
            (1) for the first primary in the election year, not later 
        than 6 weeks before such primary; and
            (2) in the subsequent primaries in the election year, not 
        later than one week after the preceding primary in such 
        election year.
    (b) State Primary Ballots.--Each State shall include on the State's 
primary ballot--
            (1) the names certified by the Federal Election Commission; 
        and
            (2) any other names determined by the appropriate State 
        committee.

SEC. 5. VOTING AT NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS BY STATE DELEGATES.

    (a) In General.--Each State committee shall establish a procedure 
for the apportionment of delegates to the national Presidential 
nominating convention of each political party based on one of the 
following models:
            (1) Winner-take-all.--A binding, winner-take-all system in 
        which the results of the primary bind each member of the State 
        delegation or Congressional district delegation (or combination 
        thereof) to the national convention to cast a vote for the 
        primary winner in the State.
            (2) Proportionate preference.--A binding proportionate 
        representation system in which the results of the State primary 
        are used to allocate members of the State delegation or 
        Congressional district delegation (or combination thereof) to 
        the national convention to Presidential candidates based on the 
        proportion of the vote for some or all of the candidates 
        received in the primary in the State.
    (b) Selection of Delegates.--
            (1) Submission of names.--Not later than the date on which 
        a candidate is certified on the ballot for a State, such 
        candidate shall submit to the State committee, in priority 
        order, a list of names of individuals proposed by the candidate 
        to serve as delegates for such candidate.
            (2) Selection.--Delegates apportioned to represent a 
        candidate pursuant to the procedure established under 
        subsection (a) shall be selected according to the list 
        submitted by the candidate pursuant to paragraph (1).
    (c) Voting at the National Conventions.--Each delegate to a 
national convention who is required to vote for the winner of the State 
primary under the system established under subsection (a) shall so vote 
for at least 2 ballots at the national convention, unless released by 
the winner of the State primary to which such delegate's vote is 
pledged.

SEC. 6. OPTIONAL STATE CAUCUS TO SELECT DELEGATES.

    (a) Election.--Instead of, or in addition to, holding the primary 
required under section 3, a State may elect to select delegates to a 
national Presidential nominating convention of a political party in 
accordance with this section, through a caucus held by any political 
party which has the authority to nominate a candidate.
    (b) Schedule.--A State that makes an election under subsection (a) 
shall ensure that the caucus does not commence earlier than the date 
such State otherwise would be required to hold a primary under section 
3.
    (c) Qualification for Ballot.--A State committee of a political 
party that holds a caucus shall certify and include candidates in the 
same manner provided under section 4.
    (d) Voting at National Party Conventions by State Delegates.--Each 
State committee shall establish a procedure for the apportionment of 
delegates to the national Presidential nominating convention of each 
political party and the method of selecting such delegates.

SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall apply with respect to any primary or caucus held in 
connection with a general election held in the year 2004 and in each 
election year thereafter.
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