[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 559 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 559

             To reform the financing of Federal elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2001

  Mr. Allard introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
             To reform the financing of Federal elections.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Campaign Finance 
Integrity Act of 2001''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
                         TITLE I--CONTRIBUTIONS

Sec. 101. Requirement for in-State and in-district contributions to 
                            congressional candidates.
Sec. 102. Use of contributions to pay campaign debt.
Sec. 103. Modification of political party contribution limits to 
                            candidates when candidates make 
                            expenditures from personal funds.
Sec. 104. Modification of contribution limits.
                   TITLE II--DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

Sec. 201. Disclosure of certain non-Federal financial activities of 
                            national political parties.
Sec. 202. Political activities of corporations and labor organizations.
                   TITLE III--REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Sec. 301. Time for candidates to file reports.
Sec. 302. Contributor information required for contributions in any 
                            amount.
Sec. 303. Prohibition of depositing contributions with incomplete 
                            contributor information.
Sec. 304. Filing of reports using facsimile machines.
           TITLE IV--USE OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AND SERVICES

Sec. 401. Ban on mass mailings.
                        TITLE V--EFFECTIVE DATE

Sec. 501. Effective date.

                         TITLE I--CONTRIBUTIONS

SEC. 101. REQUIREMENT FOR IN-STATE AND IN-DISTRICT CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
              CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as 
        subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Requirement for In-State and In-District Contributions to 
Congressional Candidates.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) In-State contribution.--The term `in-State 
                contribution' means a contribution from an individual 
                that is a legal resident of the candidate's State.
                    ``(B) In-district contribution.--The term `in-
                district contribution' means a contribution from an 
                individual that is a legal resident of the candidate's 
                district.
            ``(2) Limit.--A candidate for nomination to, or election 
        to, the Senate or House of Representatives and the candidate's 
        authorized committee shall not accept an aggregate amount of 
        contributions of which the aggregate amount of in-State 
        contributions or in-district contributions, as appropriate, is 
        less than 50 percent of such total amount of contributions 
        accepted.
            ``(3) Time for meeting requirement.--A candidate shall meet 
        the requirement of paragraph (2) at the end of each reporting 
        period under section 304.
            ``(4) Personal funds.--For purposes of this subsection, a 
        contribution that is attributable to the personal funds of the 
        candidate or proceeds of indebtedness incurred by the candidate 
        or the candidate's authorized committee shall not be considered 
        to be an in-State contribution or in-district contribution.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 315 of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking ``(e)'' and 
        inserting ``(f)'';
            (2) in subsection (d)(2), by striking ``(e)'' and inserting 
        ``(f)''; and
            (3) in subsection (d)(3)(A)(i), by striking ``(e)'' and 
        inserting ``(f)''.

SEC. 102. USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAY CAMPAIGN DEBT.

    Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
441a), as amended by section 101, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(j) Limit on Use of Contributions To Pay Campaign Debt.--
            ``(1) Time to accept contributions.--Beginning on the date 
        that is 90 days after the date of a general or special 
        election, a candidate for election to the Senate or House of 
        Representatives and the candidate's authorized committee shall 
        not accept a contribution that is to be used to pay a 
debt, loan, or other cost associated with the election cycle of such 
election.
            ``(2) Personal obligation.--A debt, loan, or other cost 
        associated with an election cycle that is not paid in full on 
        the date that is 90 days after the date of the general or 
        special election shall be assumed as a personal obligation by 
        the candidate.
            ``(3) Definition of election cycle.--In this subsection, 
        the term `election cycle' means the period beginning on the day 
        after the date of the most recent general election for the 
        specific office or seat that a candidate is seeking and ending 
        on the date of the next general election for that office or 
        seat.''.

SEC. 103. MODIFICATION OF POLITICAL PARTY CONTRIBUTION LIMITS TO 
              CANDIDATES WHEN CANDIDATES MAKE EXPENDITURES FROM 
              PERSONAL FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a), as amended by section 102, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Contribution Limits for Political Party Committees in 
Response to Candidate Expenditures of Personal Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the case of a general election for 
        the Senate or House of Representatives, a political party 
committee may make contributions to a candidate without regard to any 
limitation under subsections (a) and (d) until such time as the 
aggregate amount of contributions is equal to or greater than the 
applicable limit.
            ``(2) Applicable limit.--The applicable limit under 
        paragraph (1), with respect to a candidate, shall be the 
        greatest aggregate amount of expenditures that an opponent of 
        the candidate in the same election and the opponent's 
        authorized committee make using the personal funds of the 
        opponent or proceeds of indebtedness incurred by the opponent 
        (including contributions by the opponent to the opponent's 
        authorized committee) in excess of 2 times the limit under 
        subsection (a)(1)(A) with respect to a general election.
            ``(3) Definition of political party committee.--In this 
        subsection, the term `political party committee' means a 
        political committee that is a national, State, district, or 
        local committee of a political party (including any subordinate 
        committee).''.
    (b) Notification of Expenditures From Personal Funds.--Section 
304(a)(6) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
434(a)(6)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
    ``(B)(i) The principal campaign committee of a candidate for 
nomination to, or election to, the Senate or House of Representatives 
shall notify the Commission of the aggregate amount expenditures made 
using personal funds of the candidate or proceeds of indebtedness 
incurred by the candidate (including contributions by the candidate to 
the candidate's authorized committee) in excess of an amount equal to 2 
times the limit under section 301(a)(1)(A).
    ``(ii) The notification under clause (i) shall--
            ``(I) be submitted to the Commission not later than 24 
        hours after the expenditure that is the subject of the 
        notification is made;
            ``(II) include the name of the candidate, the office sought 
        by the candidate, and the date and amount of the expenditure; 
        and
            ``(III) include the aggregate amount of expenditures from 
        personal funds that have been made with respect to that 
        election as of the date of the expenditure that is the subject 
        of the notification.''.

SEC. 104. MODIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTION LIMITS.

    Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
441a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``$1,000'' and 
                inserting ``$2,500''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``$5,000'' and 
                inserting ``$2,500''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``subsection (b) 
                and subsection (d)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (1)(A) 
                and (2)(A) of subsection (a) and subsections (b) and 
                (d)''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``means the 
                calendar year 1974.'' and inserting ``means--
                    ``(i) for purposes of subsections (b) and (d), 
                calendar year 1974; and
                    ``(ii) for purposes of paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A) 
                of subsection (a), calendar year 2002.''.

                   TITLE II--DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 201. DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN NON-FEDERAL FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES OF 
              NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES.

    Section 304(b)(4) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
U.S.C. 434(b)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (H)(v), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (I), by inserting ``and'' after the 
        semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(J) for a national political committee of a political 
        party, disbursements made by the committee in an aggregate 
        amount greater than $1,000, during a calendar year, in 
        connection with a political activity (as defined in section 
        316(c)(3));''.

SEC. 202. POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF CORPORATIONS AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) Disclosure to Employees and Shareholders Regarding Political 
Activities.--Section 316 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(2 U.S.C. 441b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Authorization Required for Political Activity.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except with the separate, written, 
        voluntary authorization of each individual, a national bank, 
        corporation or labor organization described in this section 
        shall not--
                    ``(A) in the case of a national bank or 
                corporation, collect from or assess its stockholders or 
                employees any dues, initiation fee, or other payment as 
                a condition of employment or membership if any part of 
                the dues, fee, or payment will be used for a political 
                activity in which the national bank or corporation is 
                engaged; and
                    ``(B) in the case of a labor organization, collect 
                from or assess its members or nonmembers any dues, 
                initiation fee, or other payment if any part of the 
                dues, fee, or payment will be used for a political 
                activity.
            ``(2) Effect of authorization.--An authorization described 
        in paragraph (1) shall remain in effect until revoked and may 
        be revoked at any time.
            ``(3) Definition of political activity.--In this 
        subsection, the term `political activity' includes a 
        communication or other activity that involves carrying on 
        propaganda, attempting to influence legislation, or 
        participating or intervening in a political party or political 
        campaign for a Federal office.
    ``(d) Disclosure of Disbursements for Political Activities.--
            ``(1) Corporations and national banks.--A corporation or 
        national bank described in this section shall submit an annual 
        written report to shareholders stating the amount of each 
        disbursement made for a political activity or that otherwise 
        influences a Federal election.
            ``(2) Labor organizations.--A labor organization described 
        in this section shall submit an annual written report to dues 
        paying members and nonmembers stating the amount of each 
        disbursement made for a political activity or that otherwise 
        influences a Federal election, including contributions and 
        expenditures.''.
    (b) Disclosure to the Commission of Certain Permissible Activities 
by Labor Organizations and Corporations.--Section 304 of the Federal 
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
    ``(e) Required Statement of Corporations and Labor Organizations.--
Each corporation, national bank, or labor organization that makes an 
aggregate amount of disbursements during a year in an amount equal to 
or greater than $1,000 for any activity described in subparagraph (A), 
(B), or (C) of section 316(a)(2) shall submit a statement to the 
Commission (not later than 24 hours after making the payment) 
describing the amount spent and the activity involved.''.

                   TITLE III--REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 301. TIME FOR CANDIDATES TO FILE REPORTS.

    Section 304(a)(2)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(2 U.S.C. 434(a)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' following the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' following the 
        semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(iv) monthly reports during the months of July, 
                August, September, and October, that shall be filed no 
later than the final day of the reporting month; and
                    ``(v) 24-hour reports, beginning on the day that is 
                15 days preceding an election, that shall be filed no 
                later than the end of each 24-hour period; and''.

SEC. 302. CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS IN ANY 
              AMOUNT.

    (a) Section 302.--Section 302 of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, and if the 
                amount'' and all that follows through the period and 
                inserting: ``and the following information with respect 
                to the contribution:
            ``(A) The identification of the contributor.
            ``(B) The date of the receipt of the contribution.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subsection (A), by striking ``such 
                        contribution'' and inserting ``the contribution 
                        and the identification of the contributor''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in subsection (B), by striking ``such 
                        contribution'' and all that follows through the 
                        period and inserting ``, no later than 10 days 
                        after receiving the contribution, the 
                        contribution and the following information with 
                        respect to the contribution:
                    ``(i) The identification of the contributor.
                    ``(ii) The date of the receipt of the 
                contribution.'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (2);
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or 
                contributions aggregating more than $200 during any 
                calendar year''; and
                    (C) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) 
                as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively; and
            (3) in subsection (h)(2), by striking ``(c)(5)'' and 
        inserting ``(c)(4)''.
    (b) Section 304.--Section 304(b)(3)(A) of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(b)(3)(A)) is amended by striking 
``whose contribution'' and all that follows through ``so elect,''.

SEC. 303. PROHIBITION OF DEPOSITING CONTRIBUTIONS WITH INCOMPLETE 
              CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION.

    Section 302 of Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Deposit of Contributions.--The treasurer of a candidate's 
authorized committee shall not deposit or otherwise negotiate a 
contribution unless the information required by this section is 
complete.''.

SEC. 304. FILING OF REPORTS USING FACSIMILE MACHINES.

    (a) In General.--Section 304(a)(11)(A) of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by inserting ``or through the use of a 
        facsimile machine or other method of transmission that 
        corresponds with the method of record-keeping or transmission 
        used by the person'' after ``computers''; and
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``or an alternative form'' 
        and inserting ``or through the use of a facsimile machine or 
        other method of transmission that corresponds with the method 
        of record-keeping or transmission used by the person''.
    (b) Public Access to Campaign Finance Information.--Section 
304(a)(11)(B) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
434(a)(11)(B)) is amended by inserting ``and publicly available at the 
offices of the Commission'' after ``Internet''.

           TITLE IV--USE OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AND SERVICES

SEC. 401. BAN ON MASS MAILINGS.

    (a) In General.--Section 3210(a)(6) of title 39, United States 
Code, is amended by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
following:
    ``(A) A Member of, or Member-elect to, Congress may not mail any 
mass mailing as franked mail.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 3210 of title 39, United States Code, is 
        amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (3)--
                                    (I) in subparagraph (G), by 
                                striking ``, including general mass 
                                mailings,'';
                                    (II) in subparagraph (I), by 
                                striking ``or other general mass 
                                mailing''; and
                                    (III) in subparagraph (J), by 
                                striking ``or other general mass 
                                mailing''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (6)--
                                    (I) by striking subparagraphs (B), 
                                (C), and (F);
                                    (II) by striking the second 
                                sentence of subparagraph (D); and
                                    (III) by redesignating 
                                subparagraphs (D) and (E) as 
                                subparagraphs (B) and (C), 
                                respectively; and
                            (iii) by striking paragraph (7);
                    (B) in subsection (c), by striking ``subsection (a) 
                (4) and (5)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (4), (5), and 
                (6) of subsection (a)'';
                    (C) by striking subsection (f); and
                    (D) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection 
                (f).
            (2) Section 316 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations 
        Act, 1990 (39 U.S.C. 3210 note) is amended by striking 
        subsection (a).
            (3) Section 311 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations 
        Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 59e) is amended by striking subsection (f).
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect at the beginning of the first Congress that begins after 
December 31, 2002.

                        TITLE V--EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 501. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to elections 
occurring, payments made, and filing periods beginning 30 days after 
enactment.
                                 <all>