[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 338

   To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the 
  disclosure of certain information by persons conducting phone banks 
    during campaigns for election for Federal office, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 25, 2005

Mrs. Maloney (for herself and Mr. Petri) introduced the following bill; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the 
  disclosure of certain information by persons conducting phone banks 
    during campaigns for election 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 ``Voters' Right to Know Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION BY PERSONS CONDUCTING PHONE BANKS 
              DURING FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

    (a) Application of Advertising Disclaimer Rules.--Section 318(a) of 
the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441d(a)) is amended 
in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting after ``section 
304(f)(3))'' the following: ``or any communication through a Federal 
election phone bank described in subsection (e),''.
    (b) Federal Election Phone Bank Described.--Section 318 of such Act 
(2 U.S.C. 441d) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(e) Federal Election Phone Banks.--
            ``(1) Additional disclosure requirements.--In addition to 
        any information required to be disclosed under this section or 
        otherwise reported under this Act, each person who conducts a 
        Federal election phone bank shall report to the Commission the 
        following information:
                    ``(A) The total cost of conducting the phone bank.
                    ``(B) All sources of funds used to conduct the 
                phone bank (other than any contribution for which 
                information is otherwise required to be reported under 
                this Act).
                    ``(C) The total number of households contacted.
                    ``(D) A copy of the questions asked or information 
                provided to respondents.
            ``(2) Definition.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), in 
        this section, a `Federal election phone bank' means a project 
        under which an aggregate number of not fewer than 1,500 
        households are contacted by telephone during the 25-day period 
        which ends on the date of an election for Federal office and--
                    ``(A) are asked to state a preference in the 
                election or to state the likelihood of their support of 
                any candidate;
                    ``(B) are asked to make a contribution or 
                expenditure with respect to the election;
                    ``(C) are provided with information expressly 
                advocating the election or defeat of a clearly 
                identified candidate for such office; or
                    ``(D) are provided with any information regarding a 
                clearly identified candidate for such office.
            ``(3) Exception for projects conducted by general media.--A 
        Federal election phone bank does not include any project 
        conducted through the facilities of any broadcasting station, 
        newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, unless 
        such facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, 
        political committee, or candidate.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
elections occurring after January 2006.
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