[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3487 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3487

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 6, 2007

Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Ms. Castor, Mr. Meek of Florida, 
  and Ms. Wasserman Schultz) introduced the following bill; which was 
           referred to the Committee on House 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 Primary and 
Caucus Act of 2007''.

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.

SEC. 3. SCHEDULE.

    (a) Schedule.--
            (1) First election cycle.--
                    (A) Lottery.--The Election Assistance Commission 
                shall establish procedures for the conduct of a lottery 
                by not later than March 1, 2010, to select which of the 
                4 regions described in subsection (b) will hold the 
                first primary in accordance with the schedule under 
                subparagraph (B). Based on such selection, the 
                primaries shall be conducted in the following order:
                            (i) In the case where Region I is selected 
                        to hold the first primary--
                                    (I) Region II shall hold the second 
                                primary;
                                    (II) Region III shall hold the 
                                third primary; and
                                    (III) Region IV shall hold the 
                                fourth primary.
                            (ii) In the case where Region II is 
                        selected to hold the first primary--
                                    (I) Region III shall hold the 
                                second primary;
                                    (II) Region IV shall hold the third 
                                primary; and
                                    (III) Region I shall hold the 
                                fourth primary.
                            (iii) In the case where Region III is 
                        selected to hold the first primary--
                                    (I) Region IV shall hold the second 
                                primary;
                                    (II) Region I shall hold the third 
                                primary; and
                                    (III) Region II shall hold the 
                                fourth primary.
                            (iv) In the case where Region IV is 
                        selected to hold the first primary--
                                    (I) Region I shall hold the second 
                                primary;
                                    (II) Region II shall hold the third 
                                primary; and
                                    (III) Region III shall hold the 
                                fourth primary.
                    (B) Schedule.--Subject to paragraph (3), in 2012, 
                each State that elects to hold a primary shall hold a 
                primary in accordance with this Act, according to the 
                following schedule:
                            (i) First primary.--Each such State in the 
                        region selected to hold the first primary under 
                        subparagraph (A) shall hold a primary during 
                        the period beginning on the first Tuesday in 
                        March and ending on the sixth day following 
                        such Tuesday.
                            (ii) Second primary.--Each such State in 
                        the region required to hold the second primary 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall hold a primary 
                        during the period beginning on the first 
                        Tuesday in April and ending on the sixth day 
                        following such Tuesday.
                            (iii) Third primary.--Each such State in 
                        the region required to hold the third primary 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall hold a primary 
                        during the period beginning on the first 
                        Tuesday in May and ending on the sixth day 
                        following such Tuesday.
                            (iv) Fourth primary.--Each such State in 
                        the region required to hold the fourth primary 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall hold a primary 
                        during the period beginning on the first 
                        Tuesday in June and ending on the sixth day 
                        following such Tuesday.
            (2) Subsequent election cycles.--
                    (A) General rule.--Subject to paragraph (3), except 
                as provided in subparagraph (B), in each subsequent 
                election year after 2012, each State in each region 
                that elects to hold a primary shall hold a primary 
                during the period beginning on the first Tuesday of the 
                month following the month in which the State held a 
                primary in the preceding election year (or, in the case 
                where the State did not elect to hold a primary in the 
                preceding election year, the month in which the State 
                would have held a primary if it had elected to do so) 
                and ending on the sixth day following such Tuesday.
                    (B) Limitation.--If the States in a region were 
                required to hold primaries during the period beginning 
                on the first Tuesday in June of the preceding election 
                year and ending on the sixth day following such 
                Tuesday, the States in such region that elect to hold a 
                primary shall hold a primary during the period 
                beginning on the first Tuesday in March of the 
                succeeding election year and ending on the sixth day 
                following such Tuesday.
            (3) Exception.--The States described in paragraphs (1)(G) 
        and (3)(C) of subsection (b) may hold a primary on a date prior 
        to the beginning of the period described in paragraph 
        (1)(B)(i). In the case where such a State does not elect to 
        hold a primary prior to the beginning of such period, if the 
        State elects to hold a primary, the State shall hold a primary 
        during the period in which the region the State is in (as 
        determined under subsection (b)) is scheduled to hold a primary 
        (as determined under paragraphs (1) and (2)).
    (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. STATE CAUCUS TO SELECT DELEGATES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), in the case where a 
State elects to select delegates to a national Presidential nominating 
convention of a political party through a caucus held by any political 
party which has the authority to nominate a candidate, the State shall 
hold a caucus during the period in which the region the State is in (as 
determined under section 3(b)) is scheduled to hold a primary (as 
determined under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 3(a)).
    (b) Exception.--The States described in paragraphs (1)(G) and 
(3)(C) of section 3(b) may hold a caucus on a date prior to the 
beginning of the period described in section 3(a)(1)(B)(i). In the case 
where such a State does not elect to hold a caucus prior to the 
beginning of such period, if the State elects to hold a caucus, the 
State shall hold a caucus during the period in which the region the 
State is in (as determined under section 3(b)) is scheduled to hold a 
primary (as determined under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 3(a)).

SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act--
            (1) shall be construed as requiring a State to hold a 
        primary or a caucus for the selection of delegates to a 
        national Presidential nominating convention of a political 
        party; or
            (2) is intended to confer to the Election Assistance 
        Commission any power concerning the selection of delegates 
        other than that expressly provided under section 3(a)(1)(A).

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall apply with respect to any primary or caucus held in 
connection with a general election held in the year 2012 and in each 
election year thereafter.
                                 <all>