[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6286 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6286

   To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal the 
limitation on the annual aggregate amount of contributions individuals 
 may make to candidates for election for Federal office, to repeal the 
  limitations on the amount of coordinated expenditures by political 
parties, and to protect uncompensated Internet activity by individuals 
     from treatment as a contribution or expenditure under the Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2010

   Mr. Cole 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 repeal the 
limitation on the annual aggregate amount of contributions individuals 
 may make to candidates for election for Federal office, to repeal the 
  limitations on the amount of coordinated expenditures by political 
parties, and to protect uncompensated Internet activity by individuals 
     from treatment as a contribution or expenditure under the Act.

    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 ``Free Speech and Citizen Fairness Act 
of 2010''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF ANNUAL AGGREGATE LIMIT ON AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTIONS BY 
              INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 315(a) of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 315(c) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
441a(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i), by striking ``(a)(3),'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ``(a)(3),''; and
            (3) in paragraph (2)(B)(ii), by striking ``(a)(3),''.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT OF COORDINATED EXPENDITURES BY 
              POLITICAL PARTIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 315(d) of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(d)(1)'' and inserting ``(d)'';
            (2) by striking ``, subject to the limitations contained in 
        paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection''; and
            (3) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), and (4).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 315(c) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
441a(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i), by striking ``(d),''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by striking ``subsections (b) 
        and (d),'' and inserting ``subsection (b),''.

SEC. 4. BLOGGER PROTECTION.

    (a) Exemption of Uncompensated Individual Internet Activity From 
Treatment as Contribution or Expenditure.--
            (1) Exemptions.--
                    (A) Exemption from treatment as contribution.--
                Section 301(8)(B) of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
                of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(8)(B)) is amended--
                            (i) by striking ``and'' at the end of 
                        clause (xiii);
                            (ii) by striking the period at the end of 
                        clause (xiv) and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new clause:
            ``(xv) any uncompensated personal services related to 
        Internet activities, or use of equipment or services for 
        uncompensated Internet activities, that are engaged in by any 
        individual, group of individuals, or corporation wholly owned 
        by one or more individuals that engages primarily in Internet 
        activities and does not derive a substantial portion of its 
        revenue from sources other than income from its Internet 
        activities, other than--
                    ``(I) any payment for a public communication (other 
                than a nominal fee),
                    ``(II) any payment for the purchase or rental of an 
                email address list made at the direction of a political 
                committee, or
                    ``(III) any payment for an email address list that 
                is transferred to a political committee.''.
                    (B) Exemption from treatment as expenditure.--
                Section 301(9)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 431(9)(B)) is 
                amended--
                            (i) by striking ``and'' at the end of 
                        clause (ix);
                            (ii) by striking the period at the end of 
                        clause (x) and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new clause:
            ``(xi) any uncompensated personal services related to 
        Internet activities, or use of equipment or services for 
        uncompensated Internet activities, that are engaged in by any 
        individual, group of individuals, or corporation wholly owned 
        by one or more individuals that engages primarily in Internet 
        activities and does not derive a substantial portion of its 
        revenue from sources other than income from its Internet 
        activities, other than--
                    ``(I) any payment for a public communication (other 
                than a nominal fee),
                    ``(II) any payment for the purchase or rental of an 
                email address list made at the direction of a political 
                committee, or
                    ``(III) any payment for an email address list that 
                is transferred to a political committee.''.
            (2) Internet activity defined.--Section 301 of such Act (2 
        U.S.C. 431) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        paragraph:
    ``(27) Internet Activity.--The term `Internet activity' includes 
sending or forwarding electronic messages, providing a hyperlink or 
other direct access to another person's Web site, blogging, creating, 
maintaining, or hosting a Web site, paying a nominal fee for the use of 
another person's Web site, and any other form of communication 
distributed over the Internet.''.
    (b) Coverage of Blogs and Other Internet and Electronic 
Publications Under General Media Exemption.--Section 301(9)(B)(i) of 
such Act (2 U.S.C. 431(9)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting ``including 
any Internet or electronic publication (including a blog),'' after 
``periodical publication,''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
expenditures and disbursements made during 2010 or any succeeding year.
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