[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 27 (Thursday, February 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7109-7111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2598]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2005-5]


Price Index Increases for Expenditure and Contribution 
Limitations

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Notice of expenditure and contribution limitation increases.

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SUMMARY: As mandated by provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform 
Act of 2002 (``BCRA''), the Federal Election Commission (``FEC'' or 
``the Commission'') is adjusting certain expenditure and contribution 
limitations set forth in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as 
amended (``FECA'' or ``the Act''), to account for increases in the 
consumer price index.
    Additional details appear in the supplemental information that 
follows.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date for the limits at 2 U.S.C. 
441a(a)(1)(A), 441a(a)(1)(B) and 441a(h) is November 3, 2004. The 
effective date for the limits at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3) and 441a(d) is 
January 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gregory J. Scott, Information 
Division, 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463; Telephone: (202) 
694-1100; Toll Free (800) 424-9530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
1971, 2 U.S.C. 431 et seq., as amended by the Bipartisan Campaign 
Reform Act of 2002, Public Law 107-155, 116 Stat. 81 (March 27, 2002), 
coordinated party expenditure limits (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)(3)(A) and (B)), 
and certain contribution limits (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) and (B), 
(a)(3), (d) and (h)),

[[Page 7110]]

are adjusted either annually or biennially by the consumer price index. 
See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1). The Commission is publishing this notice to 
announce these limits for 2005 or the 2005-2006 election cycle.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2005

    Under 2 U.S.C. 441a(c), the Commission must adjust the expenditure 
limitations established by 2 U.S.C. 441a(d) (the limits on expenditures 
by national party committees, State party committees, or their 
subordinate committees in connection with the general election campaign 
of candidates for Federal office) annually to account for inflation. 
This expenditure limitation is increased by the percent difference 
between the price index, as certified to the Commission by the 
Secretary of Labor, for the 12 months preceding the beginning of the 
calendar year and the price index for the base period (calendar year 
1974).

1. Expenditure Limitation for House of Representatives

    Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure 
limitation for each general election held to fill a seat in the House 
of Representatives. The formula used to calculate the expenditure 
limitation in a state with more than one congressional district 
multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the price index (3.831), 
rounding to the nearest $100. Based upon this formula, the expenditure 
limitation for 2005 House elections in those states is $38,300. The 
formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in a state with 
only one congressional district multiplies the base figure of $20,000 
by the price index (3.831), rounding to the nearest $100. Based upon 
this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2005 House elections in 
these states is $76,600.

2. Expenditure Limitation for Senate

    Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure 
limitation for a general election held to fill a seat in the Senate. 
The formula used to calculate the Senate expenditure limitation 
considers not only the price index but also the voting age population 
(``VAP'') of the state. The expenditure limitation is the greater of: 
the base figure ($20,000) multiplied by the price index (which totals 
$76,600); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 
the price index. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. The chart 
below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2005 expenditure 
limitations for Senate elections.

                                 Senate Expenditure Limitations--2005 Elections
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                                                                                               Expenditure Limit
                                                                                VAP x .02       (the greater of
                         State                                VAP  (in      multiplied by the    the amount in
                                                             thousands)        price index        column 3 or
                                                                                 (3.831)            $76,600)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama................................................              3,436           $263,300           $263,300
Alaska.................................................                467             35,800             76,600
Arizona................................................              4,197            321,600            321,600
Arkansas...............................................              2,076            159,100            159,100
California.............................................             26,297          2,014,900          2,014,900
Colorado...............................................              3,423            262,300            262,300
Connecticut............................................              2,665            204,200            204,200
Delaware...............................................                637             48,800             76,600
Florida................................................             13,394          1,026,300          1,026,300
Georgia................................................              6,497            497,800            497,800
Hawaii.................................................                964             73,900             76,600
Idaho..................................................               1021             78,200             78,200
Illinois...............................................              9,475            726,000            726,000
Indiana................................................              4,637            355,300            355,300
Iowa...................................................              2,274            174,200            174,200
Kansas.................................................              2,052            157,200            157,200
Kentucky...............................................              3,166            242,600            242,600
Louisiana..............................................              3,351            256,800            256,800
Maine..................................................              1,035             79,300             79,300
Maryland...............................................              4,163            319,000            319,000
Massachusetts..........................................              4,952            379,400            379,400
Michigan...............................................              7,579            580,700            580,700
Minnesota..............................................              3,861            295,800            295,800
Mississippi............................................              2,153            165,000            165,000
Missouri...............................................              4,370            334,800            334,800
Montana................................................                719             55,100             76,600
Nebraska...............................................              1,313            100,600            100,600
Nevada.................................................              1,731            132,600            132,600
New Hampshire..........................................                995             76,200             76,600
New Jersey.............................................              6,543            501,300            501,300
New Mexico.............................................              1,411            108,100            108,100
New York...............................................             14,655          1,122,900          1,122,900
North Carolina.........................................              6,423            492,100            492,100
North Dakota...........................................                495             37,900             76,600
Ohio...................................................              8,680            665,100            665,100
Oklahoma...............................................              2,664            204,100            204,100
Oregon.................................................              2,742            210,100            210,100
Pennsylvania...........................................              9,569            733,200            733,200
Rhode Island...........................................                837             64,100             76,600
South Carolina.........................................              3,173            243,100            243,100
South Dakota...........................................                580             44,400             76,600
Tennessee..............................................              4,510            345,600            345,600

[[Page 7111]]

 
Texas..................................................             16,223          1,243,000          1,243,000
Utah...................................................              1,649            126,300            126,300
Vermont................................................                487             37,300             76,600
Virginia...............................................              5,655            433,300            433,300
Washington.............................................              4,718            361,500            361,500
West Virginia..........................................              1,431            109,600            109,600
Wisconsin..............................................              4,201            321,900            321,900
Wyoming................................................                390             29,900             76,600
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Contribution Limitation Increases for Individuals, Nonmulticandidate 
Committees and for Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. 
Senate Candidates for 2005-2006 Election Cycle

    BCRA amended the Act to extend inflation indexing to: (1) The 
limitations on contributions made by persons under 2 U.S.C. 
441a(a)(1)(A) (contributions to candidates) and 441a(a)(1)(B) 
(contributions to national party committees); (2) the biennial 
aggregate contribution limits applicable to individuals under 2 U.S.C. 
441a(a)(3); and (3) the limitation on contributions made to U.S. Senate 
candidates by certain political party committees at 2 U.S.C. 441a(h). 2 
U.S.C. 441a(c). These contribution limitations are increased by 
multiplying the respective statutory contribution amount by the percent 
difference between the price index, as certified to the Commission by 
the Secretary of Labor, for the 12 months preceding the beginning of 
the calendar year and the price index for the base period (calendar 
year 2001). The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest multiple of 
$100. The Commission has calculated the applicable percent difference 
to be 6.7 percent.
    Contribution limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Statutory provision        Statutory amount    2005-2006 limitation
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2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)......  $2,000..............  $2,100.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B)......  25,000..............  26,700.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A)......  37,500..............  40,000.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B)......  57,500 (of which not  61,400 (of which not
                               more than $37,500     more than $40,000
                               may be attributable   may be attributable
                               to contributions to   to contributions to
                               political             political
                               committees that are   committees that are
                               not political         not political
                               committees of         committees of
                               national political    national political
                               parties).             parties).
2 U.S.C. 441a(h)............  35,000..............  37,300.
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    Under the Act, the inflationary adjustments are to be made only in 
odd-numbered years and the increased limitations at 2 U.S.C. 
441a(a)(1)(A), 441a(a)(1)(B) and 441a(h) are to be in effect for the 2-
year period beginning on the first day following the date of the 
general election in the preceding year and ending on the date of the 
next regularly scheduled election. Thus the respective figures above 
are in effect from November 3, 2004 to November 7, 2006. The limitation 
under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A) and (B) shall be in effect beginning 
January 1st of the odd-numbered year and ending on December 31st of the 
next even-numbered year. Thus the new contribution limits under 2 
U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A) and (B) are in effect from January 1, 2005 to 
December 31, 2006.

    Dated: February 4, 2005.
Scott E. Thomas,
Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-2598 Filed 2-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P