[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11658-11660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4580]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2005-7]


Price Index Increases for Expenditure and Contribution 
Limitations

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Corrected 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. This notice corrects certain information 
regarding the effective periods for changes to contribution limits 
under FECA that was published in the Commission's notice appearing in 
the February 10, 2005, Federal Register.
    Additional details appear in the supplemental information that 
follows.

DATES: 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)), 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
                                                                                     VAP x .02      limit (the
                                                                      VAP (in      multiplied by  greater of the
                              State                                 thousands)       the price       amount in
                                                                                   index (3.831)    column 3 or
                                                                                                     $76,600)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.........................................................           3,436        $263,300        $263,300
Alaska..........................................................             467          35,800          76,600
Arizona.........................................................           4,197         321,600         321,600

[[Page 11659]]

 
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
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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           2005-2006
       Statutory provision         Statutory amount       Limitation
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2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)..........  $2,000............  $2,100.

[[Page 11660]]

 
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   $61,400 (of which
                                   not more than       not more than
                                   $37,500 may be      $40,000 may be
                                   attributable to     attributable to
                                   contributions to    contributions to
                                   political           political
                                   committees that     committees that
                                   are not political   are not political
                                   committees of       committees of
                                   national            national
                                   political           political
                                   parties).           parties).
2 U.S.C. 441a(h)................  $35,000...........  $37,300.
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    The increased limitation at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) is 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 
figure above is in effect from November 3, 2004, to November 7, 2006. 
The limitations under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B), 441a(a)(3)(A) and (B), 
and 441a(h), 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)(1)(B), 
441a(a)(3)(A) and (B), and 441a(h) are in effect from January 1, 2005, 
to December 31, 2006.

    Dated: March 4, 2005.
Michael E. Toner,
Vice Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-4580 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P