[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 30 (Monday, February 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8368-8370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3231]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2011-01]


Price Index Adjustments for Contribution and Expenditure Limits 
and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Notice of adjustments to contribution and expenditure limits 
and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold.

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SUMMARY: As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971, as amended (``FECA'' or ``the Act''), the Federal Election 
Commission (``FEC'' or ``the Commission'') is adjusting certain 
contribution and expenditure limits and the lobbyist bundling 
disclosure threshold set forth in the Act, to index the amounts for 
inflation. Additional details appear in the supplemental information 
that follows.

DATES:  Effective Date: The effective date for the limit at 2 U.S.C. 
441a(a)(1)(A) is November 3, 2010. The effective date for the limits at 
2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A), 441a(a)(1)(B), 441a(a)(3), 441a(d), and 441a(h) 
is January 1, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Greg J. Scott, Information 
Division, 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463; (202) 694-1100 or 
(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 \1\ and the Honest Leadership and Open Government 
Act of 2007,\2\ coordinated party expenditure limits (2 U.S.C. 
441a(d)(2) and (3)(A) and (B)), certain contribution limits (2 U.S.C. 
441a(a)(1)(A) and (B), (a)(3) and (h)), and the disclosure threshold 
for contributions bundled by lobbyists (2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A)) are 
adjusted periodically to reflect changes in the consumer price index. 
See 2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3) and 441a(c)(1); 11 CFR 109.32 and 110.17(a) and 
(f). The Commission is publishing this notice to announce the adjusted 
limits and disclosure threshold.
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    \1\ Public Law 107-155, 116 Stat. 81 (Mar. 27, 2002).
    \2\ Public Law 110-81, 121 Stat. 735 (Sept. 14, 2007).
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Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2011

    Under 2 U.S.C. 441a(c), the Commission must adjust the expenditure 
limits established by 2 U.S.C. 441a(d) (the limitations 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 limit 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. Coordinated Expenditure Limit for House of Representatives in 
States With More Than One Congressional District.
    Both the national and state party committees have a coordinated 
expenditure limit for each general election held to fill a seat in the 
House of Representatives in states with more than one congressional 
district. This limit also applies to those states that elect 
individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.\3\ The 
formula used to calculate the expenditure limit in such states 
multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price 
index (4.42246), rounding to the nearest $100. See 2 U.S.C. 
441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(B); 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. Based 
upon this formula, the coordinated expenditure limit for 2011 general 
elections for House candidates in these states is $44,200.
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    \3\ Currently, these states are the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of American Samoa, 
Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana 
Islands. See http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml 
and http://about.dc.gov/statehood.asp.
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    2. Coordinated Expenditure Limit for Senate and for House of 
Representatives in States With Only One Congressional District.
    Both the national and state party committees have a coordinated 
expenditure limit for a general election held to fill a seat in the 
Senate or in the House of Representatives in states with only one 
congressional district. The formula used to calculate this expenditure 
limit considers not only the price index but also the voting age 
population (``VAP'') of the state. The VAP of each state is published 
annually in the Federal Register by the Department of Commerce. 11 CFR 
110.18. The general election expenditure limit is the greater of: The 
base figure ($20,000) multiplied by the difference in the price index, 
4.42246 (which totals $88,400); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the 
state, multiplied by 4.42246. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. 
See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(A); 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 
110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 
2011 general election coordinated expenditure limit for Senate 
elections. The coordinated expenditure limit for 2011 House elections 
in states with only one congressional district \4\ is $88,400.
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    \4\ Currently, these states are: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, 
North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. See http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml.

[[Page 8369]]



                     Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits--2011 Elections
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                                                                                                     Senate
                                                                                                   expenditure
                                                               Voting age      VAP x .02 x the     limit (the
                           State                            population (VAP)     price index     greater of the
                                                                                  (4.42246)     amount in column
                                                                                                  3 or $88,400)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama...................................................         3,599,303          $318,400          $318,400
Alaska....................................................           527,205            46,600            88,400
Arizona...................................................         4,940,296           437,000           437,000
Arkansas..................................................         2,195,465           194,200           194,200
California................................................        27,795,779         2,458,500         2,458,500
Colorado..................................................         3,865,036           341,900           341,900
Connecticut...............................................         2,727,907           241,300           241,300
Delaware..................................................           685,978            60,700            88,400
Florida...................................................        14,616,271         1,292,800         1,292,800
Georgia...................................................         7,324,792           647,900           647,900
Hawaii....................................................         1,006,338            89,000            89,000
Idaho.....................................................         1,143,651           101,200           101,200
Illinois..................................................         9,777,437           864,800           864,800
Indiana...................................................         4,861,307           430,000           430,000
Iowa......................................................         2,313,538           204,600           204,600
Kansas....................................................         2,133,356           188,700           188,700
Kentucky..................................................         3,323,606           294,000           294,000
Louisiana.................................................         3,397,965           300,600           300,600
Maine.....................................................         1,048,523            92,700            92,700
Maryland..................................................         4,385,947           387,900           387,900
Massachusetts.............................................         5,203,385           460,200           460,200
Michigan..................................................         7,623,767           674,300           674,300
Minnesota.................................................         4,038,685           357,200           357,200
Mississippi...............................................         2,194,892           194,100           194,100
Missouri..................................................         4,589,980           406,000           406,000
Montana...................................................           764,058            67,600            88,400
Nebraska..................................................         1,359,656           120,300           120,300
Nevada....................................................         1,977,693           174,900           174,900
New Hampshire.............................................         1,043,155            92,300            92,300
New Jersey................................................         6,691,782           591,900           591,900
New Mexico................................................         1,514,872           134,000           134,000
New York..................................................        15,167,513         1,341,600         1,341,600
North Carolina............................................         7,188,327           635,800           635,800
North Dakota..............................................           511,050            45,200            88,400
Ohio......................................................         8,840,340           781,900           781,900
Oklahoma..................................................         2,796,489           247,300           247,300
Oregon....................................................         2,986,164           264,100           264,100
Pennsylvania..............................................         9,880,374           873,900           873,900
Rhode Island..............................................           833,168            73,700            88,400
South Carolina............................................         3,515,754           311,000           311,000
South Dakota..............................................           620,912            54,900            88,400
Tennessee.................................................         4,847,129           428,700           428,700
Texas.....................................................        18,210,592         1,610,700         1,610,700
Utah......................................................         1,951,049           172,600           172,600
Vermont...................................................           500,054            44,200            88,400
Virginia..................................................         6,103,947           539,900           539,900
Washington................................................         5,170,543           457,300           457,300
West Virginia.............................................         1,439,342           127,300           127,300
Wisconsin.................................................         4,372,515           386,700           386,700
Wyoming...................................................           417,319            36,900            88,400
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Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate 
Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate 
Candidates for the 2011-2012 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). 
See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c). These contribution limits are increased by 
multiplying the respective statutory contribution amount by 1.23152, 
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. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c); 11 CFR 110.17(b). Contribution 
limits shall be adjusted accordingly:

[[Page 8370]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Statutory provision        Statutory amount       2011-2012 Limit
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2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)......  $2,000..............  $2,500.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B)......  $25,000.............  $30,800.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A)......  $37,500.............  $46,200.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B)......  $57,500 (of which no  $70,800 (of which no
                               more than $37,500     more than $46,200
                               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). The
                                                     overall biennial
                                                     limit for 2011-12
                                                     is $117,000.
2 U.S.C. 441a(h)............  $35,000.............  $43,100.
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    The increased limit at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) is to be in effect 
for the two-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 $2,500 figure above is 
in effect from November 3, 2010, to November 6, 2012. The limits 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, 2011, to December 31, 2012. See 11 CFR 
110.17(b)(1).

Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2011

    The Act, as amended by HLOGA, requires certain political committees 
to disclose contributions bundled by lobbyists/registrants and 
lobbyist/registrant political action committees once the contributions 
exceed a specified threshold amount. The Commission must adjust this 
threshold amount annually to account for inflation. The disclosure 
threshold is increased by multiplying the $15,000 statutory disclosure 
threshold by 1.08163, the 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 2006). The resulting amount is 
rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. See 2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A) and 
(B) and 441a(c)(1)(B); 11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula 
($15,000 x 1.08163), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for 
calendar year 2011 is $16,200.

     Dated: February 9, 2011.

    On behalf of the Commission.

Cynthia L. Bauerly,
Chair, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 2011-3231 Filed 2-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P