[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8530-8533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02520]


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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2013-03]


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

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Notice of adjustments to contribution and expenditure 
limitations 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 limitations 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 limitation at 2 
U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) is November 7, 2012. The effective date for the 
limitations at 2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A), 441a(a)(1)(B),

[[Page 8531]]

441a(a)(3), 441a(d) and 441a(h) is January 1, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth S. Kurland, 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., coordinated party expenditure limits (2 
U.S.C. 441a(d)(2) and (3)(A), (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), and 11 CFR 
109.32 and 110.17(a), (f). The Commission is publishing this notice to 
announce the adjusted limits and disclosure threshold.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2013

    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 in States with 
More Than One Congressional District

    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 in states with more than one congressional district. 
This limitation also applies to those states and territories that elect 
individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.\1\ The 
formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in such states 
multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price 
index (4.65647), rounding to the nearest $100. See 2 U.S.C. 
441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(B), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. Based 
upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2013 general 
elections for House candidates in these states is $46,600.
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    \1\ 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/representatives/.
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2. Expenditure Limitation for Senate and for House of Representatives 
in States With Only One Congressional District

    Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure 
limitation 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 limitation 
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 limitation is the greater of: The base 
figure ($20,000) multiplied by the difference in the price index, 
4.65647 (which totals $93,100); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the 
state, multiplied by 4.65647. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. 
See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(A), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 
110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 
2013 general election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The 
expenditure limitation for 2013 House elections in states with only one 
congressional district \2\ is $93,100.
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    \2\ Currently, these states are: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, 
North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. See http://www.house.gov/representatives/.

                           Senate General Election Expenditure Limits--2013 Elections
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                                                                                                      Senate
                                                                                                    expenditure
                                                                    Voting age      VAP x .02 x     limit  (the
                              State                                 population       the price      greater  of
                                                                       (VAP)           index      the  amount in
                                                                                     (4.65647)      column 3  or
                                                                                                     $93,100)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.........................................................       3,697,617        $344,400        $344,400
Alaska..........................................................         544,349          50,700          93,100
Arizona.........................................................       4,932,361         459,300         459,300
Arkansas........................................................       2,238,250         208,400         208,400
California......................................................      28,801,211       2,682,200       2,682,200
Colorado........................................................       3,956,224         368,400         368,400
Connecticut.....................................................       2,796,789         260,500         260,500
Delaware........................................................         712,042          66,300          93,100
Florida.........................................................      15,315,088       1,426,300       1,426,300
Georgia.........................................................       7,429,820         691,900         691,900
Hawaii..........................................................       1,089,302         101,400         101,400
Idaho...........................................................       1,169,075         108,900         108,900
Illinois........................................................       9,811,190         913,700         913,700
Indiana.........................................................       4,945,857         460,600         460,600
Iowa............................................................       2,351,233         219,000         219,000
Kansas..........................................................       2,161,601         201,300         201,300
Kentucky........................................................       3,362,177         313,100         313,100
Louisiana.......................................................       3,484,090         324,500         324,500
Maine...........................................................       1,063,274          99,000          99,000
Maryland........................................................       4,540,763         422,900         422,900
Massachusetts...................................................       5,244,729         488,400         488,400
Michigan........................................................       7,616,490         709,300         709,300

[[Page 8532]]

 
Minnesota.......................................................       4,102,991         382,100         382,100
Mississippi.....................................................       2,239,593         208,600         208,600
Missouri........................................................       4,618,513         430,100         430,100
Montana.........................................................         783,161          72,900          93,100
Nebraska........................................................       1,392,120         129,600         129,600
Nevada..........................................................       2,095,348         195,100         195,100
New Hampshire...................................................       1,045,878          97,400          97,400
New Jersey......................................................       6,838,206         636,800         636,800
New Mexico......................................................       1,571,096         146,300         146,300
New York........................................................      15,307,107       1,425,500       1,425,500
North Carolina..................................................       7,465,545         695,300         695,300
North Dakota....................................................         545,020          50,800          93,100
Ohio............................................................       8,880,551         827,000         827,000
Oklahoma........................................................       2,877,457         268,000         268,000
Oregon..........................................................       3,038,729         283,000         283,000
Pennsylvania....................................................      10,024,150         933,500         933,500
Rhode Island....................................................         833,818          77,700          93,100
South Carolina..................................................       3,643,633         339,300         339,300
South Dakota....................................................         629,185          58,600          93,100
Tennessee.......................................................       4,962,227         462,100         462,100
Texas...........................................................      19,073,564       1,776,300       1,776,300
Utah............................................................       1,967,315         183,200         183,200
Vermont.........................................................         502,060          46,800          93,100
Virginia........................................................       6,329,130         589,400         589,400
Washington......................................................       5,312,045         494,700         494,700
West Virginia...................................................       1,471,372         137,000         137,000
Wisconsin.......................................................       4,408,841         410,600         410,600
Wyoming.........................................................         440,922          41,100          93,100
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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 2013-2014 Election Cycle

    The Act requires 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 
limitations 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 limitations are increased by multiplying 
the respective statutory contribution amount by 1.29668, 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) and 11 CFR 110.17(b). Contribution 
limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Statutory provision         Statutory amount     2013-2014 Limit
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2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)..........  $2,000............  $2,600.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B)..........  $25,000...........  $32,400.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A)..........  $37,500...........  $48,600.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B)..........  $57,500 (of which   $74,600 (of which
                                   no more than        no more than
                                   $37,500 may be      $48,600 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...........  $45,400.
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    The increased limitation 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 $2,600 figure 
above is in effect from November 7, 2012, to November 4, 2014. 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 limitations under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B), 
441a(a)(3)(A) and (B), and 441a(h) are in effect from January 1, 2013, 
to December 31, 2014. See 11 CFR 110.17(b)(1).

[[Page 8533]]

Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2013

    The Act 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 
1.13887, 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), 441a(c)(1)(B) and 
11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula ($15,000 x 1.13887), the 
lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2013 is 
$17,100.

    On behalf of the Commission.

    Dated: January 31, 2013.
Ellen L. Weintraub,
Chair, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013-02520 Filed 2-5-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P