[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 220 (Friday, November 14, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 68137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26935]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 220 / Friday, November 14, 2014 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 68137]]



FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

11 CFR Part 110

[Notice 2014-13]


Rulemaking Petition: Candidate Debates

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Rulemaking petition: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: On September 11, 2014, the Federal Election Commission 
received a Petition for Rulemaking from Level the Playing Field. The 
petition asks the Commission to amend its regulation on candidate 
debates to revise the criteria governing the inclusion of candidates in 
presidential and vice presidential candidate debates. The Commission 
seeks comments on this petition.

DATES: Statements in support of or in opposition to the petition must 
be submitted on or before December 15, 2014.

ADDRESSES: All comments must be in writing. Comments may be submitted 
electronically via the Commission's Web site at http://www.fec.gov/fosers. Commenters are encouraged to submit comments electronically to 
ensure timely receipt and consideration. Alternatively, comments may be 
submitted in paper form. Paper comments must be sent to the Federal 
Election Commission, Attn.: Robert M. Knop, Assistant General Counsel, 
999 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20463. Each comment must include the 
full name and postal service address of the commenter, and of each 
commenter if filed jointly, or it will not be considered. The 
Commission will post comments on its Web site at the conclusion of the 
comment period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert M. Knop, Assistant General 
Counsel, or Ms. Jessica Selinkoff, Attorney, 999 E Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20463, (202) 694-1650 or (800) 424-9530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 11, 2014, the Federal Election 
Commission received a Petition for Rulemaking from Level the Playing 
Field regarding the Commission's regulation at 11 CFR 110.13(c). That 
regulation governs the criteria that debate staging organizations 
(which the petitioner refers to as ``sponsors'') use for inclusion in 
candidate debates. The regulation requires staging organizations to 
``use pre-established objective criteria to determine which candidates 
may participate in a debate'' and further specifies that, for general 
election debates, staging organizations ``shall not use nomination by a 
particular political party as the sole objective criterion to determine 
whether to include a candidate in a debate.'' 11 CFR 110.13(c). The 
petition asks the Commission to amend 11 CFR 110.13(c) in two respects: 
(1) To preclude sponsors of general election presidential and vice 
presidential debates from requiring that a candidate meet a polling 
threshold in order to be included in the debate; and (2) to require 
sponsors of general election presidential and vice presidential debates 
to have a set of objective, unbiased criteria for debate participation 
that do not require candidates to satisfy a polling threshold. The 
Commission seeks comments on the petition.
    Copies of the Petition for Rulemaking are available for public 
inspection on the Commission's Web site at http://www.fec.gov/fosers/ 
and in the Commission's Public Records Office, 999 E Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20463, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m. Interested persons may also obtain a copy of the petition by 
dialing the Commission's Faxline service at (202) 501-3413 and 
following its instructions, at any time of the day and week. Request 
document #275.
    Consideration of the merits of the petition will be deferred until 
the close of the comment period. If the Commission decides that the 
petition has merit, it may begin a rulemaking proceeding. Any 
subsequent action taken by the Commission will be announced in the 
Federal Register.

    On behalf of the Commission.
Lee E. Goodman,
Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-26935 Filed 11-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P