[104th Congress Public Law 79]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ79.104]

Public Law 104-79
104th Congress

                                 An Act


 
   To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to improve the 
 electoral process by permitting electronic filing and preservation of 
           Federal Election Commission reports, and for other 
            purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 28, 1995 -  [H.R. 2527]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ELECTRONIC FILING AND PRESERVATION OF FEDERAL ELECTION 
            COMMISSION REPORTS.

    (a) Section 304 Amendment.--Subsection (a) of section 304 of the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:

    ``(11)(A) The Commission shall permit reports required by this Act 
to be filed and preserved by means of computer disk or any other 
appropriate electronic format or method, as determined by the 
Commission.

    ``(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A) with respect to filing of 
reports, the Commission shall provide for one or more methods (other 
than requiring a signature on the report being filed) for verifying 
reports filed by means of computer disk or other electronic format or 
method. Any verification under the preceding sentence shall be treated 
for all purposes (including penalties for perjury) in the same manner as 
a verification by signature.
    ``(C) As used in this paragraph, the term `report' means, with 
respect to the Commission, a report, designation, or statement required 
by this Act to be filed with the Commission.''.

    (b) Section 302 Amendment.--Subsection (d) of section 302 of the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(d)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ``For any report filed in 
electronic format under section 304(a)(11), the treasurer shall retain a 
machine-readable copy of the report as the copy preserved under the 
preceding sentence.''.

    (c) <<NOTE: 2 USC 432 note.>> Effective Date.--The amendments made 
by subsection (a) and subsection (b) shall apply with respect to reports 
for periods beginning after December 31, 1996.

SEC. 2. WAIVER OF DUPLICATE FILING REQUIREMENT FOR STATES WITH 
            ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION REPORTS AND 
            STATEMENTS.

    Section 312 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
439) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply with respect to any 
State that, as determined by the Commission, has a system that permits 
electronic access to, and duplication of, reports and statements that 
are filed with the Commission.''.

SEC. 3. FILING OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION REPORTS WITH THE 
            FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, RATHER THAN WITH THE CLERK OF 
            THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    (a) Section 302 Amendments.--Subsection (g) of section 302 of the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 432(g)) is amended--
            (1) by striking out paragraph (1);
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as 
        paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively;
            (3) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
        this subsection--
                    (A) by striking out ``Clerk of the House of 
                Representatives and the''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``them'' and inserting in lieu 
                thereof ``the Secretary'';
            (4) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
        this subsection, by striking out ``paragraphs (1) and (2)'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``paragraph (1)''; and
            (5) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
        this subsection, by striking out ``Clerk of the House of 
        Representatives and the''.

    (b) Section 304 Amendments.--Section 304 of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434) is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence of subsection (a)(6), by striking 
        out ``Clerk, the Secretary,'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``Secretary''; and
            (2) in the third sentence of subsection (c)(2), by striking 
        out ``Clerk, the Secretary,'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``Secretary''.

    (c) Section 311 Amendment.--Section 311(a)(4) of the Federal 
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 438(a)(4)) is amended by 
striking out ``Clerk, Secretary,'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``Secretary''.

    (d) <<NOTE: 2 USC 432 note.>> Effective Date.--The amendments made 
by this section shall apply with respect to reports, designations, and 
statements required to be filed after December 31, 1995.

    Approved December 28, 1995.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2527:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 141 (1995):
            Nov. 13, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 20, considered and passed Senate.

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