To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to ban activities of political action committees in House of Representatives elections and for other purposes.
Referred to the House Committee on House Oversight.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Oct 31, 1995
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit any person other than an individual or a political committee from making contributions, soliciting or receiving contributions, or making expenditures for the purpose of influencing an election for Representative, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner to Congress (Representative). Deems any political committee established, financed, maintained, or controlled by a candidate or Federal office-holder to be an authorized committee of such individual. Prohibits any political committee that supports or has supported more than one candidate from being designated as an authorized committee, but permits a presidential candidate nominated by a political party to designate the national committee of such party as the candidate's principal campaign committee if that national committee maintains separate books of account with respect to its functions as a principal campaign committee. Sets forth rules applicable when the ban is not in effect. (Sec. 2) Prohibits a candidate for the office of Representative, with respect to a reporting period for an election, from accepting contributions from persons other than local individual residents totaling in excess of the total of contributions accepted from local individual residents. Sets penalties for accepting contributions that exceed such limitations. (Sec. 3) Sets an expenditure limit of $600,000 for each House of Representatives candidate for any general or primary election. (Sec. 5) Prohibits any person from making independent expenditures in House elections. (Sec. 6) Revises provisions regarding the definition of: (1) "contribution" to provide that such term shall exclude only the value of services provided without compensation by an individual who volunteers on behalf of a candidate or political committee; and (2) "expenditure" to repeal listed exclusions from that term. (Sec. 7) Prohibits a Member of or Member-elect to the House from mailing, during any even-numbered calendar year, any mass mailing as franked mail which is postmarked on or before the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November of such year. Revises the definition of "mass mailing" to mean, with respect to a session of the Congress, any mailing with substantially identical content totaling more than 25 pieces in that session, but excluding certain categories of mailings including those in furtherance of the Member's administrative duties.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jan 2, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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