HR 1080 IH

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit national political parties from using soft money, to restrict the use of soft money by corporations and labor organizations, to impose additional reporting requirements under such Act on corporations, labor organizations, and nonprofit organizations, and for other purposes.

March 15, 2001

Mr. LINDER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit national political parties from using soft money, to restrict the use of soft money by corporations and labor organizations, to impose additional reporting requirements under such Act on corporations, labor organizations, and nonprofit organizations, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Federal Election Reform Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF SOFT MONEY BY NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES.

Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`PROHIBITING USE OF NONFEDERAL FUNDS BY NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES

`SEC. 323. No political committee established and maintained by a national political party (including a national congressional campaign committee of a national political party) may solicit, receive, spend, or direct to another person any funds which are not subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act.'.

SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS AND ADDITIONAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CORPORATIONS, LABOR ORGANIZATIONS, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) PROHIBITING USE OF SOFT MONEY BY CORPORATIONS AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES- Section 316(b)(2) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(2)) is amended by striking `(A) communications' and all that follows through `and (C)'.

(b) DISCLOSURE OF ELECTION-RELATED ACTIVITY- Section 304 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434), as amended by section 502(a) of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Act, 2001 (as enacted into law by reference under section 101(a) of Public Law 106-346), is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(e)(1) Each corporation, labor organization, and nonprofit organization which makes a disbursement or transfer of funds for any activity in connection with an election for Federal office shall file reports in accordance with subsection (a)(4) containing the same information with respect to such disbursement or transfer which would be required if the disbursement or transfer were treated as a contribution or expenditure under this Act.

`(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), any disbursement or transfer of funds for a public communication which mentions (by name, image, or likeness) a candidate for election for Federal office and which is made within the 90-day period ending on the date of such election shall be treated as a disbursement or transfer of funds for an activity in connection with an election for Federal office.

`(3) This subsection shall not apply with respect to a disbursement or transfer of funds which is otherwise treated as a contribution or expenditure under this Act.'.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

The amendments made by this Act shall take effect upon the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.

END