House of Representatives Election Campaign Act of 1991

Summary

House of Representatives Election Campaign Act of 1991 - Title I: Public Financing of House of Representatives General Election Campaigns - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for public financing of House of Representatives general election campaigns. Sets forth conditions of eligibility for, and entitlement to, payments. Establishes the formula for determining such payments, based upon popular votes received by the candidate and whether a candidate is of a minor or major political party. Sets limits on: (1) the expenditures of participating candidates; (2) contributions to nonparticipating candidates; and (3) financial activities of primary election candidates. Declares that eligible candidates are entitled to such payments only to defray qualified campaign expenses. Authorizes additional entitlements to opponents of nonpublicly financed candidates to match contributions or expenditures raised, incurred, or expended which are in excess of the opponent's entitlement. Requires the Federal Election Commission to certify to the Secretary of the Treasury the full amount to which an eligible candidate is entitled. Directs the Secretary to maintain in the Presidential Election Campaign Fund the House of Representatives General Election Campaign Fund for the deposit of funds for payments to eligible candidates. Directs the Commission, after each election, to audit the campaign expenses of publicly financed candidates. Requires such candidates to repay any excess amounts received. Establishes criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Directs the Commission to report to the House after each election on actions taken under this Act. Provides for judicial review of such Commission actions. Title II: Expenditures and Contributions - Subtitle A: Independent Expenditures - Declares that the term "independent expenditure" does not include any cooperative expenditure. Declares that a cooperative expenditure shall be treated as an expenditure of the candidate for whose benefit the expenditure was made, and as a contribution from the person making such expenditure. Defines "cooperative expenditure." Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to revise the equal broadcast guidelines for persons who incur independent expenditures to reserve broadcast time. Subtitle B: Provisions Relating to Soft Money of Political Parties - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to set forth expenditure guidelines for national, state, and local party committees. Sets forth restrictions on fundraising by Federal candidates and officeholders, including those affiliated with tax-exempt organizations. Prescribes receipt and disbursement reporting requirements for: (1) political committees (including reporting requirements for exempt contributions and expenditures; (2) State committees; and (3) large contributors. Subtitle C: Contributions - Prohibits a congressional campaign committee of a political party (or a national committee of a political party) from accepting contributions during an election cycle from multicandidate political committees and separate segregated funds which in the aggregate exceed specified formula amounts. Describes circumstances under which contributions made through an intermediary or conduit shall be treated as contributions from such conduit or intermediary to the particular candidate. Treats contributions by dependents not of voting age as having been made by the persons upon whom they are dependent. Revises the guidelines for the disposition of excess contributions to: (1) authorize their allocation to the House of Representatives Election Campaign Account; and (2) authorize the retention of a specified percentage for future campaign purposes. Title III: Inducements for Participating in Public Financing - Amends Federal postal law to provide reduced postal rates for campaign matter mailed by an eligible candidate for the House of Representatives. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to declare that broadcast rates for a House of Representatives candidate shall not exceed a certain percentage of the station's lowest unit charge.

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Documents

2 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 29 May 1991

  Open at official source

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