[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3174 Introduced in House (IH)]
105th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3174
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require
electronic preservation and filing of reports filed with the Federal
Election Commission by certain persons, to require such reports to be
made available through the Internet, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 5, 1998
Mr. White (for himself, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Franks of New
Jersey, Mrs. Maloney of New York, and Mr. Nethercutt) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require
electronic preservation and filing of reports filed with the Federal
Election Commission by certain persons, to require such reports to be
made available through the Internet, 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 ``Electronic Campaign Disclosure Act
of 1998''.
SEC. 2. MANDATORY ELECTRONIC PRESERVATION AND FILING OF FEDERAL
ELECTION COMMISSION REPORTS; ACCESS THROUGH INTERNET
SITE.
(a) Electronic Filing Through the Internet.--Section 304(a)(11) of
the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(a)(11)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(11)(A) Through a competitive bidding process, the Commission
shall establish a public Internet site not later than January 1, 1999,
with the following features:
``(i) Any person filing a report required by this Act may
post the report directly on the site.
``(ii) Any member of the public may obtain the reports
posted on the site (together with any other information the
Commission may make available through the site) at any time.
``(iii) Any information in a report posted on the site
shall be subject to the same prohibition on sale and use as
information from a report or statement under paragraph (4).
``(iv) All information posted on the site shall be
integrated in a manner which permits users to search the
information across categories and sources.
``(B)(i) The Commission shall permit each person required to file a
report under this Act to file the report by posting it directly on the
Internet site established under subparagraph (A), or by filing it by
such electronic method as the Commission may designate to enable the
Commission to post the report on such site immediately upon receipt.
``(ii) The Commission shall require a person to file a report under
this Act in accordance with the methods described in clause (i) during
an election cycle if the aggregate amount of contributions or
expenditures reported previously by the person during the cycle exceeds
$25,000.
``(C) The Commission shall provide for one or more methods (other
than requiring a signature on the report being filed) for verification
of reports filed in accordance with the methods described in
subparagraph (B)(i). 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.
``(D) 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) Requiring Commission To Make Software Available.--Section
311(a) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 438(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (9);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (10) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(11) through competitive bidding, obtain and provide for
computer software required to carry out section 304(a)(11).''.
(c) Internet Defined.--Section 301 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 431) is
amended by striking paragraph (19) and inserting the following new
paragraph:
``(19) The term `Internet' means the international computer network
of both Federal and non-Federal interoperable packet-switched data
networks.''.
SEC. 3. REQUIRING REPORTING OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS OF $100 OR MORE WITHIN
10 DAYS OF RECEIPT.
Section 304 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
434) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d)(1) If a political committee is required under subsection
(a)(11)(B)(ii) to file reports under this Act electronically during an
election cycle, the committee shall file a report with the Commission
listing each contribution of $100 or more received by the committee
during the cycle after the date on which such subsection first applies
to the committee. The committee shall file such report not later than
10 days after receipt, and shall include the identification of the
contributor, the date of receipt and amount of the contribution, and
(in the case of an authorized committee of a candidate) the name of the
candidate and the office sought by the candidate.
``(2) The report required under this paragraph shall be in addition
to all other reports required under this Act.''.
SEC. 4. EXPANDING TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN
COMMITTEES SUBJECT TO EXPEDITED REPORTING; SHORTENING
DEADLINE FOR REPORTING TO WITHIN 24 HOURS OF RECEIPT.
Section 304(a)(6) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2
U.S.C. 434(a)(6)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraph:
``(B) In the case of a principal campaign committee which is
required under subsection (a)(11)(B)(ii) to file reports under this Act
electronically during an election cycle, subparagraph (A) shall apply
with respect to any contribution received by the committee after the
date on which such subsection first applies to the committee as if--
``(i) the reference to `$1,000' were a reference to `$100';
``(ii) the reference to `20th day' were a reference to
`90th day'; and
``(iii) the reference in the second sentence to `48 hours'
were a reference to `24 hours'.''.
SEC. 5. ELECTION CYCLE DEFINED.
Section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.
431) is amended by striking paragraph (19) and inserting the following
new paragraph:
``(19) The term `election cycle' means--
``(A) in the case of a candidate or the authorized
committees of a candidate, the term beginning on the day after
the date of the most recent general election for the specific
office or seat which such candidate seeks and ending on the
date of the next general election for such office or seat; or
``(B) for all other persons, the term beginning on the
first day following the date of the last general election and
ending on the date of the next general election.''.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to
elections occurring after January 1999.
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