HR 5175 PCS

Calendar No. 448

111th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5175

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 28, 2010

Received and read the first time

June 29, 2010

Read the second time and placed on the calendar


AN ACT

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign influence in Federal elections, to prohibit government contractors from making expenditures with respect to such elections, and to establish additional disclosure requirements with respect to spending in such elections, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

TITLE I--REGULATION OF CERTAIN POLITICAL SPENDING

TITLE II--PROMOTING EFFECTIVE DISCLOSURE OF CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY

Subtitle A--Treatment of Independent Expenditures and Electioneering Communications Made by All Persons

Subtitle B--Expanded Requirements for Corporations and Other Organizations

Subtitle C--Reporting Requirements for Registered Lobbyists

TITLE III--DISCLOSURE BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS OF INFORMATION ON CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY

TITLE IV--OTHER PROVISIONS

TITLE I--REGULATION OF CERTAIN POLITICAL SPENDING

SEC. 101. PROHIBITING INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES AND ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS BY GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS.

SEC. 102. APPLICATION OF BAN ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES BY FOREIGN NATIONALS TO FOREIGN-CONTROLLED DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS.

SEC. 103. TREATMENT OF PAYMENTS FOR COORDINATED COMMUNICATIONS AS CONTRIBUTIONS.

‘SEC. 324. COORDINATED COMMUNICATIONS.

SEC. 104. TREATMENT OF POLITICAL PARTY COMMUNICATIONS MADE ON BEHALF OF CANDIDATES.

SEC. 105. RESTRICTION ON INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS TREATED AS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.

TITLE II--PROMOTING EFFECTIVE DISCLOSURE OF CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY

Subtitle A--Treatment of Independent Expenditures and Electioneering Communications Made by All Persons

SEC. 201. INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES.

SEC. 202. ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS.

SEC. 203. MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING BY PERSONS MAKING INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES OR ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS EXCEEDING $10,000 AT ANY TIME.

Subtitle B--Expanded Requirements for Corporations and Other Organizations

SEC. 211. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORTS ON DISBURSEMENTS BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS.

‘(aa) the covered organization designates, requests, or suggests that the amounts be used for public independent expenditures and the person to whom the amounts were transferred agrees to do so;

‘(bb) the person making the public independent expenditure or another person acting on that person’s behalf expressly solicited the covered organization for a donation or payment for making or paying for any public independent expenditures;

‘(cc) the covered organization and the person to whom the amounts were transferred engaged in written or oral discussion regarding the person either making, or paying for, any public independent expenditure, or donating or transferring the amounts to another person for that purpose;

‘(dd) the covered organization which transferred the funds knew or had reason to know that the person to whom the amounts were transferred intended to make public independent expenditures; or

‘(ee) the covered organization which transferred the funds or the person to whom the amounts were transferred made one or more public independent expenditures in an aggregate amount of $50,000 or more during the 2-year period which ends on the date on which the amounts were transferred.

‘(aa) the transfer was a commercial transaction occurring in the ordinary course of business between the covered organization and the person to whom the amounts were transferred, unless there is affirmative evidence that the amounts were transferred for the purpose of making a public independent expenditure; or

‘(bb) the covered organization and the person to whom the amounts were transferred mutually agreed (as provided in section 325(b)(1)) that the person will not use the amounts for campaign-related activity.

‘(aa) one of the organizations is an affiliate of the other organization; or

‘(bb) each of the organizations is an affiliate of the same organization,

‘(aa) the governing instrument of the organization requires it to be bound by decisions of the other organization;

‘(bb) the governing board of the organization includes persons who are specifically designated representatives of the other organization or are members of the governing board, officers, or paid executive staff members of the other organization, or whose service on the governing board is contingent upon the approval of the other organization; or

‘(cc) the organization is chartered by the other organization.

‘(aa) the covered organization designates, requests, or suggests that the amounts be used for electioneering communications and the person to whom the amounts were transferred agrees to do so;

‘(bb) the person making the electioneering communication or another person acting on that person’s behalf expressly solicited the covered organization for a donation or payment for making or paying for any electioneering communications;

‘(cc) the covered organization and the person to whom the amounts were transferred engaged in written or oral discussion regarding the person either making, or paying for, any electioneering communication, or donating or transferring the amounts to another person for that purpose;

‘(dd) the covered organization which transferred the funds knew or had reason to know that the person to whom the amounts were transferred intended to make electioneering communications; or

‘(ee) the covered organization which transferred the funds or the person to whom the amounts were transferred made one or more electioneering communications in an aggregate amount of $50,000 or more during the 2-year period which ends on the date on which the amounts were transferred.

‘(aa) the transfer was a commercial transaction occurring in the ordinary course of business between the covered organization and the person to whom the amounts were transferred, unless there is affirmative evidence that the amounts were transferred for the purpose of making an electioneering communication; or

‘(bb) the covered organization and the person to whom the amounts were transferred mutually agreed (as provided in section 325(b)(1)) that the person will not use the amounts for campaign-related activity.

‘(aa) one of the organizations is an affiliate of the other organization; or

‘(bb) each of the organizations is an affiliate of the same organization,

‘(aa) the governing instrument of the organization requires it to be bound by decisions of the other organization;

‘(bb) the governing board of the organization includes persons who are specifically designated representatives of the other organization or are members of the governing board, officers, or paid executive staff members of the other organization, or whose service on the governing board is contingent upon the approval of the other organization; or

‘(cc) the organization is chartered by the other organization.

SEC. 212. RULES REGARDING USE OF GENERAL TREASURY FUNDS BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY.

‘SEC. 325. SPECIAL RULES FOR USE OF GENERAL TREASURY FUNDS BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY.

SEC. 213. OPTIONAL USE OF SEPARATE ACCOUNT BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY.

‘SEC. 326. OPTIONAL USE OF SEPARATE ACCOUNT BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY.

SEC. 214. MODIFICATION OF RULES RELATING TO DISCLAIMER STATEMENTS REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS.

SEC. 215. INDEXING OF CERTAIN AMOUNTS.

‘SEC. 327. INDEXING OF CERTAIN AMOUNTS.

Subtitle C--Reporting Requirements for Registered Lobbyists

SEC. 221. REQUIRING REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO REPORT INFORMATION ON INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES AND ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS.

TITLE III--DISCLOSURE BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS OF INFORMATION ON CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY

SEC. 301. REQUIRING DISCLOSURE BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS OF INFORMATION ON CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY.

‘SEC. 328. DISCLOSURES BY COVERED ORGANIZATIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS, MEMBERS, AND DONORS OF INFORMATION ON DISBURSEMENTS FOR CAMPAIGN-RELATED ACTIVITY.

TITLE IV--OTHER PROVISIONS

SEC. 401. JUDICIAL REVIEW.

SEC. 402. NO EFFECT ON PROTECTIONS AGAINST THREATS, HARASSMENTS, AND REPRISALS.

SEC. 403. SEVERABILITY.

SEC. 404. EFFECTIVE DATE.

Passed the House of Representatives June 24, 2010.

Attest:

LORRAINE C. MILLER,

Clerk.

Calendar No. 448

111th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5175

AN ACT

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign influence in Federal elections, to prohibit government contractors from making expenditures with respect to such elections, and to establish additional disclosure requirements with respect to spending in such elections, and for other purposes.


June 29, 2010

Read the second time and placed on the calendar