§ 114.6 - Twice yearly solicitations.

§ 114.6 Twice yearly solicitations.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 218, Jan. 2, 2024.

(a) A corporation and/or its separate segregated fund may make a total of two written solicitations for contributions to its separate segregated fund per calendar year of its employees other than stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, and their families. Employees as used in this section does not include former or retired employees who are not stockholders. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the number of solicitations a corporation may make of its stockholders and executive or administrative personnel under § 114.5(g).

(b) A labor organization and/or its separate segregated fund may make a total of two written solicitations per calendar year of employees who are not members of the labor organization, executive or administrative personnel, or stockholders (and their families) of a corporation in which the labor organization represents members working for the corporation. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the number of solicitations a labor organization may make of its members under § 114.5(g).

(c) Written solicitation. A solicitation under this section may be made only by mail addressed to stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or employees at their residences. All written solicitations must inform the recipient—

(1) Of the existence of the custodial arrangement described hereinafter;

(2) That the corporation, labor organization, or the separate segregated fund of either cannot be informed of persons who do not make contributions; and

(3) That persons who, in a calendar year make a single contribution of $50 or less, or multiple contributions aggregating $200 or less may maintain their anonymity by returning their contributions to the custodian.

(d) The custodial arrangement. In order to maintain the anonymity of persons who do not wish to contribute and of persons who wish to respond with a single contribution of $50 or less, or multiple contributions aggregating $200 or less in a calendar year, and to satisfy the recordkeeping provisions, the corporation, labor organization, or separate segregated fund of either shall establish a custodial arrangement for collecting the contributions under this section.

(1) The custodian for a separate segregated fund established by a corporation shall not be a stockholder, officer, executive or administrative personnel, or employee of the corporation, or an officer, or employee of its separate segregated fund. The custodian for a separate segregated fund established by a labor organization shall not be a member, officer or employee of the labor organization or its separate segregated fund.

(2) The custodian shall keep the records of contributions received in accordance with the requirements of part 102 and shall also—

(i) Establish a separate account and deposit contributions in accordance with the provisions of part 103;

(ii) Provide the fund with the identification of any person who makes a single contribution of more than $50 and the identification of any person who makes multiple contributions aggregating more than $200. The custodian must provide this information within a reasonable time prior to the reporting date of the fund under part 104;

(iii) Periodically forward all funds in the separate account, by check drawn on that account, or similar draft, including electronic transfer, to the separate segregated fund; and

(iv) Treat all funds which appear to be illegal in accordance with the provisions of § 103.3(b).

(3) The custodian shall not—

(i) Make the records of persons making a single contribution of $50 or less, or multiple contributions aggregating $200 or less, in a calendar year, available to any person other than representatives of the Federal Election Commission and law enforcement officials or judicial bodies.

(ii) Provide the corporation or labor organization or the separate segregated fund of either with any information pertaining to persons who, in a calendar year, make a single contribution of $50 or less or multiple contributions aggregating $200 or less except that the custodian may forward to the corporation, labor organization or separate segregated fund of either the total number of contributions received; or

(iii) Provide the corporation, labor organization, or the separate segregated fund of either with any information pertaining to persons who have not contributed.

(4) The corporation, labor organization, or the separate segregated fund of either shall provide the custodian with a list of all contributions, indicating the contributor's identification and amount contributed, which have been made directly to the separate segregated fund by any person within the group of persons solicited under this section.

(5) Notwithstanding the prohibitions of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the custodian may be employed by the separate segregated fund as its treasurer and may handle all of its contributions, provided that the custodian preserves the anonymity of the contributors as required by this section. The custodian shall file the required reports with the Federal Election Commission. A custodian who serves as treasurer is subject to all of the duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of a treasurer under the Act, and may not participate in the decision making process whereby the separate segregated fund makes contributions and expenditures.

(e) Availability of methods.

(1) A corporation or labor organization or the separate segregated fund of either may not use a payroll deduction plan, a check-off system, or other plan which deducts contributions from an employee's paycheck as a method of facilitating the making of contributions under this section.

(2) The twice yearly solicitation may only be used by a corporation or labor organization to solicit contributions to its separate segregated fund and may not be used for any other purpose.

(3) A corporation is required to make available to a labor organization representing any members working for the corporation or its subsidiaries, branches, divisions, or affiliates the method which the corporation uses to solicit employees under this section during any calendar year.

(i) If the corporation uses a method to solicit any employees under this section, the corporation is required to make that method available to the labor organization to solicit the employees of the corporation who are not represented by that labor organization, and the executive or administrative personnel and the stockholders of the corporation and their families.

(ii) If the corporation does not wish to disclose the names and addresses of stockholders or employees, the corporation shall make the names and addresses of stockholders and employees available to an independent mailing service which shall be retained to make the mailing for both the corporation and the labor organization for any mailings under this section.

(iii) If the corporation makes no solicitation of employees under this section during the calendar year, the corporation is not required to make any method or any names and addresses available to any labor organization.

(4) The corporation shall notify the labor organization of its intention to make a solicitation under this section during a calendar year and of the method it will use, within a reasonable time prior to the solicitation, in order to allow the labor organization opportunity to make a similar solicitation.

(5) If there are several labor organizations representing members employed at a single corporation, its subsidiaries, branches, divisions, or affiliates, the labor organizations, either singularly or jointly, may not make a combined total of more than two written solicitations per calendar year. A written solicitation may contain a request for contributions to each separate fund established by the various labor organizations making the combined mailing.

(52 U.S.C. 30101(8)(B)(iii), 30102(c)(3), 30111(a)(8))

[41 FR 35955, Aug. 25, 1976, as amended at 45 FR 15125, Mar. 7, 1980; 61 FR 3550, Feb. 1, 1996; 84 FR 18700, May 2, 2019; 89 FR 218, Jan. 2, 2024]