2016-02627. Price Index Adjustments for Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold

AGENCY:

Federal Election Commission.

ACTION:

Notice of adjustments to expenditure limitations and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold.

SUMMARY:

As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act (“the Act”), the Federal Election Commission (“the Commission”) is adjusting certain expenditure limitations and the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold set forth in the Act, to index the amounts for inflation. Additional details appear in the supplemental information that follows.

DATES:

Effective date: January 1, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Elizabeth S. Kurland, Information Division, 999 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20463; [phone] or [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, 52 U.S.C. 30101-46, coordinated party expenditure limits (52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(2)-(3)) and the disclosure threshold for contributions bundled by lobbyists (52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3)(A)) are adjusted periodically to reflect changes in the consumer price index. See 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3), 30116(c)(1); 11 CFR 109.32, 110.17(a), (f). The Commission is publishing this notice to announce the adjusted limits and disclosure threshold for 2016.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2016

Under 52 U.S.C. 30116(c), the Commission must adjust the expenditure limitations established by 52 U.S.C. 30116(d) (the limits on expenditures by national party committees, state party committees, or their subordinate committees in connection with the general election campaign of candidates for Federal office) annually to account for inflation. This expenditure limitation is increased by the percent difference between the price index, as certified to the Commission by the Secretary of Labor, for the 12 months preceding the beginning of the calendar year and the price index for the base period (calendar year 1974). 52 U.S.C. 30116(c).

1. Expenditure Limitation for House of Representatives in States With More Than One Congressional District

Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure limitation for each general election held to fill a seat in the House of Representatives in states with more than one congressional district. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(B). This limitation also applies to the District of Columbia and territories that elect individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.^[1] Id. The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in such states and territories multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price index (4.80703), rounding to the nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(B); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2016 general elections for House candidates in these states, districts, and territories is $48,100.

2. Expenditure Limitation for Senate and for House of Representatives in States With Only One Congressional District

Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure limitation for a general election held to fill a seat in the Senate or in the House of Representatives in states with only one congressional district. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(A). The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also the voting age population (“VAP”) of the state. Id. The VAP figures used to calculate the expenditure limitations were certified by the U.S. Census Bureau. The VAP of each state is also published annually in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Commerce. 11 CFR 110.18. The general election expenditure limitation is the greater of: The base figure ($20,000) multiplied by the difference in the price index, 4.80703 (which totals $96,100); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 4.80703. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(A); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2016 general election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The expenditure limitation for 2016 House elections in states with only one congressional district ^[2] is $96,100.

Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits—2016 Elections

State	Voting age population (VAP)	VAP × .02 × the price index (4.80703)	Senate expenditure limit (the greater of the amount in column 3 or $96,100)
Alabama	3,755,483	$361,100	$361,100
Alaska	552,166	53,100	96,100
Arizona	5,205,215	500,400	500,400
Arkansas	2,272,904	218,500	218,500
California	30,023,902	2,886,500	2,886,500
Colorado	4,199,509	403,700	403,700
Connecticut	2,826,827	271,800	271,800
Delaware	741,548	71,300	96,100
Florida	16,166,143	1,554,200	1,554,200
Georgia	7,710,688	741,300	741,300
Hawaii	1,120,770	107,800	107,800
Idaho	1,222,093	117,500	117,500
Illinois	9,901,322	951,900	951,900
Indiana	5,040,224	484,600	484,600
Iowa	2,395,103	230,300	230,300
Kansas	2,192,084	210,700	210,700
Kentucky	3,413,425	328,200	328,200
Louisiana	3,555,911	341,900	341,900
Maine	1,072,948	103,200	103,200
Maryland	4,658,175	447,800	447,800
Massachusetts	5,407,335	519,900	519,900
Michigan	7,715,272	741,800	741,800
Minnesota	4,205,207	404,300	404,300
Mississippi	2,265,485	217,800	217,800
Missouri	4,692,196	451,100	451,100
Montana	806,529	77,500	96,100
Nebraska	1,425,853	137,100	137,100
Nevada	2,221,681	213,600	213,600
New Hampshire	1,066,610	102,500	102,500
New Jersey	6,959,192	669,100	669,100
New Mexico	1,588,201	152,700	152,700
New York	15,584,974	1,498,300	1,498,300
North Carolina	7,752,234	745,300	745,300
North Dakota	583,001	56,100	96,100
Ohio	8,984,946	863,800	863,800
Oklahoma	2,950,017	283,600	283,600
Oregon	3,166,121	304,400	304,400
Pennsylvania	10,112,229	972,200	972,200
Rhode Island	845,254	81,300	96,100
South Carolina	3,804,558	365,800	365,800
South Dakota	647,145	62,200	96,100
Tennessee	5,102,688	490,600	490,600
Texas	20,257,343	1,947,600	1,947,600
Utah	2,083,423	200,300	200,300
Vermont	506,119	48,700	96,100
Virginia	6,512,571	626,100	626,100
Washington	5,558,509	534,400	534,400
West Virginia	1,464,532	140,800	140,800
Wisconsin	4,476,711	430,400	430,400
Wyoming	447,212	43,000	96,100

3. Expenditure Limitation for President

The national party committees have an expenditure limitation for their general election nominee for President. 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(2). The formula used to calculate the Presidential expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also the total VAP of the United States. The VAP figure used to calculate the expenditure limitation was certified by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Department of Commerce also publishes the total VAP of the United States annually. 11 CFR 110.18. The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation is $0.02 multiplied by the total VAP of the United States (247,773,709), multiplied by the price index, 4.80703. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(2) and 11 CFR 109.32(a). Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2016 Presidential nominees is $23,821,100.

Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates and National Party Committees for the 2015-2016 Election Cycle

For the convenience of the readers, the Commission is also republishing the contribution limitations for individuals, non-multicandidate committees and for certain political party committees giving to U.S. Senate candidates and national party committees for the 2015-2016 election cycle:

Statutory provision	Statutory amount	2015-2016 limit
52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A)	$2,000	$2,700
52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B)	25,000	33,400
52 U.S.C. 30116(h)	35,000	46,800

Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2016

The Act requires certain political committees to disclose contributions bundled by lobbyists/registrants and lobbyist/registrant political action committees once the contributions exceed a specified threshold amount. 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(1), (3)(A). The Commission must adjust this threshold amount annually to account for inflation. The disclosure threshold is increased by multiplying the $15,000 statutory disclosure threshold by 1.17569, the difference between the price index, as certified to the Commission by the Secretary of Labor, for the 12 months preceding the beginning of the calendar year and the price index for the base period (calendar year 2006). The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3), 30116(c)(1)(B); 11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula ($15,000 × 1.17569), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2016 is $17,600, unchanged from 2015.

On behalf of the Commission.

Dated: February 3, 2016.

Matthew S. Petersen,

Chairman, Federal Election Commission.

Footnotes

1.  Currently, these are the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. See http://www.house.gov/​representatives.

2.  Currently, these states are: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. See http://www.house.gov/​representatives/​.