2015-01963. Price Index Adjustments for Contribution and Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold

AGENCY:

Federal Election Commission.

ACTION:

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

SUMMARY:

As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (“FECA” or “the Act”), the Federal Election Commission (“FEC” or “the Commission”) is adjusting certain contribution and 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: The effective date for the limitation at 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A) is November 5, 2014. The effective date for the limitations at 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3)(A), 30116(a)(1)(B), 30116(d) and 30116(h) is January 1, 2015.

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 of 1971, 52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq., coordinated party expenditure limits (52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(2) and (3)(A), (B)), certain contribution limits (52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A) and (B), and (h)), 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) and 30116(c)(1), and 11 CFR 109.32 and 110.17(a), (f). The Commission is publishing this notice to announce the adjusted limits and disclosure threshold.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2015

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).

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. This limitation also applies to those states and territories that elect individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.^[1] The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in such states multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price index (4.80133), rounding to the nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B) and 30116(d)(3)(B), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2015 general elections for House candidates in these states is $48,000.

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. The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also the voting age population (“VAP”) of the state. The VAP of each state is published annually in the Federal Register by the 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, 4.80133 (which totals $96,000); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 4.80133. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B) and 30116(d)(3)(A), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2015 general election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The expenditure limitation for 2015 House elections in states with only one congressional district ^[2] is $96,000.

Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits—2015 Elections

State	Voting age population (VAP)	VAP × .02 × the price index (4.80133)	Senate expenditure limit (the greater of the amount in column 3 or $96,000)
Alabama	3,741,806	$359,300	$359,300
Alaska	550,189	52,800	96,000
Arizona	5,109,792	490,700	490,700
Arkansas	2,259,350	217,000	217,000
California	29,649,348	2,847,100	2,847,100
Colorado	4,109,494	394,600	394,600
Connecticut	2,821,247	270,900	270,900
Delaware	731,367	70,200	96,000
Florida	15,839,713	1,521,000	1,521,000
Georgia	7,604,061	730,200	730,200
Hawaii	1,111,117	106,700	106,700
Idaho	1,203,384	115,600	115,600
Illinois	9,892,106	949,900	949,900
Indiana	5,014,928	481,600	481,600
Iowa	2,381,172	228,700	228,700
Kansas	2,181,355	209,500	209,500
Kentucky	3,400,843	326,600	326,600
Louisiana	3,536,183	339,600	339,600
Maine	1,071,112	102,900	102,900
Maryland	4,625,863	444,200	444,200
Massachusetts	5,354,940	514,200	514,200
Michigan	7,686,087	738,100	738,100
Minnesota	4,175,347	400,900	400,900
Mississippi	2,262,810	217,300	217,300
Missouri	4,670,966	448,500	448,500
Montana	798,555	76,700	96,000
Nebraska	1,414,894	135,900	135,900
Nevada	2,175,874	208,900	208,900
New Hampshire	1,059,672	101,800	101,800
New Jersey	6,926,094	665,100	665,100
New Mexico	1,583,623	152,100	152,100
New York	15,517,321	1,490,100	1,490,100
North Carolina	7,656,415	735,200	735,200
North Dakota	570,955	54,800	96,000
Ohio	8,955,859	860,000	860,000
Oklahoma	2,925,352	280,900	280,900
Oregon	3,112,217	298,900	298,900
Pennsylvania	10,086,316	968,600	968,600
Rhode Island	842,321	80,900	96,000
South Carolina	3,747,734	359,900	359,900
South Dakota	642,768	61,700	96,000
Tennessee	5,054,826	485,400	485,400
Texas	19,841,344	1,905,300	1,905,300
Utah	2,038,787	195,800	195,800
Vermont	504,976	48,500	96,000
Virginia	6,457,174	620,100	620,100
Washington	5,458,809	524,200	524,200
West Virginia	1,470,179	141,200	141,200
Wisconsin	4,457,375	428,000	428,000
Wyoming	445,830	42,800	96,000

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

The Act requires inflation indexing to: (1) The limitations on contributions made by persons under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A) (contributions to candidates) and 30116(a)(1)(B) (contributions to national party committees); and (2) the limitation on contributions made to U.S. Senate candidates by certain political party committees at 52 U.S.C. 30116(h). See 2 U.S.C. 30116(c). These contribution limitations are increased by multiplying the respective statutory contribution amount by 1.33702, 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 2001). The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. See 52 U.S.C. 30116(c) and 11 CFR 110.17(b). Contribution limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:

Statutory provision	Statutory mount	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

The increased limitation at 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A) is to be in effect for the two-year period beginning on the first day following the date of the general election in the preceding year and ending on the date of the next regularly scheduled election. Thus the $2,700 figure above is in effect from November 5, 2014, to November 8, 2016. The limitations under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B) and 30116(h) shall be in effect beginning January 1st of the odd-numbered year and ending on December 31st of the next even-numbered year. Thus the new contribution limitations under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B) and 30116(h) are in effect from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016. See 11 CFR 110.17(b)(1).

Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2015

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. 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 1.17429, 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)(A) and (B), 30116(c)(1)(B) and 11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula ($15,000 × 1.17429), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2015 is $17,600.

On behalf of the Commission, January 28, 2015.

Ann M. Ravel,

Chair, Federal Election Commission.

Footnotes

1.  Currently, these states are the District of Columbia, 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/​.