E7-1755. Price Index Increases for Expenditure and Contribution Limitations

AGENCY:

Federal Election Commission.

ACTION:

Notice of expenditure and contribution limitation increases.

SUMMARY:

As mandated by provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (“BCRA”), the Federal Election Commission (“FEC” or “the Commission”) is adjusting certain expenditure and contribution limitations set forth in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (“FECA” or “the Act”), to account for increases in the consumer price index. Additional details appear in the supplemental information that follows.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

The effective date for the limit at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) is November 8, 2006. The effective date for the limits at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B), 441a(a)(3), 441a(d) and 441a(h) is January 1, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Gregory J. Scott, Information Division, 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463; [phone] or [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, 2 U.S.C. 431 et seq., as amended by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, ^[1] coordinated party expenditure limits (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)(3)(A) and (B)), and certain contribution limits (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) and (B), (a)(3), (d) and (h)), are adjusted either annually or biennially by the increase in the consumer price index. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1) and 11 CFR 110.17. The Commission is publishing this notice to announce these limits for 2007 or the 2007-2008 election cycle.

Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2007

Under 2 U.S.C. 441a(c), the Commission must adjust the expenditure limitations established by 2 U.S.C. 441a(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

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. The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in a state with more than one congressional district multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the price index (4.089), rounding to the nearest $100. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2007 House elections in those states is $40,900. The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in a state with only one congressional district is the greater of: the base figure ($20,000) multiplied by the price index (4.089) (which totals $81,800); or $0.02 multiplied by the voting age population (“VAP”) of the state, multiplied by the price index. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2007 House elections in these states is $81,800. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(d)(3) and 11 CFR 109.32(b).

2. Expenditure Limitation for Senate

Both the national and state party committees have an expenditure limitation for a general election held to fill a seat in the Senate. The formula used to calculate the Senate expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also the VAP of the state. The expenditure limitation is the greater of: the base figure ($20,000) multiplied by the price index (which totals $81,800); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by the price index. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(d)(3) and 11 CFR 109.32(b). The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2007 expenditure limitations for Senate elections.

Senate Expenditure Limitations—2007 Elections

State	VAP (in thousands)	VAP × .02 multiplied by the price index (4.089)	Expenditure limit (the greater of the amount in column 3 or $81,800)
Alabama	3,485	$285,000	$285,000
Alaska	489	40,000	81,800
Arizona	4,538	371,100	371,100
Arkansas	2,120	173,400	173,400
California	26,925	2,201,900	2,201,900
Colorado	3,584	293,100	293,100
Connecticut	2,687	219,700	219,700
Delaware	650	53,200	81,800
Florida	14,068	1,150,500	1,150,500
Georgia	6,909	565,000	565,000
Hawaii	987	80,700	81,800
Idaho	1,072	87,700	87,700
Illinois	9,617	786,500	786,500
Indiana	4,736	387,300	387,300
Iowa	2,272	185,800	185,800
Kansas	2,068	169,100	169,100
Kentucky	3,207	262,300	262,300
Louisiana	3,198	261,500	261,500
Maine	1,041	85,100	85,100
Maryland	4,255	348,000	348,000
Massachusetts	4,988	407,900	407,900
Michigan	7,617	622,900	622,900
Minnesota	3,910	319,800	319,800
Mississippi	2,151	175,900	175,900
Missouri	4,426	362,000	362,000
Montana	727	59,500	81,800
Nebraska	1,323	108,200	108,200
Nevada	1,861	152,200	152,200
New Hampshire	1,017	83,200	83,200
New Jersey	6,635	542,600	542,600
New Mexico	1,446	118,300	118,300
New York	14,792	1,209,700	1,209,700
North Carolina	6,701	548,000	548,000
North Dakota	491	40,200	81,800
Ohio	8,708	712,100	712,100
Oklahoma	2,685	219,600	219,600
Oregon	2,844	232,600	232,600
Pennsylvania	9,636	788,000	788,000
Rhode Island	830	67,900	81,800
South Carolina	3,282	268,400	268,400
South Dakota	587	48,000	81,800
Tennessee	4,596	375,900	375,900
Texas	17,014	1,391,400	1,391,400
Utah	1,759	143,900	143,900
Vermont	491	40,200	81,800
Virginia	5,836	477,300	477,300
Washington	4,870	398,300	398,300
West Virginia	1,429	116,900	116,900
Wisconsin	4,244	347,100	347,100
Wyoming	393	32,100	81,800

Contribution Limitation Increases for Individuals, Nonmulticandidate Committees and for Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates for 2007-2008 Election Cycle

BCRA amended the Act to extend inflation indexing to: (1) The limitations on contributions made by persons under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) (contributions to candidates) and 441a(a)(1)(B) (contributions to national party committees); (2) the biennial aggregate contribution limits applicable to individuals under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3); and (3) the limitation on contributions made to U.S. Senate candidates by certain political party committees at 2 U.S.C. 441a(h) and 2 U.S.C. 441a(c). These contribution limitations are increased by multiplying the respective statutory contribution amount 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 2001). The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c) and 11 CFR 110.17(b). The Commission has calculated the applicable percent difference to be 13.9 percent. Contribution limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:

Statutory provision	Statutory amount	2007-2008 limitation
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)	$2,000	$2,300
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B)	25,000	28,500
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A)	37,500	42,700
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B)	57,500	65,500
2 U.S.C. 441a(h)	35,000	39,900

The increased limitation at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) is to be in effect for the 2 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 $2,300 figure above is in effect from November 8, 2006, to November 4, 2008. The limitations under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B), 441a(a)(3)(A) and (B), and 441a(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 limits under 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B), 441a(a)(3)(A) and (B), and 441a(h) are in effect from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2008. See 11 CFR 110.17(b)(1).

Dated: January 29, 2007.

Robert D. Lenhard,

Chairman, Federal Election Commission.

Footnotes

1.  Public Law 107-155, 116 Stat. 81 (Mar. 27, 2002).