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Start Preamble
AGENCY:
Federal Election Commission.
ACTION:
Corrected 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. This notice corrects certain information regarding the effective periods for changes to contribution limits under FECA that was published in the Commission's notice appearing in the February 10, 2005, Federal Register.
Additional details appear in the supplemental information that follows.
DATES:
Effective Date: The effective date for the limits at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A), 441a(a)(1)(B) and 441a(h) is November 3, 2004. The effective date for the limits at 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3) and 441a(d) is January 1, 2005.
Start Further InfoFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Gregory J. Scott, Information Division, 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463; telephone: (202) 694-1100; toll free (800) 424-9530.
End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental InformationSUPPLEMENTARY 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, Public Law 107-155, 116 Stat. 81 (March 27, 2002), 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 consumer price index. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1). The Commission is publishing this notice to announce these limits for 2005 or the 2005-2006 election cycle.
Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for 2005
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 (3.831), rounding to the nearest $100. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2005 House elections in those states is $38,300. The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in a state with only one congressional district multiplies the base figure of $20,000 by the price index (3.831), rounding to the nearest $100. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2005 House elections in these states is $76,600.
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 voting age population (“VAP”) of the state. The expenditure limitation is the greater of: the base figure ($20,000) multiplied by the price index (which totals $76,600); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by the price index. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2005 expenditure limitations for Senate elections.
Senate Expenditure Limitations—2005 Elections
State VAP (in thousands) VAP x .02 multiplied by the price index (3.831) Expenditure limit (the greater of the amount in column 3 or $76,600) Alabama 3,436 $263,300 $263,300 Alaska 467 35,800 76,600 Arizona 4,197 321,600 321,600 Start Printed Page 11659 Arkansas 2,076 159,100 159,100 California 26,297 2,014,900 2,014,900 Colorado 3,423 262,300 262,300 Connecticut 2,665 204,200 204,200 Delaware 637 48,800 76,600 Florida 13,394 1,026,300 1,026,300 Georgia 6,497 497,800 497,800 Hawaii 964 73,900 76,600 Idaho 1021 78,200 78,200 Illinois 9,475 726,000 726,000 Indiana 4,637 355,300 355,300 Iowa 2,274 174,200 174,200 Kansas 2,052 157,200 157,200 Kentucky 3,166 242,600 242,600 Louisiana 3,351 256,800 256,800 Maine 1,035 79,300 79,300 Maryland 4,163 319,000 319,000 Massachusetts 4,952 379,400 379,400 Michigan 7,579 580,700 580,700 Minnesota 3,861 295,800 295,800 Mississippi 2,153 165,000 165,000 Missouri 4,370 334,800 334,800 Montana 719 55,100 76,600 Nebraska 1,313 100,600 100,600 Nevada 1,731 132,600 132,600 New Hampshire 995 76,200 76,600 New Jersey 6,543 501,300 501,300 New Mexico 1,411 108,100 108,100 New York 14,655 1,122,900 1,122,900 North Carolina 6,423 492,100 492,100 North Dakota 495 37,900 76,600 Ohio 8,680 665,100 665,100 Oklahoma 2,664 204,100 204,100 Oregon 2,742 210,100 210,100 Pennsylvania 9,569 733,200 733,200 Rhode Island 837 64,100 76,600 South Carolina 3,173 243,100 243,100 South Dakota 580 44,400 76,600 Tennessee 4,510 345,600 345,600 Texas 16,223 1,243,000 1,243,000 Utah 1,649 126,300 126,300 Vermont 487 37,300 76,600 Virginia 5,655 433,300 433,300 Washington 4,718 361,500 361,500 West Virginia 1,431 109,600 109,600 Wisconsin 4,201 321,900 321,900 Wyoming 390 29,900 76,600 Contribution Limitation Increases for Individuals, Nonmulticandidate Committees and for Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates for 2005-2006 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). 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. The Commission has calculated the applicable percent difference to be 6.7 percent.
Contribution limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:
Statutory provision Statutory amount 2005-2006 Limitation 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) $2,000 $2,100. Start Printed Page 11660 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B) $25,000 $26,700. 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A) $37,500 $40,000. 2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B) $57,500 (of which not more than $37,500 may be attributable to contributions to political committees that are not political committees of national political parties) $61,400 (of which not more than $40,000 may be attributable to contributions to political committees that are not political committees of national political parties). 2 U.S.C. 441a(h) $35,000 $37,300. 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 respective figure above is in effect from November 3, 2004, to November 7, 2006. 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, 2005, to December 31, 2006.
Start SignatureDated: March 4, 2005.
Michael E. Toner,
Vice Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-4580 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6715-01-P
Document Information
- Published:
- 03/09/2005
- Department:
- Federal Election Commission
- Entry Type:
- Notice
- Action:
- Corrected notice of expenditure and contribution limitation increases.
- Document Number:
- 05-4580
- Pages:
- 11658-11660 (3 pages)
- Docket Numbers:
- Notice 2005-7
- PDF File:
- 05-4580.pdf