05-4580. Price Index Increases for Expenditure and Contribution Limitations  

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    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.

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    FOR 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.

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    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, 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

    StateVAP (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)
    Alabama3,436$263,300$263,300
    Alaska46735,80076,600
    Arizona4,197321,600321,600
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    Arkansas2,076159,100159,100
    California26,2972,014,9002,014,900
    Colorado3,423262,300262,300
    Connecticut2,665204,200204,200
    Delaware63748,80076,600
    Florida13,3941,026,3001,026,300
    Georgia6,497497,800497,800
    Hawaii96473,90076,600
    Idaho102178,20078,200
    Illinois9,475726,000726,000
    Indiana4,637355,300355,300
    Iowa2,274174,200174,200
    Kansas2,052157,200157,200
    Kentucky3,166242,600242,600
    Louisiana3,351256,800256,800
    Maine1,03579,30079,300
    Maryland4,163319,000319,000
    Massachusetts4,952379,400379,400
    Michigan7,579580,700580,700
    Minnesota3,861295,800295,800
    Mississippi2,153165,000165,000
    Missouri4,370334,800334,800
    Montana71955,10076,600
    Nebraska1,313100,600100,600
    Nevada1,731132,600132,600
    New Hampshire99576,20076,600
    New Jersey6,543501,300501,300
    New Mexico1,411108,100108,100
    New York14,6551,122,9001,122,900
    North Carolina6,423492,100492,100
    North Dakota49537,90076,600
    Ohio8,680665,100665,100
    Oklahoma2,664204,100204,100
    Oregon2,742210,100210,100
    Pennsylvania9,569733,200733,200
    Rhode Island83764,10076,600
    South Carolina3,173243,100243,100
    South Dakota58044,40076,600
    Tennessee4,510345,600345,600
    Texas16,2231,243,0001,243,000
    Utah1,649126,300126,300
    Vermont48737,30076,600
    Virginia5,655433,300433,300
    Washington4,718361,500361,500
    West Virginia1,431109,600109,600
    Wisconsin4,201321,900321,900
    Wyoming39029,90076,600

    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 provisionStatutory amount2005-2006 Limitation
    2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)$2,000$2,100.
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    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.

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    Dated: March 4, 2005.

    Michael E. Toner,

    Vice Chairman, Federal Election Commission.

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    [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