2017-03090. 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 (“the Act”), the Federal Election Commission (“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 9, 2016. 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, 2017.

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)(3)), 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), 30116(c)(1); 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 2017

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 (4.86767), 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 2017 general elections for House candidates in these states, districts, and territories is $48,700.

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, 4.86767 (which totals $97,400); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 4.86767. 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 2017 general election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The expenditure limitation for 2017 House elections in states with only one congressional district ^[2] is $97,400.

Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits—2017 Elections

State	Voting age population (VAP)	VAP × .02 × the price index (4.86767)	Senate expenditure limit (the greater of the amount in column 3 or $97,400)
Alabama	3,766,477	$366,700	$366,700
Alaska	554,567	54,000	97,400
Arizona	5,299,579	515,900	515,900
Arkansas	2,283,195	222,300	222,300
California	30,157,154	2,935,900	2,935,900
Colorado	4,279,173	416,600	416,600
Connecticut	2,823,158	274,800	274,800
Delaware	747,791	72,800	97,400
Florida	16,465,727	1,603,000	1,603,000
Georgia	7,798,827	759,200	759,200
Hawaii	1,120,541	109,100	109,100
Idaho	1,245,967	121,300	121,300
Illinois	9,875,430	961,400	961,400
Indiana	5,057,601	492,400	492,400
Iowa	2,403,962	234,000	234,000
Kansas	2,192,338	213,400	213,400
Kentucky	3,426,345	333,600	333,600
Louisiana	3,567,717	347,300	347,300
Maine	1,076,765	104,800	104,800
Maryland	4,667,719	454,400	454,400
Massachusetts	5,433,677	529,000	529,000
Michigan	7,737,243	753,200	753,200
Minnesota	4,231,619	412,000	412,000
Mississippi	2,267,438	220,700	220,700
Missouri	4,706,137	458,200	458,200
Montana	814,909	79,300	97,400
Nebraska	1,433,791	139,600	139,600
Nevada	2,262,631	220,300	220,300
New Hampshire	1,074,207	104,600	104,600
New Jersey	6,959,717	677,600	677,600
New Mexico	1,590,352	154,800	154,800
New York	15,564,730	1,515,300	1,515,300
North Carolina	7,848,068	764,000	764,000
North Dakota	581,641	56,600	97,400
Ohio	9,002,201	876,400	876,400
Oklahoma	2,961,933	288,400	288,400
Oregon	3,224,738	313,900	313,900
Pennsylvania	10,109,422	984,200	984,200
Rhode Island	848,045	82,600	97,400
South Carolina	3,863,498	376,100	376,100
South Dakota	652,167	63,500	97,400
Tennessee	5,149,399	501,300	501,300
Texas	20,568,009	2,002,400	2,002,400
Utah	2,129,444	207,300	207,300
Vermont	506,066	49,300	97,400
Virginia	6,541,685	636,900	636,900
Washington	5,658,502	550,900	550,900
West Virginia	1,456,034	141,700	141,700
Wisconsin	4,491,015	437,200	437,200
Wyoming	446,600	43,500	97,400

Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates for the 2017-2018 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 1.35550, 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); 11 CFR 110.17(b). Contribution limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:

Statutory provision	Statutory amount	2017-2018 limit
52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A)	$2,000	$2,700
52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B)	25,000	33,900
52 U.S.C. 30116(h)	35,000	47,400

The 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 9, 2016, to November 6, 2018. 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, 2017, to December 31, 2018. See 11 CFR 110.17(b)(1).

Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2017

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 1.19052, 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 × 1.19052), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2017 is $17,900.

Dated: February 2, 2017.

On behalf of the Commission.

Steven T. Walther,

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/​.