HR 414 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Presidential Funding Act

Fact sheet

Latest action · Apr 1, 2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Elections.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJan 25, 2011
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Presidential Funding Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise the system of public financing for presidential primary and general elections.

Increases the amount of matching funds for presidential primaries from a 1:1 match to a 4:1 match for contributions of $200 or less from individuals. Limits the total amount of payments to primary candidates to $100 million.

Requires presidential primary candidates who opt to participate in the public financing system to certify to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that they have raised $25,000 (currently, $5,000) in each of 20 states, with individual contributions limited to $200. Requires such candidates to commit to accept public financing in both the primary and general elections.

Limits contributions to presidential primary candidates who participate in the public financing system to $1,000 from individual contributors (currently, $2,400). Prohibits such candidates from accepting contributions or bundled contributions (i.e., combining small contributions into one large contribution) from lobbyists or political action committees (PACs).

Eliminates expenditure limitations for presidential primary and general elections.

Changes the period for payment of matching funds to presidential primary candidates from January 1 of the election year to six months prior to the date of the earliest state primary election.

Revises general election payment provisions to allow a grant of $50 million to candidates and an additional $150 million in matching funds based upon a 4:1 match of contributions raised after June 1 of the general election year from individual donors giving up to $200 each.

Increases to $50 million the limit on coordinated spending by a national party and its presidential candidate.

Eliminates public financing for national party conventions. Allows individual contributions up to $25,000 in each four-year presidential election cycle to pay for national party convention costs. Prohibits the use of unregulated funds (soft money) to pay for national party convention costs.

Increases from $3 to $10 ($6 to $20 for joint returns) the tax check-off for contributions to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations to ensure that approved tax preparation software does not automatically accept or decline a check-off of contributions for the public financing system.

Directs the FEC to issue regulations on best efforts for identifying persons making contributions to political committees. Revises reporting requirements for the disclosure of bundled contributions by lobbyists and to presidential campaigns.

Cosponsors 14

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 25, 2011 to Sep 13, 2012, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-MDChris Van HollenOriginalJan 25, 2011
D-FLAlcee L. HastingsJan 26, 2011
D-VAJames P. MoranJan 26, 2011
D-COJared PolisJan 26, 2011
D-NYLouise McIntosh SlaughterJan 26, 2011
D-CALynn C. WoolseyJan 26, 2011
D-NJRush HoltJan 26, 2011
D-TXSheila Jackson LeeJan 26, 2011
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyFeb 9, 2011
D-MANiki TsongasMar 15, 2011
R-NCWalter B. JonesMar 15, 2011
D-CAAnna G. EshooJul 13, 2011
D-OHTim RyanDec 1, 2011
D-MDJohn P. SarbanesSep 13, 2012

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Apr 1, 2011Referred to the Subcommittee on Elections.
  2. Jan 25, 2011Introduced in House
  3. Jan 25, 2011Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 3312Presidential Funding ActRelated billJun 19, 2012
HR 6448Empowering Citizens ActRelated billSep 20, 2012

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 25, 2011Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.