70 FR 45 pgs. 11658-11660 - Price Index Increases for Expenditure and Contribution Limitations
Type: NOTICEVolume: 70Number: 45Pages: 11658 - 11660
Docket number: [Notice 2005-7]
FR document: [FR Doc. 05-4580 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
Agency: Federal Election Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION
[Notice 2005-7]
Price Index Increases for Expenditure and Contribution Limitations
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.
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.
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.
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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.
Dated: March 4, 2005.
Michael E. Toner,
Vice Chairman, Federal Election Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-4580 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
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