79 FR 25 pgs. 7190-7192 - Price Index Adjustments for Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold

Type: NOTICEVolume: 79Number: 25Pages: 7190 - 7192
Docket number: [Notice 2014-03]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2014-02453 Filed 2-5-14; 8:45 am]
Agency: Federal Election Commission
Official PDF Version:  PDF Version
Pages: 7190, 7191, 7192

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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[Notice 2014-03]

Price Index Adjustments for Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold

AGENCY:

Federal Election Commission.

ACTION:

Notice of adjustments to expenditure limitations and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold.

SUMMARY:


[top] As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended ("FECA" or "the Act"), the Federal Election Commission ("FEC" or "the Commission") is adjusting certain expenditure limitations and the lobbyist bundling page 7191 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: January 1, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Elizabeth S. Kurland, Information Division, 999 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20463; (202) 694-1100 or (800) 424-9530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, 2 U.S.C. 431 et seq., coordinated party expenditure limits (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)(2) and (3)(A), (B)) and the disclosure threshold for contributions bundled by lobbyists (2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A)) are adjusted periodically to reflect changes in the consumer price index. See 2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(B) and 441a(c)(1), 11 CFR 104.22(g), 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 2014

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 subordinate committees of state party 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 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. This limitation also applies to those states and territories that elect individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.1The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in such states multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price index (4.72469), rounding to the nearest $100. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(B), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2014 general elections for House candidates in these states is $47,200.

Footnotes:

1 Currently, these states are the District of Columbia, 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/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml and http://about.dc.gov/statehood.asp .

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. The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also the voting age population ("VAP") of the state. The VAP of each state is published annually in the Federal Register by the 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, 4.72469 (which totals $94,500); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 4.72469. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. See 2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)(B) and 441a(d)(3)(A), and 11 CFR 109.32(b) and 110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2014 general election expenditure limitation for Senate elections. The expenditure limitation for 2014 House elections in states with only one congressional district2is $94,500.

Footnotes:

2 Currently, these states are: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. See http://www.house.gov/representatives/.

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State Voting age population (VAP) VAP x .02 x the price index (4.72469) Senate expenditure limit (the greater of the amount in column 3 or $94,500)
Alabama 3,722,241 $351,700 $351,700
Alaska 547,000 51,700 94,500
Arizona 5,009,810 473,400 473,400
Arkansas 2,249,507 212,600 212,600
California 29,157,644 2,755,200 2,755,200
Colorado 4,030,435 380,900 380,900
Connecticut 2,810,514 265,600 265,600
Delaware 722,191 68,200 94,500
Florida 15,526,186 1,467,100 1,467,100
Georgia 7,502,458 708,900 708,900
Hawaii 1,096,788 103,600 103,600
Idaho 1,184,355 111,900 111,900
Illinois 9,858,828 931,600 931,600
Indiana 4,984,875 471,000 471,000
Iowa 2,366,384 223,600 223,600
Kansas 2,169,865 205,000 205,000
Kentucky 3,381,291 319,500 319,500
Louisiana 3,512,513 331,900 331,900
Maine 1,067,026 100,800 100,800
Maryland 4,584,292 433,200 433,200
Massachusetts 5,298,878 500,700 500,700
Michigan 7,650,421 722,900 722,900
Minnesota 4,141,269 391,300 391,300
Mississippi 2,253,775 213,000 213,000
Missouri 4,646,486 439,100 439,100
Montana 791,184 74,800 94,500
Nebraska 1,404,168 132,700 132,700
Nevada 2,128,531 201,100 201,100
New Hampshire 1,052,337 99,400 99,400
New Jersey 6,877,222 649,900 649,900
New Mexico 1,577,747 149,100 149,100
New York 15,411,151 1,456,300 1,456,300
North Carolina 7,562,455 714,600 714,600
North Dakota 560,705 53,000 94,500
Ohio 8,920,978 843,000 843,000
Oklahoma 2,903,541 274,400 274,400
Oregon 3,072,459 290,300 290,300
Pennsylvania 10,058,156 950,400 950,400
Rhode Island 837,524 79,100 94,500
South Carolina 3,695,041 349,200 349,200
South Dakota 636,918 60,200 94,500
Tennessee 5,004,401 472,900 472,900
Texas 19,406,207 1,833,800 1,833,800
Utah 2,004,283 189,400 189,400
Vermont 503,929 47,600 94,500
Virginia 6,395,870 604,400 604,400
Washington 5,375,611 508,000 508,000
West Virginia 1,472,626 139,200 139,200
Wisconsin 4,434,937 419,100 419,100
Wyoming 444,979 42,000 94,500


Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates for the 2013-2014 Election Cycle

For the convenience of the readers, the Commission is also republishing the contribution limitations for individuals, non-multicandidate committees and for certain political party committees giving to U.S. Senate candidates for the 2013-2014 election cycle:

Statutory provision Statutory amount 2013-2014 Limit
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A) $2,000 $2,600.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(B) $25,000 $32,400.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(A) $37,500 $48,600.
2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(3)(B) $57,500 (of which no more than $37,500 may be attributable to contributions to political committees that are not political committees of national political parties) $74,600 (of which no more than $48,600 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 $45,400.

Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2014

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. 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 1.15555, 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 2 U.S.C. 434(i)(3)(A) and (B), 441a(c)(1)(B) and 11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula ($15,000 × 1.15555), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2014 is $17,300.

On behalf of the Commission.

Dated: January 30, 2014.

Lee E. Goodman,

Chairman, Federal Election Commission.

[FR Doc. 2014-02453 Filed 2-5-14; 8:45 am]

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