Federal Campaign Finance Laws

The FEC administers and enforces provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act, Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act and Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act. This page provides access not only to those statutes, but also to other documents relevant to federal campaign finance legislation:

• Statutes
• Recent Legislation
• Legislative Recommendations
• Other Election-Related Items

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Statutes

• Federal Campaign Finance Laws [PDF]
  A compilation of the laws governing the financing of federal elections, including provisions administered by other government agencies. Those provisions include:
  • Sections of the tax code administered by the Internal Revenue Service that govern tax-exempt 501(c) groups and so-called 527 organizations (additional provisions of 26 U.S.C. also apply);
  • Laws administered by the Federal Communications Commission that govern broadcast communications; and
  • Criminal provisions administered by the Department of Justice that relate to elections and political activity.

  Please contact the agencies listed above for additional information on the laws they administer.
   

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Recent Legislation

• H.R. 6296 revised 2 U.S.C. §434 to extend the sunset date of the administrative fines program to include reporting periods that begin on or after 1/1/2000 and that end on or before 12/31/2013.
  • RECORD Summary
  • White House Press Release

• The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA) [PDF] includes two major provisions for political committees: 
• Revisions to 2 USC §434 (Section 204 of the bill) concerning disclosure of bundled contributions
• Revisions to 2 USC §439a (Section 601 of the bill), concerning restrictions on the use of campaign funds for noncommercial air travel
• RECORD Summary of HLOGA
• FEC HLOGA Rulemakings
• FEC Press Release
• White House Press Release

• Section 721 of the 2006 Appropriations Act, Pub. Law No. 109-115, revised 2 U.S.C. §434 to extend the sunset date of the administrative fines program to include most reports that cover activity between 7/14/2000 and 12/31/2008.
  • RECORD Summary

• Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (via GPO) [PDF] Pub. Law No. 108-447, signed into law 12/8/04, contains two revisions to the Federal Election Campaign Act, as follows:
  • Revisions to 2 U.S.C. §432(e)(3)(B), contained in Division H, Title V, Sec. 525 of H.R. 4818, concerning contributions made by a federal campaign to another federal campaign.
  • Revisions to 2 U.S.C. §439a(a), contained in Division H, Title V, Sec. 532 of H.R. 4818, concerning the use of campaign funds.
  • RECORD Summary [PDF]

• Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (via GPO) [PDF]
  Campaign finance legislation enacted in 2002, often referred to as the McCain-Feingold law.

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Legislative Recommendations

• 2007 Legislative Recommendations
  The Commission's most recent package of recommendations for legislative change.
   
• Legislative Recommendations from Previous Years*
  

  2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

  2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

  1995 1994 1993 1992 1991

  1990 1989 1988 1987 1986

  1985 1984 1983 1982 1981

  1980 1979 1978 1977 1976

  
  * The Commission did not submit legislative recommendations in 2006.

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• The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and National Voter Registration Act (NVRA or "Motor Voter Act") are both administered by the Election Assistance Commission.
  
• Ballot access laws for federal candidates are typically administered by state and local election offices.