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
• Legislation
• Legislative Recommendations
• Other Election-Related Items

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Statutes

• NOTE: Effective September 1, 2014, the Federal Election Campaign Act and other laws relating to elections and voting were relocated to the new title 52. The FEC has posted a new version of the Federal Election Campaign Laws to reflect this change.
  
• Federal Election Campaign Laws [2015 Edition; Single PDF compiled by FEC]
  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.

• Federal Campaign Finance Laws [By section, via GPO and the U.S. House Office of Law Revision Counsel]
  
  
   

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Legislation

• FECA and Amendment Legislative Histories
  • FECA and Amendment legislative history 1971 [PDF, 135 MB]
  • FECA and Amendments legislative history 1974 [PDF, 181 MB]
  • FECA and Amendments legislative history 1976 [PDF, 136 MB]
  • FECA and Amendments legislative history 1979 [PDF, 52 MB]




• Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, H.R. 83, Pub. Law. No. 113-483, revised 52 U.S.C. § 30116 (formerly 2 U.S.C. § 441a(a)) to enable national party committees to establish accounts to defray certain expenses incurred with respect to Presidential nominating conventions, election recounts and other legal proceedings, and headquarters buildings.
  • RECORD Summary
• Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, H.R. 2019, Pub. Law No. 113-94, revised 26 U.S.C. § 9008 to eliminate taxpayer financing of political party conventions and reprogram savings to provide for a 10-year pediatric research initiative.
  • RECORD Summary
• H.R. 3487, Pub. Law No. 113-72, revised 2 U.S.C. § 434 (now 52 U.S.C. § 30104) to extend through 2018 the authority of the FEC to impose civil monetary penalties on the basis of a schedule of penalties established and published by the Commission, to expand such authority to certain other violations and for other purposes.

• RECORD Summary
  
• H.R. 6296, Pub. Law No. 110-433, revised 2 U.S.C. § 434 (now 52 U.S.C. § 30104) 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) (now 52 U.S.C. § 30104), concerning disclosure of bundled contributions
• Revisions to 2 USC § 439a (Section 601 of the bill) (now 52 U.S.C. § 30114), concerning restrictions on the use of campaign funds for noncommercial air travel
• RECORD Summary of HLOGA
• 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) (now 52 U.S.C. § 30101(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) (now 52 U.S.C. § 30114(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

• 2016 Legislative Recommendations [PDF; 20 pages]
  The Commission's most recent package of recommendations for legislative change.
   

Legislative Recommendations from Previous Years*

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009

2007 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, 2008 or 2010.

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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.