Price Index Adjustments for Contribution and Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold
As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act ("the Act"), the Federal Election Commission ("the Commission") is adjusting certain contribution and expenditure ...
Notice of adjustments to contribution and expenditure limitations and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold.
SUMMARY:
As mandated by provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act (“the Act”), the Federal Election Commission (“the Commission”) is adjusting certain contribution and expenditure limitations and the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold set forth in the Act, to index the amounts for inflation. Additional details appear in the supplemental information that follows.
Under 52 U.S.C. 30116(c), the Commission must adjust the expenditure limitations established by 52 U.S.C. 30116(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). 52 U.S.C. 30116(c).
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.
See52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(B). This limitation also applies to the District of Columbia and territories that elect individuals to the office of Delegate or Resident Commissioner.[1] Id.
The formula used to calculate the expenditure limitation in such states and territories multiplies the base figure of $10,000 by the difference in the price index (5.09279), rounding to the nearest $100.
See52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(B); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. Based upon this formula, the expenditure limitation for 2019 general elections for House candidates in these states, districts, and territories is $50,900.
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.
See52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(A). The formula used to calculate this expenditure limitation considers not only the price index but also the voting age population (“VAP”) of the state.
Id.
The VAP figures used to calculate the expenditure limitations were certified by the U.S. Census Bureau. The VAP of each state is also published annually in the
Federal Register
by the U.S. 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, 5.09279 (which totals $101,900); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 5.09279. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100.
See52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(A); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2019 general election expenditure limitations for Senate elections. The expenditure limitation for 2019 House elections in states with only one congressional district [2]
is $101,900.
( printed page 2505)
Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits—2019 Elections
State
Voting age
population
(VAP)
VAP × .02 ×
the price index
(5.09279)
Senate
Expenditure
Limit
(the greater
of the amount
in column 3
or $101,900)
Alabama
3,798,031
$386,900
$386,900
Alaska
553,622
56,400
101,900
Arizona
5,528,989
563,200
563,200
Arkansas
2,310,645
235,400
235,400
California
30,567,090
3,113,400
3,113,400
Colorado
4,430,329
451,300
451,300
Connecticut
2,837,472
289,000
289,000
Delaware
763,555
77,800
101,900
Florida
17,070,244
1,738,700
1,738,700
Georgia
8,013,724
816,200
816,200
Hawaii
1,117,077
113,800
113,800
Idaho
1,307,236
133,100
133,100
Illinois
9,883,814
1,006,700
1,006,700
Indiana
5,123,748
521,900
521,900
Iowa
2,425,378
247,000
247,000
Kansas
2,205,544
224,600
224,600
Kentucky
3,459,573
352,400
352,400
Louisiana
3,564,062
363,000
363,000
Maine
1,088,000
110,800
110,800
Maryland
4,702,570
479,000
479,000
Massachusetts
5,535,291
563,800
563,800
Michigan
7,831,247
797,700
797,700
Minnesota
4,308,564
438,900
438,900
Mississippi
2,280,389
232,300
232,300
Missouri
4,749,622
483,800
483,800
Montana
832,871
84,800
101,900
Nebraska
1,452,427
147,900
147,900
Nevada
2,345,395
238,900
238,900
New Hampshire
1,098,288
111,900
111,900
New Jersey
6,954,877
708,400
708,400
New Mexico
1,613,275
164,300
164,300
New York
15,474,107
1,576,100
1,576,100
North Carolina
8,082,975
823,300
823,300
North Dakota
581,379
59,200
101,900
Ohio
9,096,117
926,500
926,500
Oklahoma
2,986,593
304,200
304,200
Oregon
3,317,146
337,900
337,900
Pennsylvania
10,158,149
1,034,700
1,034,700
Rhode Island
852,102
86,800
101,900
South Carolina
3,978,182
405,200
405,200
South Dakota
664,629
67,700
101,900
Tennessee
5,263,790
536,100
536,100
Texas
21,303,746
2,169,900
2,169,900
Utah
2,228,643
227,000
227,000
Vermont
510,326
52,000
101,900
Virginia
6,647,893
677,100
677,100
Washington
5,872,306
598,100
598,100
West Virginia
1,441,672
146,800
146,800
Wisconsin
4,537,465
462,200
462,200
Wyoming
442,962
45,100
101,900
Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates for the 2019-2020 Election Cycle
The Act requires inflation indexing of: (1) The limitations on contributions made by persons under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A) (contributions to candidates) and 30116(a)(1)(B) (contributions to national party committees); and (2) the limitation on contributions made to U.S. Senate candidates by certain political party committees at 52 U.S.C. 30116(h).
See2 U.S.C. 30116(c). These contribution limitations are increased by multiplying the respective statutory contribution amount by 1.41818, 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.
See52 U.S.C. 30116(c); 11 CFR 110.17(b). Contribution limitations shall be adjusted accordingly:
( printed page 2506)
The limitation at 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A) is to be in effect for the two-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 $2,800 figure above is in effect from November 7, 2018, to November 3, 2020. The limitations under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B) and 30116(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 limitations under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B) and 30116(h) are in effect from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020.
See11 CFR 110.17(b)(1).
Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2019
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. 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(1), (3)(A). The Commission must adjust this threshold amount annually to account for inflation. 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(1). The disclosure threshold is increased by multiplying the $15,000 statutory disclosure threshold by 1.24558, 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.
See52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3), 30116(c)(1)(B); 11 CFR 104.22(g). Based upon this formula ($15,000 × 1.24558), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2019 is $18,700.
On behalf of the Commission.
Dated: February 4, 2019.
Ellen L. Weintraub,
Chair, Federal Election Commission.
Footnotes
1.
.Currently, these are the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.
See www.house.gov/representatives.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
84 FR 2504
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Price Index Adjustments for Contribution and Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold,” thefederalregister.org (February 7, 2019), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2019-01516/price-index-adjustments-for-contribution-and-expenditure-limitations-and-lobbyist-bundling-disclosure-threshold.
52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(A)
11 CFR 109.32
www.house.gov/representatives