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,
( printed page 7868)
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)(B)(i), (2)(B)(i).
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 (5.24905), 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 2021 general elections for House candidates in these states, districts, and territories is $52,500.
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, 5.24905 (which totals $105,000); or $0.02 multiplied by the VAP of the state, multiplied by 5.24905.
See52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B), (d)(3)(A); 11 CFR 109.32(b), 110.17. Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100. 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B)(iii); 11 CFR 109.32(b)(3), 110.17(c). The chart below provides the state-by-state breakdown of the 2021 general election expenditure limitations for Senate elections. The expenditure limitation for 2021 House elections in states with only one congressional district [2]
is $105,000.
Senate General Election Coordinated Expenditure Limits—2021 Elections 3
State
Voting age
population
(VAP)
VAP × .02 ×
the price index
(5.24905)
Senate expenditure limit
(the greater of the amount
in column 3 or $105,000)
Alabama
3,834,249
$402,500
$402,500
Alaska
552,427
58,000
105,000
Arizona
5,774,978
606,300
606,300
Arkansas
2,330,808
244,700
244,700
California
30,576,844
3,210,000
3,210,000
Colorado
4,557,684
478,500
478,500
Connecticut
2,838,054
297,900
297,900
Delaware
782,153
82,100
105,000
Florida
17,482,580
1,835,300
1,835,300
Georgia
8,210,067
861,900
861,900
Hawaii
1,111,188
116,700
116,700
Idaho
1,375,870
144,400
144,400
Illinois
9,809,562
1,029,800
1,029,800
Indiana
5,188,514
544,700
544,700
Iowa
2,438,002
255,900
255,900
Kansas
2,217,059
232,700
232,700
Kentucky
3,475,334
364,800
364,800
Louisiana
3,564,038
374,200
374,200
Maine
1,101,973
115,700
115,700
Maryland
4,721,883
495,700
495,700
Massachusetts
5,552,051
582,900
582,900
Michigan
7,839,742
823,000
823,000
Minnesota
4,356,123
457,300
457,300
Mississippi
2,273,653
238,700
238,700
Missouri
4,780,119
501,800
501,800
Montana
850,894
89,300
105,000
Nebraska
1,462,537
153,500
153,500
Nevada
2,440,679
256,200
256,200
New Hampshire
1,113,141
116,900
116,900
New Jersey
6,947,836
729,400
729,400
New Mexico
1,633,828
171,500
171,500
New York
15,348,422
1,611,300
1,611,300
North Carolina
8,294,423
870,800
870,800
North Dakota
583,680
61,300
105,000
Ohio
9,124,576
957,900
957,900
Oklahoma
3,027,263
317,800
317,800
( printed page 7869)
Oregon
3,380,729
354,900
354,900
Pennsylvania
10,162,497
1,066,900
1,066,900
Rhode Island
855,276
89,800
105,000
South Carolina
4,100,115
430,400
430,400
South Dakota
674,238
70,800
105,000
Tennessee
5,373,433
564,100
564,100
Texas
21,925,627
2,301,800
2,301,800
Utah
2,320,603
243,600
243,600
Vermont
510,181
53,600
105,000
Virginia
6,724,143
705,900
705,900
Washington
6,027,818
632,800
632,800
West Virginia
1,428,520
150,000
150,000
Wisconsin
4,574,131
480,200
480,200
Wyoming
449,237
47,200
105,000
Limitations on Contributions by Individuals, Non-Multicandidate Committees and Certain Political Party Committees Giving to U.S. Senate Candidates for the 2021-2022 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).
See52 U.S.C. 30116(c). These contribution limitations are increased by multiplying the respective statutory contribution amount by 1.46170, 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). 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(B)(i), (2)(B)(ii). 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:
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. 52 U.S.C. 30116(c)(1)(C); 11 CFR 110.1(b)(1)(ii). Thus the $2,900 figure above is in effect from November 4, 2020, to November 8, 2022. 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. 11 CFR 110.1(c)(1)(ii). Thus the new contribution limitations under 52 U.S.C. 30116(a)(1)(B) and 30116(h) are in effect from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022.
See11 CFR 110.17(b)(1).
Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold for 2021
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), (i)(3)(A). The Commission must adjust this threshold amount annually to account for inflation. 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3)(B). The disclosure threshold is increased by multiplying the $15,000 statutory disclosure threshold by 1.28380, 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).
See52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3), 30116(c)(1)(B); 11 CFR 104.22(g). The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. 52 U.S.C. 30104(i)(3)(B), 30116(c)(1)(B)(iii); 11 CFR 104.22(g)(4). Based upon this formula ($15,000 × 1.28380), the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold for calendar year 2021 is $19,300.
Dated: January 28, 2021.
On behalf of the Commission,
Shana M. Broussard,
Chair, Federal Election Commission.
Footnotes
1.
Currently, these are Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.
See http://www.house.gov/representatives.
3.
This expenditure limit does not apply to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands because those jurisdictions do not elect Senators.
See 52 U.S.C. 30116(d)(3)(A); 11 CFR 109.32(b)(2)(i).
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
86 FR 7867
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 2, 2021), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2021-02173/price-index-adjustments-for-contribution-and-expenditure-limitations-and-lobbyist-bundling-disclosure-threshold.