article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Campaign Truth and Fairness Act of 1997''. SEC. 2. BAN ON SOFT MONEY IN ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE. (a) Soft Money of Committees of Political Parties.--Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ``soft money of political party committees ``Sec. 323. (a) Limitations on National Committee.--(1) A national committee of a political party and the congressional campaign committees of a political party may not solicit or accept contributions or transfers not subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act. ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to contributions-- ``(A) that-- ``(i) are to be transferred to a State committee of a political party and are used solely for activities described in clauses (xi) through (xvii) of paragraph (9)(B) of section 301; or ``(ii) are described in section 301(8)(B)(viii); and ``(B) with respect to which contributors have been notified that the funds will be used solely for the purposes described in subparagraph (A). ``(b) Activities Subject to This Act.--Any amount solicited, received, expended, or disbursed directly or indirectly by a national, State, district, or local committee of a political party with respect to any of the following activities shall be subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act: ``(1)(A) Any get-out-the-vote activity conducted during a calendar year in which an election for the office of President is held. ``(B) Any other get-out-the-vote activity unless subsection (c)(2) applies to the activity. ``(2) Any generic campaign activity. ``(3) Any activity that identifies or promotes a Federal candidate, regardless of whether-- ``(A) a State or local candidate is also identified or promoted; or ``(B) any portion of the funds disbursed constitutes a contribution or expenditure under this Act. ``(4) Voter registration. ``(5) Development and maintenance of voter files during an even-numbered calendar year. ``(6) Any other activity that-- ``(A) significantly affects a Federal election, or ``(B) is not otherwise described in section 301(9)(B)(xvii). Any amount spent to raise funds that are used, in whole or in part, in connection with activities described in the preceding paragraphs shall be subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act. ``(c) Get-Out-The-Vote Activities By State, District, and Local Committees of Political Parties.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any get-out-the-vote activity for a State or local candidate, or for a ballot measure, which is conducted by a State, district, or local committee of a political party shall be subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act. ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any activity which the State committee of a political party certifies to the Commission is an activity which-- ``(A) is conducted during a calendar year other than a calendar year in which an election for the office of President is held, ``(B) is exclusively on behalf of (and specifically identifies only) one or more State or local candidates or ballot measures, and ``(C) does not include any effort or means used to identify or turn out those identified to be supporters of any Federal candidate (including any activity that is undertaken in coordination with, or on behalf of, a candidate for Federal office). ``(d) State Party Grassroots Funds.--(1) A State committee of a political party may make disbursements and expenditures from its State Party Grassroots Fund only for-- ``(A) any generic campaign activity; ``(B) payments described in clauses (v), (x), and (xii) of paragraph (8)(B) and clauses (iv), (viii), and (ix) of paragraph (9)(B) of section 301; ``(C) subject to the limitations of section 315(d), payments described in clause (xii) of paragraph (8)(B), and clause (ix) of paragraph (9)(B), of section 301 on behalf of candidates other than for President and Vice President; ``(D) voter registration; and ``(E) development and maintenance of voter files during an even-numbered calendar year. ``(2) Notwithstanding section 315(a)(4), no funds may be transferred by a State committee of a political party from its State Party Grassroots Fund to any other State Party Grassroots Fund or to any other political committee, except a transfer may be made to a district or local committee of the same political party in the same State if such district or local committee-- ``(A) has established a separate segregated fund for the purposes described in paragraph (1); and ``(B) uses the transferred funds solely for those purposes. ``(e) Amounts Received by Grassroots Fund From State and Local Candidate Committees.--(1) Any amount received by a State Party Grassroots Fund from a State or local candidate committee for expenditures described in subsection (b) that are for the benefit of that candidate shall be treated as meeting the requirements of subsection (b) if-- ``(A) such amount is derived from funds which meet the requirements of this Act with respect to any limitation or prohibition as to source or dollar amount specified in section 315(a) (1)(A) and (2)(A); and ``(B) the State or local candidate committee-- ``(i) maintains, in the account from which payment is made, records of the sources and amounts of funds for purposes of determining whether such requirements are met; and ``(ii) certifies that such requirements were met. ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)(A), in determining whether the funds transferred meet the requirements of this Act described in such paragraph-- ``(A) a State or local candidate committee's cash on hand shall be treated as consisting of the funds most recently received by the committee, and ``(B) the committee must be able to demonstrate that its cash on hand contains sufficient funds meeting such requirements as are necessary to cover the transferred funds. ``(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), any State Party Grassroots Fund receiving any transfer described in paragraph (1) from a State or local candidate committee shall be required to meet the reporting requirements of this Act, and shall submit to the Commission all certifications received, with respect to receipt of the transfer from such candidate committee. ``(4) For purposes of this subsection, a State or local candidate committee is a committee established, financed, maintained, or controlled by a candidate for other than Federal office. ``(f) Related Entities.--The provisions of this Act shall apply to any entity that is established, financed, or maintained by a national committee or State committee of a political party in the same manner as they apply to the national or State committee.'' (b) Contributions and Expenditures.-- (1) Contributions.--Section 301(8)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 431(8)(B)) is amended-- (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (xiii); (B) by striking clause (xiv); and (C) by adding at the end the following new clauses: ``(xiv) any amount contributed to a candidate for other than Federal office; ``(xv) any amount received or expended to pay the costs of a State or local political convention; ``(xvi) any payment for campaign activities that are exclusively on behalf of (and specifically identify only) State or local candidates and do not identify any Federal candidate, and that are not activities described in section 323(b) (without regard to paragraph (6)(B)) or section 323(c)(1); ``(xvii) any payment for administrative expenses of a State or local committee of a political party, including expenses for-- ``(I) overhead, including party meetings; ``(II) staff (other than individuals devoting a significant amount of their time to elections for Federal office and individuals engaged in conducting get-out-the-vote activities for a Federal election); and ``(III) conducting party elections or caucuses; ``(xviii) any payment for research pertaining solely to State and local candidates and issues; ``(xix) any payment for development and maintenance of voter files other than during the 1-year period ending on the date during an even-numbered calendar year on which regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office occur; and ``(xx) any payment for any other activity which is solely for the purpose of influencing, and which solely affects, an election for non- Federal office and which is not an activity described in section 323(b) (without regard to paragraph (6)(B)) or section 323(c)(1).''. (2) Expenditures.--Section 301(9)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 431(9)(B)) is amended-- (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ix); (B) by striking the period at the end of clause (x) and inserting a semicolon; and (C) by adding at the end the following new clauses: ``(xi) any amount contributed to a candidate for other than Federal office; ``(xii) any amount received or expended to pay the costs of a State or local political convention; ``(xiii) any payment for campaign activities that are exclusively on behalf of (and specifically identify only) State or local candidates and do not identify any Federal candidate, and that are not activities described in section 323(b) (without regard to paragraph (6)(B)) or section 323(c)(1); ``(xiv) any payment for administrative expenses of a State or local committee of a political party, including expenses for-- ``(I) overhead, including party meetings; ``(II) staff (other than individuals devoting a significant amount of their time to elections for Federal office and individuals engaged in conducting get-out-the-vote activities for a Federal election); and ``(III) conducting party elections or caucuses; ``(xv) any payment for research pertaining solely to State and local candidates and issues; ``(xvi) any payment for development and maintenance of voter files other than during the 1-year period ending on the date during an even-numbered calendar year on which regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office occur; and ``(xvii) any payment for any other activity which is solely for the purpose of influencing, and which solely affects, an election for non- Federal office and which is not an activity described in section 323(b) (without regard to paragraph (6)(B)) or section 323(c)(1).''. SEC. 3. EQUALIZATION OF MULTICANDIDATE POLITICAL COMMITTEE CANDIDATE CONTRIBUTION LIMITATION WITH LIMITATION APPLICABLE TO OTHER PERSONS. (a) Persons Generally.--Section 315(a)(1)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(1)(A)) is amended by striking out ``$1,000'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``$2,500''. (b) Multicandidate Political Committees.--Section 315(a)(2)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(2)(A)) is amended by striking out ``$5,000'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``$2,500''. SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY CANDIDATES IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTIONS. Section 315 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(i) A candidate for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress may not make contributions of more than $100,000 to the campaign of the candidate with respect to an election cycle. As used in this subsection, the term `election cycle' means, with respect to a candidate, the period beginning on the day after the date of the most recent general election for the office involved and ending on the date of the next general election for such office.''.
summary: Campaign Truth and Fairness Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a national committee or a congressional campaign committee of a political party from soliciting or accepting contributions or transfers not subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of such Act (soft money). Specifies exceptions and inclusions, including get-out-the-vote activities. Specifies permitted State Party Grassroots Fund expenditures. Sets forth specified "contribution" and "expenditure" exclusions. Increases individual contribution limits to a candidate and his or her political committee, and decreases similar multicandidate political committee limits, to $2,500. Limits personal contributions by a candidate for the House of Representatives to $100,000 per campaign cycle.