Congressional General Election Campaign Financing Reform Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on House Administration.
Congressional General Election Campaign Financing Reform Act - Adds a new chapter 97 to the Internal Revenue Code entitled "Congressional General Election Campaign Fund Act". Establishes, within the Internal Revenue Code, procedures by which candidates for nomination for election, or for election to either House of Congress may receive payments of public funds in amounts matching contributions made to the candidates' nomination or election campaign funds. Defines terms used in the Act. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to maintain in the Presidential Election Campaign Fund a separate amount to be known as the Congressional General Election Payment Account. Directs the Secretary to deposit into the Congressional General Election Payment Account that portion of the annual amounts designated by taxpayers on their income tax returns that equals the excess above 30 percent of the total amount made available in the last Presidential election. Limits to $100 the amount of a contribution which an individual may make to one candidate's primary election campaign or to that candidate's general election campaign. Authorizes the Federal Election Commission to examine and audit the qualified campaign expenses of every candidate and to require the candidate to repay to the Secretary the amount of any excess payments made by the Secretary. Requires the Commission to report to Congress at the end of each Federal general election year on the qualified campaign expenses of each candidate, the amount paid to each candidate, and the amount of repayments required from candidates. Authorizes the Commission to bring action in any United States district court to recover any amounts deemed payable to the Secretary as the result of an audit. Establishes a criminal penalty consisting of a fine of up to $25,000, or one year in prison or both for violation of the limitations on expenditures. Increases fines for violations of the limitations set for contributions and expenditures in Presidential and Congressional campaigns.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on August 5, 1976. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on August 5, 1976: Referred to House Committee on House Administration.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 94th Congress (1975-76), 588 of the 21,097 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
TIMOTHY WIRTH (D-CO) introduced it on August 5, 1976, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on August 5, 1976, 18298 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 18298 days ago, on August 5, 1976.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 94th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1977 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers