Candidate Accountability Act

Candidate Accountability Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to limit to $50,000 in a federal election the aggregate contributions any person may make to any candidate and the candidate's authorized committees during the 5-day period ending on the election date.

Sunsets all other current federal election contributions limits as of December 31, 2012.

Repeals current restrictions and requirements on independent and coordinated election expenditures by political party committees after the party nominates a candidate. Replaces them with a special rule for direct costs of communications. Subjects to specified limitations the direct costs incurred by a political committee of a political party for a communication made in connection with the campaign of a candidate for federal office only if the communication is controlled by, or made at the direction of, the candidate or an authorized committee of the candidate.

Requires each political committee to post mandatory contribution information on its public website: (1) within 7 days after receiving the contribution, or (2) within 2 days if the aggregate contributions of the contributor exceed $10,000.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6197 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6197

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to eliminate certain 
   contribution limitations, to require political committees to post 
information on contributions received by the committees on the websites 
              of such committees, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2012

  Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California introduced the following bill; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to eliminate certain 
   contribution limitations, to require political committees to post 
information on contributions received by the committees on the websites 
              of such committees, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Candidate Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF LIMITATIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS.

    (a) Elimination of Limitations; Exception for Contributions to 
Candidates of Over $50,000 Within 5 Days of Election.--Section 315(a) 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
    ``(9) No person shall make contributions to any candidate and the 
candidate's authorized committees with respect to any election for 
Federal office which, in the aggregate, exceed $50,000 during the 5-day 
period ending on the date of the election.
    ``(10) The limitations provided under this subsection, other than 
the limitation provided under paragraph (9), shall not apply with 
respect to any election held on or after January 1, 2013.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to National Party Senatorial 
Campaign Committees.--Section 315 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a) is 
amended by striking subsection (h).

SEC. 3. REQUIRING CONTROL OR DIRECTION BY CANDIDATE AS CONDITION OF 
              TREATMENT OF POLITICAL PARTY EXPENDITURES AS COORDINATED 
              EXPENDITURES.

    (a) Control or Direction Required.--Paragraph (4) of section 315(d) 
of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(4) Special Rule for Direct Costs of Communications.--The direct 
costs incurred by a political committee of a political party for a 
communication made in connection with the campaign of a candidate for 
Federal office shall not be subject to the limitations contained in 
paragraphs (2) and (3) unless the communication is controlled by, or 
made at the direction of, the candidate or an authorized committee of 
the candidate.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (1) of section 315(d) of such 
Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)) is amended by striking ``paragraphs (2), (3), 
and (4)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (3)''.

SEC. 4. REQUIRING CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES TO POST CONTRIBUTION INFORMATION 
              ON COMMITTEE WEBSITES.

    Section 304 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 
434) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j) Posting of Contribution Information on Committee Websites.--
            ``(1) Requirement.--Each political committee shall post on 
        the official public website of the committee the information 
        required to be reported under subsection (b)(3).
            ``(2) Deadline for posting.--A political committee shall 
        post the information required under paragraph (1) with respect 
        to a contribution not later than 7 business days after 
        receiving the contribution, except that if the aggregate amount 
        or value of the contribution or contributions made by the 
        person during the calendar year or election cycle involved (as 
        the case may be) exceeds $10,000, the committee shall post the 
        information not later than 2 business days after receiving the 
        contribution.
            ``(3) Format.--A political committee shall post the 
        information required under paragraph (1) in a searchable, 
        sortable, and downloadable format.''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
elections occurring on or after January 1, 2013.
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