text: 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.''.
target: 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.
feat_title: Campaign Truth and Fairness Act of 1997