Federal Election Commission December 21, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Election Commission is amending its rules defining ``electioneering communication'' under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (``FECA'' or the ``Act''). The changes modify the definition of ``publicly distributed'' and the exemptions to the definition of ``electioneering communication'' consistent with the ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Shays v. FEC, portions of which were affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Specifically, the changes eliminate the exemption from the electioneering communication provisions for certain tax-exempt organizations and revise the definition of ``publicly distributed,'' a term used in the regulatory definition of ``electioneering communication.'' The Commission is not adopting any other regulatory exemptions considered in this rulemaking. The Commission is also deferring further consideration of a proposed exemption for advertisements promoting films, books and plays until after completing the rulemakings that respond to Shays v. FEC. Further information is provided in the supplementary information that follows.