Federal Election Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Congress amended the Federal Election Campaign Act (``FECA'') to require all reports, designations, and notices mandated by FECA to be filed with the Federal Election Commission. Previously, Senate candidates and certain political committees were required to file such reports, designations, and notices with the Secretary of the Senate. The Commission is amending its regulations to implement this new statutory requirement. The Commission is accepting comments on this revision to its regulations and comments received may be addressed in a subsequent rulemaking document.

North Carolina has scheduled special elections to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the 3rd Congressional District held by the late Representative Walter B. Jones Jr.

On December 4, 2018, the Federal Election Commission received a Petition for Rulemaking asking the Commission to amend the existing regulation pertaining to the size of letters in disclaimers on television ads. The Commission seeks comments on the petition.

On January 31, 2019, the Federal Election Commission extended the comment period on the Notification of Availability for the Rulemaking Petition: Definition of Contribution (``NOA''), which sought comment on whether to begin a rulemaking to revise its regulations defining the term ``contribution'' in light of a recent district court decision in Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Federal Election Commission. The Commission has decided to extend the comment period in light of the recent partial government shutdown.

As required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, the Federal Election Commission is adjusting for inflation the civil monetary penalties established under the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act, and the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act. The civil monetary penalties being adjusted are those negotiated by the Commission or imposed by a court for certain statutory violations, and those imposed by the Commission for late filing of or failure to file certain reports required by the Federal Election Campaign Act. The adjusted civil monetary penalties are calculated according to a statutory formula and the adjusted amounts will apply to penalties assessed after the effective date of these rules.

On August 27, 2018, the Federal Election Commission received a Petition for Rulemaking, which asks the Commission to amend a regulation that defines the term ``contribution'' in light of a recent district court decision in Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington v. Federal Election Commission. The Commission seeks comments on the petition.