Campaign Spending Control Act of 1997

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Senate Election Spending Limits

Title II: Coordinated and Independent Expenditures

Title III: Soft Money

Title IV: Enforcement

Title V: Severability; Regulations; Effective Date

Campaign Spending Control Act of 1997 - Title I: Senate Election Spending Limits - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to set forth Senate election spending limits.

Title II: Coordinated and Independent Expenditures - Revises the definition of "contribution."

(Sec. 202) Treats certain coordinated contributions and expenditures as having been made by a single person.

(Sec. 203) Revises the limit on coordinated expenditures made by political party committees to include under the limit independent expenditures advocating the election or defeat of a candidate.

Makes applicable the following rules when the limit (as amended) is not in effect: (1) prohibits coordinated expenditures made by political party committees that exceed the current limit; (2) prohibits a political party committee from making both a coordinated expenditure in excess of $5,000 and an independent expenditure to the same candidate during an election cycle; (3) requires a political party committee, before making a coordinated expenditure in excess of $5,000 in connection with a general election campaign for Federal office, to certify to the Federal Election Commission (Commission) that the committee will not make independent expenditures (as defined in this Act) to such candidate; (4) prohibits a party committee that certifies that it will make coordinated expenditures to any candidate from, in the same election cycle, making a transfer of funds to, or receiving a transfer of funds from, any other party committee unless that committee has certified that it will only make coordinated expenditures to candidates; and (5) limits individual and multicandidate political committee contributions made to a political committee that does not certify that it will not make independent expenditures in connection with the general election campaign of any candidate, in the aggregate, exceeding $5,000.

(Sec. 204) Limits certain independent expenditures advocating the election or defeat of a candidate during an election cycle. Increases, when the limit is not in effect, the applicable election expenditure limit for a candidate in response to certain independent expenditures made: (1) on behalf of an opponent of the candidate; or (2) in opposition to the candidate.

(Sec. 205) Redefines "independent expenditure."

(Sec. 206) Prohibits a Federal candidate or officeholder from establishing, maintaining, or controlling any political committee other than the candidate's principal campaign committee, with exceptions.

Title III: Soft Money - Prohibits a national committee of a political party (including a national congressional campaign committee of a political party), an entity that is established, maintained, or controlled by a national committee or its agent, an entity acting on behalf of a national committee, and an officer or agent acting on behalf of any such committee or entity (but not including a State, district, or local committee of a political party) from soliciting or receiving contributions, donations or transfers of funds, or spending funds not subject to FECA.

Requires a State, district, or local committee of a political party including an entity established, maintained, or controlled by a State, district, or local committee and an officer or agent acting on behalf of any such committee or entity) to make Federal election year expenditures (with exceptions) from funds subject to such Act.

Requires any amount spent by a national, State, district, or local committee, by an entity that is established, maintained, or controlled by a State, district, or local committee, or by an agent or officer of any such committee or entity to raise funds that are used to pay the cost of a specified activity to be made from funds subject to the Act.

Prohibits a national, State, district, or local committee (including a national congressional campaign committee, an entity that is established, maintained, or controlled by any such national, State, district, or local committee or its agent, an agent acting on behalf of any such party committee, and an officer or agent acting on behalf of any such party committee or entity) from soliciting or donating funds to a tax-exempt organization.

Prohibits an incumbent or candidate for Federal office or agent of a candidate or incumbent from soliciting, receiving, transferring, or spending funds not subject to such Act, or to solicit, receive, or transfer funds for a non-Federal election in excess of certain limits or from prohibited sources (with exceptions for State or local candidates in compliance with State law).

(Sec. 302) Establishes aggregate and separate individual contribution limits to State Party Grassroots Funds and all committees established by a State committee of a political party. Increases annual individual contribution limits.

Sets forth State Party Grassroots Fund and reporting provisions. Eliminates the exception for building funds relating to the definition of the term "contribution."

Authorizes the filing of State reports by State committees.

Requires the reporting of all disbursements made by authorized committees.

Revises requirements for the reporting of the names and addresses of persons to whom certain expenditures are made to meet candidate or committee operating expenses, to require the reporting of the election to which the operating expenditure relates.

(Sec. 304) Sets forth provisions for the reporting of soft money aggregate disbursements totaling in excess of $10,000 made by persons other than political parties for certain election activities.

Title IV: Enforcement - Authorizes the Commission to: (1) prescribe regulations for computer and facsimile reporting; (2) conduct random post election audits to ensure voluntary FECA compliance; (3) seek injunctions; and (4) expedite Commission procedures for certain complaints.

Extends the period during which campaign audits of an authorized committee of a candidate may be begun.

(Sec. 404) Increases the penalty for a knowing and willful violation.

(Sec. 405) Prohibits contributions made by, or solicited, accepted or received from, individuals not qualified to register to vote in Federal elections.

(Sec. 406) Extends the prohibition of the use of the candidate's name by a political committee (except in the case of a national, State, or local party committee) to the use of the name of any candidate in any activity on behalf of such committee in such a context as to suggest that the committee is an authorized committee of the candidate or that the use of the candidate's name has been authorized by the candidate.

Title V: Severability; Regulations; Effective Date - Sets forth provisions for: (1) severability; (2) regulations; and (3) the effective date.