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Fair Elections Now Act

Introduced: March 31, 2009 Introduced by: Larson, John B. Democratic · Connecticut See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 30, 2009
Committee Hearings Held.
Apr 1, 2009
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
Mar 31, 2009
Referred to House Ways and Means
Mar 31, 2009
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Mar 31, 2009
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 31, 2009
Referred to House Administration
Mar 31, 2009
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements and benefits of fair elections financing of House of Representatives election campaigns; (2) establishment of a Fair Elections Fund; (3) eligibility for Fund allocations; (4) contribution and expenditure requirements; (5) a public debate requirement; (6) certification of whether or not a federal election candidate is a participating candidate; (7) benefits for participating candidates; (8) matching payments for qualified small dollar contributions; (9) political advertising vouchers; (10) establishment of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; (11) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; (12) prohibition of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee; and (13) a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates.

Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the deposit into the Fair Elections Fund of 10% of the proceeds from competitive auctions for recovered analog spectrum.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for designation of a certain amount of income tax liability to the Fair Elections Fund.

Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified House candidate who has purchased and paid for such use; (2) revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to revoke licenses for broadcasting stations who fail to provide access to House candidates; and (3) revise the formula for determining reduced broadcast rates for participating candidates in certain circumstances.

Directs the FCC to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a standardized form to be used by broadcasting stations to record and report the purchase of advertising time by or on behalf of a candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to federal elective office.

Amends FECA to: (1) empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action; (2) require all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed directly with the FEC, and in computer-accessible electronic form; and (3) reduce from 48 to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.

What's happening now July 30, 2009

Committee Hearings Held.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 42
D
Castor, Kathy
Florida · Sep 14, 2010
D
Sherman, Brad
California · Sep 14, 2010
D
Clarke, Yvette D.
New York · Jun 14, 2010
D
Velázquez, Nydia M.
New York · May 26, 2010
D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · May 25, 2010
D
Waters, Maxine
California · Apr 29, 2010
D
Thompson, Mike
California · Apr 22, 2010
D
Cleaver, Emanuel
Missouri · Apr 14, 2010
D
Quigley, Mike
Illinois · Feb 22, 2010
D
Garamendi, John
California · Feb 3, 2010
D
Matsui, Doris O.
California · Jan 20, 2010
D
Chu, Judy
California · Dec 16, 2009
D
Sánchez, Linda T.
California · Nov 5, 2009
D
Van Hollen, Chris
Maryland · Nov 2, 2009
D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Oct 28, 2009
D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Oct 14, 2009
D
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby"
Virginia · Oct 14, 2009
D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Oct 8, 2009
D
Hirono, Mazie K.
Hawaii · Oct 6, 2009
D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Oct 6, 2009
D
Kaptur, Marcy
Ohio · Oct 1, 2009
D
Luján, Ben Ray
New Mexico · Sep 14, 2009
D
Peters, Gary C.
Michigan · Sep 10, 2009
D
Tonko, Paul
New York · Jul 31, 2009
D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Jul 29, 2009
D
Baldwin, Tammy
Wisconsin · Jun 19, 2009
D
Doggett, Lloyd
Texas · Jun 9, 2009
D
Foster, Bill
Illinois · Jun 9, 2009
D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Jun 4, 2009
D
McCollum, Betty
Minnesota · Jun 4, 2009
D
Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"
Georgia · Jun 2, 2009
D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · May 19, 2009
D
Smith, Adam
Washington · May 13, 2009
D
DeLauro, Rosa L.
Connecticut · May 6, 2009
D
Murphy, Christopher
Connecticut · May 5, 2009
D
Courtney, Joe
Connecticut · Apr 21, 2009
D
Himes, James A.
Connecticut · Apr 21, 2009
D
Welch, Peter
Vermont · Apr 21, 2009
D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Mar 31, 2009
D
Heinrich, Martin
New Mexico · Mar 31, 2009
D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Mar 31, 2009
D
Pingree, Chellie
Maine · Mar 31, 2009