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HR 3799 99th Congress House Government Operations and Politics Campaign funds Communications and Broadcasting Congressional elections Equal time rule Political action committees Political advertising Radio broadcasting Television Voting

Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1985

Introduced: November 20, 1985 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 99th Congress ended
It never became law before the 99th Congress (1985–1986) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 5, 1985
Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance.
Nov 21, 1985
Referred to Subcommittee on Elections.
Nov 20, 1985
Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Nov 20, 1985
Referred to House Committee on House Administration.
Nov 20, 1985
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to: (1) increase dollar limits on personal contributions to candidates and their authorized political committees; and (2) decrease the amount one multicandidate political committee may contribute to any other political committee.

Limits to $100,000 ($125,000 where two or more candidates qualify for the ballot) the aggregate amount which all multicandidate political committees may contribute to a candidate for the House of Representatives in a general or special election, including any primary election, convention, or caucus relating to such general or special election. Limits to $25,000 the aggregate amount allowed for multicandidate political committee contributions in a runoff election for the office of Representative.

Establishes a formula for multicandidate political committee contributions to candidates for the Senate based upon State populations and limited to an aggregate total of $750,000.

Requires multicandidate political committees which make independent expenditures for advertisements connected with a candidate's campaign to disclose such information within the advertisement.

Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require any station licensee which allows a person to broadcast material endorsing or opposing a candidate to provide the candidate opposing the endorsed candidate, or to the candidate opposed by the material, the opportunity to use the same amount of broadcasting time, without charge, during the same period of the day.

What's happening now December 5, 1985

Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3799: Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1985. 99th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-3799/
MLA
"H.R. 3799: Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1985." 99th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-3799/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3799, 99th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-3799/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3799: Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1985](https://openamerica.io/bill/99-HR-3799/)
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