H.R. 149 — Introduced in House

I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 149 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 6, 2015 Mr. Jones introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit candidates for election for Federal office to designate an individual who will be authorized to disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of the candidate in the event of the death of the candidate. 1. Designation of Individual Authorized to Make Campaign Committee Disbursements in Event of Death of Candidate (a) In General Section 302 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30102) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (j) (1) Each candidate may, with respect to each authorized committee of the candidate, designate an individual who shall be responsible for disbursing funds in the accounts of the committee in the event of the death of the candidate, and may also designate another individual to carry out the responsibilities of the designated individual under this subsection in the event of the death or incapacity of the designated individual or the unwillingness of the designated individual to carry out the responsibilities. (2) In order to designate an individual under this subsection, the candidate shall file with the Commission a signed written statement (in a standardized form developed by the Commission) that contains the name and address of the individual and the name of the authorized committee for which the designation shall apply, and that may contain the candidate’s instructions regarding the disbursement of the funds involved by the individual. At any time after filing the statement, the candidate may revoke the designation of an individual by filing with the Commission a signed written statement of revocation (in a standardized form developed by the Commission). (3) Upon the death of a candidate who has designated an individual for purposes of paragraph (1), funds in the accounts of each authorized committee of the candidate may be disbursed only under the direction and in accordance with the instructions of such individual, subject to the terms and conditions applicable to the disbursement of such funds under this Act or any other applicable Federal or State law (other than any provision of State law which authorizes any person other than such individual to direct the disbursement of such funds). (4) Nothing in paragraph (3) may be construed to grant any authority to an individual who is designated pursuant to this subsection other than the authority to direct the disbursement of funds as provided in such paragraph, or may be construed to affect the responsibility of the treasurer of an authorized committee for which funds are disbursed in accordance with such paragraph to file reports of the disbursements of such funds under section 304(a). . (b) Inclusion of Designation in Statement of Organization of Committee Section 303(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30103(b)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (5), by striking and at the end; (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (7) in the case of an authorized committee of a candidate who has designated an individual under section 302(j) (including a second individual designated to carry out the responsibilities of that individual under such section in the event of that individual’s death or incapacity or unwillingness to carry out the responsibilities) to disburse funds from the accounts of the committee in the event of the death of the candidate, a copy of the statement filed by the candidate with the Commission under such section (as well as a copy of any subsequent statement of revocation filed by the candidate with the Commission under such section). . 2. Effective Date The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to authorized campaign committees which are designated under section 302(e)(1) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.