Title 52 › Subtitle Subtitle III— - Federal Campaign Finance › Chapter CHAPTER 301— - FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - DISCLOSURE OF FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FUNDS › § 30116
Sets firm dollar limits on how much people and political committees can give and how much some committees can spend in federal elections. An individual may give no more than $2,000 to a candidate (per election), $25,000 per year to national party committees (or up to 300% more for certain special accounts), $5,000 per year to other political committees, and $10,000 per year to state party committees’ political committees. A multicandidate committee may give $5,000 per candidate (per election), $15,000 per year to national party committees (or up to 300% more for certain special accounts), and $5,000 per year to other committees. Over the two-year period that starts January 1 of an odd-numbered year and ends December 31 of the next even-numbered year, an individual may give no more than $37,500 to candidates and no more than $57,500 to other contributions (with no more than $37,500 to non‑national-party political committees). Transfers among committees of the same party are allowed and some related committees are treated as one for limits. Money given through an intermediary is treated as coming from the original person, and the intermediary must report the source. No one may knowingly accept or make payments that break these rules. The law also caps certain campaign spending and party coordinated spending. A presidential candidate who accepts public funds may spend up to $10,000,000 for nomination (but not more than the larger of 16 cents times the state’s voting‑age population or $200,000 in any one State) and up to $20,000,000 for the general election. A national party may spend up to 2 cents times the U.S. voting‑age population on a presidential general-election campaign for its nominee. For other races, party coordinated spending limits include 2 cents per state voting‑age resident or $20,000 for most Senate races, and $10,000 for House races. A party that makes coordinated spending for a candidate may not later make independent spending for that candidate in the same election cycle, and vice versa. Small special accounts (for conventions, headquarters, or recounts) get special treatment, including a $20,000,000 cap for a single convention account. Limits are adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index; the Secretary of Commerce also certifies voting‑age population each year. Special rules raise contribution limits for a Senate candidate if an opponent spends large amounts of personal money: the threshold is $150,000 plus $0.04 times the state voting‑age population, and the increased limits rise in set steps (3× or 6×) depending on how much the opponent spends; candidates may only accept increased-limit money after notification and only up to 110% of the opponent’s personal‑funds advantage, and unused increased‑limit contributions must be returned within 50 days after the election. Definitions (short): multicandidate political committee — a committee registered at least 6 months that has 50+ donors and (except state parties) gave to 5+ federal candidates; price index — the Consumer Price Index average; base period — 1974 for some limits and 2001 for others; voting age population — residents 18 or older; opposition personal funds amount — how much more an opponent spent from personal money than the candidate did. Finally, personal loans a candidate makes after the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act took effect cannot be repaid from campaign contributions to the extent the loans exceed $250,000 after the election.
Full Legal Text
Voting and Elections — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
52 U.S.C. § 30116
Title 52 — Voting and Elections
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73