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119-hr-9354119th Congress

Fair Elections Now Act

Sponsored By: Representative Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a federal public-financing system for U.S. House campaigns. The program would give certified candidates baseline allocations and large matching payments for qualified small-dollar, in‑state contributions.

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  • Candidates and campaign rules: Participating candidates would receive a base allocation equal to 80% of the national average disbursements by recent winners and stage-based payouts such as a 40% primary share. They must limit campaign funding to program sources, follow debate rules, and remit unspent funds after the cycle.
  • Small-dollar donors: Each qualified in-state small contribution would trigger a matching payment equal to 500% of that contribution, subject to an overall cap tied to the candidate's allocation and program limits.
  • Fund, oversight, and enforcement: A Fair Elections Fund would be created and funded by appropriations, voluntary donations, transfers of 50% of civil-penalty receipts, and investment returns. A five-member Presidential Oversight Board would administer the program, adjust parameters, verify contributions, and impose civil penalties up to three times violations.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

New public financing for House campaigns

This bill would create a nationwide Fair Elections public-financing program for House campaigns starting January 1, 2027. Certified participating candidates would get fixed allocations based on a base amount equal to 80% of the national average disbursements by recent winning House candidates. The Commission would pay matching funds equal to 500% of qualified in-state small-dollar donations, subject to a cap tied to the allocation. The Fair Elections Fund in the Treasury would pay allocations and matching, and the Commission could invest Fund money and set rules if Fund amounts run low.

Oversight, reporting, and penalties for campaigns

This bill would create a five-member Fair Elections Oversight Board, appointed by the President after consulting House leaders, to review the program and set adjustable parameters. The Federal Election Commission would verify contributions, enforce limits and bans, and audit participating candidates (at least one-third or similar mechanisms). The Commission would decide certification within five days and could revoke certification, requiring repayment of Fund benefits plus interest. The bill would authorize civil penalties up to three times a prohibited amount, direct collected penalties into the Fair Elections Fund, require a 50% transfer of some FECA civil-penalty receipts to the Fund, and shorten electronic filing deadlines to 24 hours for required reports.

Limits on campaign funding and pre-filing

This bill would limit what certified participating candidates can accept during the cycle to qualifying contributions, qualified small-dollar contributions, allocations, and matching payments. Non-authorized political committees linked to a participating candidate could accept other money only up to $100 per person and could not spend that money on the candidate's campaign. Participating candidates could not spend personal or immediate-family funds on the campaign. The bill would allow limited handling of pre-filing contributions and spending, let small amounts of pre-filing prohibited spending occur if under 20% of the initial allocation, and require existing surpluses to be placed in escrow during the cycle.

Small-donor rules and candidate thresholds

This bill would define which gifts count as qualifying or small-dollar contributions. A qualifying contribution must be at least the greater of $5 or a Commission-set amount and not more than the greater of $100 or a Commission-set amount. A "qualified small-dollar contribution" would be limited to the greater of $100 or a Board-set amount per contributor per election. Candidates would have a 120-day qualifying period starting when they file a statement of intent, and that period could not pass 60 days before the primary. To certify, a candidate would need qualifying donations from at least the lesser of 0.25% of the State's voting-age population or 1,500 people and at least $50,000 in total qualifying contributions.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]

CT • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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