S. 1838: Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act

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S. 1838: Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-22 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5459-5460)

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Official title

Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act

Plain summary

Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act This bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to treat as a campaign contribution any payment made by any person (other than a candidate, an authorized committee of a candidate, or a political committee of a political party) for a coordinated expenditure which is not otherwise treated as a contribution. (In effect, replaces and eliminates a prohibition against contributions by minors which the U.S. Supreme Court in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission ruled an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.) Sets forth rules governing payments for coordinated expenditures, including special rule for payments by coordinated spenders for covered communications. Defines "covered communication" as a public communication which: (1) expressly advocates the election of the candidate or the defeat of an opponent of the candidate (or contains the functional equivalent of express advocacy); (2) promotes or supports the candidate, or attacks or opposes an opponent of the candidate (regardless of whether the communication expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate or contains the functional equivalent of express advocacy); or (3) refers to the candidate or an opponent of the candidate in other ways, but only if the communication is disseminated during the applicable election period. Prescribes penalties for knowing and willfull violation of this Act by a contribution which consists of a payment for a coordinated expenditure. Prohibits candidates or individuals holding federal office, their agents, and certain related entities from soliciting, receiving, directing, or transferring funds to or on behalf of any political committee which accepts donations or contributions that do not comply with FECA limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements, or to or on behalf of any 527 organization which accepts such donations or contributions (other than a committee of a state or local political party or a candidate for election for state or local office). (A 527 organization, tax-exempt in certain circumstances under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office.)

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s1838.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s1838 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114