FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

WHO MUST FILE

All Party Committees and PACs (Nonconnected Committees and Separate Segregated Funds) must file a Year-End Report on January 31, 2005.  Committees must continue to file reports until the Commission notifies them in writing that their termination report has been accepted.

Certain party committees are required to file monthly reports (quarterly reporting is no longer an option for these committees).  For more information, see the January 2004 issue of the Record [PDF].

NOTE:  A recent legislative change allows committees to file reports using overnight mail on the same terms as registered/certified mail.  (See footnote 2).

Political committees that receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $50,000 in a calendar year, or that expect to do so, must submit their reports electronically. For additional information, review the Electronic Filing page, and call the FEC’s Electronic Filing office at (800) 424-9530 or (202) 694-1642.

• Treasurers of political committees are responsible for both the timeliness and the accuracy of all reports. They may be subject to monetary penalties if reports are inaccurate or are not filed on time.
• Under the Administrative Fine Program, political committees and their treasurers who fail to file their reports on time may be subject to civil money penalties up to $16,000 (or more for repeat late- and non-filers).
• In addition, political committees that file illegible reports or use non-FEC forms (except for FEC-approved, computer-generated forms) will be required to refile their reports.
• Electronic filers who instead file on paper or submit an electronic report (either by direct transmission or on 3.5" diskette) that does not pass the validation test will be considered non-filers and may be subject to enforcement actions (including administrative fines).

Any Party Committee or PAC that makes independent expenditures in connection with an election may also have to file 48-hour or 24-hour reports. The 48-hour reporting requirement will be triggered each time the committee makes independent expenditures aggregating $10,000 or more between January 1st and the 20th day before the election.  The 24-hour reporting requirement will be triggered each time the committee makes independent expenditures aggregating $1,000 or more after the 20th day, but more than 24 hours, before the day of the election. See 11 CFR 104.4.

These reports are not required when a Party Committee or PAC makes a contribution directly to a candidate.  Please consult the chart outlining the 48- and 24-hour notice periods for all 2004 elections.

In response to the anthrax threat, the U.S. Postal Service is irradiating mail directed to many federal agencies, including the FEC and the Secretary of the Senate.³  This process has not only delayed mail delivery, it has also damaged and in some cases destroyed pieces of mail.  As a result, committees that file reports with the FEC may want to consider submitting their reports by some means other than U.S. mail.  Alternative methods include electronic filing, overnight mail service and hand delivery.

Committees that choose to file electronically can download free FECFile software and may contact the Commission's Electronic Filing office for assistance at (800) 424-9530 or (202) 694-1642.

Committees able to change their reporting schedule (for example, from monthly to quarterly) who wish to do so must notify the Commission in writing when they file their next report due under their current reporting schedule. Committees may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year.