Week of April 22 - April 26, 2013
Weekly Digest COMMISSION MEETINGS AND HEARINGS On April 23, the Commission held an executive session. On April 25, the Commission held an open meeting. Click here for agendas and related documents for open meetings. Click here for audio recordings for selected meetings, hearings and presentations. ADVISORY OPINIONS Advisory Opinions Issued AO 2012-38 (Socialist Workers Party). On April 25, the Commission granted renewal of the partial reporting exemption sought by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) until December 31, 2016. This partial reporting exemption allows the SWP to file reports with the Commission containing coded references for itemized contributors and recipients of disbursements, rather than names, addresses and other identifying information. Chair Ellen L. Weintraub issued a Concurring Statement. AO 2013-02 (Dan Winslow). On April 25, the Commission concluded that the Defense of Marriage Act precludes the Commission from interpreting 11 C.F.R. 110.1(i) to include contributions from same-sex couples who are married under state law. The Commission noted, however, that same-sex couples (whether married under state law or not) who are joint account holders may make contributions from their joint accounts under 11 C.F.R. 110.1(k). Dan Winslow is a candidate for Senate in the April 30 Massachusetts special election. Chair Weintraub issued a Concurring Statement. Advisory Opinions and Requests are available through the Advisory Opinions search page in the Law and Regulations section of the Commission website. ENFORCEMENT On April 22, the Commission made public 13 comments submitted in response to a Request for Comment on Agency Enforcement Process, Notice 2013-01. Comments from the public responding to this request were due on or before April 19, 2013. LITIGATION Stop This Insanity, Inc. Employee Leadership Fund, et al. v. FEC (Case 13-5008). On April 23, the Appellants filed a Brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. RULEMAKING AND AGENCY OPERATIONS Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Technological Modernization. On April 25, the Commission approved the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Technological Modernization, which solicits comments from the public on whether to begin a rulemaking to revise Commission regulations to update or remove references to outdated technologies. The Commission also solicits comments on whether to revise a variety of regulations to address electronic transactions, including those made by debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, Internet-based payment processing, online banking, and text message. The Commission is particularly interested in comments on current, as well as anticipated, general industry practices and standards for electronic transactions and recordkeeping. PRESS RELEASES FEC Approves Two Advisory Opinions and an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (issued April 25) EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS On April 24, the Commission hosted a “Seminar/Webinar for Corporations and their PACs.” UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS May 22, Federal Election Commission, Washington, DC. “Seminar/Webinar for Trade Associations, Labor Organizations, Membership Organizations and their PACs.” Additional information is available on the Educational Outreach page of the Commission website. UPCOMING REPORTING DUE DATES May 20: May Monthly Reports are due. For more information on monthly reporting dates, refer to the 2013 Monthly Reporting page of the Commission website. OTHER RESOURCES The Official 2012 Presidential General Election Results are available in the Library section of the website. This listing was compiled from the official election results published by state election offices. An index to the Record news articles published in 2012 is available on the Commission website. The Record news page is available in the Publications section of the Commission website. Sign up to receive email notification when new articles are posted. The FEC Annual Reports from 1975-2006 are now available on the website. Beginning in 2007, the Commission consolidated its Annual Report with its Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) to provide a single account of the agency''''s activities for each fiscal year. Printed copies of the 2012 edition of Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations are now available and can be downloaded from the website. To order, call (800)424-9530 (press 6) or send an email to info@fec.gov. Instructional videos are available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/FECTube?feature=watch. These videos are also available on the Commission''''s E-Learning resources page at http://www.fec.gov/info/elearning.shtml.
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