The treasurer of a political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission is legally responsible for that committee's compliance with the federal campaign finance laws. The Commission has developed this page to help treasurers fulfill that responsibility.
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As you'll see, this page not only provides links to an array of helpful publications, online presentations and other pages, it also offers timely tips and reminders to help treasurers meet their obligations under the law. As an added feature, you can subscribe to receive automatic notification of updates to this page via RSS. We also invite you to ask questions, provide feedback and offer your own compliance tips by e-mail to info@fec.gov.
In addition to these online resources, the FEC staffs a toll-free information hotline (800-424-9530), and offers periodic educational workshops for treasurers. Please visit our Outreach page for details, and sign-up to receive program updates by e-mail at Conferences@fec.gov.
This section offers helpful tips -- both from the FEC and from your fellow treasurers -- to help you meet your obligations under the federal campaign finance law. To suggest a tip, please e-mail us at info@fec.gov. Click here to receive the tips as an RSS feed.
| March 8, 2010 | FEC Training Programs in March and April. The Commission will offer several conferences and workshops this Spring to assist committees in understanding federal campaign finance law, including a seminar for nonconnected PACs on April 7 and our rescheduled regional conference in New Orleans, March 23-24. For a complete overview of our educational outreach programs, visit http://www.fec.gov/info/outreach.shtml. Also, to ensure you don't miss out on any opportunity, sign up for our e-mail list to be notified when registration begins for any FEC educational program. |
| March 1, 2010 | FEC Publishes Adjusted Limits and Thresholds. On February 24, the Commission published its Price Index Adjustments for Expenditure Limitations and Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold in the Federal Register. This annual notice informs the public of any adjustments in expenditure limitations as well as the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold. For 2010, the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold has not increased and will remain at $16,000 for 2010. The coordinated party expenditure limit for the general election for House races will be $43,500 ($87,000 in those states with only one Congressional district). The coordinated party limits for the general election for Senate races vary by State; see the link above for a table of those limits. |
| February 22, 2010 | Upcoming Rulemaking Hearings at the FEC. The FEC will be holding several public hearings early next month as it continues to consider new regulations to implement several recent court decisions. On March 2-3, the Commission will hold a hearing on its proposed rules concerning coordinated communications, and on March 16 (rescheduled from March 10), the Commission will hold a hearing on proposed regulations relating to participation by federal officeholders and candidates in nonfederal fundraising. |
| February 16, 2010 | February Filing Reminder. Monthly filers are reminded that they have a report due Saturday, February 20, covering the month of January. Please note that the Commission does not have statutory authority to extend filing deadlines even if they occur on a weekend, so plan accordingly. Also, candidates participating in the Massachusetts Senate Special General Election (and quarterly-filing PACs and party committees making contributions or expenditures in connection with this election) must file a post-general report on Thursday, February 18, covering activity from January 1 through February 8. |
For more, visit our Timely Tips Archive.
This section provides links to publications designed specifically for committee treasurers. Additional publications are available in the FEC Library, through our Quick Answers pages and on our Publications page.
Monthly Newsletter
All committee treasurers automatically receive a free subscription to the FEC's monthly newsletter, the Record. Reading the Record each month is one of the best ways to stay current on the law and your obligations as a treasurer. Every issue of the Record from 1996 - present is available online. To subscribe to the Record, send an e-mail with your name and address to info@fec.gov.
Campaign Guides
Campaign Guides are compliance manuals for committees registered with the FEC. The guide supplements summarize relevant post-publication rules and opinions.
- Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates and Committees (April 2008) [PDF]
- Candidate Guide Supplement (March 2010) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Corporations and Labor Organizations (January 2007) [PDF]
- Corporate Guide Supplement (March 2010) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Nonconnected Committees (May 2008) [PDF]
- Nonconnected Guide Supplement (March 2010) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Political Party Committees (July 2009) [PDF]
- Party Guide Supplement (March 2010) [PDF]
- 2010 Coordinated Party Expenditure (441a(d)) Limits [PDF]
Brochures and Handouts
Technical Information: The PDF files may be viewed or printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. The video presentations and interactive tutorials are available as either MPEG or SWF files. MPEG files may be viewed using a media player, such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime. SWF files may be viewed using Adobe Flash Player.
Brochure Title Advisory Opinions Best Practices for Committee Management Candidate Registration Committee Treasurers Compliance with Laws Outside the FEC's Jurisdiction HTML Contributions FEC and the Federal Campaign Finance Law La CEF y la Ley para las Campañas de Elecciones Federales
(en Español)Federal and State Campaign Finance Laws Filing a Complaint Foreign Nationals Independent and Coordinated Expenditures Internet Communications and Activity Local Party Activity Special Notices on Political Ads and Solicitations Separate Segregated Funds and Nonconnected PACs Volunteer Activity Actividades Voluntarias
(en Español)Other
Compliance Map
Click on your state to access reporting dates and other applicable compliance information, including independent expenditure periods, coordination timeframes, FEA and EC periods, as well as disclosure reports and ballot access information.- Guideline for Presentation in Good Order (2008) (for Presidential campaigns seeking public funding) [PDF] [Word] [Appendices]
- Guidebook for Complainants and Respondents on the FEC Enforcement Process [PDF; 22 pages]
A summary of the FEC ’s general enforcement policies and procedures that provides a step-by-step guide through the agency’s enforcement process.
- Enforcement Procedures - FEC Directive 68 [PDF; 4 pages]
This section supplements the reporting and filing information contained in the publications listed above with links to additional information. Treasurers may also seek reporting and filing assistance from the Campaign Finance Analyst who reviews the committee's reports. To reach the Reports Analysis Division, call 1-800-424-9530 (press 5).