Member Rulemaking Proposal Has Hearing on March 17
‘MEMBER’ RULEMAKING PROPOSAL HAS HEARING ON MARCH 17
WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, March 17, on proposed revisions to its rules governing who qualifies as a "member" of a membership organization.
The initial Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on December 22, 1997. The additional proposed revisions to the "member" rules were published December 16, 1998. Newest proposed revisions focus primarily on the attributes of membership associations, although qualifications of members are also addressed. The rules would require, for example, that membership organizations be vested in some or all of its members. The proposal would also require that members pay annual dues in an amount set by the organization, or renew their membership in writing on an annual basis.
The comment period ended February 1, 1999. The public hearing on Wednesday is the next step in the rulemaking process.
Scheduled to testify Wednesday are:
10 a.m. Laurence E. Gold, AFL-CIO; Richard B. Wilkof, National Education Association; Robert D. Lenhard, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
11 a.m. Jan Witold Baran, Wiley, Rein & Fielding, on behalf of the National Association of Business Political Action Committees; John P. Connors, American Hotel and Motel Association; Jerald A. Jacobs, American Society of Association Executives.
2 p.m. Ivy Lee, Alliance for Justice; William J. Olson, Free Speech Coalition, Inc.; James Bopp, Jr., James Madison Center for Free Speech.
3 p.m. Daniel Schember, Gaffney & Schember; Camille Bradford.
4 p.m. Michael Boos, National Citizens Legal Network; Paul Sullivan and Cleta Mitchell, Sullivan & Mitchell, on behalf of the Americans Back in Charge Foundation.
# # #