July reporting reminder

The following reports are due in July:¹

• All principal campaign committees of House and Senate candidates must file a quarterly report by July 15. The report covers financial activity from April 1 (or the day after the closing date of the last report) through June 30.
• Principal campaign committees of Presidential candidates must file a report by July 15, if they are quarterly filers (the report covers financial activity from April 1 through June 30), or by July 20, if they are monthly filers (the report covers activity for the month of June).
• National party committees, political action committees (PACs) following a monthly filing schedule and state, district and local party committees that engage in reportable federal election activity must file a monthly report by July 20. This report covers activity for the month of June.
• All other filers must submit a midyear report by July 31, covering financial activity from January 1 (or the day after the closing date of the last report) through June 30.

Note that July 15 falls on a weekend. Reporting deadlines are not extended for non-working days. Reports sent via first class mail or courier must be received by the Commission before close of business on Friday, July 13.

House and Senate principal campaign committees must file FEC Form 3Z-1

Principal campaign committees of House and Senate candidates running in 2008 must file FEC Form 3Z-1 as part of their 2007 July Quarterly and Year-End reports. 11 CFR 104.19. The information provided on Form 3Z-1 allows opposing candidates to compute their “gross receipts advantage,” which is used to determine whether a candidate is entitled to increased contribution and coordinated party expenditure limits under the “Millionaires’ Amendment.” 2 U.S.C. §§441a(i) and 441a-1. Form 3Z-1 is included in the FEC Form 3 package, and need only be filed with the July 15 quarterly report and Year-End report for the year preceding the general election for the office the candidate seeks.

Notification of filing deadlines

In addition to publishing this article, the Commission notifies committees of filing deadlines on its web site, via its automated Faxline and through reporting reminders called prior notices. Since January 1, 2007, prior notices have been distributed exclusively by electronic mail. They are no longer sent to committees using U.S. mail. See December 2006 Record, page 1. For that reason, it is important that every committee update its Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) to disclose a current e-mail address.

Treasurer’s responsibilities

The Commission provides reminders of upcoming filing dates as a courtesy to help committees comply with the filing deadlines set forth in the Act and Commission regulations. Committee treasurers must comply with all applicable filing deadlines established by law, and the lack of prior notice does not constitute an excuse for failing to comply with any filing deadline.

Please note that filing deadlines are not extended in cases where the filing date falls on a weekend or federal holiday. Accordingly, reports filed by methods other than Registered, Certified, or Overnight Mail, or electronically filed reports, must be received by the Commission’s (or the Secretary of the Senate’s) close of business on the last business day before the deadline.

Filing electronically

Under the Commission’s mandatory electronic filing regulations, individuals and organizations that receive contributions or make expenditures, including independent expenditures,2 in excess of $50,000 in a calendar year—or have reason to expect to do so—must file all reports and statements with the FEC electronically. Electronic filers who instead file on paper or submit an electronic report that does not pass the Commission’s validation program by the filing deadline will be considered nonfilers and may be subject to enforcement actions, including administrative fines. Reports filed electronically must be received and validated by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the applicable filing deadline.

The Commission’s electronic filing software, FECFile 5, can be downloaded from the FEC’s web site. Filers may also use commercial or privately developed software as long as the software meets the Commission’s format specifications, which are available on the Commission’s web site.

Senate committees and other committees that file with the Secretary of the Senate are not subject to the mandatory electronic filing rules.

Timely filing for paper filers

Registered and certified mail

Reports sent by registered or certified mail must be postmarked on or before the mailing deadline to be considered timely. A committee sending its reports by certified mail should keep its mailing receipt with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark as proof of filing because the USPS does not keep complete records of items sent by certified mail. A committee sending its reports by registered mail should keep its proof of mailing.

Overnight mail

Reports filed by Express or Priority Mail with delivery confirmation will be considered timely if they are deposited with the USPS on or before the mailing deadline. Reports filed by an overnight delivery service with an on-line tracking system and scheduled for next day delivery will be timely if they are deposited with the service on or before the mailing deadline. A committee sending its report by either of these methods should keep its proof of mailing or other means of transmittal of its report. Please note that a Certificate of Mailing from the USPS is not sufficient to prove that a report is timely using Registered, Certified or Overnight mail.

Other means of filing

Reports sent by other means–including first class mail and courier—must be received by the FEC (or the Secretary of the Senate for Senate committees and political committees supporting only Senate candidates) before the Commission’s (or the Secretary of the Senate’s) close of business on the filing deadline. 2 U.S.C. §434(a)(5) and 11 CFR 104.5(e). Paper forms are available at the FEC’s web site and from FEC Faxline, the agency’s automated fax system (202/501-3413). The 2007 Reporting Schedule is also available on the FEC’s web site, and from Faxline. For more information on reporting, call the FEC at 800/424-9530 or 202/694-1100.

Filing frequency for party committees

National committees of political parties must file on a monthly schedule in all years and may no longer choose to change their filing schedule in non-election years. 2 U.S.C. §434(a)(4)(B).

A state, district or local party committee that filed monthly in 2006 due to its federal election activity must notify the Commission in writing if it wishes to file semiannually in 2007. 11 CFR 104.5(b)(2). Electronic filers must file this request electronically. After filing a notice of change in filing frequency with the Commission, all future reports must follow the new filing schedule.

Political Action Committees

PACs (separate segregated funds and nonconnected committees) may file on either a semiannual or monthly basis in non-election years. A committee may change its filing frequency only once a year. After giving notice of change in filing frequency to the Commission, all future reports must follow the new filing frequency. 11 CFR 104.5(c).

Additional Information

For more information on 2007 reporting dates:

• See the reporting tables in the January 2007 Record;
• Call and request the reporting tables from the FEC at 800/424- 9530 or 202/694-1100;
• Fax the reporting tables to yourself using the FEC’s Faxline (202/501- 3413, document 586); or
• Visit the FEC’s web page to view the reporting tables online.

¹ Note that committees that file special election reports in connection with special elections in Georgia and California may not be required to file their July Quarterly or 2007 Mid-Year Report, as appropriate. For additional information, including filing dates for candidates and committees involved in the Georgia and California special elections, see the May 2007 Record, page 10, and the June 2007 Record, page 7, respectively

² The regulation covers individuals and organizations required to file reports of contributions and/or expenditures with the Commission, including any person making an independent expenditure. Disbursements for “electioneering communications” do not count toward the $50,000 threshold for mandatory electronic filing. 11 CFR 104.18(a).