# Plain Language Summary: Constitutional Amendment on Campaign Funding

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would fundamentally change how elections are funded in America. Right now, campaigns can accept money from many different sources—wealthy individuals, corporations, unions, and Super PACs can all pour unlimited funds into supporting or opposing candidates and ballot measures. This amendment would shut down most of those funding sources and replace them with a much more restricted system.

Under this amendment, the only money allowed to support or oppose a candidate for office would come from two places: donations directly from individual voters to the candidate's campaign, or public funding provided by the government. This means corporations, unions, and outside groups couldn't spend money on campaign ads or other activities to help or hurt a candidate. The same rules would apply to state ballot measures like propositions—only individual voters who are eligible to vote on that measure could contribute money, or the state could provide public funding. The amendment also gives Congress and the states the power to set limits on how much money any single person can donate to a campaign.

To become law, this amendment would need to pass both the House and Senate with a two-thirds majority in each chamber, then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures within seven years. The amendment specifically protects freedom of the press, meaning news organizations could still report on elections without restriction. Essentially, this proposal aims to reduce the influence of big money in politics by limiting campaign funding to individual citizens and government-provided resources, though it would require a major shift in how American elections currently operate.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding the permissible sources of funding for elections for public office and State ballot measures.

McNerney, Jerry

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that limits the permissible sources of funding for elections to public office and state ballot measures. Specifically, funding to support or oppose a campaign for election to public office may only be provided through (1) contributions by individual citizens to the principal campaign committee controlled by the candidate, or (2) a public election financing or voter education system. Funding to support or oppose a state ballot measure may only be provided through (1) contributions by individuals eligible to vote on the measure, or (2) through a public election financing or voter education system. Congress, the states, and local jurisdictions must establish contribution limits.