On July 30, U.S. House member David Price introduced HR 6061, to make changes in the presidential public funding program.  Primary season matching funds would become considerably more difficult to obtain.  Current law requires that a presidential candidate receive $5,000 from each of 20 states.  The bill would change that to $25,000 from each of 20 states.

The bill would also allow the payment of primary season matching funds to be made six months before the first presidential primary or caucus, which would mean August of the odd year before the election.  Current law does not permit the payments until January of the election year.

The bill would eliminate public funds to pay for the presidential conventions of any party.  But it would also allow individuals to contribute up to $25,000 to a political party, to help that party pay for its national convention.  That contribution would be exempted from current limits on how much individuals may contribute to national political committees of nationally-organized political parties.

A companion bill, S.3681, has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Russ Feingold.