(a) In generalIn order to be eligible to receive any payments under section 9006, the candidates of a political party in a presidential election shall, in writing—
(1)
agree to obtain and furnish to the Commission such evidence as it may request of the qualified campaign expenses of such candidates,
(2)
agree to keep and furnish to the Commission such records, books, and other information as it may request, and
(3)
agree to an audit and examination by the Commission under section 9007 and to pay any amounts required to be paid under such section.
(b) Major partiesIn order to be eligible to receive any payments under section 9006, the candidates of a major party in a presidential election shall certify to the Commission, under penalty of perjury, that—
(1)
such candidates and their authorized committees will not incur qualified campaign expenses in excess of the aggregate payments to which they will be entitled under section 9004, and
(2)
no contributions to defray qualified campaign expenses have been or will be accepted by such candidates or any of their authorized committees except to the extent necessary to make up any deficiency in payments received out of the fund on account of the application of section 9006(c), and no contributions to defray expenses which would be qualified campaign expenses but for subparagraph (C) of section 9002(11) have been or will be accepted by such candidates or any of their authorized committees.
Such certification shall be made within such time prior to the day of the presidential election as the Commission shall prescribe by rules or regulations.
(c) Minor and new partiesIn order to be eligible to receive any payments under section 9006, the candidates of a minor or new party in a presidential election shall certify to the Commission, under penalty of perjury, that—
(1)
such candidates and their authorized committees will not incur qualified campaign expenses in excess of the aggregate payments to which the eligible candidates of a major party are entitled under section 9004, and
(2)
such candidates and their authorized committees will accept and expend or retain contributions to defray qualified campaign expenses only to the extent that the qualified campaign expenses incurred by such candidates and their authorized committees certified to under paragraph (1) exceed the aggregate payments received by such candidates out of the fund pursuant to section 9006.
Such certification shall be made within such time prior to the day of the presidential election as the Commission shall prescribe by rules or regulations.
(d) Withdrawal by candidateIn any case in which an individual ceases to be a candidate as a result of the operation of the last sentence of section 9002(2), such individual—
(1)
shall no longer be eligible to receive any payments under section 9006, except that such individual shall be eligible to receive payments under such section to defray qualified campaign expenses incurred while actively seeking election to the office of President of the United States or to the office of Vice President of the United States in more than one State; and
(2)
shall pay to the Secretary, as soon as practicable after the date upon which such individual ceases to be a candidate, an amount equal to the amount of payments received by such individual under section 9006 which are not used to defray qualified campaign expenses.
(e) Closed captioning requirement
No candidate for the office of President or Vice President may receive amounts from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund under this chapter or chapter 96 unless such candidate has certified that any television commercial prepared or distributed by the candidate will be prepared in a manner which ensures that the commercial contains or is accompanied by closed captioning of the oral content of the commercial to be broadcast in line 21 of the vertical blanking interval, or is capable of being viewed by deaf and hearing impaired individuals via any comparable successor technology to line 21 of the vertical blanking interval.
(Added Pub. L. 92–178, title VIII, § 801, Dec. 10, 1971, 85 Stat. 564; amended Pub. L. 93–53, § 6(c), July 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 139; Pub. L. 93–443, title IV, §§ 404(c)(4), (5), 405(b), Oct. 15, 1974, 88 Stat. 1292, 1294; Pub. L. 94–283, title III, § 306(a)(2), May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 500; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1834; Pub. L. 102–393, title V, § 534(a), Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1764; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(a)(338), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1200.)