Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Campaign committee obligations when a federal candidate or treasurer dies
FEC Information Division (campaign finance questions, forms, training)
Federal Election Commission, 1050 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20463
Reports Analysis Division (assigned analyst for committee filings)
Electronic Filing Office (filing technical support and passwords)
Amended Form 1 for treasurer change: 10 days after the change. Termination report: can be filed any time the committee meets the criteria; the FEC then reviews and issues a termination approval letter. Wind-down costs may be incurred for up to six months under 11 CFR 113.2(a)(2). Records must be retained three years from the filing date of the final report.
The Federal Election Commission regulates federal campaign finance under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. § 30101 et seq.). When a federal candidate or a committee treasurer dies, the committee faces specific FEC obligations: filing a termination report, disposing of remaining funds within strict rules (no personal use), naming a replacement treasurer to avoid a statutory ban on receipts and expenditures, and obtaining a termination approval letter from the Commission before reporting duties end.
Notifying the FEC when someone dies
The FEC does not accept a death certificate as a stand-alone notification. Instead, the committee (through a successor treasurer or estate representative) must act on FEC filings. If the treasurer has died, the committee must amend its Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days to name a new treasurer; under 52 U.S.C. § 30102(a) and 11 CFR 102.7, the committee may not accept contributions or make expenditures while the treasurer office is vacant. If the candidate has died, the authorized committee continues to exist until it files a termination report on Form 3 (House/Senate) or Form 3P (Presidential) and receives a termination approval letter from the Commission.
Timeline: Form 1 amendment for treasurer change: within 10 days of the change (11 CFR 102.2). Termination report: any time the committee meets the criteria (no longer receives contributions or makes expenditures). Routine reports continue until the FEC issues a termination approval letter.
- •52 U.S.C. § 30102(a) and 11 CFR 102.7 bar the committee from accepting contributions or making expenditures while the treasurer office is vacant
- •If the committee designated an assistant treasurer on its Statement of Organization, that person assumes the role on a temporary or permanent basis (11 CFR 102.7)
- •File an amended FEC Form 1 (Statement of Organization) within 10 days of the change (11 CFR 102.2) — the amendment need only include the committee name and the changed information
- •The authorized committee continues to exist and must keep filing routine Form 3 (House/Senate) or Form 3P (Presidential) reports until it formally terminates
- •Wind-down costs are permissible disbursements under 11 CFR 113.2(a) and may be reimbursed for up to six months from campaign funds
- •Personal use of remaining campaign funds is prohibited (11 CFR 113.1(g)) — the ban survives the candidate
- •Refund contributions to donors on a pro-rata or other basis
- •Donate to charitable organizations described in 26 U.S.C. § 170(c)
- •Make unlimited transfers to any national, state, or local political party committee (11 CFR 113.2(c))
- •Donate to state or local candidates as permitted by state law (11 CFR 113.2(d))
- •Use for any other lawful purpose, except personal use of the candidate or the candidate's family (11 CFR 113.2(e))
- •A terminating committee that cannot pay debts in full may file FEC Form 8 (Debt Settlement Plan) under 11 CFR 116.2 and 11 CFR 116.7
- •The Commission reviews the plan and either approves the settlement or returns it for revision
- •Committees under FEC enforcement, audit, or litigation cannot terminate until the matter is resolved
- •House/Senate authorized committees: file Form 3 with the "Termination Report (TER)" box checked
- •PACs and party committees: file Form 3X with the TER box checked
- •Presidential committees: file Form 3P with the TER box checked
- •A termination report may be combined with a regularly scheduled report and may be filed at any time the criteria are met
- •Use FEC Form 99 (Miscellaneous Report) to submit any explanatory letter to the Commission
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate (for the estate's internal records and for any bank/transfer requests; the FEC itself does not require it)
- FEC Form 1 (Statement of Organization) — amended within 10 days to name the new treasurer
- FEC Form 3, Form 3X, or Form 3P — final report with the Termination Report (TER) box checked
- FEC Form 8 (Debt Settlement Plan) — if the committee cannot pay outstanding debts in full
- FEC Form 99 (Miscellaneous Report) — to submit explanatory correspondence to the Commission
- Documentation of fund disposition (refund checks, charitable donation receipts, party-committee transfer records)
Timeline
Amended Form 1 for treasurer change: 10 days after the change. Termination report: can be filed any time the committee meets the criteria; the FEC then reviews and issues a termination approval letter. Wind-down costs may be incurred for up to six months under 11 CFR 113.2(a)(2). Records must be retained three years from the filing date of the final report.
Survivor benefits
No Survivor Benefits
The FEC does not pay survivor benefits. It is a regulatory agency that oversees campaign finance disclosure. The "benefit" to survivors of a deceased candidate or treasurer is procedural: closing out the committee properly so the estate is not exposed to continuing reporting liability and so remaining campaign funds are disposed of in a permitted way.
Eligibility: Not applicable
How to apply: Not applicable
Learn more →Forms
Used to register a federal political committee and to file the amended Statement of Organization required within 10 days when the treasurer (or any other previously reported information) changes (11 CFR 102.2).
View form →Routine financial report filed by House and Senate candidates' authorized committees. The committee files its termination report on this form by checking the "Termination Report (TER)" box.
View form →Routine financial report filed by PACs and political party committees. PACs and parties file their termination reports on this form by checking the "Termination Report (TER)" box.
View form →Routine financial report filed by presidential candidates' authorized committees. Used for the termination report by checking the "Termination Report (TER)" box.
View form →Used by a terminating committee that cannot pay its outstanding debts in full. Subject to FEC review and approval under 11 CFR 116.2 and 11 CFR 116.7.
View form →Used by registered committees to submit an explanatory letter to the Commission — including correspondence accompanying a treasurer-change amendment or a termination request.
View form →Frequently asked questions
The committee must immediately name a successor treasurer. Under 52 U.S.C. § 30102(a) and 11 CFR 102.7, the committee may not accept contributions or make expenditures while the office of treasurer is vacant. If the committee previously designated an assistant treasurer on its Statement of Organization, that person assumes the role automatically. An amended FEC Form 1 must be filed within 10 days of the change (11 CFR 102.2).
The authorized committee does not automatically dissolve. It continues to exist and must keep filing routine reports (Form 3 for House/Senate, Form 3P for Presidential) until it formally terminates. The treasurer (or a successor) must wind down operations — paying or settling debts, refunding or donating remaining funds — and then file a termination report. The committee's reporting obligation ends only when the FEC issues a termination approval letter.
Under 11 CFR 113.2, remaining campaign funds may be refunded to contributors, donated to charitable organizations described in 26 U.S.C. § 170(c), transferred without limit to any national, state, or local political party committee, donated to state or local candidates as permitted by state law, or used for any other lawful purpose. Personal use by the candidate or the candidate's family is prohibited (11 CFR 113.1(g)) — the ban survives the candidate's death.
Three years from the filing date of the report to which the records relate (11 CFR 104.14). The successor treasurer or the estate representative is responsible for retaining records after the candidate or original treasurer dies.
Call the FEC Information Division at 1-800-424-9530 (option 6) for general guidance, or contact the committee's assigned analyst in the Reports Analysis Division (1-800-424-9530, option 5) for filing-specific questions. Electronic filing technical support is at 1-800-424-9530 (option 4) or eFiletechsupport@fec.gov.
Yes. Under 52 U.S.C. § 30102 and 11 CFR 102.7, the treasurer is responsible for authorizing expenditures, segregating committee funds from personal funds, and signing reports. Personal liability for filing failures and recordkeeping violations is a well-established reason committees designate an assistant treasurer at the time of organization.
Yes, through a debt settlement plan. Under 11 CFR 116.2, a terminating committee that cannot pay its debts in full may file FEC Form 8 (Debt Settlement Plan). The Commission reviews the plan to confirm it complies with 11 CFR 116.7 and either approves the settlement or returns it for revision. Committees under FEC enforcement, audit, or litigation cannot terminate until those matters are resolved.
Committees file the termination report on Form 3 (House/Senate authorized committees), Form 3X (PACs and party committees), or Form 3P (Presidential committees) by checking the "Termination Report (TER)" box in the Type of Report section. It may be combined with a regularly scheduled report and may be filed at any time the criteria are met.
Only when the FEC issues a termination approval letter. Filing the termination report by itself does not close the committee. Until the approval letter arrives, the committee must continue filing all otherwise-required reports on schedule.
Sources
Data sourced from Federal Election Commission primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
FEC Information Division (campaign finance questions, forms, training)
Federal Election Commission, 1050 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20463
Reports Analysis Division (assigned analyst for committee filings)
Electronic Filing Office (filing technical support and passwords)
Amended Form 1 for treasurer change: 10 days after the change. Termination report: can be filed any time the committee meets the criteria; the FEC then reviews and issues a termination approval letter. Wind-down costs may be incurred for up to six months under 11 CFR 113.2(a)(2). Records must be retained three years from the filing date of the final report.