The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has extended its deadline for seeking public comments on proposals for rules establishing specific time periods for the submission of public comments on drafts of advisory opinions.

The comment period was originally scheduled to end on February 1. Because of the recent partial government shutdown, the FEC chose to extend the comment period for 30 days, ending on March 4.

In 2016, a Petition for Rulemaking was received by the FEC requesting the Commission modify 11 CFR §112.3 and codify procedures establishing specific time periods for public comments on drafts of advisory opinions before the Commission votes on the drafts.

The petition, filed by Make Your Laws PAC, Inc., Make Your Laws Advocacy, Inc., Make Your Laws, Inc., and Dan Backer, Esq., additionally asks the Commission to amend existing regulations to require that, when the Commission makes public multiple drafts of an advisory opinion, the Commission indicate the differences between those drafts.

The FEC also extended the comment deadline to March 4 for the rulemaking concerning the regulatory definition of contribution.

After the comment period is over, the FEC will consider the merits of the petition.