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The FEC explains the different types of political action committees (PACs) but did Congress legally define what a PAC is? I'm assuming that the FEC didn't legally define what a PAC is since it is a regulatory agency and doesn't create the laws. Did the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) created by Congress in 1971 define what a PAC is? I can't find any information on it.

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    While they can't make new laws often times the law itself doesn't spell everything out (though in this case they did define what a PAC was, as the checked answer says). Traditionally the courts have given agencies what's known as chevron deference to carry out the law and make interpretations. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/….
    – eps
    Commented Sep 28, 2021 at 3:53

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Did the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) created by Congress in 1971 define what a PAC is?

Yes. The definition is in Section 301 as:

(d) "political committee" means any committee, association, or organization which accepts contributions or makes expenditures during a calendar year in an aggregate amount exceeding $1,000;

Additional definitions include "contribution" and "expenditure".

The current definition for "political committee" is in 52 U.S. Code § 30101 - Definitions:

(4)The term “political committee” means—

(A) any committee, club, association, or other group of persons which receives contributions aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year or which makes expenditures aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year; or

(B) any separate segregated fund established under the provisions of section 30118(b) of this title; or

(C) any local committee of a political party which receives contributions aggregating in excess of $5,000 during a calendar year, or makes payments exempted from the definition of contribution or expenditure as defined in paragraphs (8) and (9) aggregating in excess of $5,000 during a calendar year, or makes contributions aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year or makes expenditures aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year.

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