Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act

3/12/2024, 1:52 AM

Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act

This bill prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda.

Bill 118 s 1638, also known as the Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to prevent foreign entities from influencing ballot measures in the United States.

The bill aims to achieve this by requiring any person or entity that spends money to influence a ballot measure to disclose if they are receiving funding from a foreign source. This disclosure would need to be made to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) within 24 hours of receiving the foreign funding.

Additionally, the bill prohibits any foreign national, government, or entity from directly or indirectly spending money to influence a ballot measure in the US. Violators of this provision could face fines or other penalties. Overall, the Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act seeks to safeguard the integrity of the US electoral process by ensuring that foreign entities cannot unduly influence ballot measures. This bill is currently being debated in Congress and has garnered bipartisan support for its efforts to protect the democratic process from foreign interference.
Congress
118

Number
S - 1638

Introduced on
2023-05-17

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

5/17/2023

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act

This bill prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda.

Bill 118 s 1638, also known as the Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to prevent foreign entities from influencing ballot measures in the United States.

The bill aims to achieve this by requiring any person or entity that spends money to influence a ballot measure to disclose if they are receiving funding from a foreign source. This disclosure would need to be made to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) within 24 hours of receiving the foreign funding.

Additionally, the bill prohibits any foreign national, government, or entity from directly or indirectly spending money to influence a ballot measure in the US. Violators of this provision could face fines or other penalties. Overall, the Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act seeks to safeguard the integrity of the US electoral process by ensuring that foreign entities cannot unduly influence ballot measures. This bill is currently being debated in Congress and has garnered bipartisan support for its efforts to protect the democratic process from foreign interference.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with ballot initiatives and referenda.

Policy Areas
Government Operations and Politics

Potential Impact
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
State and local government operations

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary10/27/2023

Protecting Ballot Measures from Foreign Influence Act

This bill prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda.


Latest Action5/17/2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.