Sponsors (10)
The bill strengthens protections against foreign influence in ballot measures and clarifies fundraising rules going forward, but it increases compliance burdens, risks chilling lawful participation by some noncitizen residents, and could spark enforcement disputes if the wording is unclear.
Voters and taxpayers: the bill bars foreign nationals from funding or otherwise influencing ballot initiatives and referenda, reducing foreign interference in direct-democracy votes.
Campaigns, election officials, and state governments: the bill provides clearer rules for soliciting and accepting funds for ballot-related campaigns, lowering litigation risk and enforcement ambiguity for those running and overseeing ballot measures.
Contributors and recipients of ballot-related funds: applying the restriction prospectively protects past donors from retroactive enforcement, reducing due-process and retroactivity concerns.
Law enforcement, state governments, and contributors: unclear or imprecise statutory wording could produce disputes, inconsistent enforcement, and costly legal challenges over who is covered and what activity is prohibited.
Noncitizen residents and immigrant communities: broader prohibitions on contributions may chill lawful civic participation and speech by some noncitizen residents, raising First Amendment concerns.
Nonprofits, small advocacy groups, and grassroots campaigns: new vetting and compliance requirements to ensure no prohibited foreign funding will raise administrative costs and burdens on fundraising and organizing.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands the federal ban on foreign national contributions to explicitly cover ballot initiatives and referenda for contributions made on or after enactment.
Official title: To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with ballot initiatives and referenda.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Benjamin Cline · Last progress December 16, 2025
Amends the federal ban on foreign national political contributions to extend the prohibition to activities connected with ballot measures (such as initiatives and referenda). The change applies to contributions or donations made on or after the date the law takes effect, making foreign funding of campaigns for state or local ballot questions explicitly illegal under federal law. This is a narrow, targeted amendment to existing election-law prohibitions intended to limit foreign influence over direct-democracy processes rather than to create new regulatory programs or spending.