Sponsors (10)
The bill strengthens protections against foreign influence in ballot measures and clarifies funding rules, but it raises compliance costs, risks chilling lawful noncitizen participation, and could trigger enforcement disputes if language is ambiguous.
Voters and taxpayers: foreign nationals will be barred from funding or influencing ballot initiatives and referenda, reducing the risk of foreign interference in direct-democracy votes.
Campaigns, election officials, and state governments: clearer statutory rules for soliciting and accepting funds reduce ambiguity, lowering litigation risk and enforcement uncertainty for those running or overseeing ballot-related campaigns.
Contributors and recipients: the law applies prospectively to contributions on or after enactment, reducing the chance of retroactive enforcement against past donors and recipients.
Nonprofits and small advocacy groups: will likely face higher compliance and donor-vetting costs to ensure contributions do not come from prohibited foreign nationals.
Immigrants and lawful noncitizen residents: broader prohibitions could chill lawful political speech and participation by noncitizen residents who support civic causes, raising First Amendment concerns.
Law enforcement, state governments, and contributors: unclear or imprecise wording may produce enforcement disputes, inconsistent application across jurisdictions, and costly legal challenges.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands the federal ban on foreign national contributions to cover contributions or donations related to ballot measures (initiatives and referenda), applying to contributions made on or after enactment.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Benjamin Cline · Last progress December 16, 2025
Amends the federal prohibition on foreign national contributions by inserting new text into 52 U.S.C. § 30121(a)(1)(A), with the change applying to contributions and donations made on or after enactment. Although the exact inserted language is not shown, the amendatory instruction targets the existing clause that bars foreign nationals from making contributions “in connection with a Federal, State, or local election,” and is intended to extend that prohibition to cover contributions and donations related to ballot measures (such as initiatives and referenda). The bill sets no new funding and takes effect for contributions or donations made on or after the date of enactment.