Firewall Act

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4612 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4612

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign 
   nationals from making disbursements for communications promoting, 
  supporting, attacking, or opposing the election of a candidate for 
                 public office, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 4, 2019

 Mr. Phillips introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign 
   nationals from making disbursements for communications promoting, 
  supporting, attacking, or opposing the election of a candidate for 
                 public office, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Firewall Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING DISBURSEMENTS BY FOREIGN NATIONALS FOR CERTAIN 
              COMMUNICATIONS INVOLVING CANDIDATES.

    (a) Disbursements Described.--Section 319(a)(1) of the Federal 
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30121(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
            (2) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(C) an expenditure;
                    ``(D) an independent expenditure;
                    ``(E) a disbursement for an electioneering 
                communication (within the meaning of section 
                304(f)(3));
                    ``(F) a disbursement for a communication which is 
                placed or promoted for a fee on a website, web 
                application, or digital application that refers to a 
                clearly identified candidate for election for Federal 
                office and is disseminated within 60 days before a 
                general, special or runoff election for the office 
                sought by the candidate or 30 days before a primary or 
                preference election, or a convention or caucus of a 
                political party that has authority to nominate a 
                candidate for the office sought by the candidate; or
                    ``(G) a disbursement for a broadcast, cable or 
                satellite communication, or for a communication which 
                is placed or promoted for a fee on a website, web 
                application, or digital application, that promotes, 
                supports, attacks or opposes the election of a clearly 
                identified candidate for Federal, State, or local 
                office (regardless of whether the communication 
                contains express advocacy or the functional equivalent 
                of express advocacy); or''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to disbursements made on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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