Keeping Foreign Money out of Ballot Measures Act of 2023

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4484 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4484

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit foreign nationals 
 from making contributions in connection with a State or local ballot 
                       initiative or referendum.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 6, 2023

 Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself and Mr. Golden of Maine) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit foreign nationals 
 from making contributions in connection with a State or local ballot 
                       initiative or referendum.

    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 ``Keeping Foreign Money out of Ballot 
Measures Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS BY FOREIGN NATIONALS 
              IN CONNECTION WITH BALLOT INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 29 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 612. Foreign nationals making certain political contributions
    ``(a) Prohibition.--It shall be unlawful for a foreign national, 
directly or indirectly, to make a contribution as such term is defined 
in section 301(8)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 
U.S.C. 30101(8)(A)) or donation of money or other thing of value, or to 
make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, 
in connection with a State or local ballot initiative or referendum.
    ``(b) Penalty.--Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be 
fined not more than the greater of $10,000 or 300 percent of the amount 
of the contribution or value of the donation of money or other thing of 
value made by the person, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
    ``(c) Foreign National Defined.--In this section, the term `foreign 
national' has the meaning given such term in section 319(b) of the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30121(b)).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 29 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``612. Foreign nationals making certain political contributions.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
with respect to contributions and donations made on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
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