# Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act

Right now, there's a federal law that says foreign nationals—people who aren't U.S. citizens—can't give money to candidates running for office. This bill closes a loophole in that rule by extending the same ban to ballot initiatives, referendums, and recall elections.

To understand what this means in practice, imagine a foreign company or foreign government wanted to influence whether your state legalizes marijuana, raises taxes, or recalls a governor. Currently, the law doesn't explicitly prohibit them from donating money to campaigns supporting or opposing these ballot measures. This bill fixes that gap by making it clear that foreign money is banned from all these types of elections, just like it already is for candidate races.

The practical effect is that groups running campaigns on ballot measures would face the same restrictions as political campaigns for office. They couldn't accept donations from foreign nationals, foreign companies, or foreign governments. This applies to any state or local ballot initiative, referendum, or recall election. The bill takes effect immediately once it becomes law, applying to any money donated after that point.

For most Americans, this won't change much in their daily lives—it mainly affects campaign organizations and donors. But the intent is to prevent foreign interference in all types of elections, not just races for political office. It's designed to keep decisions about local and state policies from being influenced by foreign money.

Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act

Fitzpatrick, Brian K.

Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act This bill prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives, referenda, or recall elections.