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HR 8721

Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act

119th Congress Introduced by Tom Barrett and 3 co-sponsors

Expands foreign-money prohibitions to cover key election activities and tightens enforcement and donor-privacy protections for tax-exempt groups.

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
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Bill Summary · HR 8721

Overview

  • Bill: HR 8721
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Title: Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act
  • Sponsor: Rep. Bryan Steil (co-sponsor)
  • Purpose: Amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to strengthen prohibitions on foreign money and improve enforcement to prevent foreign interference in U.S. elections, while enhancing donor privacy protections for tax-exempt organizations.

Main purpose and intent

  • Expand and tighten restrictions on money from foreign sources in federal elections.
  • Extend and clarify prohibitions on aiding or facilitating foreign influence activities.
  • Improve enforcement mechanisms within the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and add new reporting and certification requirements.
  • Protect donor privacy for individuals contributing to tax-exempt organizations, with defined exceptions and penalties for violations.

Key provisions and changes

A. Expanded restrictions on foreign money (Section 2)

  • Adds new categories to the list of prohibited foreign contributions or expenditures under the Federal Election Campaign Act.
    • New designated activities for which foreign money would be barred:
    • Voter registration activity
    • Ballot collection
    • Voter identification
    • Get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activity
    • Public communications referencing clearly identified political parties (federal, state, or local)
    • Administration of federal, state, or local elections
  • This augments the existing restrictions by explicitly including these election-related activities as prohibited targets for foreign money.

B. Prohibition on aiding or facilitating violations (Section 2)

  • Adds a new prohibition against knowingly aiding or facilitating a violation of the specified sections (the expanded set of activities in subsection (a)).

C. Indirect contributions (Section 2)

  • Establishes that indirect contributions to someone with a designation or instruction that results in using funds for the prohibited activities count as contributions.
  • Broadens the reach of the statute to cover indirect pathways that route funds to prohibited election activities.

D. Enforcement enhancements (Section 2)

  • Introduces a new enforcement mechanism within the FEC:
    • Allows a defendant to certify under penalty of perjury that no violation occurred, which the Commission must consider in its determinations.
    • Limits FEC investigations after a finding of “reason to believe” to the factual matters necessary to determine whether a violation occurred.
    • Provides a procedure to file petitions in U.S. district court to challenge overly broad subpoenas or orders, with emphasis on limiting scope to necessary facts.

E. Reporting and certification requirements (Section 2)

  • Requires certified disclosures by committees and political parties:
    • Committees must certify, under penalty of perjury, that they complied with section 319(a) (foreign money restrictions).
    • Independent expenditures must include a certification that they do not violate section 319(a).
    • Other persons making disbursements for electioneering communications must certify no violation of section 319(a).
  • Strengthens integrity checks for independent expenditures and political committee disclosures.

F. Protecting donor privacy for tax-exempt organizations (Section 3)

  • Prohibits federal entities from collecting or requiring donor identification information for tax-exempt organizations (with specified exceptions).
  • Prohibits federal entities from releasing donor-identifying information to the public, with enumerated exceptions (IRS, Lobbying Disclosure Act authorities, FEC under certain statutes, court orders, or disclosure authorized by the organization).
  • Defines “tax-exempt organization” as described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (excludes 527 political organizations).
  • Imposes penalties for federal officers or employees who unlawfully disclose donor information (felony, up to $250,000 fine, up to 5 years imprisonment, and potential dismissal from government service).

Who/what is affected

  • Federal political committees and political parties subject to the Federal Election Campaign Act.
  • Individuals or entities involved in independent expenditures and electioneering communications.
  • Tax-exempt organizations (501(c)) and their donors, due to privacy protections and restricted information collection/ release.
  • Federal agencies and officials, particularly the Federal Election Commission (FEC), IRS, and other entities listed in the exemptions.

Effective date and implementation (Section 4)

  • Modifications to the foreign money ban apply to donations or amounts provided on or after enactment.
  • Reporting requirements apply to reports filed on or after enactment.
  • Privacy protections for donors apply to donations made on or after enactment.
  • Overall, the act specifies a general one-step implementation timeline aligned with enactment for most provisions, with targeted application dates for reporting and privacy measures.

Procedural notes

  • Introduced in the House on May 11, 2026.
  • Referred to the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with jurisdictional considerations to be determined by the Speaker.
  • No Senate action provided in the summary text; cross-chamber progress would determine final status.

Summary

HR 8721 expands prohibitions on foreign influence in U.S. elections by explicitly banning foreign money used for key election-related activities (voter registration, ballot handling, GOTV, etc.) and by tightening enforcement and reporting requirements through the FEC. It adds a mechanism to address indirect contributions, strengthens penalties and legal remedies, and introduces robust donor privacy protections for tax-exempt organizations, with carefully delineated exceptions. The act seeks to bolster election integrity while safeguarding donor confidentiality, subject to enactment and subsequent rulemaking.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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