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Bills · 2021-2022 Regular Session

AB 819

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: expressly prohibiting a foreign national from making a contribution to a referendum committee.

Elections — Campaign expense Elections — Officials International relations Referendum

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Assembly, not reached
  3. Passes Senate, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law provides that no person may make or accept a contribution, make

a disbursement, make an expenditure, or incur an obligation in violation of the

federal law that prohibits a foreign national from making a contribution in

connection with any federal, state, or local election. This bill provides, in addition,

that no foreign national may make a contribution to a referendum committee and no

referendum committee may accept a contribution from a foreign national. A recent

decision by the Federal Elections Commission allowed a foreign national to make a

contribution to a ballot initiative committee because the FEC determined that a

ballot initiative is not an “election” for purposes of the federal law prohibiting

contributions from foreign nationals.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Anderson (D) , Andraca (D) , Considine (D) , Hebl (D) , Hong (D) , Pope (D) , Shankland (D) , Shelton (D) , Sinicki (D) , Spreitzer (D) , Subeck (D) , Vruwink (D)

5 cosponsors

Carpenter (D) , Larson (D) , Roys (D) , Smith (D) , Stroebel (R)

Full history

  1. Jan 6, 2022 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Spreitzer, Hebl, Andraca, Pope, Shelton, Anderson, Subeck, Shankland, Hong, Sinicki, Considine and Vruwink; cosponsored by Senators Larson, Roys, Carpenter, Smith and Stroebel

  2. Jan 6, 2022 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections

  3. Mar 15, 2022 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1