Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB818: Ban foreign funding for ballot measures
Status: Signed into law, May 19, 2025
What the bill says
An act revising campaign finance laws; prohibiting a foreign national from interfering in statewide ballot issues; prohibiting a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure using funds received from a foreign national; providing definitions; providing penalties; amending sections 13-37-501, 13-37-502, and 13-37-503, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REVISING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS; PROHIBITING A FOREIGN NATIONAL FROM INTERFERING IN STATEWIDE BALLOT ISSUES; PROHIBITING A CONTRIBUTION, EXPENDITURE, OR INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE USING FUNDS RECEIVED FROM A FOREIGN NATIONAL; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING PENALTIES; AMENDING SECTIONS 13-37-501, 13-37-502, AND 13-37-503, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 1. Prohibition on foreign national interference in statewide ballot issues. (1) It is unlawful for a foreign national, directly or through an intermediary, to make a disbursement for an electioneering communication, a contribution, or an expenditure, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or an expenditure, in connection with any statewide ballot issue. (2) It is unlawful for a person to: (a) solicit, accept, or receive any funds from a foreign national for any purpose described in subsection (1); or (b) make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure using any funds the person knows were received from a foreign national for any purpose described in this section. (3) (a) Upon receipt of a contribution by a political committee created to support or to oppose a ballot issue, the committee treasurer shall obtain from the donor an affirmation that the donor is not a foreign national. (b) Records of the donor affirmation received must be included in the treasurer's recordkeeping obligations under 13-37-207 and 13-37-208. Section 2. Section …
Sponsors
- Mitchell, Braxton (R, 5) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (S) 3rd Reading Conference Committee Report Adopted
- : (S) 3rd Reading Conference Committee Report
- : (H) 3rd Reading Conference Committee Report
Votes
- Do Adopt (April 30, 2025): 56 yea, 44 nay, passed
- Do Adopt (April 30, 2025): 37 yea, 13 nay, passed
- Do Adopt (April 29, 2025): 55 yea, 43 nay, passed
- Do Adopt (April 29, 2025): 39 yea, 11 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 17, 2025): 45 yea, 54 nay, failed
- Do Concur (April 12, 2025): 38 yea, 12 nay, passed
Subjects: Ballot Issues, Elections
Common questions
- What is HB818?
- HB818 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Ban foreign funding for ballot measures.
- What does HB818 do?
- In its own words: An act revising campaign finance laws; prohibiting a foreign national from interfering in statewide ballot issues; prohibiting a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure using funds received from a foreign national; providing definitions; providing penalties; amending sections 13-37-501, 13-37-502, and 13-37-503, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
- What is the status of HB818?
- Signed into law as of May 19, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 19, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB818?
- Mitchell, Braxton (R, 5).
- Where is the official record for HB818?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3896
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.