No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4786 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4786
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require
authorized committees and leadership PACs of candidates for election
for Federal office to disburse funds remaining unexpended after the
date of the election involved, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 29, 2025
Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. Raskin)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House
Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require
authorized committees and leadership PACs of candidates for election
for Federal office to disburse funds remaining unexpended after the
date of the election involved, and for other purposes.
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 ``Honest Elections and Campaign, No
Gain Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIRING AUTHORIZED COMMITTEES OF CANDIDATES TO DISBURSE FUNDS
REMAINING UNEXPENDED AFTER DATE OF ELECTION.
(a) Requiring Disbursement.--Title III of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.) is amended by inserting
after section 303 the following new section:
``SEC. 303A. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS REMAINING UNEXPENDED AFTER DATE OF
ELECTION.
``(a) Requiring Disbursement.--
``(1) In general.--Each authorized committee or leadership
PAC of a candidate shall, in accordance with subsection (b) and
prior to the expiration of the applicable disbursement period,
disburse any funds of the committee or PAC before the earliest
of--
``(A) the last day of the applicable disbursement
period;
``(B) the date on which the candidate first makes a
lobbying contact or is employed or retained to make a
lobbying contact that would require registration under
section 4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2
U.S.C. 1603); or
``(C) the date on which the candidate becomes an
agent of a foreign principal that would require
registration under section 2 of the Foreign Agents
Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612).
``(2) Exception for candidates in next election.--Paragraph
(1) does not apply to the committee or PAC of a candidate who,
prior to the first day of the applicable disbursement period,
provides the appropriate State election official with the
information and fees (if any) required under State law for the
individual to qualify as a candidate for the next election for
the office sought by the candidate or the next election for
another Federal office.
``(3) Applicable disbursement period.--In this subsection,
the `applicable disbursement period' is, with respect to a
candidate seeking election for an office, the 2-year period
which begins on the day after the latest date on which an
individual may provide the appropriate State election official
with the information and fees (if any) required under State law
for the individual to qualify as a candidate for the next
election for such office.
``(b) Rules for Disbursement of Funds.--
``(1) Payment of obligations.--In carrying out subsection
(a), an authorized committee or leadership PAC shall first
disburse funds to pay obligations incurred in connection with
the operation of the committee.
``(2) Other permitted disbursements.--If, after disbursing
all of the funds necessary to pay obligations under paragraph
(1), funds of a committee or PAC remain unexpended, the
committee or PAC may only disburse the funds for any of the
following purposes, in such manner and combination as the
committee or PAC considers appropriate:
``(A) To return to any person a contribution the
person made to the committee or PAC.
``(B) To make a contribution to an organization
described in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986.
``(C) To make a transfer without limitation to a
national, State, or local committee of a political
party.
``(c) Restrictions on Disbursement to Relatives.--
``(1) Restriction.--In disbursing funds pursuant to the
requirements of this section, an authorized committee or
leadership PAC may not disburse funds to a relative of the
candidate unless the funds are disbursed to pay an obligation
of the committee as described in paragraph (1) of subsection
(b) which is reported by the committee or PAC as a disbursement
under section 304(b)(5) or which would be so reported if the
amount of the disbursement were in excess of $200.
``(2) Relative defined.--In this subsection, the term
`relative' means, with respect to a candidate, an individual
who is related to the candidate as father, mother, son,
daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew,
niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law,
daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather,
stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister,
half brother, or half sister.
``(d) Definition.--In this section, the term `leadership PAC' has
the meaning given such term in section 304(i)(8)(B).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Permitted Uses of
Contributions.--Section 313(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30114(a)) is
amended by striking ``A contribution'' and inserting ``Subject to
section 303A, a contribution''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for
Federal office held in November 2026 and each succeeding election for
Federal office.
SEC. 3. REQUIRING FORMER CANDIDATES SERVING AS REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO
CERTIFY COMPLIANCE WITH DISBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Certification of Compliance.--Section 4(b) of the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (7) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following new
paragraph:
``(8) in the case of an individual who was a candidate for
election for Federal office, a certification (under penalty of
perjury) that each authorized committee and leadership PAC (as
defined in section 304(i)(8)(B) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971) of the individual is in compliance with
section 303A of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
(relating to the disbursement of funds of the committee or
leadership PAC which remain unexpended after the date of the
election).''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to registration statements filed under section 4(a)
of the Lobbying Disclosure Act on or after the date of the regularly
scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2026.
SEC. 4. REQUIRING FORMER CANDIDATES SERVING AS FOREIGN AGENTS TO
CERTIFY COMPLIANCE WITH DISBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Certification of Compliance.--Section 2(a) of the Foreign
Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612(a)) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs
(11) and (12); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following new
paragraph:
``(10) In the case of an individual who was a candidate for
election for Federal office, a certification (under penalty of
perjury) that each authorized committee and leadership PAC (as
defined in section 304(i)(8)(B) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971) of the individual is in compliance with
section 303A of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
(relating to the disbursement of funds of the committee or
leadership PAC which remain unexpended after the date of the
election).''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to registration statements filed under section 2 of
the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended on or after the
date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office
held in November 2026.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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