Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections Foreign Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House approves ban on foreign funding and certain services for ballot measures
Summary
The Louisiana House passed HB590, a bill making it a crime for foreign governments or foreign entities to provide funds or certain in-kind services to influence statewide ballot measures, with penalties including fines and possible imprisonment.
BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana House of Representatives passed House Bill 590 on final passage, a measure that bars foreign governments and foreign entities from directly funding or providing certain services related to ballot propositions and questions.
Representative Spell, the bill's author, said the bill "seeks to ban services that are offered ... as an in kind donation" and described the measure as a preventative step to close what he called a loophole on ballot measures that, in his view, foreign actors have exploited in other states. The bill makes violations subject to civil penalties and criminal sanctions; the text discussed during debate specified fines "of not more than twice the donation" and imprisonment "for no longer than 5 years" for certain foreign-entity violations.
Supporters said the measure aligns state law with recent legislation aimed at protecting election administration from outside influence. Representative Spell repeatedly described HB590 as a statutory companion to earlier legislation and Act 200 of 2023, and the bill's sponsor said it clarifies campaign-finance rules where federal law does not explicitly address ballot measures.
Opponents and questioners asked how the bill would treat volunteers, ordinary in‑kind help, and U.S.-based operations of foreign companies. Representative Willard and others pressed whether the word "services" could criminalize volunteer door-knocking or charitable time, and Representative Marcel asked the author to accept an amendment to clarify that volunteers and routine in‑country operations are not meant to be criminalized; Spell said he would entertain clarifying language. The legislative bureau also sent a set of technical amendments that was accepted during consideration.
The House adopted the bill on a recorded vote. The clerk announced 87 yeas and 7 nays and the bill "finally passes." The bill's text as discussed ties its definitions to existing election-code references and to the statutory scheme cross-referencing SB 109 and Act 200 (2023). The House debate emphasized enforcement against large, coordinated foreign funding and said the measure was mainly preventive rather than responsive to a documented Louisiana case.
