Committee OKs bill to bar foreign actors from contributing to ballot measures, adds disclosure requirement

The Committee of Federalism, Military Affairs and Elections voted to advance Senate Bill 1142, as amended, giving the measure a due‑pass recommendation.

Senate Bill 1142, as amended by a March 7 amendment offered in Representative Collin's name, would prohibit foreign corporations or persons from contributing money or in‑kind goods to ballot measures and would require specific disclosures in campaign finance reports for identified persons. Committee staff summarized the amendment as specifying that knowingly giving, accepting or using such funds or goods would be prohibited, and the amendment clarified the culpable mental state in the bill's language.

Representative Collin, who described himself as an elections lawyer, explained the change by noting the ease with which foreign funding could be masked in practice and said the amendment limits liability to situations where a recipient has reason to know of the foreign source. "The way the bill's written currently, there it would be in violation of the law. So that's gotta be fixed so that you're not in violation of the law unless you have reason to know that you're accepting a contribution," Representative Collin said.

The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote, and then the committee voted 4‑2 to give the amended SB 1142 a due‑pass recommendation. Committee staff noted the bill still needed additional work in some members' view, but the committee moved the amended measure forward.

The roll call included two recorded nays. The chair announced the committee's result as four ayes and two nays.

If enacted, the bill would add new campaign‑finance restrictions and certification obligations tied to ballot‑measure activity; the transcript did not specify enforcement mechanics or the full list of persons required to file the additional disclosures.