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Committee backs bill to align state campaign law with FEC, sponsor says it blocks foreign donations to referendums
Summary
The committee gave a favorable report to HB 214, which the sponsor said would harmonize Alabama's campaign finance law with the FEC and close a loophole allowing foreign nationals to contribute to referendum or constitutional amendment elections; the motion passed by voice vote with no numeric tally in the transcript.
Representative Lommax introduced HB 214 and said the bill matches the state's FCPA with federal FEC rules. Lommax described the measure as intended to close "the loophole where any foreign nationals can make campaign contributions to our ballot referendums or constitutional amendment elections in the state of Alabama."
Representative Stringer moved a favorable report and Vice Chair Representative Shaw seconded the motion. The committee approved the favorable report by voice vote; the transcript does not record a numeric roll-call tally.
On the record, speakers framed HB 214 as a technical alignment with federal rules rather than a change to domestic donor eligibility beyond preventing foreign contributions to referendums and constitutional amendment ballots. No amendments, fiscal notes, or follow-up assignments were recorded in the transcript.
The committee adjourned after completing its calendar; an item recorded in the transcript as "HP 252" was noted as carried over, but the record provided no further detail about that item.
