H.R. 2353 – Duty to Refuse and Report Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 4:21 AM UTC

The Duty to Refuse and Report Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019 would change the Federal Election Campaign Act to make it a legal requirement for anyone running for public office – at the federal, state, or local level – to turn down any help offered by a foreign government or its agents and to tell the FBI about the offer. It adds reporting and certification steps for campaign staff and sets penalties for non‑compliance. The bill is aimed at protecting U.S. elections from foreign influence.

Key Provisions

Candidates and any campaign‑affiliated person must refuse any assistance offered by a known foreign power or its agent and must notify the FBI within 72 hours of receiving the offer.
Each authorized campaign committee must, within 10 days after each calendar quarter, file a certification with the Federal Election Commission confirming compliance with the refusal‑and‑report requirement.
Violations can result in fines up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
The bill defines “foreign power” and “agent of a foreign power” by reference to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and expands the term “candidate” to include anyone seeking nomination or election to any federal, state, or local office, as well as all campaign staff, contractors, volunteers, and interns.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

April 25, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 25, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

April 25, 2019

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 2353 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Ted BuddR-NC-13 · Jul 16, 2019

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two exceptional students from Rowan County, North Carolina. Recently, Grant Helms, a rising senior at West Rowan High School, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued April 25, 2019

I

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2353

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 25, 2019

Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require candidates for election for public office to refuse offers of assistance from foreign powers and to report such offers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Duty to Refuse and Report Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019.

2.

Requiring candidates to refuse offers of assistance from foreign powers and to report offers to FBI

(a)

Requirements described

Section 319 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30121) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(c)

Requirements for candidates receiving offers of assistance from foreign powers

(1)

Duty to refuse assistance and report offer to FBI

If a candidate or any individual affiliated with a campaign of a candidate knowingly receives an offer for assistance with the campaign from a source the candidate or individual knows is a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power, the candidate or individual shall—

(A)

refuse the offer for such assistance; and

(B)

notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the offer not later than 72 hours after receiving the offer.

(2)

Certification requirement for Federal candidates

Not later than 10 days after the expiration of each calendar quarter, each authorized committee of a candidate for election for Federal office shall file a report with the Commission certifying that the candidate and the individuals affiliated with the candidate’s campaign are in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1).

(3)

Penalty

Whoever fails to comply with subsection (a) shall be fined not more than $250,000, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(4)

Definitions

In this section, the following definitions apply:

(A)

The term agent of a foreign power and the term foreign power each has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801).

(B)

The term candidate means an individual who seeks nomination for, or election to, any Federal, State, or local public office.

(C)

The term individual affiliated with a campaign means, with respect to a candidate, an employee of any organization legally authorized under Federal, State, or local law to support the candidate’s campaign for nomination for, or election to, any Federal, State, or local public office, as well as any independent contractor of such an organization and any individual who performs services for the organization on an unpaid basis (including an intern or volunteer).

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.