HB 1467: Campaign finance. - Indiana

Enrolled House Bill (H) → House Bill (H) · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Indiana's election laws to prohibit foreign nationals from making campaign contributions or expenditures in connection with public questions (ballot measures). It also restricts political action committees from accepting contributions from prohibited sources and establishes new definitions for 'foreign national,' 'independent expenditure,' and 'preliminary activity' to clarify what counts as campaign spending. The changes strengthen transparency requirements for political committees and add stricter rules around foreign influence in Indiana elections.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of campaign finance restrictions to explicitly cover foreign nationals and their influence on public question elections, which were not previously addressed in this specific manner.

DEFINITION

Added new definition of 'foreign national' referencing federal law (52 U.S.C. 30121(b)) to clarify who is prohibited from contributing.

Added new definition of 'independent expenditure' to cover spending that expressly advocates for approval or rejection of a public question.

Added new definition of 'preliminary activity' to include polling, focus groups, and other early campaign activities.

REQUIREMENT

Added prohibition on political action committees accepting contributions from foreign nationals.

Added prohibition on foreign nationals making contributions or expenditures related to public questions.

Modified committee reporting requirements to include certification that no preliminary activity was funded by a prohibited source.

Modified expenditure record-keeping requirements to apply to independent expenditures on public questions.

TIMELINE

Established July 1, 2025 as the effective date for all new provisions.

Engrossed House Bill (S) → Enrolled House Bill (H) · 3 edits · Apr 10, 2025

MINOR

This bill was converted from a House Bill to an Enrolled House Act, indicating it has passed both legislative chambers and is ready for the governor's signature. The substantive content remains the same, focusing on campaign finance rules that restrict foreign nationals from contributing to Indiana elections and require political committees to disclose certain information.

Scope change

No substantive scope change; the bill moved from House Bill format to Enrolled Act format, which is the final legislative step before becoming law.

TECHNICAL

Changed document title from 'HOUSE BILL No. 1467' to 'HOUSE ENROLLED ACT No. 1467' and added 'HEA 1467' page headers, reflecting the bill's final legislative status.

Removed the digest section that summarized the bill's purpose and added the official act language ('AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning elections').

Changed the printing code instructions from describing how amendments appear to describing how new statutory provisions appear, reflecting the bill's transition to final enrolled form.

Introduced House Bill (H) → Engrossed House Bill (S) · 5 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand its scope from only prohibiting foreign contributions for public questions to a broader campaign finance framework. The changes add definitions for 'contribution' and 'independent expenditure,' establish reporting requirements for political action committees, and clarify what constitutes preliminary political activity. These amendments strengthen transparency and accountability in Indiana's campaign finance system.

Scope change

Expanded from a narrow focus on foreign contributions to a comprehensive campaign finance framework covering contributions, expenditures, and political action committee activities.

SCOPE

Changed from targeting only foreign contributions to establishing broader campaign finance rules covering all contributions and expenditures.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'contribution,' 'independent expenditure,' and 'preliminary activity' to clarify what activities are regulated.

REQUIREMENT

Added reporting and disclosure requirements for political action committees and persons making independent expenditures.

ELIGIBILITY

Added restrictions on political action committees accepting contributions from prohibited sources, including foreign nationals.

TECHNICAL

Updated affected Indiana Code citations from IC 3-9-2-11 to IC 3-5 and IC 3-9 to reflect the expanded scope of the legislation.

Campaign finance.

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