Prevention of Foreign Interference with Elections Act of 2019
Latest action · May 14, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2833)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 14, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Prevention of Foreign Interference with Elections Act of 2019
This bill establishes new criminal penalties and revises certain prohibitions related to the interference of elections by foreign nationals.
Specifically, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conspiring with a foreign national to interfere with an election. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.
Further, a person who conspires with an agent of a foreign power to interfere with an election is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
In addition, an alien that engages in election interference is inadmissible into the United States. However, the Department of Homeland Security may waive this prohibition if the alien receives an adjustment of status for assisting in certain criminal prosecutions.
The bill also (1) expands the prohibition on a foreign national making an expenditure or disbursement for an electioneering communication; and (2) prohibits an individual from knowingly providing substantial assistance to foreign governments or foreign political parties, such as by making an expenditure or disbursement for an electioneering communication.
Cosponsors 11
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 14, 2019 to Jun 20, 2019, with 7 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-VT | Patrick J. Leahy | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | May 14, 2019 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | May 20, 2019 | |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | May 20, 2019 | |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Jun 20, 2019 | |
| D-MN | Tina Smith | Jun 20, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 14, 2019Introduced in Senate
- May 14, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2833)
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 14, 2019Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.