S 443 · 117th Congress 2021–2023, ended

DISCLOSE Act of 2021

Introduced Feb 25, 2021 Originated Senate Sponsor Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jul 19, 2022 Committee on Rules and Administration. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-331.

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.

  1. IntroducedFeb 25, 2021
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2021 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2021

This bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosures of campaign expenditures, and requiring additional disclosures regarding certain political advertisements.

First, the bill prohibits foreign nationals from participating in the decision-making process regarding an election expenditure.

Additionally, the bill expands existing foreign money prohibitions to include disbursements for paid web-based or digital communications and federal judicial nomination communications. It also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) must conduct an audit after each federal election cycle to determine the incidence of illicit foreign money.

Next, the bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.

Covered organizations (e.g., corporations, labor organizations, and political organizations) must, within 24 hours, file reports with the FEC to disclose campaign expenditures of more than $10,000 during an election cycle.

Finally, the bill requires organizations to provide additional disclosures regarding political advertisements, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.

Cosponsors 49

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 25, 2021 to Jul 21, 2022; 46 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CAAlex PadillaOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MNAmy KlobucharOriginalFeb 25, 2021
I-MEAngus S. King Jr.OriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NMBen Ray LujánOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MDBenjamin L. CardinOriginalFeb 25, 2021
I-VTBernard SandersOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-HIBrian SchatzOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NVCatherine Cortez MastoOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NYCharles E. SchumerOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MDChris Van HollenOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-DEChristopher A. CoonsOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-CTChristopher MurphyOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NJCory A. BookerOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MIDebbie StabenowOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-CADianne FeinsteinOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MAEdward J. MarkeyOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MAElizabeth WarrenOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MIGary C. PetersOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-RIJack ReedOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NVJacky RosenOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NHJeanne ShaheenOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-ORJeff MerkleyOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-COJohn W. HickenlooperOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-GAJon OssoffOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MTJon TesterOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NYKirsten E. GillibrandOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NHMargaret Wood HassanOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-WAMaria CantwellOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-VAMark R. WarnerOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NMMartin HeinrichOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-HIMazie K. HironoOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-COMichael F. BennetOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-VTPatrick J. LeahyOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-WAPatty MurrayOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-GARaphael G. WarnockOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-CTRichard BlumenthalOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-ILRichard J. DurbinOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-NJRobert MenendezOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-PARobert P. Casey Jr.OriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-ORRon WydenOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-OHSherrod BrownOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-WITammy BaldwinOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-ILTammy DuckworthOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-DEThomas R. CarperOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-VATim KaineOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-MNTina SmithOriginalFeb 25, 2021
D-WVJoe Manchin IIIMay 5, 2022
D-AZMark KellyMay 5, 2022
I-AZKyrsten SinemaJul 21, 2022

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
SenateRules and Administration Committee
Referred Feb 25, 2021Hearings Jul 19, 2022

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jul 19, 2022Committee on Rules and Administration. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-331.
  2. Feb 25, 2021Introduced in Senate
  3. Feb 25, 2021Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

In the Congressional Record 4

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S3503Mitch McConnell R-KYJul 20, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S3345Mitch McConnell R-KYJul 19, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S589Marsha Blackburn R-TN, Sheldon Whitehouse D-RIFeb 9, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S9238Amy Klobuchar D-MNDec 16, 2021

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Printed hearings 2

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 117-331S. 443, THE DISCLOSE ACT126 pagesRules and Administration CommitteeJul 19, 2022
S. Hrg. 117-423LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT GOVERNING THE POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF TAX-EXEMPT ENTITIES113 pagesFinance CommitteeMay 4, 2022

Related bills 9

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 1For the People Act of 2021Related billMar 11, 2021
S 1For the People Act of 2021Related billAug 11, 2021
HR 1171Stand By Every Ad ActRelated billFeb 18, 2021
HR 1279Shell Company Abuse ActRelated billApr 28, 2021
HR 1334DISCLOSE Act of 2021Identical billApr 28, 2021
Show all 9 related bills

Titles 4

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, Super PACs and other entities, and for other purposes.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
DISCLOSE Act of 2021
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2021
Short Title(s) as Introduced for portions of this bill
Stand By Every Ad Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 25, 2021Introduced in Senate

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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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.