# 119-s-616: Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2025

119-s-616, Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA); status became_law (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-616
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-616
- Congress: 119
- Title: Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2025
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2025-02-18
- Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Law
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**This law revises the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association's federal charter to clarify governance and membership rules.** It names the board of directors as the governing body, tightens limits on political activity, updates legal and location rules, and requires Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) budget effects to be recorded. - Membership and chapters: Eligibility and member rights are set by the corporation's bylaws. The charter explicitly allows grants to local Federal Bar Association chapters even when officers, directors, or members belong to those chapters. - Board and officers: The board of directors is the governing body and may exercise the corporation's powers. Officer roles and elections are governed by the bylaws. - Restrictions on conduct and finances: The corporation may not issue stock or pay dividends. It may not engage in political activity, make loans to insiders, or distribute income to officers or members, though reasonable compensation and expense reimbursement are allowed. - Legal and administrative rules: The board decides the United States location and specifies it in the bylaws. The corporation must follow state service-of-process law and direct how remaining assets are distributed on dissolution. - Budget accounting: Budgetary effects for Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) purposes are to be determined by reference to the Senate Budget Committee Chairman's statement submitted for the Congressional Record.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-02-18T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Board and bylaws control the Foundation: benefit, low. The law makes the board of directors the governing body. The bylaws set who can be a member, member rights, and officer election rules. The board picks the main office anywhere in the United States and lists it in the bylaws. The Foundation follows the service‑of‑process rules of the state or distr…
- No politics or government endorsement: benefit, low. The law bans using Foundation money or property for political activity or to influence laws. Directors and officers acting for the Foundation also must not contribute to or join such activity. The Foundation cannot claim U.S. Government approval or authority for its work, though it may say it has a…
- Nonprofit safeguards and member protections: benefit, low. The law bars issuing stock or paying dividends. It forbids loans to directors, officers, members, or employees. Income and assets cannot personally benefit insiders, but the board may approve fair pay and reimburse expenses. Grants to chapters and normal employee pay are allowed. Members and privat…
- PAYGO accounting for this Act: mixed, low. For budget scoring, the law uses the latest PAYGO statement for this Act that the Senate Budget Committee chair printed before the vote. This sets which official estimate governs how the Act’s budget effects are recorded.

## Related bills

- 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025
- 119-s-93: Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-616 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/616)

## Related
- [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949)
- [119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-688)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3492)
- [119-s-93: Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-93)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-616 (as of 2026-08-11).