Federal RuleAug 21
62
DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
S3991119th Congress
DISCLOSE Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would broaden disclosure and block foreign money in federal elections by expanding what counts as a prohibited contribution and forcing faster, deeper reporting and ad disclaimers for many campaign-related payments. It would also treat paid communications about Federal judicial nominations like election spending and create faster court review rules for challenges to these laws.
Show full summary
- Voters: Ads must show a clear approval statement and, for many short or digital ads, a Top Five or Top Two funders list or a link to one. This aims to make who is behind political messages easier to find.
- Donors and groups that spend on politics: Organizations would report beneficial owners and detailed payee and payment data when campaign-related disbursements exceed $10,000 in a reporting cycle. Transfers among affiliates would count if they total $50,000 in a year.
- Foreign actors and intermediaries: The foreign-money ban would cover more disbursement types and transfers tied to later political spending within two years, and a new criminal offense would penalize hiding foreign contributions with up to 5 years in prison.
- Courts and nominees: Paid communications about judicial nominations would be reportable as campaign-related spending and legal challenges would follow an expedited D.C. court track.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
Bigger disclaimers for paid ads
This bill would require stronger disclaimers on many paid ads and prerecorded calls. Paid individual ads would need an audio statement saying who paid. Groups would need an audio or on‑screen line naming the group's applicable official. Video and many online ads would need a Top Five funder list and audio ads a Top Two list. A person would be included on a Top list only if they gave $10,000 or more in the prior 12 months. Very short spots could use an adapted disclaimer or a link, reachable with one click or tap. Required video text must show for at least 6 seconds, or 4 seconds for very short spots. Prerecorded candidate or authorized calls would need the audio statement at the start. These changes would apply to qualifying communications made on or after January 1, 2027.
Faster disclosure for political payers
This bill would expand which groups must report political spending. Corporations (not 501(c)(3)s), many 501(c) groups, some LLCs, labor unions, and certain 527s could be covered. Covered organizations that spend more than $10,000 in an election reporting cycle would have to file a statement with the FEC within 24 hours after each disclosure date. The filings would list each disbursement over $1,000 and give beneficial‑owner names and addresses and donor histories when people gave $10,000 or more. Ordinary business sales and written donor prohibitions with segregated accounts would be exempt. The FEC would have to write rules within six months for a specific exemption that would require re-application every four years.
Stronger ban on foreign political money
This bill would broaden the ban on foreign money in U.S. political activity. It would bar more paid communications and online placements near elections, payments that fund internet activity promoting candidates, and ads for or against Federal judicial nominations when made by covered foreign nationals. It would expand what counts as a prohibited contribution or donation to include payments that fund expenditures or accounts that accept noncompliant donations. The bill would also create a new federal crime for forming or using an entity to hide a prohibited foreign‑national contribution, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Regular GAO studies on foreign money
This bill would require the Comptroller General to study illicit foreign money every four years. The first study would cover the four-year cycle ending in 2024 and be due one year after that cycle. Later reports would be due one year after each four-year cycle ends. Reports must describe whether foreign money targeted rural, minority, or military communities. This reporting duty would stop applying to cycles that begin after the 2036 presidential election.
Faster court review for legal challenges
This bill would set a fast, centralized court path for challenges to campaign finance and certain tax rules. Those suits would start in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and appeals would go to the D.C. Circuit. Courts would be directed to advance and expedite these cases. Any Member of Congress could intervene or file such suits. If a case filed elsewhere later raises these claims, the district court would have to transfer it to the D.C. court.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]
GA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]
GA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]
VT • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov