All Roll Calls
Yes: 163 • No: 61
IowaHF 260191st General Assembly (2025–2026)HouseWALLET
A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduct, and making penalties applicable. (Formerly HF 2044.) Effective date: 07/01/2026.
Sponsored By: COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Donors gain privacy during campaign investigations
Beginning July 1, 2026, Iowa agencies and employees investigating specified campaign finance violations must protect lawful tax-exempt organization donors’ identities as much as possible. They may collect or require identifying information only when it directly relates to a campaign finance violation. They cannot disclose it publicly or to another government entity unless that entity is directly involved in the investigation. The nondisclosure limit ends after a final finding that the donor violated the campaign finance chapter. These rules also cover court-ordered investigations following complaints under Iowa Code section 68B.32B.
Added penalties for campaign finance violations
Beginning July 1, 2026, knowing or willful violations of specified campaign finance rules carry an added civil penalty. It covers specified foreign-national restrictions, donor affirmations, committee reporting, and independent-expenditure requirements. The penalty is $10,000 or three times the related contribution or spending amount, whichever is greater. It applies in addition to the penalty under Iowa Code section 68A.701. The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board collects the money for the state general fund.
Campaign donors face foreign-funding checks
Beginning July 1, 2026, treasurers of committees expressly supporting or opposing ballot issues must obtain an affirmation from each contributor. Donors must affirm they are not foreign nationals and have not knowingly or willfully accepted more than $100,000 total from foreign nationals during the four years immediately before contributing. In covered committee reports, treasurers must affirm that the committee has not knowingly or willfully received, solicited, or accepted foreign-national contributions. They must also affirm that reported donors are not foreign nationals and did not knowingly or willfully receive, solicit, or accept—directly or indirectly—more than $100,000 total from foreign nationals during that four-year period. People filing independent-expenditure statements for messages expressly supporting or opposing ballot issues must affirm they have not knowingly or willfully accepted more than $100,000 total from foreign nationals during the four years before spending. That affirmation must also cover not accepting funds above that threshold through the ballot issue’s election date.
Foreign nationals face campaign spending bans
Beginning July 1, 2026, Iowa bans foreign nationals from directly or indirectly making independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates or ballot issues. Foreign nationals include people who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents, foreign governments and political parties, and entities organized under foreign law or principally based abroad. Wholly or majority foreign-owned U.S. entities also count unless campaign funds come entirely from U.S. operations and U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents make contribution and spending decisions. A foreign national may still set an entity’s overall budget amounts. Foreign nationals also cannot direct, control, or participate directly or indirectly in another person’s ballot-issue decisions, or directly or indirectly ask others to contribute or spend money to influence a ballot issue.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/21/2026
Passed Senate
Yes: 44 • No: 0
legislature vote • 3/23/2026
Amendment H-8218
Yes: 29 • No: 61
House vote • 3/23/2026
Passed House
Yes: 90 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Signed by Governor.
6/2/2026HouseFiscal note.
5/14/2026legislatureReported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
5/6/2026HouseMessage from Senate.
4/21/2026HouseImmediate message.
4/21/2026SenatePassed Senate, yeas 44, nays 0.
4/21/2026SenatePoint of order raised on S-5203, ruled not germane.
4/21/2026SenateAmendment S-5203 filed.
4/21/2026SenateSubstituted for SF 2204.
4/21/2026SenateExplanation of vote.
3/31/2026HouseExplanation of vote.
3/31/2026HouseExplanation of vote.
3/30/2026HouseExplanation of vote.
3/30/2026HouseExplanation of vote.
3/24/2026HouseExplanation of vote.
3/24/2026HouseRead first time, attached to SF 2204.
3/23/2026SenateMessage from House.
3/23/2026SenateImmediate message.
3/23/2026HousePassed House, yeas 90, nays 0.
3/23/2026HouseAmendment H-8248 withdrawn.
3/23/2026HouseAmendment H-8218, yeas 29, nays 61, lost.
3/23/2026HouseAmendment H-8248 filed.
3/20/2026HousePlaced on calendar under unfinished business.
3/19/2026HouseAmendment H-8218 filed.
3/12/2026HouseFiscal note.
3/11/2026legislature
Bill Text
As Introduced
Enrolled
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