LRB-5548/1
JK:ekg&cjs
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
January 6, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Spreitzer, Hebl, Andraca, Pope,
Shelton, Anderson, Subeck, Shankland, Hong, Sinicki, Considine and
Vruwink, cosponsored by Senators Larson,
Roys, Carpenter, Smith and
Stroebel. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
AB819,1,3
1An Act to renumber 11.1208 (4); and
to create 11.1208 (4) (b) of the statutes;
2relating to: expressly prohibiting a foreign national from making a
3contribution to a referendum committee.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law provides that no person may make or accept a contribution, make
a disbursement, make an expenditure, or incur an obligation in violation of the
federal law that prohibits a foreign national from making a contribution in
connection with any federal, state, or local election. This bill provides, in addition,
that no foreign national may make a contribution to a referendum committee and no
referendum committee may accept a contribution from a foreign national. A recent
decision by the Federal Elections Commission allowed a foreign national to make a
contribution to a ballot initiative committee because the FEC determined that a
ballot initiative is not an “election” for purposes of the federal law prohibiting
contributions from foreign nationals.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB819,1
4Section
1. 11.1208 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 11.1208 (4) (a).
AB819,2
5Section
2. 11.1208 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB819,2,4
111.1208
(4) (b) No foreign national may make a contribution to a referendum
2committee and no referendum committee may accept a contribution from a foreign
3national. In this paragraph, “foreign national” has the meaning given in
11 CFR
4110.20 (a) (3) and
52 USC 30121 (b).
