Bill Summary
The "Inaugural Committee Transparency Act of 2025" aims to enhance transparency and accountability regarding donations to the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Key provisions include:
1. **Disclosure Requirements**: The Act mandates that the Inaugural Committee disclose all disbursements of $200 or more, including details such as the recipient's name and address, the date of the disbursement, and the purpose for which the funds were used.
2. **Prohibitions on Donations**: It is unlawful for the Inaugural Committee to accept donations from foreign nationals or for individuals to make donations in someone else's name. Additionally, the Act prohibits converting donations for personal use.
3. **Post-Inaugural Fund Distribution**: The Act requires that any remaining funds from donations be disbursed to qualified nonprofit organizations within 90 days after the inaugural ceremony. The Federal Election Commission can grant extensions for this deadline under specific conditions.
Overall, the legislation is designed to ensure that financial activities surrounding presidential inaugurations are transparent and that contributions are handled ethically.
Possible Impacts
The "Inaugural Committee Transparency Act of 2025" could affect people in several ways:
1. **Increased Transparency for Donors**: Individuals and organizations donating to the Presidential Inaugural Committee will have their contributions publicly disclosed if they exceed $200. This increased transparency may deter potential donors from engaging in potentially unethical or unaccountable practices, leading to a more informed public regarding the sources of funding for inaugural events.
2. **Legal Accountability for Foreign Donations**: The legislation explicitly prohibits foreign nationals from donating to the Inaugural Committee. This measure aims to protect the integrity of the electoral process, but it may also impact international relationships and the ability of expatriates or foreign entities to engage in American political fundraising, which could lead to feelings of exclusion or disenfranchisement among those communities.
3. **Mandatory Charitable Disbursement**: The requirement for any remaining funds to be disbursed to a 501(c)(3) organization within 90 days after the inaugural ceremony ensures that surplus donations are directed towards charitable purposes. This could positively affect various nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve, providing resources for social causes, but it may also limit the Inaugural Committee's flexibility in using funds for other purposes, potentially affecting future inaugural activities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 118 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 118
To require additional disclosures relating to donations to the
Presidential Inaugural Committee, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 16, 2025
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr.
Markey, and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require additional disclosures relating to donations to the
Presidential Inaugural Committee, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Inaugural Committee Transparency Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN DONATIONS TO AND SPENDING BY THE
PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL COMMITTEE.
Section 510 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, and
disclosing any disbursement made in an amount equal to
or greater than $200 and the purpose of each
disbursement'' before the period at the end; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) for any disbursement in an amount equal to or
greater than $200 that is made, including any such
disbursement made after the end of the inaugural
period--
``(i) the name and address of the person to
whom the disbursement was made;
``(ii) the date on which the disbursement
was made; and
``(iii) the total amount and purpose of the
disbursement.'';
(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
``(c) Prohibition.--
``(1) In general.--It shall be unlawful--
``(A) for an Inaugural Committee to solicit,
accept, or receive a donation from a foreign national;
``(B) for a person--
``(i) to make a donation to an Inaugural
Committee in the name of another person, or to
knowingly authorize his or her name to be used
to effect such a donation; or
``(ii) to knowingly accept a donation to an
Inaugural Committee made by a person in the
name of another person;
``(C) for a foreign national to, directly or
indirectly, make a donation, or make an express or
implied promise to make a donation, to an Inaugural
Committee; or
``(D) to convert a donation to an Inaugural
Committee to personal use as described in paragraph
(3).
``(2) Definition of foreign national.--In this subsection,
the term `foreign national' has the meaning given the term in
section 319(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52
U.S.C. 30121(b)).
``(3) Conversion of donation to personal use.--For purposes
of paragraph (1)(D), a donation shall be considered to be
converted to personal use if any part of the donated amount is
used to fulfill a commitment, obligation, or expense of a
person that would exist irrespective of the responsibilities of
the Inaugural Committee.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Requirement.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than the date that is 90 days
after the date of the Presidential inaugural ceremony, the
Inaugural Committee shall disburse any remaining donated funds
to an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under
section 501(a) of such Code.
``(2) Extension.--
``(A) Request.--Upon request from the Inaugural
Committee, the Federal Election Commission may extend
the 90-day period described in paragraph (1).
``(B) Supplemental report.--In the case of an
extension under subparagraph (A), the Inaugural
Committee shall, not later than the last day of the
extension period, file a supplement to the report
required under subsection (b)(1).''.
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