Ban foreign funding for ballot measures

Explicitly prohibited foreign nationals from making 'independent expenditures' in addition to contributions and disbursements.

Added a specific definition for 'foreign national' that includes U.S. entities wholly or majority owned by foreign nationals, with exceptions for those employing state tax payers and making decisions by U.S. citizens.

Removed the standalone 'Cause of Action' and 'Limitation of Action' sections, integrating enforcement language directly into the prohibition sections.

Reorganized the bill structure to remove duplicate penalty clauses and consolidate the effective date provision.

The bill number was changed from HB 818.4 to HB 818.

The title and summary were slightly rephrased to improve clarity and flow.

The definition of 'foreign national' was expanded to explicitly include individuals who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.

Civil penalty provisions were reorganized to clearly specify the maximum fine of $500 or three times the unlawful amount for various violations.

Reporting requirements for committees supporting ballot issues were streamlined to ensure donor affirmations are filed correctly with finance reports.

The bill number was changed from HB 818.3 to HB 818.4.

Extra spaces were removed from the text regarding donor disclosure rights.

A clause was added to explicitly state that the immediate effective date applies to the whole bill.

The prohibition on foreign national interference now applies to statewide ballot issues, whereas it previously only applied to candidate elections.

Committees created to support or oppose ballot issues must now obtain a donor affirmation stating the donor is not a foreign national and has not accepted funds from prohibited sources.

Committees supporting ballot issues must include an affirmation in their finance reports stating they have not knowingly received funds from prohibited sources.

Entities making independent expenditures for ballot issues must submit an affirmation to the Commissioner of Political Practices confirming they have not accepted prohibited funds and will not do so through the election date.

The definition of 'foreign national' was updated to explicitly include entities and individuals involved in ballot issue activities, and the definition of 'ballot issue' was added to align with existing state law.

The definition of 'entity' was expanded to clarify rules regarding U.S. entities wholly or majority owned by foreign nationals, specifically regarding tax payments and decision-making authority.

New provisions establish a presumption of violation if an entity filing certifications is found to have accepted funds in excess of the $100,000 threshold from prohibited sources within the preceding four years.

Added a new section specifically prohibiting foreign national interference in statewide ballot issues, expanding the bill's reach beyond just candidate elections.

Updated the definition of 'foreign national' to include individuals who are not U.S. citizens but owe permanent allegiance to the United States.

Refined the definition of 'entity' to include specific exemptions for U.S. entities owned by foreign nationals that pay Montana taxes and make decisions by U.S. citizens or residents.

Added new requirements for political committees to obtain and record donor affirmations stating the donor is not a foreign national when accepting contributions for ballot issue committees.

Corrected formatting errors and updated bill numbering and drafter information to reflect the conference committee version.

The document structure and line breaks were adjusted to conform to standard legislative formatting, removing redundant headers and aligning text properly.

Provisions requiring political committees to obtain donor affirmations regarding foreign national status and fund sources were renumbered and clarified to ensure clear recordkeeping obligations.

Requirements for independent expenditure entities to submit affirmations to the Commissioner of Political Practices were reorganized to specify the timeline and content of the filing more precisely.

The enforcement mechanism creating a presumption of violation when thresholds are exceeded was renumbered and clarified to streamline the investigation process.

The definitions section was restructured to explicitly define 'ballot issue' and 'contribution' by referencing existing statutes, ensuring consistency with other Montana election laws.

The bill number was updated from HB0818.2 to HB0818.3 to reflect its progression in the legislative process.

The title was rewritten to explicitly mention 'prohibiting a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure using funds received from a foreign national' and to list the specific code sections being amended, including the addition of 13-37-502.

Minor formatting corrections were made, such as fixing a typo in the definition of 'directly or indirectly' and ensuring consistent spacing in the text.

The internal structure of the new section was reorganized. Provisions regarding donor affirmations, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements were moved and renumbered to create a more logical flow, though the actual obligations for committees and donors appear unchanged.

Added new provisions prohibiting foreign nationals from soliciting funds or participating in decision-making processes related to statewide ballot issues.

Introduced mandatory donor affirmations for political committees and independent expenditure groups to confirm they have not received prohibited funds.

Established a presumption of violation if an entity accepts funds exceeding $100,000 from prohibited sources within a 4-year period.

Added specific definitions for 'ballot issue', 'contribution', and 'directly or indirectly' to clarify the bill's application.

Included an immediate effective date provision and updated reporting timelines for finance reports.

The bill number changed from LC 3896 to HB 818, indicating a renumbering or replacement of the original draft.

The text was restructured to merge the new prohibition section with the amendments to existing sections (13-37-128, 13-37-130, and 13-37-503) into a more cohesive format.

Formatting inconsistencies, such as the placement of the bill title and sponsor list, were corrected to align with standard legislative drafting conventions.

Placeholder text and bracketed sections intended for codification instructions were removed or finalized, indicating the bill is ready for final passage.