Inaugural Fund Integrity Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 535
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-01-16: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-14T16:47:39Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Inaugural Fund Integrity Act (H.R. 535) aims to promote transparency and prevent undue influence in the funding of presidential inaugurations by imposing restrictions on donations to Inaugural Committees, limiting contribution amounts, and requiring detailed disclosures. It seeks to ensure that inaugural funds come primarily from U.S. individuals and are used appropriately, while maintaining the committees' ability to operate legally.
Key Provisions
- Prohibited Donations:
- Inaugural Committees cannot accept donations from corporations, unions, or other non-individual entities.
- Donations from foreign nationals (non-U.S. citizens or entities) are banned, including direct or indirect contributions or promises to contribute.
- No one can donate in another person's name, accept such disguised donations, or convert funds to personal use (e.g., paying personal expenses unrelated to the inauguration).
- Unused funds can still be donated to tax-exempt nonprofits under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Donation Limits:
- Individuals are capped at $50,000 total per inauguration.
- This limit adjusts for inflation starting in 2032, based on changes in the consumer price index, and rounds to the nearest $1,000.
- Reporting Requirements:
- Donations of $1,000 or more must be reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) within 24 hours, including amount, date, and donor's name and address.
- A final report due 90 days after the inauguration must disclose all donations of $200 or more (with donor details), total disbursements categorized (e.g., operating expenses, loan repayments, refunds), and details of payments over $200 (including recipient, date, amount, and purpose).
- "Donation" is defined broadly to include gifts, loans, or in-kind services paid by others, but excludes uncompensated volunteer work.
- Enforcement and Status:
- Compliance with these rules is required for a committee to be officially recognized as an Inaugural Committee under U.S. law (title 36, U.S. Code).
- Violations are unlawful under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- New Restrictions on Donors: Prior to this, Inaugural Committees (governed by title 36, U.S. Code) faced no federal prohibitions on corporate, union, or foreign donations, nor individual contribution limits under FECA. This bill adds these bans and caps directly to FECA.
- Enhanced Disclosures: Existing law required minimal reporting for inaugurals; this introduces mandatory, timely FEC filings similar to campaign finance reports, including real-time alerts for large gifts and detailed post-event breakdowns.
- Personal Use Ban: Introduces a specific prohibition on using funds for non-inaugural personal obligations, aligning inaugural funding more closely with regulated political committees.
- Conforming Amendments: Removes outdated reporting language in FECA and ties official committee status to these new rules, effective for inaugurations starting in 2029.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The FEC gains new oversight responsibilities, including processing reports and enforcing violations, which could increase its workload and require additional resources for audits or investigations.
- On Citizens: U.S. individuals face donation caps, potentially reducing large personal contributions but encouraging broader small-donor participation; it may limit access for those seeking influence through big gifts.
- On International Relations: Banning foreign donations could reduce perceptions of foreign interference in U.S. elections and ceremonies, strengthening domestic control but possibly straining ties with international donors or allies who previously contributed.
- Broader Effects: Inaugural events might see reduced funding from non-individual sources, leading to smaller-scale ceremonies or more reliance on public funds, while increased transparency could build public trust in the process.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Inaugural Committees: Presidents-elect and their teams must comply with new rules, adapt fundraising, and file reports, or risk losing official status.
- Donors: U.S. individuals (limited to $50,000), corporations and unions (fully prohibited), and foreign nationals or entities (banned from contributing).
- Federal Election Commission (FEC): Responsible for receiving reports, enforcing rules, and investigating violations.
- Public and Nonprofits: Citizens benefit from greater transparency; tax-exempt charities can receive leftover funds.
- Political Parties and Candidates: Indirectly affected as inaugural funding ties into post-election transitions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Aligns inaugural funding with FECA's campaign finance framework, potentially subjecting violations to civil penalties or FEC enforcement actions; the personal use ban clarifies boundaries to prevent misuse, similar to rules for political action committees.
- Constitutional: Could face challenges under the First Amendment (free speech) for limiting contributions as a form of political expression, though courts have upheld similar caps in campaign finance cases (e.g., Citizens United distinguished elections from inaugurations); the foreign ban reinforces national security interests without broadly restricting speech.
- Political: Advances reform efforts to curb "dark money" in politics, appealing to advocates for transparency but possibly criticized by opponents as overly restrictive on free association; its bipartisan sponsorship (119th Congress) suggests cross-party support, though implementation may spark debates on executive branch autonomy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
Cosponsors (13)
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large], Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30], Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14], Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25], Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-01-16: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-01-16: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-01-16: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Inaugural Fund Integrity Act — issued 2025-01-16 — PDF (8 pages)