OMAR Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7304
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-01-30: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-03T21:33:27Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to stop certain campaign committees from using funds to pay the spouse of a candidate or officeholder for work done for the committee. It also requires disclosure of any payments made to the spouse or other close family members and holds the candidate or officeholder personally responsible for violations.
Key Provisions
- Prohibition on spouse compensation: Authorized committees of candidates and other candidate-controlled political committees (except party committees) may not directly or indirectly pay the spouse for services.
- Disclosure requirement: Committees must file a separate statement in their regular reports listing all payments, including compensation, made to the spouse or immediate family members during the reporting period.
- Definition of immediate family member: Includes son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother, father, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or grandchild.
- Penalty rules: If a committee violates the spouse-compensation ban and the candidate or officeholder knew about it, the penalty is imposed on the individual rather than the committee. Committees are barred from reimbursing the individual for any such penalty.
- Effective date: The rules apply to compensation and payments made on or after the date the law is enacted.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds a new subsection (c) to Section 313 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, creating both the compensation ban and the disclosure obligation. It also amends Section 309 to shift penalty responsibility and adds a conforming change to Section 313(a)(1) to reference the new restrictions. These represent new limits and transparency requirements not previously present in the Act for family-member payments.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Federal Election Commission would enforce the new rules through its existing reporting and penalty processes.
- Citizens: Voters would gain access to more detailed information about campaign spending involving candidates' family members.
- Candidates and committees: Campaign operations would face stricter limits on family involvement in paid roles and added reporting steps.
No direct effects on international relations are addressed in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Candidates for federal office and individuals holding federal office.
- Their spouses and immediate family members.
- Authorized campaign committees and other candidate-controlled political committees.
- The Federal Election Commission as the enforcing agency.
- Voters and the public through improved disclosure.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure strengthens campaign-finance oversight by limiting use of committee funds for family compensation and increasing transparency, while shifting personal liability for violations to the candidate or officeholder. It does not alter contribution limits or party-committee rules but introduces new restrictions on family financial relationships with campaigns.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-01-30: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- 2026-01-30: Introduced in House
- 2026-01-30: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Oversight for Members And Relatives Act — issued 2026-01-30 — PDF (4 pages)