Campaign Funds Integrity Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8912
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-05T15:02:20Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation, titled the Campaign Funds Integrity Act of 2026, aims to prevent the use of campaign funds for prediction-market transactions or event contracts tied to political or economic outcomes.
Key Provisions
- Replaces Section 324 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with a new prohibition barring candidates, authorized committees, and other political committees from using campaign funds to participate in prediction markets or event contracts whose value depends on election results, legislative actions, regulatory decisions, or similar events.
- Requires the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce violations through existing procedures under Section 309, including civil penalties, and allows referral of knowing and willful violations to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution (fines, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both).
- Directs the FEC to issue regulations providing guidance on permissible instruments and compliance.
- Includes a rule of construction clarifying that the prohibition does not apply to deposits in insured banks, diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, or other low-risk instruments approved by the Commission.
- Defines "campaign funds" as contributions or donations subject to the Act and "prediction market" or "event contract" as agreements paying based on future event outcomes.
- Sets an effective date of 120 days after enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill fully replaces the prior text of Section 324 with this new framework, introducing an explicit ban on speculative financial transactions involving campaign funds and adding specific criminal penalties and referral mechanisms not previously detailed in that section.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases oversight and enforcement duties for the FEC, with possible additional referrals to the Department of Justice.
- Citizens and political actors: Restricts how candidates and committees may allocate contributed funds, potentially affecting campaign financial strategies.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Candidates for federal office.
- Authorized committees and other political committees.
- The Federal Election Commission.
- The U.S. Department of Justice.
- Individuals or entities making contributions to campaigns.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure integrates with the existing enforcement structure of the Federal Election Campaign Act, applying both civil and criminal sanctions for violations while carving out limited exceptions for standard investment vehicles.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- 2026-05-19: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-19: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Campaign Funds Integrity Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-19 — PDF (4 pages)