Duty To Report Act

Duty To Report Act

This bill requires political committees, candidates for federal office, and other individuals to report to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) any offers of prohibited contributions, including offers of nonpublic information regarding other candidates, by foreign nationals.

Specifically, political committees and candidates must report to the FEC within 24 hours any (1) offers of prohibited contributions from foreign nationals, and (2) meetings with foreign governments or their agents.

In addition, the bill requires political committees, candidates, immediate family members of candidates, and individuals affiliated with a campaign (e.g., employees and independent contractors) to report to the FBI within 24 hours any offers of prohibited contributions from foreign nationals. Further, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this reporting requirement. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to two years, or both.

Such reported information may not be used to enforce certain immigration provisions related to the removal of undocumented aliens.