H.R. 4786

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4786 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4786

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require 
authorized committees and leadership PACs of candidates for election 
for Federal office to disburse funds remaining unexpended after the 
date of the election involved, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 29, 2025

Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. Raskin) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House 
Administration, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require 
authorized committees and leadership PACs of candidates for election 
for Federal office to disburse funds remaining unexpended after the 
date of the election involved, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Honest Elections and Campaign, No 
Gain Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING AUTHORIZED COMMITTEES OF CANDIDATES TO DISBURSE FUNDS 
REMAINING UNEXPENDED AFTER DATE OF ELECTION.

(a) Requiring Disbursement.--Title III of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 303 the following new section:

``SEC. 303A. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS REMAINING UNEXPENDED AFTER DATE OF 
ELECTION.

``(a) Requiring Disbursement.--
``(1) In general.--Each authorized committee or leadership 
PAC of a candidate shall, in accordance with subsection (b) and 
prior to the expiration of the applicable disbursement period, 
disburse any funds of the committee or PAC before the earliest 
of--
``(A) the last day of the applicable disbursement 
period;
``(B) the date on which the candidate first makes a 
lobbying contact or is employed or retained to make a 
lobbying contact that would require registration under 
section 4 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 
U.S.C. 1603); or
``(C) the date on which the candidate becomes an 
agent of a foreign principal that would require 
registration under section 2 of the Foreign Agents 
Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612).
``(2) Exception for candidates in next election.--Paragraph 
(1) does not apply to the committee or PAC of a candidate who, 
prior to the first day of the applicable disbursement period, 
provides the appropriate State election official with the 
information and fees (if any) required under State law for the 
individual to qualify as a candidate for the next election for 
the office sought by the candidate or the next election for 
another Federal office.
``(3) Applicable disbursement period.--In this subsection, 
the `applicable disbursement period' is, with respect to a 
candidate seeking election for an office, the 2-year period 
which begins on the day after the latest date on which an 
individual may provide the appropriate State election official 
with the information and fees (if any) required under State law 
for the individual to qualify as a candidate for the next 
election for such office.
``(b) Rules for Disbursement of Funds.--
``(1) Payment of obligations.--In carrying out subsection 
(a), an authorized committee or leadership PAC shall first 
disburse funds to pay obligations incurred in connection with 
the operation of the committee.
``(2) Other permitted disbursements.--If, after disbursing 
all of the funds necessary to pay obligations under paragraph 
(1), funds of a committee or PAC remain unexpended, the 
committee or PAC may only disburse the funds for any of the 
following purposes, in such manner and combination as the 
committee or PAC considers appropriate:
``(A) To return to any person a contribution the 
person made to the committee or PAC.
``(B) To make a contribution to an organization 
described in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986.
``(C) To make a transfer without limitation to a 
national, State, or local committee of a political 
party.
``(c) Restrictions on Disbursement to Relatives.--
``(1) Restriction.--In disbursing funds pursuant to the 
requirements of this section, an authorized committee or 
leadership PAC may not disburse funds to a relative of the 
candidate unless the funds are disbursed to pay an obligation 
of the committee as described in paragraph (1) of subsection 
(b) which is reported by the committee or PAC as a disbursement 
under section 304(b)(5) or which would be so reported if the 
amount of the disbursement were in excess of $200.
``(2) Relative defined.--In this subsection, the term 
`relative' means, with respect to a candidate, an individual 
who is related to the candidate as father, mother, son, 
daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, 
niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, 
daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, 
stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, 
half brother, or half sister.
``(d) Definition.--In this section, the term `leadership PAC' has 
the meaning given such term in section 304(i)(8)(B).''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Permitted Uses of 
Contributions.--Section 313(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30114(a)) is 
amended by striking ``A contribution'' and inserting ``Subject to 
section 303A, a contribution''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office held in November 2026 and each succeeding election for 
Federal office.

SEC. 3. REQUIRING FORMER CANDIDATES SERVING AS REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO 
CERTIFY COMPLIANCE WITH DISBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Certification of Compliance.--Section 4(b) of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (7) and 
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following new 
paragraph:
``(8) in the case of an individual who was a candidate for 
election for Federal office, a certification (under penalty of 
perjury) that each authorized committee and leadership PAC (as 
defined in section 304(i)(8)(B) of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971) of the individual is in compliance with 
section 303A of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(relating to the disbursement of funds of the committee or 
leadership PAC which remain unexpended after the date of the 
election).''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to registration statements filed under section 4(a) 
of the Lobbying Disclosure Act on or after the date of the regularly 
scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2026.

SEC. 4. REQUIRING FORMER CANDIDATES SERVING AS FOREIGN AGENTS TO 
CERTIFY COMPLIANCE WITH DISBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Certification of Compliance.--Section 2(a) of the Foreign 
Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612(a)) is 
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs 
(11) and (12); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following new 
paragraph:
``(10) In the case of an individual who was a candidate for 
election for Federal office, a certification (under penalty of 
perjury) that each authorized committee and leadership PAC (as 
defined in section 304(i)(8)(B) of the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971) of the individual is in compliance with 
section 303A of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(relating to the disbursement of funds of the committee or 
leadership PAC which remain unexpended after the date of the 
election).''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to registration statements filed under section 2 of 
the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended on or after the 
date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office 
held in November 2026.
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