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Kim Reynolds
GOVERNOR
Office of the GovernorChris Cournoyer
LT governor
June 02, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 2601, an Act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot
issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduct, and
making penalties apphcable.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
Kii^ Reynolds
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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House File 2601
AN ACT
RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN BALLOT
ISSUE CAMPAIGNS BY FOREIGN NATIONALS AND INVESTIGATIONS OF
ELECTION MISCONDUCT, AND MAKING PENALTIES APPLICABLE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 68A.102, Code 2026, is amended by adding
the following new subsections:
NEW SUBSECTION, 12A. ^Directly or indirectly" means acting
either independently or jointly with, through, or on behalf of
a committee or other person.
NEW SUBSECTION. 14A. "^Foreign national" means any of the
following:
a. An individual who is not a citizen or lawful permanent
resident of the United States.
b, A government or political subdivision of a foreign
country.
House File 2601, p. 2
c. A foreign political party.
d. An entity, such as a partnership, association,
corporation, organization, or other combination of persons,
that is organized under the laws of, or has its principal place
of business in, a foreign country.
e. A United States entity, such as a partnership,
association, corporation, or organization, that is wholly owned
or majority-owned by a foreign national, unless both of the
following apply:
(1) All contributions and expenditures made by the entity
are derived entirely from funds generated by the entity's
operations in the United States.
(2) All decisions concerning contributions and expenditures
are made by an individual who is a citizen or lawful permanent
resident of the United States, except that a person who is not
a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States may
set overall budget amounts for the entity.
Sec. 2. Section 68A.203r subsection 3, Code 2026, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH, f. All affirmations obtained pursuant to
subsection 5, if applicable.
Sec. 3. Section 68A.203, Code 2026, is amended by adding the
following new subsection:
NEW SUBSECTION. 5. Upon receipt of a contribution from
a donor by a political committee expressly advocating the
passage or defeat of a ballot issue, the treasurer shall obtain
from the donor an affirmation that the donor is not a foreign
national and has not knowingly or willfully accepted funds in
excess of one hundred thousand dollars in aggregate from one
or more foreign nationals within the four years immediately
preceding the date the contribution is made.
Sec. 4. Section 68A.402, subsection 8, Code 2026, is
amended by adding the following new paragraphs after unnumbered
paragraph 1:
NEW PARAGRAPH, a, A report filed by a political committee
pursuant to this subsection shall include an affirmation by
the treasurer of the political committee that the political
committee has not knowingly or willfully received, solicited,
or accepted a contribution from a foreign national.
House File 2601, p. 3
NEW PARAGRAPH. b, A report filed by a political committee
pursuant to this subsection shall include an affirmation by the
treasurer of the political committee that no donor associated
with a contribution covered by the report is a foreign national
and that no donor associated with a contribution covered by
the report has knowingly or willfully received, solicited, or
accepted, whether directly or indirectly, funds in excess of
one hundred thousand dollars in aggregate from one or more
foreign nationals within the four years immediately preceding
the date the contribution was made to the political committee.
Sec. 5. Section 68A.404, subsection 2, paragraph c. Code
2026, is amended to read as follows:
c» A foreign national shall not make an independent
expenditure, directly or indirectly, that advocates the
nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate or the
passage or defeat of any ballot issue. As used in this
section,—^foreign national means a person who is not a eitieen
of the United States and who is not lawfully admitted for
permanent residence.—'^Foreign national"" includes a foreign
principal,—such as a government of a foreign country or a
foreign political party, partnership, association, corporation,
organiaation^ or other combination of persons that has its
primary place of business in or is organized under the laws of
a foreign country. ^Foreign national^' does not include a person
who is a citizen of the United Gtates or v7ho is a national of
the United States.
Sec. 6. Section 68A.404, subsection 5, Code 2026, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH, i. For an independent expenditure statement
for a communication which expressly advocates the passage or
defeat of a ballot issue, an affirmation that the person making
the independent expenditure has not knowingly or willfully
accepted funds in excess of one hundred thousand dollars in
aggregate from one or more foreign nationals within the four
years immediately preceding the date the expenditure was made
and will not do so through the date of the election in which the
ballot issue will appear on the ballot.
Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 68A,507 Influence by foreign national
prohibited — investigation.
House Pile 2601r p. 4
1. A foreign national shall not direct, dictate, control,
or directly or indirectly participate in the decision-making
process of a person regarding the person's activities to
influence a ballot issue, including decisions concerning the
making of contributions or expenditures to influence a ballot
issue.
2. A foreign national shall not solicit, directly or
indirectly, the making of a contribution or expenditure by
another person to influence a ballot issue.
3. a. An investigation of a violation of this section,
section 68A.203, subsection 5, section 68A.402, subsection
8, section 68A.404, subsection 2, paragraph or section
68A.404, subsection 5, paragraph or an investigation
undertaken pursuant to a court order issued following a
complaint submitted under section 68B.32B, shall, to the
greatest extent possible, shield the identity of lawful donors
to a tax-exempt organization.
b, A governmental entity or employee of a governmental
entity engaged in the investigation of a violation of this
chapter shall not collect, or require the submission of,
information concerning the identity of a donor to a tax-exempt
organization other than those directly related to a violation
of this chapter.
c. In addition to the penalty provided in section 68A.701,
a person who knowingly or willfully violates this section,
section 68A.203, subsection 5, section 68A.402, subsection
8, section 68A.404, subsection 2, paragraph or section
68A.404, subsection 5, paragraph shall be subject to a
civil penalty of ten thousand dollars or three times the amount
of the contribution or expenditure, whichever is greater, to
be collected by the board and deposited in the general fund of
the state.
4. A governmental entity or employee of a governmental
entity shall not disclose information concerning the identity
of a donor to a tax-exempt organization to the public or
another governmental entity, other than to another governmental
entity directly involved in an investigation described in
subsection 3. This subsection does not apply to information
concerning the identity of a donor after a final determination
House Pile 2601, p. 5
has been made that the donor violated a provision of this
chapter.
PAT GRASSLEY
Speaker of tHfe House
AMY SINgXAIR
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 2601, Ninety-first General Assembly.
mmMEGHAN NELSON
Chref jKlerk^.f the House
Approved TT, 2026
KIM BS£MOLDS
Governor