Campaign Finance Reporting; require reporting of hostile foreign representatives' contributions.

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To: State Affairs
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Fondren

HOUSE BILL NO. 1683

AN ACT TO REQUIRE REPORTING OF FOREIGN SUPPORTED POLITICAL 1
ORGANIZATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE; TO REQUIRE REPRESENTATIVES AND 2
OF SUCH TO REGISTER; TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-809, MISSISSIPPI CODE 3
OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIRED REPORTING; AND FOR RELATED 4
PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. (1) The following words shall have the meanings 7
described herein: 8
(a) "Foreign-supported political organization" means a 9
political party or a domestic partnership, association, 10
corporation, organization, or any other combination of persons 11
that has, within the past five (5) calendar years, received money 12
or other things of value from a hostile foreign principal or a 13
representative of a hostile foreign principal and that engages in 14
political activity; 15
(b) "Hostile foreign nation" means the: 16
(i) People's Republic of China; 17
(ii) Russian Federation; 18
(iii) Democratic People's Republic of Korea; or 19
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(iv) Islamic Republic of Iran. 20
(c) "Hostile foreign principal" means: 21
(i) A government of a hostile foreign nation, a 22
political party of a hostile foreign nation, or any member of a 23
political party of a hostile foreign nation; 24
(ii) A nonresident alien of a hostile foreign 25
nation; or 26
(iii) A partnership, association, corporation, 27
organization, or other combination of persons organized under the 28
law of or having its principal place of business in a hostile 29
foreign nation. 30
(d) "Political activity" means an activity that is 31
performed to influence an agency or public official of this state, 32
a local government entity within this state, or the public within 33
this state, with reference to: 34
(i) Formulating, adopting, or changing the 35
policies or laws of this state; or 36
(ii) Electing or opposing a candidate for local or 37
state public office, not including campaign donations; and 38
(e) "Representative of a hostile foreign principal" 39
means a person: 40
(i) Who acts as an agent, employee, 41
representative, or servant, or otherwise acts at the order, 42
request, or under the direction or control of a hostile foreign 43
principal; 44
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(ii) Whose actions are financed in whole or in 45
part by a hostile foreign principal; and 46
(iii) Who engages in political activity. 47
(2) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this act, a person 48
shall not act as a representative of a hostile foreign principal 49
unless the person has filed a true and complete registration 50
statement with the Secretary of State as required by this act. 51
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a 52
person who becomes a representative of a hostile foreign principal 53
shall file a registration statement under oath with the Secretary 54
of State within ten (10) days of the person's becoming a 55
representative of a hostile foreign principal. 56
(c) The obligation of a representative of a hostile 57
foreign principal to file a registration statement, after the 58
tenth day of becoming a representative of a hostile foreign 59
principal, shall continue from day to day, and termination of 60
status as a representative of a hostile foreign principal shall 61
not relieve the representative of a hostile foreign principal from 62
the obligation to file a registration statement for the period 63
during which be or she was a representative of a hostile foreign 64
principal. 65
(d) The registration statement required under this 66
section shall include the registrant's name, principal business 67
address, other business addresses in the United States or 68
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residence addresses, if any; and a comprehensive statement of the 69
nature of the registrant's business. 70
(3) A registered representative of a hostile foreign 71
principal under this act shall update the registration statement 72
required under this act no less than quarterly. 73
(4) (a) No later than January 31, 2027, and each following 74
year, each foreign-supported political organization shall register 75
with the Secretary of State and provide the following information: 76
(i) The name of the foreign-supported political 77
organization, its business address, and upon request, the names, 78
titles, and addresses of all officers and directors of the 79
foreign-supported political organization; 80
(ii) If the foreign-supported political 81
organization is affiliated with a chapter of a national 82
organization, the name of the national organization, its address, 83
and the names and addresses of its officers and directors; 84
(iii) A detailed statement of any expenditures of 85
money or other things of value made by the foreign-supported 86
political organization within the prior calendar year to influence 87
an agency or public official of this state, a local government 88
entity within this state, or the public within this state, with 89
reference to formulating, adopting, or changing the policies or 90
laws of this state or electing a candidate to local or state 91
public office; and 92
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(iv) A detailed statement of all money or other 93
thing of value received by the foreign-supported political 94
organization from a hostile foreign principal or a representative 95
of a hostile foreign principal during the prior calendar year. 96
(b) A foreign-supported political organization under 97
this act shall update the registration statement required under 98
this section no less frequently than annually. 99
(5) (a) Upon receipt of a complaint that a representative 100
of a hostile foreign principal or a foreign-supported political 101
organization has failed to comply with the registration and 102
reporting requirements of this act, or upon his or her own 103
determination, the Secretary of State may investigate and assess 104
penalties for the violation of this subchapter. 105
(b) The Secretary of State may assess the following 106
civil penalties: 107
(i) For any violation of this act, up to Five 108
Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per violation; and 109
(ii) For willful or repeated violations of this 110
act, up to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per violation. 111
(4) The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules to: 112
(a) Create and maintain registration statement forms as 113
described under this subchapter; and 114
(b) Implement this act. 115
SECTION 2. Section 23-15-809, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 116
amended as follows: 117
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ST: Campaign Finance Reporting; require
reporting of hostile foreign representatives'
contributions.
23-15-809. (a) In addition to any other reporting required 118
by law, every person who makes independent expenditures in an 119
aggregate amount or value in excess of Two Hundred Dollars 120
($200.00) during a calendar year shall file a statement containing 121
the information required under Section 23-15-807. Such statement 122
shall be filed with the appropriate offices as provided for in 123
Section 23-15-805, and such person shall be considered a political 124
committee for the purpose of determining place of filing. 125
(b) Statements required to be filed by this subsection shall 126
include: 127
(i) Information indicating whether the independent 128
expenditure is in support of, or in opposition to, the candidate 129
involved; 130
(ii) Under penalty of perjury, a certification of 131
whether or not such independent expenditure is made in 132
cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or 133
suggestion of, any candidate or any authorized committee or agent 134
of such candidate; and 135
(iii) The identification of each person who made a 136
contribution in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) to the 137
person filing such statement which was made for the purpose of 138
furthering an independent expenditure. 139
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 140
and after July 1, 2026 141