AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- BALLOT QUESTION ADVOCACY AND REPORTING (Imposes strict identity disclosure requirements for those who incur expenditures for the production of ballot advocacy communications and political advertisements.)

H7977

2026 -- H 7977
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LC005594
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- BALLOT QUESTION ADVOCACY AND REPORTING

Introduced By:
Representative Brian C. Newberry

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House State Government & Elections
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Chapter 17-25.2 of the General Laws entitled "Ballot Question Advocacy and
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Reporting" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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17-25.2-7.1. Disclaimers.

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(a) No ballot question advocate shall make or incur an expenditure for any written, typed,
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or other printed communication, unless such communication bears upon its face the words "Paid
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for by" and the name of the person, entity, the name of its chief executive officer or equivalent, and
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its principal business address. In the case of a person, business entity or political action committee
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making or incurring such an expenditure, which entity is a tax-exempt organization under § 501(c)
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of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (other than an organization described in § 501(c)(3) of such
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Code) or an exempt nonprofit as defined in § 17-25-3, or any subsequent corresponding internal
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revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, or an organization organized
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under Section 527 of said code, such communication shall also bear upon its face the words "Top
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Five Donors" followed by a list of the five (5) persons or entities making the largest aggregate
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donations to such person, business entity or political action committee during the twelve (12) month
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period before the date of such communication; provided that, no donor shall be listed who is not
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required to be disclosed in a report to the board of elections by the person, business entity, or
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political action committee.
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(b) The provisions of subsections (a) of this section shall not apply to:
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(1) Any editorial, news story, or commentary published in any newspaper, magazine or

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journal on its own behalf and upon its own responsibility and for which it does not charge or receive
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any compensation whatsoever;
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(2) Political paraphernalia including pins, buttons, badges, emblems, hats, bumper stickers
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or other similar materials; or
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(3) Signs or banners with a surface area of not more than thirty-two square feet (32 ft2).
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(c) No person, business entity or political action committee shall make or incur an
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expenditure for paid television advertising or paid Internet video advertising, unless at the end of
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such advertising there appears simultaneously, for a period of not less than four (4) seconds:
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(1) A clearly identifiable video, photographic or similar image of the entity's chief
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executive officer or equivalent; and
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(2) A personal audio message, in the following form: "I am (name of entity's chief
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executive officer or equivalent), (title) of (entity), and I approved its content."

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(3) In the case of a person, business entity or political action committee making or incurring
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such an expenditure, which person, business entity or political action committee is a tax-exempt
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organization under § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (other than an organization
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described in § 501(c)(3) of such Code) or an exempt nonprofit as defined in § 17-25-3, or any
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subsequent corresponding internal revenue code if the United States, as amended from time to time,
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or an organization organized under Section 527 of said code, such advertising shall also include a
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written message in the following form: "The top five (5) donors to the organization responsible for
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this advertisement are" followed by a list of the five (5) persons or entities making the largest
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aggregate donations during the twelve (12) month period before the date of such advertisement;
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provided that, no donor shall be listed who is not required to be disclosed in a report to the board
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of elections by the person, business entity, or political action committee.
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(d) No person, business entity or political action committee shall make or incur an
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expenditure for paid radio advertising or paid Internet audio advertising, unless the advertising ends
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with a personal audio statement by the entity's chief executive officer or equivalent:
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(1) Identifying the entity paying for the expenditure; and
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(2) A personal audio message, in the following form: "I am (name of entity's chief
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executive officer or equivalent), (title), of (entity), and I approved its content."
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(3) In the case of a person, business entity or political action committee making or incurring
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such an expenditure, which entity is a tax-exempt organization under § 501(c) of the Internal
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Revenue Code of 1986 (other than an organization described in § 501(c)(3) of such Code) or an
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exempt nonprofit as defined in § 17-25-3, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code
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of the United States, as amended from time to time, or an organization organized under Section 527

LC005594 - Page 2 of 4
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of said code, such advertising shall also include:
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(i) An audio message in the following form: "The top five (5) donors to the organization
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responsible for this advertisement are" followed by a list of the five (5) persons or entities making
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the largest aggregate donations during the twelve (12) month period before the date of such
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advertisement; provided that, no donor shall be listed who is not required to be disclosed in a report
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to the board of elections by the person, business entity, or political action committee; or
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(ii) In the case of such an advertisement that is thirty (30) seconds in duration or shorter,
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an audio message providing a website address that lists such five (5) persons or entities, provided
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that no contributor shall be listed who is not required to be disclosed in a report to the board of
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elections by the person, business entity, or political action committee. In such case, the person,
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business entity or political action committee shall establish and maintain such a website with such
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listing for the entire period during which such person, business entity or political action committee
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makes such advertisement.
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(e) No person, business entity or political action committee shall make or incur an
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expenditure for automated telephone calls, unless the narrative of the telephone call identifies the
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person, business entity or political action committee making the expenditure and its chief executive
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officer or equivalent. In the case of a person, business entity or political action committee making
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or incurring such an independent expenditure, which entity is a tax-exempt organization under§
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501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of I 986 (other than an organization described in § 501(c)(3)
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of such Code) or an exempt nonprofit as defined in § 17-25-3, or any subsequent corresponding
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internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, or an organization
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organized under Section 527 of said code, such narrative shall also include an audio message in the
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following form: "The top five (5) donors to the organization responsible for this telephone call are"
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followed by a list of the five (5) persons or entities making the largest aggregate donations during
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the twelve (12) month period before the date of such telephone call; provided that, no donor shall
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be listed who is not required to be disclosed in a report to the board of elections by the person,
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business entity, or political action committee.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC005594
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- BALLOT QUESTION ADVOCACY AND REPORTING
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This act would impose strict identity disclosure requirements for those who incur
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expenditures for the production of ballot advocacy communications and political advertisements.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005594
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LC005594 - Page 4 of 4