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AB906: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5190/1
JK:skw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 906
January 23, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives
Knodl
,
Armstrong
,
Behnke
,
Dittrich
,
Duchow
,
Gundrum
,
Kreibich
,
Murphy
,
O'Connor
,
Penterman
,
Piwowarczyk
,
Tittl
and
Wichgers
, cosponsored by Senators
Testin
,
Jacque
,
Marklein
and
Tomczyk
. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
AB906,1,4
1
An Act
to renumber
11.1208 (4);
to create
11.0101 (14m), 11.0101 (26m),
2
11.0606, 11.0803 (1) (e), 11.0805 and 11.1208 (4) (b) of the statutes;
relating
3
to:
expressly prohibiting a foreign national from making a contribution to a
4
referendum committee.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law provides that no person may make or accept a contribution, make a disbursement, make an expenditure, or incur an obligation in violation of the federal law that prohibits a foreign national from making a contribution in connection with any federal, state, or local election. A decision by the Federal Elections Commission in 2024 allowed a foreign national to make a contribution to a ballot initiative committee because the FEC determined that a ballot initiative is not an “election” for purposes of the federal law prohibiting contributions from foreign nationals.
This bill provides that no foreign national may, directly or indirectly, make a contribution to a referendum committee and no referendum committee may, directly or indirectly, receive, solicit or accept a contribution from a foreign national. In addition, no foreign national may direct, dictate, control, or directly or indirectly participate in the decision-making process of any person regarding the person’s activities to support or oppose a referendum or to influence a particular vote at a referendum.
The bill requires each referendum committee and independent expenditure committee, and its sponsoring organization, to obtain from a person making a contribution to the committee, or providing funds to the sponsoring organization, a written affirmation that the person is not a foreign national and has not intentionally accepted funds aggregating in excess of $100,000 from one or more foreign nationals during the four-year period immediately preceding the date of the contribution to the committee or the provision of funds to the sponsoring organization. The referendum committee must attest in each report submitted to the Ethics Commission that it has obtained the affirmations required under the bill. In addition, each independent expenditure committee that makes a disbursement, expenditure, or contribution to support or defeat a referendum, or to influence a particular vote at a referendum, must attest in each report submitted to the commission that it has obtained the affirmations required under the bill.
Finally, each referendum committee must include in its registration statement an affirmation that none of the referendum committee’s preliminary activity was funded, directly or indirectly, by a foreign national. The bill defines “preliminary activity” as activity occurring prior to filing a registration statement and includes preparing and analyzing referendum language and ballot questions, conducting a poll, survey, or focus group, making communications, and travel.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB906,1
1
Section
1
.
11.0101 (14m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB906,2,2
2
11.0101
(14m)
“Foreign national” means any of the following:
AB906,2,4
3
(a) An individual who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not
4
lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined in
8 USC 1101
(a) (20).
AB906,2,5
5
(b) A government of a foreign country.
AB906,2,6
6
(c) A foreign political party.
AB906,2,9
7
(d) A partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination
8
of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of business in a
9
foreign country.
AB906,3,7
10
(e) An entity, such as a partnership, association, corporation, or organization,
1
having its principal place of business in the United States that is wholly or majority
2
owned by any foreign national, as defined under pars. (a) to (d), unless any
3
contribution or disbursement subject to this chapter made by the entity derives
4
entirely from funds generated by the entity’s U.S. operations and all decisions
5
concerning such contributions or disbursements are made by individuals who are
6
U.S. citizens or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined
7
in
8 USC 110
1 (a) (20).
AB906,2
8
Section
2
.
11.0101 (26m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB906,3,12
9
11.0101
(26m)
“Preliminary activity” means activity occurring prior to filing
10
a registration statement under s. 11.0803 and includes preparing and analyzing
11
referendum language and ballot questions, conducting a poll, survey, or focus group,
12
making communications, and travel.
AB906,3
13
Section
3
.
11.0606 of the statutes is created to read:
AB906,3,22
14
11.0606 Foreign nationals; prohibited contributions.
(1)
15
Affirmations
. Each independent expenditure committee or sponsoring
16
organization of an independent expenditure committee shall obtain from a person
17
making a contribution to the independent expenditure committee or providing
18
funds to the sponsoring organization a written affirmation that the person is not a
19
foreign national and has not intentionally accepted funds aggregating in excess of
20
$100,000 from one or more foreign nationals during the 4-year period immediately
21
preceding the date on which the person makes the contribution or provides the
22
funds.
AB906,4,9
23
(2)
Reports.
For each report required under s. 11.0604, an independent
24
expenditure committee that makes a disbursement, expenditure, or contribution to
1
support or defeat a referendum, or to influence a particular vote at a referendum,
2
shall attest that the committee and its sponsoring organization has obtained all the
3
written affirmations under sub. (1) for all contributions and funds accepted by the
4
committee or sponsoring organization and the committee shall affirm that neither
5
it nor its sponsoring organization have intentionally received, solicited, or accepted,
6
directly or indirectly, contributions or funds aggregating in excess of $100,000 from
7
one or more foreign nationals during the 4-year period immediately preceding the
8
date on which the committee makes a disbursement, expenditure, or contribution
9
and will not do so on or prior to the date of the referendum.
AB906,4
10
Section
4
.
11.0803 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
AB906,4,12
11
11.0803
(1)
(e) An affirmation that none of the referendum committee’s
12
preliminary activity was funded, directly or indirectly, by a foreign national.
AB906,5
13
Section
5
.
11.0805 of the statutes is created to read:
AB906,4,19
14
11.0805 Foreign nationals; prohibited contributions.
(1)
15
Affirmations
. Each referendum committee shall obtain from a person making a
16
contribution to the referendum committee a written affirmation that the person is
17
not a foreign national and has not intentionally accepted funds aggregating in
18
excess of $100,000 from one or more foreign nationals during the 4-year period
19
immediately preceding the date on which the person makes the contribution.
AB906,5,2
20
(2)
Reports.
For each report required under s. 11.0804, a referendum
21
committee shall attest that it has obtained all the written affirmations under sub.
22
(1) for all contributions accepted by the committee and the committee shall affirm
23
that it has not intentionally received, solicited, or accepted, directly or indirectly,
24
contributions aggregating in excess of $100,000 from one or more foreign nationals
1
during the 4-year period immediately preceding the date on which the committee
2
accepts a contribution and will not do so on or prior to the date of the referendum.
AB906,6
3
Section
6
.
11.1208 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 11.1208 (4) (a).
AB906,7
4
Section
7
.
11.1208 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB906,5,8
5
11.1208
(4)
(b) 1. No foreign national may, directly or indirectly, make a
6
contribution to a referendum committee and no referendum committee may,
7
directly or indirectly, receive, solicit, or accept a contribution from a foreign
8
national.
AB906,5,12
9
2. No foreign national may direct, dictate, control, or directly or indirectly
10
participate in the decision-making process of any person regarding the person’s
11
activities to support or oppose a referendum or to influence a particular vote at a
12
referendum.
AB906,5,15
13
3. No foreign national may solicit, directly or indirectly, the making of a
14
donation, contribution, or expenditure by another person to influence a
15
referendum.
AB906,5,16
16
(end)
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