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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 984 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 875
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Erika Uyterhoeven
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to limit political spending by foreign-influenced corporations.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex1/14/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire2/19/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 984 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 875
By Representative Uyterhoeven of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 875)
of Erika Uyterhoeven and Lindsay N. Sabadosa relative to limiting political spending by foreign-
influenced corporations. Election Laws.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to limit political spending by foreign-influenced corporations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 55 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
2inserting the following definitions:--
3 “Chief executive officer”, the highest-ranking officer or decision-making individual with
4authority over the corporation’s affairs.
5 “Corporation”, a for-profit corporation, company, limited liability company, limited
6partnership, business trust, business association, or other similar for-profit entity.
7 “Foreign-influenced corporation”, a corporation for which at least one of the following
8conditions is met: (1) a single foreign owner holds, owns, controls, or otherwise has direct or
9indirect beneficial ownership of one percent or more of the total equity, outstanding voting
10shares, membership units, or other applicable ownership interests of the corporation; (2) two or
11more foreign owners, in aggregate, hold, own, control, or otherwise have direct or indirect
12beneficial ownership of five percent or more of the total equity, outstanding voting shares, 2 of 3
13membership units, or other applicable ownership interests of the corporation; or (3) a foreign
14owner participates directly or indirectly in the corporation’s decision-making process with
15respect to the corporation’s political activities in the United States.
16 “Foreign investor”, a person or entity that (1) holds, owns, controls, or otherwise has
17direct or indirect beneficial ownership of equity, outstanding voting shares, membership units, or
18other applicable ownership interests of a corporation, and (2) is a government of a foreign
19country, or a foreign political party, or a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or
20other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of
21business in a foreign country, or an individual outside the United States who is not a citizen of
22the United States or a national of the United States and who is not lawfully admitted for
23permanent residence.
24 “Foreign owner”, (1) a foreign investor or (2) a corporation wherein a foreign investor
25holds, owns, controls, or otherwise has directly or indirectly acquired a beneficial ownership of
26equity or voting shares in an amount that is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the total equity
27or outstanding voting shares.
28 SECTION 2. Section 8 of said Chapter 55 is hereby amended by inserting after the
29second paragraph the following new paragraphs:--
30 No foreign-influenced corporation shall make an independent expenditure, or an
31electioneering communication expenditure, or a contribution to an independent expenditure PAC
32as defined in Section 18A, or a contribution to a ballot question committee, or an expenditure for
33the purpose of promoting or opposing a charter change, referendum question, constitutional
34amendment, or other question submitted to the voters. 3 of 3
35 Any corporation that makes an independent expenditure, or an electioneering
36communication expenditure, or a contribution to an independent expenditure PAC as defined in
37section 18A, or a contribution to a ballot question committee, or an expenditure for the purpose
38of promoting or opposing a charter change, referendum question, constitutional amendment, or
39other question submitted to the voters shall, within 7 business days after making such
40expenditure or contribution, file with the director, a statement of certification, signed by the chief
41executive officer under penalty of perjury, avowing that, after due inquiry, the corporation was
42not a foreign-influenced corporation on the date such expenditure or contribution was made.
43 SECTION 3. Section 18G of Chapter 55 is further amended by inserting after the second
44sentence of paragraph two the following:--
45 Unless the individual, corporation, group, association, labor union or other entity making
46the independent expenditure or electioneering communication has received a statement of
47certification from each person or entity required to be listed in the top contributors, avowing
48under penalty of perjury that none of the funds used to make each such person or entity’s
49contribution were derived from foreign-influenced corporations, the advertisement or
50communication shall also include the statement: “Some of the funds used to pay for this message
51may have been provided by foreign-influenced corporations.” The individual, corporation, group,
52association, labor union or other entity making the independent expenditure or electioneering
53communication shall be entitled to rely on such a statement of certification provided by the
54contributor, unless the individual, corporation, group, association, labor union or other entity has
55actual knowledge that such certification is false.