2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0570
ENGROSSED
1HB0337
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0337
Prohibiting foreign funding of ballot measures.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Webber, Andrew, Brady,
Campbell, K, Guggenmos, Hoeft, Lien, McCann,
Wasserburger and Wharff
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to elections; requiring groups, political
2 action committees and organizations that are influencing a
3 statewide initiative or referendum to file statements
4 related to funding from prohibited sources; prohibiting a
5 foreign national from controlling or influencing the
6 decision making of a group, political action committee or
7 organization influencing a statewide initiative or
8 referendum; providing a cause of action; specifying
9 penalties; and providing for an effective date.
10
11
12
13W.S. 22-24-202 and 22-25-116 are created
14 to read:
15 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0570
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2
3
4 (a) As used in this section:
5
6 (i) "Foreign national" means as defined in 52
7 U.S.C. § 30121(b);
8
9 (ii) "Prohibited source" means contributions
10 from or expenditures by a foreign national;
11
12 (iii) "Directly or indirectly" means acting
13 either alone or jointly with, through or on behalf of any
14 other committee, organization, person or entity.
15
16 (b) No foreign national shall direct, control or
17 otherwise directly or indirectly participate in the
18 decision making of any group that is required to file with
19 the secretary of state under W.S. 22-24-201(a).
20
21 (c) Each group of persons that is required to file
22 with the secretary of state under W.S. 22-24-201(a) shall
23 file an accompanying certification regarding funding from 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0570
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1 prohibited sources as provided in this paragraph. The
2 certification shall include the following statements:
3
4 (i) That no expenditure of the group was
5 knowingly, whether directly or indirectly, funded by a
6 prohibited source;
7
8 (ii) That the group shall not knowingly, whether
9 directly or indirectly, receive, solicit or accept
10 contributions or expenditures from a prohibited source in
11 any manner;
12
13 (iii) That the group will keep records of
14 contributions and expenditures for a period of not less
15 than five (5) years to enable the enforcement of this
16 section.
17
18 (d) For each contribution to a group of persons that
19 is required to file with the secretary of state under W.S.
20 22-24-201(a), before accepting the contribution the group
21 shall obtain affirmation from the donor that the donor is
22 not a foreign national and that the donor has not knowingly
23 accepted, whether directly or indirectly, more than one 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0570
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4HB0337
1 hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) in aggregate from
2 prohibited sources in the immediately preceding four (4)
3 year period.
4
5 (e) The secretary of state may bring a civil action
6 to enforce the provisions of this section. A violation of
7 this section is subject to a civil penalty of up to twice
8 the amount of any prohibited contribution or expenditure.
9 The secretary of state may obtain injunctive relief from a
10 court of competent jurisdiction to prevent further
11 violations of this section.
12
13
14
15
16 (a) As used in this section:
17
18 (i) "Directly or indirectly" means acting either
19 alone or jointly with, through or on behalf of any
20 committee, organization, person or entity;
21
22 (ii) "Foreign national" means as defined in 52
23 U.S.C. § 30121(b); 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0570
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5HB0337
1
2 (iii) "Prohibited source" means contributions
3 from or expenditures by a foreign national.
4
5 (b) No foreign national shall direct, control or
6 otherwise directly or indirectly participate in the
7 decision making of any political action committee or
8 organization supporting or opposing any statewide
9 initiative or referendum petition drive. No foreign
10 national shall solicit, directly or indirectly, the making
11 of a donation, contribution or expenditure by another
12 person to influence a ballot initiative.
13
14 (c) Each political action committee or organization
15 supporting or opposing any statewide initiative or
16 referendum that is required to file reports with the
17 secretary of state under W.S. 22-25-107(a)(vii) shall file
18 an accompanying certification regarding funding from
19 prohibited sources as provided in this paragraph and each
20 itemized statement of contributions and expenditures
21 required by W.S. 22-25-106(b) or (h). The certification
22 shall include the following statements:
23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0570
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6HB03371 (i) That no expenditure of the political action
2 committee or organization was knowingly, whether directly
3 or indirectly, funded by a prohibited source;
4
5 (ii) That the political action committee or
6 organization shall not knowingly, whether directly or
7 indirectly, receive, solicit or accept contributions or
8 expenditures from a prohibited source in any manner;
9
10 (iii) That the political action committee or
11 organization will keep records of contributions and
12 expenditures for a period of not less than five (5) years
13 to enable the enforcement of this section.
14
15 (d) For each contribution to a political action
16 committee or organization supporting or opposing any
17 statewide initiative or referendum petition that is
18 required to file reports with the secretary of state under
19 W.S. 22-25-107(a)(vii), before accepting the contribution
20 the group shall obtain affirmation from the donor that the
21 donor is not a foreign national and that the donor has not
22 knowingly, whether directly or indirectly, accepted more
23 than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) in 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0570
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1 aggregate from prohibited sources in the immediately
2 preceding four (4) year period.
3
4 (e) The secretary of state may bring a civil action
5 to enforce the provisions of this section. A violation of
6 this section is subject to a civil penalty of up to twice
7 the amount of any prohibited contribution or expenditure.
8 The secretary of state may obtain injunctive relief from a
9 court of competent jurisdiction to prevent further
10 violations of this section.
11
12. This act is effective July 1, 2025
13
14 (END)