Alabama enacted House Bill 214 (HB 214) on March 17, becoming the 24th state to pass a ban on foreign spending in ballot measure elections. HB 214 prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions related to ballot measures, prohibits recipients from accepting those contributions, and makes violations a Class C felony. It passed unanimously in the state House and state Senate and was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey (R) on March 17. It is set to take effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
In the Alabama State Legislature, HB 214 received support from Democrats and Republicans, excluding those who were absent or otherwise did not vote.
State Sen. Dan Roberts (R-15), who was one of the bill’s sponsors, said, “Under current federal law, foreign nationals are banned from donating to political candidates and committees. Loopholes in the law have led to millions of foreign dollars being funneled to influence ballot issue campaigns like constitutional amendment referendums across the United States. Currently, Alabama does not have a matching state law. Therefore, state and local prosecutors do not have the ability to pursue instances of criminal foreign influence on our elections.”…