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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho House Bill 970 restricts foreign contributions and donor disclosures in state elections
Last action · March 31, 2026: Reported Printed; Filed in the Office of the Chief ClerkSponsor: Heather Scott
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What This Bill Proposed
This legislation prohibits s from influencing Idaho elections and requires political committees supporting ballot measures to certify that no foreign funds were involved in preliminary activities or contributions. Additionally, it restricts state and local government entities from collecting or publicly disclosing the identities of lawful donors to tax-exempt organizations.
Political committees supporting ballot measures must implement new donor-vetting procedures, and state agencies face strict privacy limits regarding tax-exempt donor lists, backed by misdemeanor and felony penalties for violations.
- House Bill 970 was introduced during the Second Regular Session of the Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature by Representative Scott. context
- Idaho campaign finance laws are primarily codified under Title 67, Chapter 66 of the Idaho Code, governing reporting requirements for candidates and political committees. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Political committees
Must submit additional certifications regarding foreign funding and donor backgrounds for ballot measure reports.
Tax-exempt organizations
Receive statutory privacy protections for donor lists against state collection and public disclosure.
Secretary of State
Prohibited from collecting or disclosing non-investigative donor information and tasked with receiving new committee certifications.
Key Facts
- Political committees supporting any measure must certify that no preliminary activity was funded by a foreign national directly or indirectly.
- Political committees must obtain a written certification from each donor verifying they are not a foreign national and have not accepted over $10,000 from foreign nationals in the preceding four years.
- Contributions lacking the required foreign-influence certification must be divested following existing Idaho Code.
- Foreign nationals are prohibited from making contributions, independent expenditures, or electioneering communications, or participating in decision-making for Idaho elections.
Show all 8 facts
- Foreign-owned entities incorporated or headquartered in the U.S. may contribute only if funds originate entirely from U.S. operations and decisions are made by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Knowing and willful violations involving over $1,000 in prohibited contributions or repeat offenses within 10 years are classified as felonies.
- State and local government entities are prohibited from collecting or requiring donor identity information from tax-exempt organizations unless directly related to an investigation of a campaign violation.
- Unauthorized public disclosure of tax-exempt donor identities by government officials is prohibited and punishable as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must political committees supporting ballot measures do under this bill?
Can foreign nationals ever contribute to Idaho elections?
What happens if a government official publicly discloses the identity of a tax-exempt donor?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 31, 2026Reported Printed; Filed in the Office of the Chief Clerk
- Mar 31, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expanded Donor Privacy and Foreign Influence Controls
The bill pairs heightened reporting requirements for ballot measure committees with strict confidentiality protections for tax-exempt organization donors.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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