This bill aims to strengthen campaign finance regulations in Minnesota by prohibiting foreign nationals from contributing to or making independent expenditures related to ballot questions. It amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, by adding new subdivisions that define "foreign national" and "preliminary activity." The bill specifies that foreign nationals, which include non-citizens, foreign governments, and entities majority-owned by foreign nationals, are barred from making donations or influencing ballot questions. Additionally, it requires ballot question political committees to certify that they have not received foreign funding and mandates record-keeping for contributions and expenditures.

The legislation also introduces a new section, [10A.151], which outlines the general prohibition against foreign national involvement in ballot question funding. It establishes requirements for political committees to affirm their compliance with these rules and maintain records for six years. Furthermore, it creates a presumption of violation if an entity is found to have accepted significant foreign funding, thereby enhancing accountability in campaign finance. The bill includes provisions for the reorganization of existing statutes to accommodate these changes.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 10A.01