Who's paying for it: bills that show who funds election ads
These bills would make groups tell voters who gave the money and who paid for the ads.
Checked Nov 9, 2026: Congress and 26 states. 25 places are not checked yet. See the full lists
10 still open · 5 already won
Still open
| Status | Bill or measure | What it would do | Where it stands | What you can do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a push | Campaign Finance Transparency ActH.R. 8720 ↗National | It adds checks for online campaign gifts and makes campaigns name even small donors. | Reported and placed on the House Union Calendar as Calendar No. 651; not passed. As of Jul 13, 2026 | If you want it to pass, ask your U.S. representative for a vote now. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please seek a vote on H.R. 8720 now. |
| Needs a push | Money reports for statewide ballot questionsS. 2916 ↗Massachusetts | It changes how groups report money spent to put questions on the state ballot. | House and Senate passed different versions; conference committees were appointed July 20 and July 23, 2026; no final agreement or enactment listed. As of Jul 23, 2026 | If you want it to pass, ask your Massachusetts state senator and state representative for a vote now. Ends Jan 5, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please seek a vote on a final deal for S. 2916. |
| Stuck | DISCLOSE Act of 2026S. 3991 ↗National | It makes groups name big donors who pay for election ads. | Referred to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee; no later action listed. As of Mar 4, 2026 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back S. 3991 in January. |
| Stuck | Inaugural Committee Transparency Act of 2025S. 118 ↗National | It makes the president's swearing-in fund show who it pays and bars use for private needs. | Referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee; no later action listed. As of Jan 16, 2025 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back S. 118 in January. |
| Stuck | Election ad funding reportsHB 5154 ↗Illinois | It makes groups report who gave and spent money on some election ads. | Returned to House Rules on March 27, 2026 under Rule 19(a); needs further House action; not passed. As of Mar 27, 2026 | If you want it to move, ask your Illinois state representative for a committee hearing. Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please give HB 5154 a committee hearing. |
| Stuck | Faster reports for outside election spendingS 1988 ↗New Jersey | It makes outside election groups report big gifts and ad costs sooner. | Introduced January 13, 2026; in Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation; no later action in the bulk record. As of Jan 13, 2026 | If you want it to move, ask your New Jersey state senator for a committee hearing. Ends Jan 11, 2028 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please give S 1988 a committee hearing. |
| Stuck | End Tax Breaks for Dark Money ActS. 5669 ↗National | It taxes gains on some gifts to nonprofit groups that can spend on politics. | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. As of Sep 30, 2026 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back S. 5669 in January. |
| Stuck | Fast campaign gift reportsS 2091 ↗New Jersey | It makes candidates for governor and state lawmaker report campaign gifts within two days. | Introduced January 13, 2026; referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation; no later action in the official tracking data. As of Jan 13, 2026 | If you want it to move, ask your New Jersey state senator for a committee hearing. Ends Jan 11, 2028 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please give S 2091 a committee hearing. |
| Stuck | Reports for political nonprofitsHB 4269 ↗Michigan | It makes some nonprofit groups report money they get and spend to sway state elections. | Referred to House Government Operations March 19, 2025; tied to HB 4270; not passed. As of Mar 19, 2025 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Dec 31, 2026 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back HB 4269 in January. |
| Stuck | Reports of where campaign money first came fromSB 1086 ↗North Carolina | It makes covered election groups name the first source of money passed through other groups. | Referred to Senate Rules and Operations on June 8, 2026. The remaining 2026 sessions may consider election-law bills; no bill-specific vote is posted. As of Jun 8, 2026 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Dec 18, 2026 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back SB 1086 in January. |
5 already won
| Bill or measure | What it does | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Paid online post disclosuresAB 1130 ↗California | It adds fines when paid online posts hide who paid and makes campaigns report those payments. | Chaptered, as reported in the state Fair Political Practices Commission’s 2026 third-quarter bill update; exact signing date not independently verified here. As of Nov 9, 2026 |
| Campaign finance records and enforcementHB 344 ↗Delaware | It adds rules for campaign loans, records, audits, and checks for broken rules. | Signed August 17, 2026; Chapter 429, Volume 85; the official record lists July 1, 2027 as its effective date. As of Aug 17, 2026 |
| Campaign-law checks across state linesHB 414 ↗Georgia | It lets the state seek records from outside Georgia to check campaign money rules. | The governor’s official 2026 signed-legislation list includes HB 414; the passed text takes effect on approval. The precise signing date was not independently shown by the opened government list or text. As of Nov 9, 2026 |
| Online campaign money formsSB 2532 ↗Hawaii | It makes campaigns file more of their money forms online. | Act 227, enacted July 10, 2026; effective November 4, 2026. Requires designated campaign finance forms through the Campaign Spending Commission’s upgraded electronic system. As of Jul 10, 2026 |
| Separate accounts for campaign moneyH 930 ↗Idaho | It keeps campaign money in its own account and bars using it to buy stocks. | Chapter 337; government history explicitly reports governor signing April 10, 2026, effective July 1, 2026. The stock limit is on campaign funds, not a personal stock-trading ban for officials. As of Apr 10, 2026 |
More money in politics topics
- Campaign finance reform
- Foreign money
- Stocks, crypto and betting
- Lobbyists, revolving door
- Gifts and ethics
What we checked
We looked at Congress and 26 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
We have not checked these 25 places yet: District of Columbia, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. A bill from one of them will not show up here.
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