YVN Summary
\n\nMost people would see no change in their own bills or benefits. What would change is who can pay for election ads, and how much the public learns about that money.\n\nSuper PACs can raise and spend without limit today, as long as they stay independent of a candidate. This bill would treat spending that is not fully independent as a donation to that candidate. Regular donation limits and public reporting would then apply. A group would count as candidate-linked if the candidate helped start it. The same goes for a group run by the candidate's family, or one that hires the campaign's recent consultants. Sharing a policy view with a candidate would still be safe.\n\nThe bill also sets new penalties. A knowing violation would cost three times the amount over the limit. If the group does not pay within a year, its directors and officers would owe the money themselves. Federal candidates and officeholders could no longer raise money for Super PACs. The coordination rules would take effect 120 days after the bill became law.
","status":"COMMITTEE_CONSIDERATION","topics":["TECHNOLOGY"],"introducedAt":"2025-09-09T00:00:00+00:00","latestActionAt":"2025-09-09T00:00:00+00:00","congressGovUrl":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5238","accountabilityFlags":{"civil_liberties":["↓ Freedom to spend unlimited money in step with candidates — caps apply","↓ Spending freedom for groups run by a candidate's family or staff","↓ Allied groups' freedom to name candidates in ads — 120-day window","↑ Freedom to discuss policy with candidates — protected from coordination claims"],"criminal_justice":["↑ Fines for illegal campaign coordination — triple the amount overspent"],"corporate_benefits":["↓ Protection for directors and officers from campaign fines — personal liability added"],"transparency_accountability":["↑ Public reporting of spending coordinated with candidates — counted as donations","↑ Ban on officeholders raising Super PAC money"]},"tldr":"Ad money spent in step with a candidate would count as a capped donation — and candidates couldn't raise Super PAC money.","summaryStandard":"v2","flagExplainers":{"civil_liberties":["Today a group can spend any amount on ads, as long as it acts on its own. Under this bill, spending that is not fully independent of a candidate would count as a donation to that candidate. Donations are capped.","A group counts as linked if the candidate helped start it or raised money for it. It also counts if the candidate's family runs it. Hiring the campaign's recent staff counts too. An inside wall between workers would not help.","For a linked group, an ad that merely names a candidate would count as coordinated in the 120 days before a general election. The window is 60 days before a primary. For House and Senate races, the ad must run where the candidate is running.","You can ask a candidate to back your position. That alone would not make your spending coordinated. The shield drops if you also talk with the campaign about its ads, message, strategy, or fundraising."],"criminal_justice":["Someone who knowingly and willfully breaks the limit would pay three times the amount above it. For someone barred from giving at all, the fine is three times the full payment."],"corporate_benefits":["A group has one year to pay its fine. After that, its directors, managers, and officers would each owe what is left. They would pay out of their own pockets."],"transparency_accountability":["Money counted as a donation must be reported like any other campaign gift. It would appear in the candidate's own filings. Today the same money is reported on its own, apart from the campaign.","A federal candidate or officeholder could not ask for or steer money to a group that takes gifts above federal limits. State and local party groups are left out. The ban would apply to elections after January 1, 2026."]},"flagValence":{"civil_liberties":["contested","contested","contested","contested"],"criminal_justice":["contested"],"corporate_benefits":["contested"],"transparency_accountability":["contested","contested"]},"needsResummary":false,"displaySummaryHtml":null,"rawStatusText":"Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.","chamber":null,"policyArea":"Government Operations and Politics","legislativeSubjects":[],"lawStatus":null,"lawNumber":null,"latestActionText":"Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.","latestTextVersion":"Introduced in House","textVersionUsed":"Introduced in House","dateAdded":"2026-04-02T00:00:00+00:00","summarizedAt":"2026-08-18T00:00:00+00:00","recordId":"c1611e9a-13da-4514-8ed0-f7e1722a1ef6","feedIdentityKey":"119/hr/5238","websiteBillId":"HR-5238","yourvoiceSummary":"Most people would see no change in their own bills or benefits. What would change is who can pay for election ads, and how much the public learns about that money.\n\nSuper PACs can raise and spend without limit today, as long as they stay independent of a candidate. This bill would treat spending that is not fully independent as a donation to that candidate. Regular donation limits and public reporting would then apply. A group would count as candidate-linked if the candidate helped start it. The same goes for a group run by the candidate's family, or one that hires the campaign's recent consultants. Sharing a policy view with a candidate would still be safe.\n\nThe bill also sets new penalties. A knowing violation would cost three times the amount over the limit. If the group does not pay within a year, its directors and officers would owe the money themselves. Federal candidates and officeholders could no longer raise money for Super PACs. The coordination rules would take effect 120 days after the bill became law.","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T01:42:28.781233+00:00"}