I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2135 
To prevent foreign adversaries from influencing elections by prohibiting for-
eign nationals from purchasing at any time a broadcast, cable, or satellite 
communication that mentions a clearly identified candidate for Federal 
office. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2019 
Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 
A BILL 
To prevent foreign adversaries from influencing elections by 
prohibiting foreign nationals from purchasing at any time 
a broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that men-
tions a clearly identified candidate for Federal office. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Adversaries 
Internationally from Disbursing Advertising Dollars Act’’ 
or the ‘‘PAID AD Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to protect the integrity 
of American democracy by expanding the scope of the pro-
hibition on political advertising by foreign principals in 
order to uphold the well-established standard of the 
United States Supreme Court that foreign nationals may 
lawfully be excluded from participating in certain electoral 
activities. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the growing threat of malicious interference 
in our elections by foreign actors requires the Con-
gress and the Federal Election Commission to take 
meaningful action to ensure that laws and regula-
tions protect against influence by foreign nationals 
in activity fundamental to our democracy; 
(2) the Supreme Court has long held that there 
is a compelling national interest in preventing for-
eign influence in the United States political process 
and that foreign citizens lack a ‘‘constitutional right 
to participate in, and thus may be excluded from, 
activities of democratic self-government’’; and 
(3) the current prohibition on foreign nationals 
contributing to political campaigns and advertise-
ments must be updated. 
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SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF LIMITATION ON FOREIGN NATION-
ALS. 
(a) 
DISBURSEMENTS
DESCRIBED.—Section 
319(a)(1) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(52 U.S.C. 30121(a)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subparagraph 
(B); and 
(2) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(C) an expenditure; 
‘‘(D) an independent expenditure; 
‘‘(E) a disbursement for an electioneering 
communication (within the meaning of section 
304(f)(3)); 
‘‘(F) a disbursement for a paid internet or 
paid digital communication that refers to a 
clearly identified candidate for election for Fed-
eral office and is disseminated within 60 days 
before a general, special or runoff election for 
the office sought by the candidate or 30 days 
before a primary or preference election, or a 
convention or caucus of a political party that 
has authority to nominate a candidate for the 
office sought by the candidate; 
‘‘(G) a disbursement for a broadcast, cable 
or satellite communication, or for a paid inter-
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net or paid digital communication, that pro-
motes, supports, attacks or opposes the election 
of a clearly identified candidate for Federal, 
State, or local office (regardless of whether the 
communication contains express advocacy or the 
functional equivalent of express advocacy); or 
‘‘(H) a disbursement for a broadcast, 
cable, or satellite communication, or for any 
communication which is placed or promoted for 
a fee on an online platform, that discusses a 
national legislative issue of public importance in 
a year in which a regularly scheduled general 
election for Federal office is held, but only if 
the disbursement is made by a foreign principal 
who is a government of a foreign country or a 
foreign political party or an agent of such a for-
eign principal under the Foreign Agents Reg-
istration Act of 1938.’’. 
(b) DEFINITION
OF ONLINE PLATFORM.—Section 
319 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30121) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) ONLINE PLATFORM.—As used in this section, 
the term ‘online platform’ means any public-facing 
website, web application, or digital application (including 
a social network, ad network, or search engine) which— 
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‘‘(1) sells qualified political advertisements; and 
‘‘(2) has 50,000,000 or more unique monthly 
United States visitors or users for a majority of 
months during the preceding 12 months.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to disbursements 
made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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