Rewards for Providing Information on Foreign Election Interference Act

Bill: 116-hr-7519
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16]
Introduced: 2020-07-09
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Crime prevention

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Foreign and international corporations

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Subversive activities

Voting rights
Latest action: action_date: 2020-07-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-07-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Rewards for Providing Information on Foreign Election Interference Act</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes the Department of State to pay a reward to anyone who furnishes certain information relating to foreign election interference by a foreign entity or an individual who is not a U.S. person.</p> <p>Foreign election interference is conduct by a foreign person that (1) violates federal criminal, voting rights, or campaign finance law; or (2) is performed by any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of a foreign government or criminal enterprise. Such conduct may include any covert, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful act undertaken with the purpose or effect of undermining public confidence in election processes or institutions.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7519 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 9, 2020 Mr. Engel (for himself and Mr. McCaul ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize rewards for providing information on foreign election interference, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rewards for Providing Information on Foreign Election Interference Act . 2. Authorization of rewards for providing information on foreign election interference Section 36 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 ( 22 U.S.C. 2708 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting foreign election interference, before transnational organized crime ; (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (5), by striking or (10) and inserting (10), or (13) ; (B) in paragraph (11), by striking or after the semicolon at the end; (C) in paragraph (12)— (i) by striking sections and inserting section ; (ii) by striking or (b)(1) and inserting or 2914(b)(1) ; and (iii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (13) the identification or location of a foreign person that knowingly engaged or is engaging in foreign election interference. ; and (3) in subsection (k)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (8) as paragraphs (5) through (10), respectively; (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraphs: (3) Foreign person The term foreign person means— (A) an individual who is not a United States person; or (B) a foreign entity. (4) Foreign election interference The term foreign election interference means conduct by a foreign person that— (A) (i) violates Federal criminal, voting rights, or campaign finance law; or (ii) is performed by any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of a foreign government or criminal enterprise; and (B) includes any covert, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful act or attempted act, or knowing use of information acquired by theft, undertaken with the purpose or effect of undermining public confidence in election processes or institutions, or influencing, undermining confidence in, or altering the result or reported result of, a general or primary Federal, State, or local election or caucus, including— (i) the campaign of a candidate; or (ii) a ballot measure, including an amendment, a bond issue, an initiative, a recall, a referral, or a referendum. ; and (C) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, in subparagraph (A), by striking and after the semicolon and inserting or .