HR535-119

What This Bill Does

The Inaugural Fund Integrity Act adds inaugural committee restrictions and disclosure duties to the Federal Election Campaign Act and ties official Inaugural Committee status under title 36 to compliance. Inaugural Committees may not solicit, accept, or receive donations from anyone other than an individual, or from a foreign national. Foreign nationals may not directly or indirectly make or promise inaugural donations. Straw donations, knowingly accepting straw donations, and converting inaugural donations to personal use are prohibited. Personal use means using donated funds for commitments, obligations, or expenses that would exist regardless of inaugural committee duties, while unused funds may still go to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charities. Individuals may not donate more than $50,000 in the aggregate, with inflation adjustments beginning in the 2032 presidential election year rounded to the nearest $1,000. Inaugural Committees must report individual donations of $1,000 or more within 24 hours and file a report within 90 days after the inaugural ceremony disclosing donations of $200 or more, total disbursements by category, operating expenses, loan repayments, donation refunds, offsets, other disbursements over $200, and recipient names and addresses. A committee is not treated as the Inaugural Committee unless it agrees to and meets these FECA requirements.

Who Benefits and How

Small-dollar individual donors benefit because corporations, nonprofits, foreign nationals, and other non-individual donors are barred from inaugural committee donations. Federal Election Commission staff benefit from clearer statutory reporting requirements for inaugural donations and disbursements. Government ethics advocates benefit from a $50,000 individual cap, straw-donation ban, and personal-use ban. Charitable organizations may receive unused inaugural funds because the bill preserves transfers to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Inaugural Committees must reject non-individual and foreign-national donations, track the $50,000 cap, and file rapid and post-event reports. Corporate donors lose the ability to donate to inaugural committees. Foreign nationals face an explicit ban on direct or indirect inaugural donations or promises. Large individual donors are capped at $50,000 in aggregate inaugural donations.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits inaugural committee donations from non-individuals and foreign nationals.
• Limits individual inaugural donations to $50,000 with inflation adjustments beginning in 2032.
• Bars straw donations, knowing acceptance of straw donations, and conversion of inaugural donations to personal use.
• Requires 24-hour disclosure of individual donations of $1,000 or more.
• Requires a 90-day post-inaugural report covering donations of $200 or more and detailed disbursement categories.