Congress moves to ban nonprofits from funding election administration

What it does

This bill amends the tax code to prohibit tax-exempt charitable organizations (501(c)(3) nonprofits) from providing funding—direct or indirect—to state and local governments for election administration. The exception allows nonprofits to donate space for polling places. The ban takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, and would prevent nonprofits from funding activities like voter registration, ballot processing, poll worker training, or election equipment.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a prohibition on nonprofit funding for election administration. It does not deregulate, subsidize, or create a new program—it restricts an existing funding pathway. The framing as 'safeguarding trust' masks a restriction on civic participation in election operations.

What the text implies

• Nonprofits that have funded voter registration, poll worker recruitment, and training will be forced to cease or redirect those programs, potentially reducing voter access and election worker availability.
• The 'reasonable to expect' language for indirect funding is vague and may chill nonprofit support for election-related activities even tangentially connected to administration, creating legal uncertainty.
• The exception for 'donation of space' is narrow and does not cover funding for election security, voter education, or accessibility improvements—activities nonprofits currently support.
• State and local governments may face budget pressure to replace nonprofit funding for election operations, potentially reducing election quality in resource-constrained jurisdictions.
• The bill does not define 'election administration' precisely, creating ambiguity about whether funding for voter education, ballot access, or election security falls within the prohibition.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens lose access to a private funding source for election administration. Nonprofits have historically funded voter registration, poll worker training, ballot processing, and election security—activities that improve election access and integrity. Blocking this funding either increases pressure on government budgets or reduces the quality and scope of election services available to voters.

Named in the bill

Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), State governments, Local governments, Tax-exempt charitable organizations, Nonprofits

Where it stands

• Aug 8, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Aug 8, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,400,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 42 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Claudia Tenney, the sponsor, reported $1,189,908 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Associated Builders and Contractors Inc — $1,400,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.