Congress demands disclosure of who funds political ads and judicial campaigns
H.R. 7802 — DISCLOSE Act of 2026 · Filed by Chris Pappas (D-NH) · 182 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 4, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
The DISCLOSE Act of 2026 requires corporations, labor unions, Super PACs, and other organizations to publicly report who funds their political spending and how much they spend on elections and judicial nominations. It closes loopholes that allow foreign money to flow into U.S. elections through shell companies, requires ads to identify their funders, and establishes new rules for judicial nomination spending. The bill aims to let voters know who is actually paying for political messages.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is mandatory disclosure of political spending sources and beneficial ownership, combined with enforcement of existing foreign-money prohibitions. It is fundamentally a transparency and anti-corruption measure, not a spending restriction or subsidy.
What the text implies
- Judicial nomination spending disclosure may chill legitimate advocacy on judicial selection, as donors face public identification for the first time.
- The $10,000 threshold for initial disclosure and $1,000 per-disbursement reporting creates a significant compliance burden for grassroots organizations and small nonprofits, potentially favoring well-resourced groups.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Ordinary citizens gain transparency about who funds political spending and judicial nomination campaigns, enabling informed voting and accountability. The bill restricts foreign money in elections and requires disclosure of beneficial owners of shell entities—both protections for the integrity of democratic processes.