House Bill 358 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ed OliverRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Foreign agents; Certain foreign agents and foreign political organizations required to register with Secretary of State, civil penalties imposed for violations

Summary

HB358 would require agents of hostile foreign principals and foreign-supported political organizations to register with the Alabama Secretary of State and report their political activities, with penalties for violations.

What This Bill Does

The bill requires agents of hostile foreign principals and foreign-supported political organizations that engage in political activity in Alabama to register with the Secretary of State and to update their registration on a regular schedule. Registration must include detailed information about the registrant, its connections to hostile foreign principals, and descriptions of political activities and financial support. The Secretary of State could impose civil penalties for violations, with higher penalties for willful or repeat violations; penalties can be appealed to the State Ethics Commission, which may reduce or set aside them. Foreign-supported political organizations must annually register by December 31 with details about officers, expenditures, and funding from hostile foreign principals; the act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Agents of hostile foreign principals and foreign-supported political organizations that engage in political activity in Alabama must register and continuously update their information, or face civil penalties.
• The Secretary of State and the State Ethics Commission are key administrators and enforcers, handling registrations, penalties, and any appeals related to the act.

Key Provisions

• Section 2 defines terms: agent of a hostile foreign principal; foreign-supported political organization; hostile foreign country (including North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia); and political activity.
• Section 3 sets registration requirements for agents: initial registration within 10 days of becoming an agent, ongoing updates every six months (with 60-day lookback summaries) and 90-day updates thereafter, all under oath, and filed electronically.
• Section 4 requires foreign-supported political organizations to register by December 31 each year with details on officers, related national organizations, expenditures, and receipts from hostile foreign principals, plus 90-day updates.
• Section 5 authorizes civil penalties for noncompliance (up to $10,000 for failure to file timely statements; $10,000 to $200,000 for willful or repeat violations).
• Section 6 provides an appeals process to the State Ethics Commission, which can reduce or set aside penalties; the petitioner bears the burden of proof.
• Section 7 states the act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections, Voting, & Campaigns