S. 118 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 16, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRequires transparency in inaugural committee spending
This bill sets rules for how presidential inaugural committees handle money. Committees would have to report to the Federal Election Commission details about any payment of $200 or more, including who received it, when, and why. The bill also prohibits inaugural committees from taking donations from foreign nationals, stops people from donating money in someone else's name, and requires committees to give away any leftover donated funds to charity within 90 days of the inauguration.
How it affects you
This doesn't directly affect most people's daily lives, but it does apply to those who donate to or work with presidential inaugural committees. The rules make it easier for the public to see where inaugural money goes and help ensure that foreign interests can't influence inauguration events through donations.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 16, 2025)
Inaugural Committee Transparency Act of 2025
This bill requires the presidential inaugural committee to disclose to the Federal Election Commission, by 90 days after the presidential inaugural ceremony, any disbursement made in an amount equal to or greater than $200 and the purpose of each disbursement. The committee must also disclose the name and address of the person to whom the disbursement was made, the date of the disbursement, and the total amount and purpose of the disbursement.
The bill prohibits (1) an inaugural committee from soliciting or receiving a donation from a foreign national, in addition to the current ban on a committee accepting such a donation; (2) a person from making a donation to an inaugural committee in the name of another; (3) a foreign national from making a donation or making a promise to make a donation to such a committee; or (4) converting a donation to an inaugural committee to personal use.
The committee must disburse any remaining donated funds not later than 90 days after the inaugural ceremony to tax-exempt charitable organizations, but may request an extension of such 90-day period.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 118
A BILL
Inaugural Committee Transparency Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Government Operations and Politics · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 16, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”