(The Center Square) – A bipartisan-backed bill prefiled for the 2026 Washington state legislative session would remove several state statutes regarding foreign national participation in state elections, as well as a Public Disclosure Commission filing requirement regarding donations to political campaigns.
The proposal has draw fire from some advocacy groups, while one of the bill’s sponsors says it merely removes what he considers to be unnecessary paperwork or provisions already codified in federal law.
In 2020, the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 6152, which among other things added numerous PDC requirements for individuals running for public office, such as a form they must submit for campaign contributions attesting that foreign nationals did not provide those donations.
House Bill 2123, sponsored by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Seattle, and cosponsored by Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, would repeal that requirement, along with the following state statues.
RCW 29B.40.050, which prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions, expenditures, or engaging in electioneering communicationsRCW 29B.10.250, which provides the state definition of “foreign national”
Among the bill’s critics is the Conservative Ladies of Washington, which argued in a post that the provisions “eliminate the legal framework Washington uses to block foreign participation in elections. With the prohibitions and definitions repealed, Washington law would no longer bar foreign nationals or foreign‑influenced entities from participating financially in state elections. Because the bill repeals the foreign‑national restrictions and certifications, corporations with foreign ownership or foreign decision‑makers would no longer be restricted under state law.”
However, Corry told The Center Square in an interview that the bill is repealing aspects of SB 6152 that are redundant or unnecessarily burdensome.
“All we did was put in state law what is already in federal law,” he said. “Only thing we created new was this form that has to be submitted with all these documents, that has about as much teeth as a three-month-old baby.”
“I think – rightly so – a lot of us realized it was a silly exercise in political messaging,” he added. “It wasn’t really doing anything additional to help protect our elections.”
Corry also said that “If it turns there are any issues in there [HB 2123], I will be actively working with the prime sponsor to fix things. We should still be concerned about foreign interference in our elections.”
The Center Square requested an interview with Fitzgibbon regarding the bill, but did not receive a response.
