H.R. 4786: Honest Elections and Campaign, No Gain Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-07-29 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Honest Elections and Campaign, No Gain Act

Plain summary

Honest Elections and Campaign, No Gain Act This bill establishes certain requirements for disbursing unused funds after a federal election. The bill also requires former candidates serving as registered lobbyists or foreign agents to comply with disbursement requirements. Specifically, the bill requires each authorized committee or leadership political action committee (PAC) of a candidate to disburse all unused funds within a specified time period beginning after an election or before the candidate registers as a lobbyist or foreign agent, unless the candidate files to run for office again before the disbursement period begins. A committee or PAC disbursing unspent funds shall first pay any obligations incurred. If funds are left over, the committee or PAC may only disburse the funds in one or more of the following ways: (1) returning funds to donors; (2) making contributions to nonprofit organizations; and (3) transferring funds without limitation to a national, state, or local committee of a political party. The bill generally prohibits disbursements to relatives of the candidate. A former candidate must, in order to register as a lobbyist or foreign agent, comply with the disbursement requirements outlined by this bill.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Honest Elections and Campaign, No Gain Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Paul Tonko (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] reported raising $4.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Political action committee (PAC): A committee that raises and spends money to support or oppose candidates. PACs that give directly to federal candidates have contribution limits and report to the Federal Election Commission.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr4786.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr4786 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills