Honest Elections and Campaign, No Gain Act

Key Points

• This bill requires former federal candidates who are not running again to fully empty their campaign accounts and leadership PACs within a set window. These so-called zombie accounts can no longer sit indefinitely holding unspent donations.
• Candidates who want to become lobbyists or foreign agents must empty their campaign funds before starting that work. They must certify compliance under penalty of perjury, creating a legal enforcement mechanism.
• Leftover campaign money can only be used in specific ways: paying off campaign debts, refunding donors, donating to charity, or transferring to a political party. Personal enrichment from leftover funds is not allowed.
• The bill bans disbursing leftover funds to a candidate's relatives unless the payment covers a legitimate, previously reported campaign expense. The definition of relative is very broad, covering parents, children, siblings, in-laws, step-relatives, and more.
• Candidates who file to run in the next election are exempt from the disbursement requirement, so the bill only targets people who are truly leaving the political arena.
• The new rules take effect starting with the November 2026 general election, giving current officeholders and candidates time to prepare for the change.