Bill Overview
Title: Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act
Description: This bill requires tax-exempt charitable organizations to disclose in annual reports contributions and gifts exceeding $50,000 received from foreign governments and foreign political parties. The reports must disclose the names of such governments and political parties and the aggregate amounts of contributions and gifts. The bill requires the Department of the Treasury to make publicly available in a searchable database information on gifts and contributions received from foreign governments and political parties and the aggregate amount received in each year from (1) China, the Chinese Communist Party and its officials, and state-owned Chinese entities; (2) Russia, Russian officials, and state-owned Russian entities; and (3) persons identified pursuant to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN) Human Readable Lists. Treasury must also report on the foreign influence of tax-exempt organizations with a focus on the role of foreign influence in the funding of such organizations to influence the U.S. energy sector or aid terrorist groups in a conflict zone.
Sponsors: Rep. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5]
Target Audience
Population: People indirectly influenced by tax-exempt organizations receiving significant foreign funding
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill affects tax-exempt charitable organizations that receive significant foreign funding.
- These organizations need to disclose foreign contributions exceeding $50,000, affecting transparency.
- Many of these organizations operate globally, hence numerous countries' entities and their influence will be under scrutiny.
- It specifically mentions Chinese and Russian government and political influences.
- U.S. citizens may be interested because of the potential for foreign influence in domestic policy.
- Organizations must adhere to these new requirements, impacting their administrative processes.
Reasoning
- The policy might lead to greater transparency in charitable contributions, which could impact public trust positively or negatively depending on preconceptions.
- Not all individuals are directly affected by these policies as they pertain primarily to organizational operations.
- Those working within or closely with these organizations might report a more significant life disruption.
- The initial focus is on the disclosure requirements; longer-term impacts could include changing funding sources and operational strategies.
Simulated Interviews
Policy Analyst (Washington D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy may impose significant reporting burdens on our nonprofit.
- It's a necessary transparency measure but comes with administrative costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Financial Analyst (New York)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This transparency helps investors and stakeholders know more about influences on policy recommendations.
- There might be funds rerouting and financial implications for organizations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Environmental Researcher (California)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might curb some undue foreign influence which is currently worrying.
- However, I hope it doesn’t come to overly restrict international collaborations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Retired (Texas)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could promote transparency, which is good for democracy.
- I want to ensure that funding is ethical and promoting national interests.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Grad Student (Illinois)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy influences my field of study directly.
- Future of nonprofit funding might evolve with such disclosures.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
Energy Consultant (Ohio)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There might be perceived shifts in energy policy recommendations due to this transparency.
- Good to know where influence might be coming from.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Journalist (Florida)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could shift the narrative on international collaborations towards mistrust.
- Important to scrutinize but not stifle cross-border nonprofits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
Attorney (Pennsylvania)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will require more due diligence in reporting and compliance for organizations.
- Will likely increase the demand for legal advice in nonprofit compliance.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Social Worker (Georgia)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Concerned this might reduce funding availability for smaller nonprofits.
- Disclosures are good, but hopefully they don’t deter genuine foreign aid.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Nonprofit Director (North Carolina)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This adds new dimensions to our funding strategies and compliance needs.
- We'll need to pivot some processes to match legal requirements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $6000000)
Year 2: $3500000 (Low: $3000000, High: $4000000)
Year 3: $3500000 (Low: $3000000, High: $4000000)
Year 5: $3500000 (Low: $3000000, High: $4000000)
Year 10: $3500000 (Low: $3000000, High: $4000000)
Year 100: $3500000 (Low: $3000000, High: $4000000)
Key Considerations
- The compliance burden on charitable organizations could potentially affect their operational capacities.
- Public access to the database might require robust privacy safeguards to protect sensitive donor information.
- Effectiveness in curbing foreign influence depends heavily on the thoroughness of enforcement and compliance efforts.
- Monitoring and assessing the indirect influence on policy, especially in sensitive sectors like energy, may require additional resources.