Search

Search bills, members, committees and pages...

Sign In

H.R. 2816

U.S. House•In House Committee

Summary

H.R. 2816, the Shell Company Abuse Act, was introduced in the House on Apr 10, 2025 by Rep. Wesley Bell (D) with 5 co-sponsors. It was referred to Judiciary, and last saw action on Apr 10, 2025: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Record

Text

H.R. 2816 has 5 co-sponsors.

hb2816/introduced-in-house.txt
119 HR 2816 IH: Shell Company Abuse Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-04-10
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 2816  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   April 10, 2025   Mr. Bell  (for himself,  Mr. Bacon ,  Mr. Crow , and  Mr. Fitzpatrick ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on the Judiciary    A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the establishment of a corporation to conceal election contributions and donations by foreign nationals.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Shell Company Abuse Act  .
2.
Prohibition
(a)
In general
 Chapter 29  of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
612.
Establishment of corporation to conceal election contributions and donations by foreign nationals
(a)
Offense
It shall be unlawful for an owner, officer, attorney, or incorporation agent of a corporation, company, or other entity to establish or use the corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an activity of a foreign national (as defined in section 319 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 ( 52 U.S.C. 30121 )) prohibited under such section 319.
(b)
Penalty
Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, fined under this title, or both.
 .
(b)
Table of sections
The table of sections for  chapter 29  of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to  section 611  the following:
612. Establishment of corporation to conceal election contributions and donations by foreign nationals.
  .

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-04-10
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Apr 10, 2025

hb2816/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (04/10/2025)

Shell Company Abuse Act

This bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national.

A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.

Sponsors

Rep. Wesley Bell (D) sponsors H.R. 2816, and 5 members have co-sponsored it, 3 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 2816 went before 1 committee: Judiciary.

Judiciary
Judiciary
Referred To · Apr 10, 2025 · 2,181 Bills

Actions

H.R. 2816 has taken 2 actions since Apr 10, 2025.

ChamberAction
Apr 10, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Apr 10, 2025
House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Judiciary Committee

Votes

H.R. 2816 has not gone to a roll call.

2 bills are related to H.R. 2816.

Titles

H.R. 2816 goes by 3 titles, 1 of them short titles.

  • Shell Company Abuse Act — Display Title
  • Shell Company Abuse Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the establishment of a corporation to conceal election contributions and donations by foreign nationals. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 4 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 2816 in 6 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Budget/Appropriations, Government Issues, Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
COMMON CAUSE—District of Columbia16—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
COMMON CAUSE16—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
VIRGINIA KASE SOLOMON116
OMAR NOURELDIN115
AARON SCHERB112
PRESTON MITCHUM112

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
COMMON CAUSECOMMON CAUSE2026 second_quarter$30K2nd Quarter - Report
COMMON CAUSECOMMON CAUSE2026 first_quarter$30K1st Quarter - Report
COMMON CAUSECOMMON CAUSE2025 fourth_quarter$30K4th Quarter - Report
COMMON CAUSECOMMON CAUSE2025 third_quarter$30K3rd Quarter - Report
COMMON CAUSECOMMON CAUSE2025 second_quarter$30K2nd Quarter - Amendme…
COMMON CAUSECOMMON CAUSE2025 second_quarter$30K2nd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 2816 under Crime and Law Enforcement, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 4 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 2816’s is Crime and Law Enforcement.

hr2816/policy-areas.txt
Crime and Law EnforcementAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 2816 carries 4 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Business ethics to Elections, voting, political campaign regulation.

hr2816/subjects.txt
Business ethicsCorporate finance and managementCriminal procedure and sentencingElections, voting, political campaign regulation

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 2816, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 65 (Thursday, April 10, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. BELL:H.R. 2816.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article 1, Section 8[Page H1601]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com