Skip to main content
H.R. 4703 116th Congress House

DEFEND Act

Official title: To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit certain foreign nationals from making disbursements to compensate persons engaging in internet a… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit certain foreign nationals from making disbursements to compensate persons engaging in internet activity promoting, supporting, attacking, or opposing the election of a candidate for public office.

Introduced: October 16, 2019 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics Congressional electionsElections, voting, political campaign regulationInternet and video servicesInternet, web applications, social mediaPolitical advertising
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 16, 2019
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Oct 16, 2019
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action October 16, 2019

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Defending Elections From Foreign Efforts to Negate Democracy Act or the DEFEND Act

This bill prohibits foreign nationals from making disbursements for internet activity promoting, supporting, attacking, or opposing the election of a candidate for public office.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 2669 SHIELD Act
  • HR 4617 Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4703: DEFEND Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-4703/
MLA
"H.R. 4703: DEFEND Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-4703/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4703, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-4703/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4703: DEFEND Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-4703/)
Report a problem