HARRISBURG, PA (May 5, 2026) – Today, the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee advanced HB497, model legislation which prohibits foreign-influenced corporations from spending money to influence local and state elections. If enacted, this bill would close a significant loophole to preserve American self-government and to strengthen democracy in Pennsylvania. MarchOnHarrisburg, Free Speech For People, and Pennsylvania voters are working to advance this legislation in the General Assembly.

The legislation, introduced by State Representative Joe Webster, would bar corporations with significant foreign ownership from contributing to candidates, parties, or committees (including super PACs) or from engaging in their own direct election spending.

Across the country, companies with significant foreign ownership have used their money to influence the outcome of elections and political agendas in their favor. The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United created a loophole for foreign interests to acquire stakes in U.S. corporations and then use that leverage to influence or control the corporation’s political activity, including campaign contributions, contributions to super PACs, and independent expenditures.

Multinational corporations affected by HB497 are those owned 1% or more by a single foreign investor, or 5% or more by multiple foreign investors. These thresholds reflect levels of ownership that are widely agreed (including by entities such as the Business Roundtable) to be high enough to influence corporate governance.

The policy stems from model legislation developed by Free Speech For People, a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to renew our democracy and limit the influence of money in our elections. Free Speech For People helped to pass similar legislation in San Jose, California, in 2024, and in Seattle, Washington, in 2020. Additional bills are currently under consideration in Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.

“We applaud the House State Government Committee for advancing this much-needed reform at a time when faith in our democratic institutions is faltering,” says Jocelyn Medearis-Viera, Grassroots Organizing Strategist at Free Speech For People. “We urge Pennsylvania legislators to enact this critical legislation. In doing so, the PA General Assembly will ensure that democracy is being put back in the hands of the people where it belongs, not sold to the highest bidder with multinational corporate interests.”

MarchOnHarrisburg, which is partnering with Free Speech For People to advance this legislation in Pennsylvania, has been building the PA pro-democracy movement for nearly 10 years to get money out of politics and to build a government of, by, and for the people. The organization has conducted thousands of community lobbying visits, six multi-day marches across the state, and over 45 nonviolent direct actions at the State Capitol Building to pressure the Pennsylvania State Legislature to pass a Gift Ban, Campaign Finance Reform, an FIC Political Spending Ban, Ranked Choice Voting, and the rest of their Money Out, People In policy platform. 

“This is a revolutionary step forward for Pennsylvania that closes off a major threat to American self-government: foreign-influenced corporate political spending,” says Rabbi Michael Pollack, Executive Director of MarchOnHarrisburg. “Big multinational corporations are committed to doing what’s right for themselves and their investors, not for Pennsylvanians. HB497 passed this key House committee because of the amazing work done by the pro-democracy movement and courageous legislators to pressure our State Legislature into putting our elections back into the hands of the people.”