Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

42 U.S.C. § 5043

Political activities

(a)

Funds use prohibition; “election” and “Federal office” defined

section 30101(1) of title 52section 30101(3) of title 52No part of any funds appropriated to carry out this chapter, or any program administered by the Corporation under this chapter, shall be used to finance, directly or indirectly, any activity designed to influence the outcome of any election to Federal office, or the outcome of any election to any State or local public office, or any voter registration activity, or to pay the salary of any officer or employee of the Corporation, who, in an official capacity as such an officer or employee, engages in any such activity. As used in this section, the term “election” (when referring to an election for Federal office) has the same meaning given such term by , and the term “Federal office” has the same meaning given such term by .

(b)

Prohibition on program identification

(1)
Programs assisted under this chapter shall not be carried on in a manner involving the use of funds, the provision of services, or the employment or assignment of personnel in a manner supporting or resulting in the identification of such programs with—
(A)
any partisan or nonpartisan political activity associated with a candidate, or a contending faction or group, in an election for public or party office;
(B)
any activity to provide voters or prospective voters with transportation to the polls or similar assistance in connection with any such election; or
(C)
any voter registration activity;
except that programs assisted under this chapter may make voter registration applications and nonpartisan voter registration information available to the public on the premises of such programs.
(2)
In carrying out any voter registration activity permitted under paragraph (1), an individual who is affiliated with, or employed to carry out, a program assisted under this chapter shall not—
(A)
indicate a preference with respect to any candidate, political party, or election issue; or
(B)
seek to influence the political or party affiliation, or voting decision, of any individual.
(c)

Prohibition on influencing passage or defeat of legislation

No funds appropriated to carry out this chapter shall be used by any program assisted under this chapter in any activity for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of legislation or proposals by initiative petition, except—
(1)
in any case in which a legislative body, a committee of a legislative body, or a member of a legislative body requests any volunteer in, or employee of, such a program to draft, review, or testify regarding measures or to make representations to such legislative body, committee, or member; or
(2)
in connection with an authorization or appropriations measure directly affecting the operation of the program.
(d)

Enforcement; rules and regulations

The Director, after consultation with the Office of Personnel Management, shall issue rules and regulations to provide for the enforcement of this section, which shall include provisions for summary suspension of assistance for no more than thirty days until notice and an opportunity to be heard can be provided or other action necessary to permit enforcement on an emergency basis.

Pub. L. 93–113, title IV, § 40387 Stat. 408Pub. L. 96–14393 Stat. 1077Pub. L. 96–187, title I, § 112(e)(1)93 Stat. 1366Pub. L. 99–551, § 10(i)(6)100 Stat. 3078Pub. L. 103–82, title III, § 363107 Stat. 907(, , ; , §§ 8, 18(c)(1), , , 1083; , , ; , , ; , title IV, § 405(a)(7), , , 920.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 93–11387 Stat. 394section 4950 of this titleThis chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) to (c), was in the original “this Act”, meaning , , , known as the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Codification

section 30101(1) of title 52section 30101(3) of title 52section 431(1) of title 2section 431(3) of title 2section 431 of Title 2section 30101 of Title 52References in subsec. (a) to “” and to “” were formerly references to “” and to “”, respectively, and were updated to reflect the editorial reclassification of , The Congress, to , Voting and Elections. See 1980 Amendment note below.

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–82, § 405(a)(7)1993—Subsec. (a). , substituted “administered by the Corporation under this chapter” for “administered by the ACTION Agency” and “of the Corporation” for “of the ACTION Agency”.

Pub. L. 103–82, § 363(3)Subsec. (b)(1). , added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “Programs assisted under this chapter shall not be carried on in a manner involving the use of funds, the provision of services, or the employment or assignment of personnel in a manner supporting or resulting in the identification of such programs with (A) any partisan or non-partisan political activity or any other political activity associated with a candidate, or contending faction or group, in an election for public or party office, (B) any activity to provide voters or prospective voters with transportation to the polls or similar assistance in connection with any such election, or (C) any voter registration activity.”

Pub. L. 103–82, § 363(3)Subsec. (b)(2). , added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated subsec. (c).

Pub. L. 103–82, § 363(1)Subsec. (c). , (2), redesignated subsec. (b)(2) as subsec. (c) and subpars. (A) and (B) as pars. (1) and (2), respectively. Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d).

Pub. L. 103–82, § 363(1)Subsec. (d). , redesignated subsec. (c) as (d).

Pub. L. 99–5511986—Subsec. (a). substituted “an official capacity” for “his official capacity”.

Pub. L. 96–187section 431(1) of title 2section 431(3) of title 2section 431(a) of title 2section 431(c) of title 21980—Subsec. (a). substituted “” and “” for “” and “”, respectively. See Codification note above.

Pub. L. 96–143, § 8(a)1979—, inserted “or the outcome of any election to any State or local public office,” after “Federal office,” and “(when referring to an election for Federal office)” before “has the same meaning”.

Pub. L. 96–143, § 8(b)Subsec. (b). , designated existing provisions as par. (1), cls. (1) to (3) thereof as cls. (A) to (C), and last sentence thereof as subsec. (c), and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 96–143Subsec. (c). , §§ 8(b)(3), 18(c)(1), designated as subsec. (c) provisions formerly contained in last sentence of subsec. (b) and, as so designated, substituted “Office of Personnel Management” for “Civil Service Commission”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

section 363 of Pub. L. 103–82section 392 of Pub. L. 103–82section 4951 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .

section 405(a)(7) of Pub. L. 103–82section 406(b) of Pub. L. 103–82section 8332 of Title 5Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , Government Organization and Employees.

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–551section 11 of Pub. L. 99–551section 4950 of this titleAmendment by effective , except as otherwise provided, see , set out as an Effective Date note under .

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Pub. L. 96–187section 301(a) of Pub. L. 96–187section 30101 of Title 52Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , Voting and Elections.