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Amends section 3 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 by inserting additional text into the matter preceding subsection (a) (specifically, inserting text before the final colon in that prefatory matter).
Adds a new subsection (i) to 22 U.S.C. 618 establishing civil enforcement provisions, including specified civil fines for failures to file registration statements and supplements, higher fines for knowing failures, a prohibition on foreign principals paying fines, and a requirement that collected fines be used to defray enforcement costs.
Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act to give the Attorney General new investigatory tools and to strengthen civil enforcement. It authorizes the Department of Justice to issue civil investigative demands (CIDs) to collect documents, written answers, and testimony before filing a case (with rules for service, challenge, and court enforcement), requires annual reports to Congress on CID use, and sunsets the CID authority after five years. It also creates tiered civil monetary fines for failures to register or to correct deficient filings, raises penalties for knowing violations, bars foreign principals from paying certain fines, and directs collected fines to enforcement costs. The bill also inserts additional language into the existing definitional/introductory material of FARA’s registration requirement.
Amend Section 3 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 by inserting additional text before the colon at the end of the matter preceding subsection (a). The section as provided states the location and method of amendment but does not show the inserted text in this excerpt .
Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) by renumbering sections 9 through 14 as sections 10 through 15.
Amends FARA by inserting a new section 9 titled “Civil investigative demands concerning registration of agents of foreign principals.”
Authorizes the Attorney General (or a limited set of designees) to issue written civil investigative demands (before a civil or criminal case is started) when there is reason to believe a person has relevant documents or information for a FARA investigation; the demand may require documents, written interrogatory answers, oral testimony, or any combination. Also sets notice requirements when a CID expressly demands a “product of discovery.”
Limits who the Attorney General may designate to use this CID authority: only the Assistant Attorney General for National Security or a Deputy Attorney General may be a designee.
Who is affected and how:
Primary affected parties: individuals and entities required to register under FARA — commonly called "agents of foreign principals" — such as law firms, public relations and lobbying contractors, consultants, advocacy groups, and some nonprofit or academic entities that act for or at the direction of foreign principals. These registrants face a new pre‑complaint investigatory mechanism (CIDs) that can compel documents, written answers, and sworn testimony; they also face new civil fines for registration failures or deficient filings and larger penalties for knowing violations. The prohibition on foreign principals paying certain fines shifts greater financial exposure directly to the U.S. registrant.
Department of Justice: Gains an enhanced tool to investigate potential FARA violations before filing a civil or criminal case, which may increase the volume and speed of investigations. The DOJ will also have new reporting obligations to Congress.
Foreign principals: Are indirectly affected by the prohibition on paying certain fines and by increased scrutiny of their U.S. agents; this may alter contracting and compliance arrangements.
Courts: Will see new matters involving CID enforcement, motions to quash, and litigation over civil fines and jurisdictional or constitutional defenses.
Broader public and regulated sectors: Entities that work with foreign clients or foreign-funded projects may face higher compliance costs (legal reviews, expanded disclosure practices) and possible chilling effects on dealings with foreign principals, especially where the risk of investigation and civil penalties is perceived to be high.
Likely consequences and tradeoffs:
Overall, the bill strengthens investigatory and civil enforcement capabilities under FARA, increasing regulatory pressure on registrants and shifting some financial risk onto U.S. agents of foreign principals while adding congressional oversight via reporting and a built‑in sunset for the new CID power.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Richard Blumenthal · Last progress April 10, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced in Senate