I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 345 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the President, the Vice 
President, Members of Congress, and other officers of the executive 
branch from lobbying on behalf of countries designated as countries 
of particular concern for religious freedom for 10 years after leaving 
office, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 5, 2017 
Mr. TROTT 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 Presi-
dent, the Vice President, Members of Congress, and 
other officers of the executive branch from lobbying on 
behalf of countries designated as countries of particular 
concern for religious freedom for 10 years after leaving 
office, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Foreign Influence 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON LOBBYING FOR COUNTRIES OF 
PARTICULAR CONCERN. 
(a) PROHIBITION
ON LOBBYING.—Section 207 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(m) ADDITIONAL
RESTRICTIONS
RELATING
TO 
COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the restric-
tions contained in subsection (f), any person who 
serves in a position described in paragraph (2) and 
who, within 10 years after leaving that position, 
knowingly— 
‘‘(A) represents a country of particular 
concern before any Member, officer, or em-
ployee of either House of Congress, or any offi-
cer or employee of a department or agency of 
the executive branch, with the intent to influ-
ence a decision of such officer, employee, or 
Member, in his or her official capacity, or 
‘‘(B) aids or advises a country of par-
ticular concern with the intent to influence a 
decision of any Member, officer, or employee of 
either House of Congress, or any officer or em-
ployee of a department or agency of the execu-
tive branch, in his or her official capacity, 
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shall be punished as provided in section 216 of this 
title. 
‘‘(2) POSITIONS SUBJECT TO RESTRICTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The positions referred 
to in paragraph (1) are the following: 
‘‘(i) The President. 
‘‘(ii) The Vice President. 
‘‘(iii) A Member of Congress. 
‘‘(iv) A covered appointee position. 
‘‘(B) COVERED
APPOINTEE
POSITION.— 
For purposes of this paragraph, an individual 
serves in a ‘covered appointee position’ if the 
individual serves— 
‘‘(i) except as provided in clause (ii), 
in a position in an Executive agency to 
which the individual was appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate; 
‘‘(ii) in a position that is held by an 
active duty commissioned officer of the 
uniformed services who is serving in a 
grade or rank for which the pay grade (as 
specified in section 201 of title 37) is pay 
grade O–7 or higher; or 
‘‘(iii) in any of the following positions: 
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an individual who serves in a position de-
scribed in paragraph (2) represents, aids, 
or advises such country, is designated as a 
country of particular concern for religious 
freedom under section 402 of the Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6442); and 
‘‘(ii) any entity owned or controlled, 
in whole or in part, by the government of 
a country described in clause (i).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to any individual who, on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, leaves a posi-
tion to which section 207(m) of title 18, United States 
Code (as added by subsection (a)), applies. 
SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF 20-PERCENT EXEMPTION FOR 
FORMER 
PRESIDENTS, 
VICE 
PRESIDENTS, 
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND OTHER EXEC-
UTIVE BRANCH OFFICERS ENGAGING IN LOB-
BYING ON BEHALF OF COUNTRIES OF PAR-
TICULAR CONCERN. 
(a) ELIMINATION OF EXEMPTION.—Section 3(10) of 
the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602(10)) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(10) LOBBYIST.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), term ‘lobbyist’ means any 
individual who is employed or retained by a cli-
ent for financial or other compensation for serv-
ices that include more than one lobbying con-
tact. 
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
does not apply to an individual with respect to 
a client if the individual’s lobbying activities 
constitute less than 20 percent of the time en-
gaged in the services provided by such indi-
vidual to that client over a 3-month period. The 
previous sentence does not apply to an indi-
vidual with respect to a client if the client is a 
country of particular concern (as defined in 
paragraph (3)(C) of section 207(m) of title 18, 
United States Code) and the individual held a 
position to which section 207(m) of title 18, 
United States Code, applies.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to lobbying contacts 
made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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