778 
‘‘(2) In the case of informational materials for or in 
the interests of a foreign principal which are transmitted 
or caused to be transmitted by an agent of a foreign prin-
cipal by posting on an online platform, the agent shall en-
sure that the conspicuous statement required to be placed 
in such materials under this subsection is placed directly 
with the material posted on the platform and is not acces-
sible only through a hyperlink or other reference to an-
other source. 
‘‘(3) If the Attorney General determines that the ap-
plication of paragraph (2) to materials posted on an online 
platform is not feasible because the length of the con-
spicuous statement required to be placed in materials 
under this subsection makes the inclusion of the entire 
statement incompatible with the posting of the materials 
on that platform, an agent may meet the requirements of 
paragraph (2) by ensuring that an abbreviated version of 
the statement, stating that the materials are distributed 
by a foreign agent on behalf of a clearly identified foreign 
principal, is placed directly with the material posted on 
the platform. 
‘‘(4) An online platform on which informational mate-
rials described in paragraph (2) are posted shall ensure 
that the conspicuous statement described in such para-
graph (or, if applicable, the abbreviated statement de-
779 
scribed in paragraph (3)) is maintained with such mate-
rials at all times, including after the material is shared 
in a social media post on the platform, but only if the 
platform has 50,000,000 or more unique monthly United 
States visitors or users for a majority of months during 
the 12 months preceding the dissemination of the mate-
rials.’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to mate-
rials disseminated on or after the expiration of the 
60-day period which begins on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, without regard to whether or not 
the Attorney General has promulgated regulations to 
carry out such amendments prior to the expiration 
of such period. 
(b) APPLICATION OF REQUIREMENTS TO PERSONS 
OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 4(b)(1) of such Act 
(22 U.S.C. 614(b)(1)), as amended by subsection 
(a), is amended by striking ‘‘any person within the 
United States’’ and inserting ‘‘any person’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to mate-
rials disseminated on or after the expiration of the 
60-day period which begins on the date of the enact-
780 
ment of this Act, without regard to whether or not 
the Attorney General has promulgated regulations to 
carry out such amendments prior to the expiration 
of such period. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE PLATFORMS DIS-
SEMINATING INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS TRANSMITTED 
BY AGENTS OF FOREIGN PRINCIPALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 4 of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 614) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(g) If the Attorney General determines that an 
agent of a foreign principal transmitted or caused to be 
transmitted informational materials on an online platform 
for or in the interests of the foreign principal and did not 
meet the requirements of subsection (b)(2) (relating to the 
conspicuous statement required to be placed in such mate-
rials)— 
‘‘(1) the Attorney General shall notify the on-
line platform; and 
‘‘(2) the online platform shall remove such ma-
terials and use reasonable efforts to inform recipi-
ents of such materials that the materials were dis-
seminated by a foreign agent on behalf of a foreign 
principal.’’.
781 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to mate-
rials disseminated on or after the expiration of the 
60-day period which begins on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(d) DEFINITION.—Section 1 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 
611) is amended by inserting after subsection (i) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(j) The term ‘online platform’ means any public-fac-
ing website, web application, or digital application (includ-
ing a social network, ad network, or search engine).’’. 
SEC. 7106. CLARIFICATION OF TREATMENT OF INDIVID-
UALS 
WHO 
ENGAGE 
WITH 
THE 
UNITED 
STATES IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES FOR A 
FOREIGN 
PRINCIPAL 
IN 
ANY 
PLACE 
AS 
AGENTS OF FOREIGN PRINCIPALS. 
Section 1(c)(1)(i) of the Foreign Agents Registration 
Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 611(c)(1)(i)) is 
amended by inserting after ‘‘United States’’ the following: 
‘‘(whether within or outside of the United States)’’. 
SEC. 7107. ANALYSIS AND REPORT ON CHALLENGES TO EN-
FORCEMENT 
OF 
FOREIGN 
AGENTS 
REG-
ISTRATION ACT OF 1938. 
(a) ANALYSIS.—The Attorney General shall conduct 
an analysis of the legal, policy, and procedural challenges
782 
to the effective enforcement of the Foreign Agents Reg-
istration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall 
submit to Congress a report on the analysis conducted 
under subsection (a), and shall include in the report such 
recommendations, including recommendations for revi-
sions to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as 
the Attorney General considers appropriate to promote the 
effective enforcement of such Act. 
Subtitle C—Lobbying Disclosure 
Reform 
SEC. 7201. EXPANDING SCOPE OF INDIVIDUALS AND AC-
TIVITIES SUBJECT TO REQUIREMENTS OF 
LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1995. 
(a) COVERAGE OF INDIVIDUALS PROVIDING COUN-
SELING SERVICES.— 
(1) TREATMENT OF COUNSELING SERVICES IN 
SUPPORT OF LOBBYING CONTACTS AS LOBBYING AC-
TIVITY.—Section 3(7) of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602(7)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘efforts’’ and inserting 
‘‘any efforts’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘research and other back-
ground work’’ and inserting the following:
783 
‘‘counseling in support of such preparation and 
planning activities, research, and other back-
ground work’’. 
(2) TREATMENT OF LOBBYING CONTACT MADE 
WITH SUPPORT OF COUNSELING SERVICES AS LOB-
BYING CONTACT MADE BY INDIVIDUAL PROVIDING 
SERVICES.—Section 3(8) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
1602(8)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) TREATMENT
OF
PROVIDERS
OF 
COUNSELING
SERVICES.—Any individual, with 
authority to direct or substantially influence a 
lobbying contact or contacts made by another 
individual, and for financial or other compensa-
tion provides counseling services in support of 
preparation and planning activities which are 
treated as lobbying activities under paragraph 
(7) for that other individual’s lobbying contact 
or contacts and who has knowledge that the 
specific lobbying contact or contacts were made, 
shall be considered to have made the same lob-
bying contact at the same time and in the same 
manner to the covered executive branch official 
or covered legislative branch official involved.’’.
784 
(b) REDUCTION OF PERCENTAGE EXEMPTION FOR 
DETERMINATION
OF THRESHOLD
OF LOBBYING CON-
TACTS REQUIRED FOR INDIVIDUALS TO REGISTER AS 
LOBBYISTS.—Section 3(10) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
1602(10)) is amended by striking ‘‘less than 20 percent’’ 
and inserting ‘‘less than 10 percent’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to lobbying contacts 
made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 7202. PROHIBITING RECEIPT OF COMPENSATION FOR 
LOBBYING ACTIVITIES ON BEHALF OF FOR-
EIGN 
COUNTRIES 
VIOLATING 
HUMAN 
RIGHTS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 5 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 5A. PROHIBITING RECEIPT OF COMPENSATION FOR 
LOBBYING ACTIVITIES ON BEHALF OF FOR-
EIGN 
COUNTRIES 
VIOLATING 
HUMAN 
RIGHTS. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of this Act, no person may accept financial or other 
compensation for lobbying activity under this Act on be-
half of a client who is a government which the President
785 
has determined is a government that engages in gross vio-
lations of human rights. 
‘‘(b) CLARIFICATION
OF TREATMENT
OF DIPLO-
MATIC OR CONSULAR OFFICERS.—Nothing in this section 
may be construed to affect any activity of a duly accred-
ited diplomatic or consular officer of a foreign government 
who is so recognized by the Department of State, while 
said officer is engaged in activities which are recognized 
by the Department of State as being within the scope of 
the functions of such officer.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to lobbying activity 
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 which occurs 
pursuant to contracts entered into on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 7203. REQUIRING LOBBYISTS TO DISCLOSE STATUS AS 
LOBBYISTS UPON MAKING ANY LOBBYING 
CONTACTS. 
(a) MANDATORY DISCLOSURE
AT TIME
OF CON-
TACT.—Section 14 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 
(2 U.S.C. 1609) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) REQUIRING IDENTIFICATION AT TIME OF LOB-
BYING CONTACT.—Any person or entity that makes a lob-
786 
bying contact with a covered legislative branch official or 
a covered executive branch official shall, at the time of 
the lobbying contact— 
‘‘(1) indicate whether the person or entity is 
registered under this chapter and identify the client 
on whose behalf the lobbying contact is made; and 
‘‘(2) indicate whether such client is a foreign 
entity and identify any foreign entity required to be 
disclosed under section 4(b)(4) that has a direct in-
terest in the outcome of the lobbying activity.’’; and 
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (b). 
(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. 
Subtitle D—Recusal of Presidential 
Appointees 
SEC. 7301. RECUSAL OF APPOINTEES. 
Section 208 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e)(1) Any officer or employee appointed by the 
President shall recuse himself or herself from any par-
ticular matter involving specific parties in which a party 
to that matter is—
787 
‘‘(A) the President who appointed the offi-
cer or employee, which shall include any entity 
in which the President has a substantial inter-
est; or 
‘‘(B) the spouse of the President who ap-
pointed the officer or employee, which shall in-
clude any entity in which the spouse of the 
President has a substantial interest. 
‘‘(2)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), if an officer or 
employee is recused under paragraph (1), a career ap-
pointee in the agency of the officer or employee shall per-
form the functions and duties of the officer or employee 
with respect to the matter. 
‘‘(B)(i) In this subparagraph, the term ‘Commission’ 
means a board, commission, or other agency for which the 
authority of the agency is vested in more than 1 member. 
‘‘(ii) If the recusal of a member of a Commission 
from a matter under paragraph (1) would result in there 
not being a statutorily required quorum of members of the 
Commission available to participate in the matter, not-
withstanding such statute or any other provision of law, 
the members of the Commission not recused under para-
graph (1) may— 
‘‘(I) consider the matter without regard to the 
quorum requirement under such statute;
788 
‘‘(II) delegate the authorities and responsibil-
ities of the Commission with respect to the matter 
to a subcommittee of the Commission; or 
‘‘(III) designate an officer or employee of the 
Commission who was not appointed by the President 
who appointed the member of the Commission 
recused from the matter to exercise the authorities 
and duties of the recused member with respect to 
the matter. 
‘‘(3) Any officer or employee who violates paragraph 
(1) shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section 
216. 
‘‘(4) For purposes of this section, the term ‘particular 
matter’ shall have the meaning given the term in section 
207(i).’’. 
Subtitle E—Clearinghouse on 
Lobbying Information 
SEC. 7401. ESTABLISHMENT OF CLEARINGHOUSE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Attorney General shall 
establish and operate within the Department of Justice 
a clearinghouse through which members of the public may 
obtain copies (including in electronic form) of registration 
statements filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and the Foreign Agents Reg-
istration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.).
789 
(b) FORMAT.—The Attorney General shall ensure 
that the information in the clearinghouse established 
under this Act is maintained in a searchable and sortable 
format. 
(c) AGREEMENTS WITH CLERK OF HOUSE AND SEC-
RETARY OF THE SENATE.—The Attorney General shall 
enter into such agreements with the Clerk of the House 
of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate as may 
be necessary for the Attorney General to obtain registra-
tion statements filed with the Clerk and the Secretary 
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 for inclusion 
in the clearinghouse. 
Subtitle F—Severability 
SEC. 7501. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this title or amendment made by 
this title, or the application of a provision or amendment 
to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitu-
tional, the remainder of this title and amendments made 
by this title, and the application of the provisions and 
amendment to any person or circumstance, shall not be 
affected by the holding.
814 
(D) An acknowledgment signed by the offi-
cer or employee and the trustee indicating that 
they will be bound by the regulations and limi-
tation under this section. 
(2) APPROVAL.—An officer or employee may 
not accept any gift or donation to pay, or to reim-
burse any person for, fees or expenses described in 
subsection (b) of this section except through a legal 
defense fund that has been certified in writing by 
the Director following that office’s receipt and ap-
proval of the information submitted under para-
graph (1) and approval of the structure of the fund. 
(e) REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An officer or employee who 
establishes a legal defense fund may not directly or 
indirectly accept distributions from a legal defense 
fund unless the fund has provided the Director a 
quarterly report for each quarter of every calendar 
year since the establishment of the legal defense 
fund that discloses, with respect to the quarter cov-
ered by the report— 
(A) the source and amount of each con-
tribution to the legal defense fund; and 
(B) the amount, recipient, and purpose of 
each expenditure from the legal defense fund,