I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5354 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require United States-based 
foreign media outlets to submit semiannual reports to the Federal Com-
munications Commission, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 20, 2018 
Mr. MOULTON (for himself and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require 
United States-based foreign media outlets to submit 
semiannual reports to the Federal Communications Com-
mission, 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 ‘‘Countering Foreign 
Propaganda Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR UNITED STATES- 
BASED FOREIGN MEDIA OUTLETS. 
Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 721. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR UNITED 
STATES-BASED FOREIGN MEDIA OUTLETS. 
‘‘(a) REPORTS BY OUTLETS TO COMMISSION.—Not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
section, and not less frequently than every 6 months there-
after, a United States-based foreign media outlet shall 
submit to the Commission a report that contains the fol-
lowing information: 
‘‘(1) The name of such outlet. 
‘‘(2) A description of the relationship of such 
outlet to the foreign principal of such outlet, includ-
ing a description of the legal structure of such rela-
tionship and any funding that such outlet receives 
from such principal. 
‘‘(b) REPORTS BY COMMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not 
later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
section, and not less frequently than every 6 months there-
after, the Commission shall transmit to Congress a report 
that summarizes the contents of the reports submitted by 
United States-based foreign media outlets under sub-
section (a) during the preceding 6-month period. 
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‘‘(c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Commission shall 
make publicly available on the internet website of the 
Commission each report submitted by a United States- 
based foreign media outlet under subsection (a) not later 
than the earlier of— 
‘‘(1) the date that is 30 days after the outlet 
submits the report to the Commission; or 
‘‘(2) the date on which the Commission trans-
mits to Congress under subsection (b) the report 
covering the 6-month period during which the report 
of the outlet was submitted to the Commission 
under subsection (a). 
‘‘(d) STATEMENT REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED IN 
VIDEO PROGRAMMING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall be unlawful for a 
United States-based foreign media outlet to produce 
or distribute any video programming for or in the 
interests of a foreign principal of such outlet, if such 
programming is transmitted, or intended for trans-
mission, by a multichannel video programming dis-
tributor to consumers in the United States, without 
including in such programming a conspicuous state-
ment that the programming is produced or distrib-
uted by such outlet on behalf of such foreign prin-
cipal, and that additional information is available in 
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