I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6106 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and mitigate the potential 
for conflicts of interest following government service, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 18, 2025 
Mr. PFLUGER (for himself and Mr. CROW) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committees on the Judiciary, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and 
mitigate the potential for conflicts of interest following 
government service, 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 ‘‘Conflict-free Leaving 
Employment and Activity Restrictions Path Act’’ or the 
‘‘CLEAR Path Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
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(1) Congress and the executive branch have rec-
ognized the importance of preventing and mitigating 
the potential for conflicts of interest following gov-
ernment service, including with respect to senior 
United States officials working on behalf of foreign 
governments; and 
(2) Congress and the executive branch should 
jointly evaluate the status and scope of post-employ-
ment restrictions. 
SEC. 3. POST-EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS ON OFFICIALS 
IN POSITIONS SUBJECT TO SENATE CON-
FIRMATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 207 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(m) EXTENDED POST-EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS 
FOR OFFICIALS IN POSITIONS SUBJECT TO SENATE CON-
FIRMATION.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) COUNTRY OF CONCERN.—The term 
‘country of concern’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 1(m) of the State Department 
Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 
2651a(m)), except that it does not include the 
country described in paragraph (1)(A)(vi) of 
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that section, as in effect on the date of enact-
ment of the Conflict-free Leaving Employment 
and Activity Restrictions Path Act. 
‘‘(B) FOREIGN GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.— 
The term ‘foreign governmental entity’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 1(m) of the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)). 
‘‘(C) REPRESENT.—The term ‘represent’ 
does not include representation by an attorney, 
who is duly licensed and authorized to provide 
legal advice in a United States jurisdiction, of 
a person or entity in a legal capacity or for the 
purposes of rendering legal advice. 
‘‘(D) SENATE-CONFIRMED POSITION.—The 
term ‘Senate-confirmed position’ means a posi-
tion in a department or agency of the executive 
branch of the United States for which appoint-
ment is required to be made by the President, 
by and with the advice and consent of the Sen-
ate. 
‘‘(2) AGENCY
HEADS, DEPUTY
HEADS, AND 
OTHER POSITIONS SUBJECT TO SENATE CONFIRMA-
TION.—Any person who serves in a position requir-
ing appointment by the President as head or deputy 
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head of, or serves in any other Senate-confirmed po-
sition in, a department or agency of the executive 
branch of the United States, and who, at any time 
after the termination of the person’s service in that 
position, knowingly represents, aids, or advises a for-
eign governmental entity of a country of concern be-
fore an officer or employee of the executive or legis-
lative branch of the United States with the intent to 
influence a decision of the officer or employee in car-
rying out his or her official duties shall be punished 
as provided in section 216. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE OF RESTRICTIONS.—Any person 
subject to the restrictions under this subsection shall 
be provided notice of these restrictions by the rel-
evant department or agency— 
‘‘(A) upon appointment by the President; 
and 
‘‘(B) upon termination of service with the 
relevant department or agency. 
‘‘(4) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the restrictions under this 
subsection shall apply only to persons who are 
appointed by the President to the positions ref-
erenced in this subsection on or after the date 
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of enactment of the Conflict-free Leaving Em-
ployment and Activity Restrictions Path Act. 
‘‘(B) GRACE PERIOD FOR ADDED COUN-
TRIES OF CONCERN.—If the definition of the 
term ‘country of concern’ under subsection (m) 
of section 1 of the State Department Basic Au-
thorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is 
modified in accordance with paragraph (7) of 
that subsection by adding a country to the list 
of countries described in paragraph (1)(A) of 
that subsection, in the case of any person who 
is appointed by the President to a position ref-
erenced in this subsection on or after the date 
of enactment of the Conflict-free Leaving Em-
ployment and Activity Restrictions Path Act 
and who knowingly represents, aids, or advises 
a foreign governmental entity of a country 
added to the list of countries described in para-
graph (1)(A) of such subsection (m), the re-
strictions under this subsection shall apply to 
such person on and after the date that is 30 
days after the date of enactment of a relevant 
joint resolution of approval as described in 
paragraph (7)(C) of such subsection (m) adding 
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that country to the list of countries described in 
paragraph (1)(A) of such subsection (m). 
‘‘(5) SUNSET.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—On and after the date 
that is 5 years after the date of enactment of 
the Conflict-free Leaving Employment and Ac-
tivity Restrictions Path Act, the restrictions 
under paragraph (2) shall not apply to any per-
son appointed by the President, on or after 
such date of enactment, to a position referenced 
in this subsection, without regard to the date 
on which the service of such person in such po-
sition terminates. 
‘‘(B) NO
EFFECT
ON
CONDUCT
BEFORE 
SUNSET.—Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall 
be construed to limit the applicability of para-
graph (2) with respect to any conduct by a per-
son appointed by the President to a position 
referenced in this subsection that occurred be-
fore the date that is 5 years after the date of 
enactment of the Conflict-free Leaving Employ-
ment and Activity Restrictions Path Act.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1(m) of the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 
U.S.C. 2651a(m)) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as 
paragraphs (8) and (9), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) RELATION
TO
GOVERNMENT-WIDE
RE-
STRICTIONS.—This subsection shall not apply to a 
person by reason of the person’s service in a position 
referenced in this subsection if the person is subject 
to the restrictions under section 207(m) of title 18, 
United States Code, by reason of the same service.’’. 
SEC. 4. MECHANISM TO AMEND DEFINITION OF ‘‘COUNTRY 
OF CONCERN’’. 
Section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authori-
ties Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)) is amended by in-
serting after paragraph (6), as added by section 3(b), the 
end the following: 
‘‘(7) MODIFICATION TO DEFINITION OF ‘COUN-
TRY OF CONCERN’.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
State may, in consultation with the Attorney 
General, propose the addition or deletion of 
countries described in paragraph (1)(A). 
‘‘(B) 
SUBMISSION.—Any 
proposal 
de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) shall— 
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‘‘(i) be submitted to the Chairman 
and Ranking Member of the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
Chairman and Ranking Member of the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House 
of Representatives; and 
‘‘(ii) become effective upon enactment 
of a joint resolution of approval as de-
scribed in subparagraph (C). 
‘‘(C) JOINT RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—For purposes of 
subparagraph (B)(ii), the term ‘joint reso-
lution of approval’ means only a joint reso-
lution— 
‘‘(I) that does not have a pre-
amble; 
‘‘(II) that includes in the matter 
after the resolving clause the fol-
lowing: ‘That Congress approves the 
modification of the definition of 
‘‘country of concern’’ under section 
1(m) of the State Department Basic 
Authorities Act of 1956, as submitted 
by 
the 
Secretary 
of 
State 
on 
llll; and section 1(m)(1)(A) of 
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the State Department Basic Authori-
ties 
Act 
of 
1956 
(22 
U.S.C. 
2651a(m)(1)(A)) 
is 
amended 
by 
llllll.’, the blank spaces 
being appropriately filled in with the 
appropriate date and the amendatory 
language required to modify the list of 
countries in paragraph (1)(A) of this 
subsection by adding or deleting 1 or 
more countries; and 
‘‘(III) the title of which is as fol-
lows: 
‘Joint 
resolution 
approving 
modifications to definition of ‘‘country 
of concern’’ under section 1(m) of the 
State Department Basic Authorities 
Act of 1956.’. 
‘‘(ii) REFERRAL.— 
‘‘(I) SENATE.—A resolution de-
scribed in clause (i) that is introduced 
in the Senate shall be referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate. 
‘‘(II) HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTA-
TIVES.—A resolution described in 
clause (i) that is introduced in the 
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House of Representatives shall be re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the House of Representa-
tives.’’. 
Æ 
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