gaged in, or otherwise assisted or facilitated the ac-
tions described in such section 213(a). 
(3) REQUIREMENTS FOR FINANCIAL INSTITU-
TIONS.—Not later than 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the President, acting 
through the Secretary of the Treasury, shall pre-
scribe or amend regulations as needed to require 
each financial institution that is a United States 
person and has within its possession or control as-
sets that are property or interests in property of a 
foreign person that is on the list required under sec-
tion 213(a), including any update thereto, if such 
property or interests in property are in the United 
States, are or come within the United States, or are 
or come within the possession or control of a United 
States person, to certify to the Secretary that, to the 
best of the knowledge of such financial institution, 
such financial institution has frozen all assets within 
the possession or control of such financial institution 
that are required to be frozen pursuant to subsection 
(a) of this section. 
(d) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The President, act-
ing through the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue such 
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry 
out this section. 
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SEC. 216. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of National Intel-
ligence, in consultation with the heads of other relevant 
Federal departments and agencies, shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report on the actions 
taken to carry out this subtitle, including— 
(1) a description of each foreign person on the 
list required under section 213(a), including any up-
date thereto; 
(2) the dates on which such foreign persons 
were added to such list; and 
(3) a description of the actions described in 
such section that were undertaken by each such for-
eign person. 
(b) TIMING.—The Director of National Intelligence 
shall submit the first report required under this section 
not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. The Director shall submit subsequent reports 
under this section not later than 60 days after the date 
of each regularly scheduled general election for Federal 
office, beginning with the election held in 2018. 
(c) FORM.—Each report required under subsection 
(a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may in-
clude a classified annex if the Director of National Intel-
ligence determines and includes in such report a specific 
national security justification for such classified annex. 
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Subtitle C—Preventing Cyber In-
trusion Into Election Infrastruc-
ture 
SEC. 221. ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGNATION. 
Subparagraph (J) of section 2001(3) of the Home-
land Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601(3)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘, including election infrastructure’’ before 
the period at the end. 
SEC. 222. TIMELY THREAT INFORMATION. 
Subsection (d) of section 201 of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(27) To provide timely threat information re-
garding election infrastructure to the chief State 
election official of the State with respect to which 
such information pertains.’’. 
SEC. 223. PRE-ELECTION THREAT ASSESSMENTS. 
(a) SUBMISSION
OF ASSESSMENT
BY DNI.—Not 
later than 180 days before the date of each regularly 
scheduled general election for Federal office, the Director 
of National Intelligence shall submit an assessment of the 
full scope of threats to election infrastructure, including 
cybersecurity threats posed by State actors and terrorist 
groups, and recommendations to address or mitigate the 
threats, as developed by the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
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rity and Chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, 
to— 
(1) the chief State election official of each 
State; 
(2) the Committees on Homeland Security and 
House Administration of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committees on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs and Rules and Administration 
of the Senate; and 
(3) any other appropriate congressional com-
mittees. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (a) shall apply 
with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office held in November 2018 and each succeeding 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office. 
SEC. 224. NOTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN CYBER 
INTRUSIONS AND ACTIVE MEASURES CAM-
PAIGNS DIRECTED AT ELECTIONS FOR FED-
ERAL OFFICES. 
(a) DETERMINATIONS
OF SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN 
CYBER
INTRUSIONS
AND
ACTIVE
MEASURES
CAM-
PAIGNS.—The Director of National Intelligence, the Di-
rector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall jointly carry out 
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subsection (b) if such Directors and the Secretary jointly 
determine— 
(1) that on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, a significant foreign cyber intrusion or 
active measures campaign intended to influence an 
upcoming election for any Federal office has oc-
curred or is occurring; and 
(2) with moderate or high confidence, that such 
intrusion or campaign can be attributed to a foreign 
state or to a foreign nonstate person, group, or other 
entity. 
(b) BRIEFING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 14 days after 
making a determination under subsection (a), the 
Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall jointly provide a briefing 
to the congressional leadership, the congressional in-
telligence committees and, consistent with the pro-
tection of sources and methods, the other appro-
priate congressional committees. The briefing shall 
be classified and address, at a minimum, the fol-
lowing: 
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(A) A description of the significant foreign 
cyber intrusion or active measures campaign, as 
the case may be, covered by the determination. 
(B) An identification of the foreign state 
or foreign nonstate person, group, or other enti-
ty, to which such intrusion or campaign has 
been attributed. 
(C) The desirability and feasibility of the 
public release of information about the cyber in-
trusion or active measures campaign. 
(D) Any other information such Directors 
and the Secretary jointly determine appropriate. 
(2) ELECTRONIC
ELECTION
INFRASTRUCTURE 
BRIEFINGS.—With respect to a significant foreign 
cyber intrusion covered by a determination under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
in consultation with the Director of National Intel-
ligence and the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, shall offer to the owner or operator of 
any electronic election infrastructure directly af-
fected by such intrusion, a briefing on such intru-
sion, including any steps that may be taken to miti-
gate such intrusion. Such briefing may be classified 
and made available only to individuals with appro-
priate security clearances. 
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(3) PROTECTION
OF
SOURCES
AND
METH-
ODS.—This subsection shall be carried out in a man-
ner that is consistent with the protection of sources 
and methods. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ACTIVE MEASURES CAMPAIGN.—The term 
‘‘active measures campaign’’ means a foreign semi- 
covert or covert intelligence operation. 
(2) CANDIDATE, ELECTION, AND
POLITICAL 
PARTY.—The terms ‘‘candidate’’, ‘‘election’’, and 
‘‘political party’’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 301 of the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101). 
(3) CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP.—The term 
‘‘congressional leadership’’ includes the following: 
(A) The majority leader of the Senate. 
(B) The minority leader of the Senate. 
(C) The Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(D) The minority leader of the House of 
Representatives. 
(4) CYBER INTRUSION.—The term ‘‘cyber in-
trusion’’ means an electronic occurrence that actu-
ally or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful au-
thority, electronic election infrastructure, or the in-
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tegrity, confidentiality, or availability of information 
within such infrastructure. 
(5) 
ELECTRONIC
ELECTION
INFRASTRUC-
TURE.—The term ‘‘electronic election infrastruc-
ture’’ means an electronic information system of any 
of the following that is related to an election for 
Federal office: 
(A) The Federal Government. 
(B) A State or local government. 
(C) A political party. 
(D) The election campaign of a candidate. 
(6) FEDERAL OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Federal of-
fice’’ has the meaning given that term in section 301 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 
U.S.C. 30101). 
(7) HIGH CONFIDENCE.—The term ‘‘high con-
fidence’’, with respect to a determination, means 
that the determination is based on high-quality in-
formation from multiple sources. 
(8) MODERATE CONFIDENCE.—The term ‘‘mod-
erate confidence’’, with respect to a determination, 
means that a determination is credibly sourced and 
plausible but not of sufficient quality or corrobo-
rated sufficiently to warrant a higher level of con-
fidence. 
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(9) OTHER APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COM-
MITTEES.—The term ‘‘other appropriate congres-
sional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives. 
Subtitle D—Honest Ads Act 
SEC. 231. SHORT TITLE. 
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Honest Ads Act’’. 
SEC. 232. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this subtitle is to enhance the integ-
rity of American democracy and national security by im-
proving disclosure requirements for online political adver-
tisements in order to uphold the United States Supreme 
Court’s well-established standard that the electorate bears 
the right to be fully informed. 
SEC. 233. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) On January 6, 2017, the Office of the Di-
rector of National Intelligence published a report ti-
tled ‘‘Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in 
Recent U.S. Elections’’, noting that ‘‘Russian Presi-
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dent Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign 
in 2016 aimed at the U.S. Presidential election 
. . .’’. Moscow’s influence campaign followed a Rus-
sian messaging strategy that blends covert intel-
ligence operation—such as cyber activity—with overt 
efforts by Russian Government agencies, State-fund-
ed media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social 
media users or ‘‘trolls.’’ 
(2) On November 24, 2016, the Washington 
Post reported findings from 2 teams of independent 
researchers that concluded Russians ‘‘exploited 
American-made technology platforms to attack U.S. 
democracy at a particularly vulnerable moment . . . 
as part of a broadly effective strategy of sowing dis-
trust in U.S. democracy and its leaders.’’. 
(3) Findings from a 2017 study on the manipu-
lation of public opinion through social media con-
ducted by the Computational Propaganda Research 
Project at the Oxford Internet Institute found that 
the Kremlin is using pro-Russian bots to manipulate 
public discourse to a highly targeted audience. With 
a sample of nearly 1,300,000 tweets, researchers 
found that in the 2016 election’s 3 decisive States, 
propaganda constituted 40 percent of the sampled 
election-related tweets that went to Pennsylvanians, 
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34 percent to Michigan voters, and 30 percent to 
those in Wisconsin. In other swing States, the figure 
reached 42 percent in Missouri, 41 percent in Flor-
ida, 40 percent in North Carolina, 38 percent in 
Colorado, and 35 percent in Ohio. 
(4) On September 6, 2017, the Nation’s largest 
social media platform disclosed that between June 
2015 and May 2017, Russian entities purchased 
$100,000 in political advertisements, publishing 
roughly 3,000 ads linked to fake accounts associated 
with the Internet Research Agency, a pro-Kremlin 
organization. According to the company, the ads 
purchased focused ‘‘on amplifying divisive social and 
political messages . . .’’. 
(5) In 2002, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform 
Act became law, establishing disclosure requirements 
for political advertisements distributed from a tele-
vision or radio broadcast station or provider of cable 
or satellite television. In 2003, the Supreme Court 
upheld regulations on electioneering communications 
established under the Act, noting that such require-
ments ‘‘provide the electorate with information and 
insure that the voters are fully informed about the 
person or group who is speaking.’’. 
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(6) According to a study from Borrell Associ-
ates, in 2016, $1,415,000,000 was spent on online 
advertising, more than quadruple the amount in 
2012. 
(7) The reach of a few large internet plat-
forms—larger than any broadcast, satellite, or cable 
provider—has greatly facilitated the scope and effec-
tiveness of disinformation campaigns. For instance, 
the largest platform has over 210,000,000 American 
users—over 160,000,000 of them on a daily basis. 
By contrast, the largest cable television provider has 
22,430,000 subscribers, while the largest satellite 
television provider has 21,000,000 subscribers. And 
the most-watched television broadcast in U.S. his-
tory had 118,000,000 viewers. 
(8) The public nature of broadcast television, 
radio, and satellite ensures a level of publicity for 
any political advertisement. These communications 
are accessible to the press, fact-checkers, and polit-
ical opponents; this creates strong disincentives for 
a candidate to disseminate materially false, inflam-
matory, or contradictory messages to the public. So-
cial media platforms, in contrast, can target portions 
of the electorate with direct, ephemeral advertise-
ments often on the basis of private information the 
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platform has on individuals, enabling political adver-
tisements that are contradictory, racially or socially 
inflammatory, or materially false. 
(9) According to comScore, 2 companies own 
eight of the 10 most popular smartphone applica-
tions as of June 2017, including the most popular 
social media and email services—which deliver infor-
mation and news to users without requiring 
proactivity by the user. Those same 2 companies ac-
counted for 99 percent of revenue growth from dig-
ital advertising in 2016, including 77 percent of 
gross spending. Seventy-nine percent of online 
Americans—representing 68 percent of all Ameri-
cans—use the single largest social network, while 66 
percent of these users are most likely to get their 
news from that site. 
(10) In its 2006 rulemaking, the Federal Elec-
tion Commission noted that only 18 percent of all 
Americans cited the internet as their leading source 
of news about the 2004 Presidential election; by con-
trast, the Pew Research Center found that 65 per-
cent of Americans identified an internet-based 
source as their leading source of information for the 
2016 election. 
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(11) The Federal Election Commission, the 
independent Federal agency charged with protecting 
the integrity of the Federal campaign finance proc-
ess by providing transparency and administering 
campaign finance laws, has failed to take action to 
address online political advertisements. 
(12) In testimony before the Senate Select 
Committee on Intelligence titled, ‘‘Disinformation: A 
Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence 
Campaigns,’’ multiple expert witnesses testified that 
while the disinformation tactics of foreign adver-
saries have not necessarily changed, social media 
services now provide ‘‘platform[s] practically pur-
pose-built for active measures[.]’’ Similarly, as Gen. 
(RET) Keith B. Alexander, the former Director of 
the National Security Agency, testified, during the 
Cold War ‘‘if the Soviet Union sought to manipulate 
information flow, it would have to do so principally 
through its own propaganda outlets or through ac-
tive measures that would generate specific news: 
planting of leaflets, inciting of violence, creation of 
other false materials and narratives. But the news 
itself was hard to manipulate because it would have 
required actual control of the organs of media, which 
took long-term efforts to penetrate. Today, however, 
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because the clear majority of the information on so-
cial media sites is uncurated and there is a rapid 
proliferation of information sources and other sites 
that can reinforce information, there is an increasing 
likelihood that the information available to average 
consumers may be inaccurate (whether intentionally 
or otherwise) and may be more easily manipulable 
than in prior eras.’’. 
(13) Current regulations on political advertise-
ments do not provide sufficient transparency to up-
hold the public’s right to be fully informed about po-
litical advertisements made online. 
SEC. 234. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the dramatic increase in digital political ad-
vertisements, and the growing centrality of online 
platforms in the lives of Americans, requires the 
Congress and the Federal Election Commission to 
take meaningful action to ensure that laws and reg-
ulations provide the accountability and transparency 
that is fundamental to our democracy; 
(2) free and fair elections require both trans-
parency and accountability which give the public a 
right to know the true sources of funding for polit-
ical advertisements in order to make informed polit-
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ical choices and hold elected officials accountable; 
and 
(3) transparency of funding for political adver-
tisements is essential to enforce other campaign fi-
nance laws, including the prohibition on campaign 
spending by foreign nationals. 
SEC. 235. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF PUBLIC COMMU-
NICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (22) of section 301 of 
the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 
30101(22)) is amended by striking ‘‘or satellite commu-
nication’’ and inserting ‘‘satellite, paid internet, or paid 
digital communication’’. 
(b) TREATMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDI-
TURES.—Section 301 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30101) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (8)(B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘on broadcasting stations, 
or in newspapers, magazines, or similar types of 
general public political advertising’’ in clause 
(v) and inserting ‘‘in any public communica-
tion’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘broadcasting, newspaper, 
magazine, billboard, direct mail, or similar type 
of general public communication or political ad-
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(ii) and inserting ‘‘satellite, or qualified internet 
or digital communication’’. 
(B) QUALIFIED
INTERNET
OR
DIGITAL 
COMMUNICATION.—Paragraph (3) of section 
304(f) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30104(f)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) QUALIFIED
INTERNET
OR
DIGITAL 
COMMUNICATION.—The term ‘qualified internet 
or digital communication’ means any commu-
nication which is placed or promoted for a fee 
on an online platform (as defined in subsection 
(j)(3)).’’. 
(2) NONAPPLICATION
OF
RELEVANT
ELEC-
TORATE
TO
ONLINE
COMMUNICATIONS.—Section 
304(f)(3)(A)(i)(III) 
of 
such 
Act 
(52 
U.S.C. 
30104(f)(3)(A)(i)(III)) is amended by inserting ‘‘any 
broadcast, cable, or satellite’’ before ‘‘communica-
tion’’. 
(3) 
NEWS
EXEMPTION.—Section 
304(f)(3)(B)(i) 
of 
such 
Act 
(52 
U.S.C. 
30104(f)(3)(B)(i)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) a communication appearing in a 
news story, commentary, or editorial dis-
tributed through the facilities of any 
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broadcasting station or any online or dig-
ital newspaper, magazine, blog, publica-
tion, or periodical, unless such broad-
casting, online, or digital facilities are 
owned or controlled by any political party, 
political committee, or candidate;’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to communications 
made on or after January 1, 2018. 
SEC. 237. APPLICATION OF DISCLAIMER STATEMENTS TO 
ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS. 
(a) CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS MANNER REQUIRE-
MENT.—Subsection (a) of section 318 of the Federal Elec-
tion Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30120(a)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘shall clearly state’’ each place 
it appears in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and in-
serting ‘‘shall state in a clear and conspicuous man-
ner’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following flush 
sentence: ‘‘For purposes of this subsection, a com-
munication does not make a statement in a clear 
and conspicuous manner if it is difficult to read or 
hear or if the placement is easily overlooked.’’. 
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(b) SPECIAL RULES FOR QUALIFIED INTERNET OR 
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 318 of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 30120) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) SPECIAL RULES QUALIFIED INTERNET OR DIG-
ITAL COMMUNICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) SPECIAL RULES WITH RESPECT TO STATE-
MENTS.—In the case of any qualified internet or 
digital 
communication 
(as 
defined 
in 
section 
304(f)(3)(D)) which is disseminated through a me-
dium in which the provision of all of the information 
specified in this section is not possible, the commu-
nication shall, in a clear and conspicuous manner— 
‘‘(A) state the name of the person who 
paid for the communication; and 
‘‘(B) provide a means for the recipient of 
the communication to obtain the remainder of 
the information required under this section with 
minimal effort and without receiving or viewing 
any additional material other than such re-
quired information. 
‘‘(2) SAFE HARBOR FOR DETERMINING CLEAR 
AND CONSPICUOUS MANNER.—A statement in quali-
fied internet or digital communication (as defined in 
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section 304(f)(3)(D)) shall be considered to be made 
in a clear and conspicuous manner as provided in 
subsection (a) if the communication meets the fol-
lowing requirements: 
‘‘(A) TEXT
OR
GRAPHIC
COMMUNICA-
TIONS.—In the case of a text or graphic com-
munication, the statement— 
‘‘(i) appears in letters at least as large 
as the majority of the text in the commu-
nication; and 
‘‘(ii) meets the requirements of para-
graphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c). 
‘‘(B) AUDIO
COMMUNICATIONS.—In the 
case of an audio communication, the statement 
is spoken in a clearly audible and intelligible 
manner at the beginning or end of the commu-
nication and lasts at least 3 seconds. 
‘‘(C) VIDEO
COMMUNICATIONS.—In the 
case of a video communication which also in-
cludes audio, the statement— 
‘‘(i) is included at either the beginning 
or the end of the communication; and 
‘‘(ii) is made both in— 
‘‘(I) a written format that meets 
the requirements of subparagraph (A) 
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and appears for at least 4 seconds; 
and 
‘‘(II) an audible format that 
meets the requirements of subpara-
graph (B). 
‘‘(D) OTHER
COMMUNICATIONS.—In the 
case of any other type of communication, the 
statement is at least as clear and conspicuous 
as the statement specified in subparagraphs 
(A), (B), or (C).’’. 
(2) NONAPPLICATION
OF
CERTAIN
EXCEP-
TIONS.—The 
exceptions 
provided 
in 
section 
110.11(f)(1)(i) and (ii) of title 11, Code of Federal 
Regulations, or any successor to such rules, shall 
have no application to qualified internet or digital 
communications (as defined in section 304(f)(3)(D) 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971). 
(c) MODIFICATION OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS 
FOR CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS.—Section 318(d) of such 
Act (52 U.S.C. 30120(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘which is transmitted 
through radio’’ and inserting ‘‘which is in an 
audio format’’; and 
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(B) by striking ‘‘BY RADIO’’ in the heading 
and inserting ‘‘AUDIO FORMAT’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)(B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘which is transmitted 
through television’’ and inserting ‘‘which is in 
video format’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘BY TELEVISION’’ in the 
heading and inserting ‘‘VIDEO FORMAT’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘transmitted through radio 
or television’’ and inserting ‘‘made in audio or 
video format’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘through television’’ in the 
second sentence and inserting ‘‘in video for-
mat’’. 
SEC. 238. POLITICAL RECORD REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE 
PLATFORMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 304 of the Federal Elec-
tion Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30104) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(j) DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN ONLINE ADVERTISE-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE PLAT-
FORMS.—An online platform shall maintain, 
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and make available for online public inspection 
in machine readable format, a complete record 
of any request to purchase on such online plat-
form a qualified political advertisement which is 
made by a person whose aggregate requests to 
purchase qualified political advertisements on 
such online platform during the calendar year 
exceeds $500. 
‘‘(B) 
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
ADVER-
TISERS.—Any person who requests to purchase 
a qualified political advertisement on an online 
platform shall provide the online platform with 
such information as is necessary for the online 
platform to comply with the requirements of 
subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF RECORD.—A record main-
tained under paragraph (1)(A) shall contain— 
‘‘(A) a digital copy of the qualified political 
advertisement; 
‘‘(B) a description of the audience targeted 
by the advertisement, the number of views gen-
erated from the advertisement, and the date 
and time that the advertisement is first dis-
played and last displayed; and 
‘‘(C) information regarding— 
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‘‘(i) the average rate charged for the 
advertisement; 
‘‘(ii) the name of the candidate to 
which the advertisement refers and the of-
fice to which the candidate is seeking elec-
tion, the election to which the advertise-
ment refers, or the national legislative 
issue to which the advertisement refers (as 
applicable); 
‘‘(iii) in the case of a request made 
by, or on behalf of, a candidate, the name 
of the candidate, the authorized committee 
of the candidate, and the treasurer of such 
committee; and 
‘‘(iv) in the case of any request not 
described in clause (iii), the name of the 
person purchasing the advertisement, the 
name, address, and phone number of a 
contact person for such person, and a list 
of the chief executive officers or members 
of the executive committee or of the board 
of directors of such person. 
‘‘(3) ONLINE PLATFORM.—For purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘online platform’ means any 
public-facing website, web application, or digital ap-
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plication (including a social network, ad network, or 
search engine) which— 
‘‘(A) sells qualified political advertise-
ments; and 
‘‘(B) has 50,000,000 or more unique 
monthly United States visitors or users for a 
majority of months during the preceding 12 
months. 
‘‘(4) QUALIFIED POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘qualified political adver-
tisement’ means any advertisement (including 
search engine marketing, display advertise-
ments, video advertisements, native advertise-
ments, and sponsorships) that— 
‘‘(i) is made by or on behalf of a can-
didate; or 
‘‘(ii) communicates a message relating 
to any political matter of national impor-
tance, including— 
‘‘(I) a candidate; 
‘‘(II) any election to Federal of-
fice; or 
‘‘(III) a national legislative issue 
of public importance. 
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‘‘(5) TIME TO MAINTAIN FILE.—The informa-
tion required under this subsection shall be made 
available as soon as possible and shall be retained by 
the online platform for a period of not less than 4 
years. 
‘‘(6) PENALTIES.—For penalties for failure by 
online platforms, and persons requesting to purchase 
a qualified political advertisement on online plat-
forms, to comply with the requirements of this sub-
section, see section 309.’’. 
(b) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Election 
Commission shall establish rules— 
(1) requiring common data formats for the 
record required to be maintained under section 
304(j) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
1971 (as added by subsection (a)) so that all online 
platforms submit and maintain data online in a com-
mon, machine-readable and publicly accessible for-
mat; and 
(2) establishing search interface requirements 
relating to such record, including searches by can-
didate name, issue, purchaser, and date. 
(c) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and biannually there-
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after, the Chairman of the Federal Election Commission 
shall submit a report to Congress on— 
(1) matters relating to compliance with and the 
enforcement of the requirements of section 304(j) of 
the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as 
added by subsection (a); 
(2) recommendations for any modifications to 
such section to assist in carrying out its purposes; 
and 
(3) identifying ways to bring transparency and 
accountability to political advertisements distributed 
online for free. 
SEC. 239. PREVENTING CONTRIBUTIONS, EXPENDITURES, 
INDEPENDENT 
EXPENDITURES, 
AND 
DIS-
BURSEMENTS FOR ELECTIONEERING COM-
MUNICATIONS BY FOREIGN NATIONALS IN 
THE FORM OF ONLINE ADVERTISING. 
Section 319 of the Federal Election Campaign Act 
of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30121) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) Each television or radio broadcast station, pro-
vider of cable or satellite television, or online platform (as 
defined in section 304(j)(3)) shall make reasonable efforts 
to ensure that communications described in section 318(a) 
and made available by such station, provider, or platform 
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are not purchased by a foreign national, directly or indi-
rectly.’’. 
Subtitle E—Countering Foreign 
Propaganda Act of 2018 
SEC. 241. SHORT TITLE. 
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Countering For-
eign Propaganda Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 
242. 
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. 722. 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-
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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. 
‘‘(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) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) FOREIGN PRINCIPAL.—The term ‘foreign 
principal’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
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tion 1(b)(1) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act 
of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611(b)(1)). 
‘‘(2) UNITED
STATES-BASED
FOREIGN
MEDIA 
OUTLET.—The term ‘United States-based foreign 
media outlet’ means an entity that— 
‘‘(A) produces or distributes video pro-
gramming that is transmitted, or intended for 
transmission, by a multichannel video program-
ming distributor to consumers in the United 
States; and 
‘‘(B) would be an agent of a foreign prin-
cipal (as defined in paragraph (1)) for purposes 
of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 
(22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.) but for section 1(d) of 
such Act (22 U.S.C. 611(d)).’’. 
TITLE 
III—ACTIONS 
TO 
COUNTER RUSSIAN AGGRES-
SION 
AGAINST 
UNITED 
STATES ALLIES 
Subtitle A—Stand With UK Against 
Russia Violations Act 
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE. 
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Stand with UK 
against Russia Violations Act’’. 
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SEC. 302. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) On March 4, 2018, Sergei V. Skripal, and 
his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were found unconscious 
on a park bench in Salisbury, England. 
(2) British Prime Minister Theresa May an-
nounced on March 12, 2018, that the poison used in 
the attack was Novichok, a military-grade nerve 
agent developed by Soviet scientists for use on North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization troops, and that Rus-
sia was responsible for the attack. 
(3) On March 15, 2018, the United Kingdom, 
France, and Germany issued a joint statement hold-
ing the Government of Russia responsible for the 
poisoning and characterizing the attack as ‘‘an as-
sault on UK sovereignty’’. 
SEC. 303. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) The attempts of the Government of Russia 
to commit murders on British soil are unconscion-
able and violate international law. 
(2) The United States stands in strong soli-
darity with the British government and its people as 
they respond to this violation. 
(3) Russian aggression must be met with 
strength and resolve, including through sanctions to 
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deter future Russian attacks on dissidents, expatri-
ates, and democratic activists. 
SEC. 304. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO 
RUSSIAN 
PERSONS 
RESPONSIBLE 
FOR 
MARCH 12 ATTACK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall im-
pose the sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect 
to any person that the President determines— 
(1) knowingly engaged in, provided material 
support to, worked on behalf of, or acted as an 
agent or instrumentality of, any person who per-
petrated the attack against Sergei Skripal and Yulia 
Skripal on March 4, 2018; or 
(2) is an officer, employee, or agent of the Gov-
ernment of Russia and knowingly, on or after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, materially as-
sisted, worked on behalf of, or acted as an agent or 
instrumentality of, the Government of Russia in 
committing murder, attempted murder, or assault 
outside of Russia against any expatriate, dissident, 
or foreign national. 
(b) CONCURRENT REPORT.—The President shall 
submit to Congress a report, concurrent with the imposi-
tion of any sanction under subsection (a), that lists each 
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person determined to have engaged in the conduct result-
ing in such sanction. 
(c) SANCTIONS
DESCRIBED.—The sanctions de-
scribed in this subsection are the sanctions described in 
section 224(b) of the Countering America’s Adversaries 
Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9524(b)). 
SEC. 305. PROHIBITION ON TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO 
NEW RUSSIAN SOVEREIGN DEBT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the imposition of a sanction pursuant to section 
304(a)(2), the President shall— 
(1) issue regulations prohibiting United States 
persons from engaging in transactions with, pro-
viding financing for, or in any other way dealing in 
Russian sovereign debt that is issued on or after the 
date that is 180 days after such date of imposition 
of sanctions; and 
(2) exercise all powers granted to the President 
by the International Emergency Economic Powers 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 13 et seq.) to the extent nec-
essary to block and prohibit all transactions in all 
property and interests in property of one or more of 
the financial institutions listed in subsection (c) if 
such property and interests in property are in the 
United States, come within the United States, or are 
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or come within the possession or control of a United 
States person. 
(b) RUSSIAN SOVEREIGN DEBT DEFINED.—For pur-
poses of this section, the term ‘‘Russian sovereign debt’’ 
means— 
(1) bonds issued by the Russian Central Bank, 
the Russian National Wealth Fund, the Russian 
Federal Treasury, or agents or affiliates of any such 
institution, with a maturity of more than 14 days; 
(2) new foreign exchange swap agreements with 
the Russian Central Bank, the Russian National 
Wealth Fund, or the Russian Federal Treasury, the 
duration of which agreement is longer than 14 days; 
and 
(3) any other financial instrument, the duration 
or maturity of which is more than 14 days, that— 
(A) the President determines represents 
the sovereign debt of Russia; or 
(B) is issued by a bank listed in subsection 
(c). 
(c) RUSSIAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.—The finan-
cial institutions listed in this subsection are the following: 
(1) Sberbank. 
(2) VTB Bank. 
(3) Gazprombank. 
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(4) Bank of Moscow. 
(5) Rosselkhozbank. 
(6) Promsvyazbank. 
(7) Vnesheconombank. 
(d) REQUIREMENT TO PROMPTLY PUBLISH GUID-
ANCE.—The President shall concurrently publish guidance 
on the implementation of the regulations issued pursuant 
to subsection (a). 
SEC. 306. IMPLEMENTATION; PENALTIES; TERMINATION. 
(a) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may exercise 
all authorities provided to the President under sections 
203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this 
subtitle. 
(b) PENALTIES.—A person that violates, attempts to 
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of section 
304 or 305, or any regulation, license, or order issued to 
carry out such sections, shall be subject to the penalties 
set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits 
an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section. 
(c) TERMINATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may termi-
nate the application of a sanction under section 304 
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