Foreign Agent Lobbying Transparency Enforcement Act

Bill: 115-s-1679
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Introduced: 2017-07-31
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Civil actions and liability

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Government information and archives

Public participation and lobbying
Latest action: action_date: 2017-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-07-31
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Foreign Agent Lobbying Transparency Enforcement Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA) to authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to impose graduated civil fines for multiple offenses under FARA by an individual who is an agent of a foreign principal. </p> <p>The bill makes it unlawful for any such person within the United States who is required to register under FARA to transmit or cause to be transmitted in the U.S. mail, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, informational materials for or in the interests of such foreign principal without filing with DOJ: (1) the name of each original recipient of the materials, and (2) the original date on which the materials will be distributed.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1679 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 31, 2017 Ms. Duckworth (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal , and Mr. Durbin ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to increase enforcement of certain violations and strengthen certain transparency requirements.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Foreign Agent Lobbying Transparency Enforcement Act . 2. Enforcement and penalties Section 8 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 ( 22 U.S.C. 618 ) is amended by inserting after subsection (c) the following: (d) If the Attorney General determines that any person has engaged in any acts that constitute a violation of any provision of this Act, or regulations issued thereunder, or if any agent of a foreign principal fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act or the regulations issued thereunder, or otherwise is in violation of this Act, the Attorney General may impose a civil fine of— (1) not less than $2,500 for the first offense; (2) not less than $5,000 for the second offense; and (3) any amount that the Attorney General determines is appropriate based on the severity and frequency of the offenses. . 3. Filing and labeling political propaganda Section 4 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 ( 22 U.S.C. 614 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking or circulated among two or more persons and inserting to any other person ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (g) Additional information required with filing It shall be unlawful for any person within the United States who is an agent of a foreign principal and required to register under the provisions of this Act to transmit or cause to be transmitted in the United States mails or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce any informational materials for or in the interests of such foreign principal without filing with the Attorney General a statement that includes— (1) the name of each original recipient of the materials; and (2) the original date on which the materials will be distributed. .