What This Bill Does
The PAID OFF Act of 2025 would change the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) so that certain exemptions no longer apply when the foreign principal is a corporate or government entity owned or controlled by one of the “countries of concern” listed in the State Department law. It also gives the Secretary of State, working with the Attorney General, a formal process to recommend adding or removing countries from that list, but any change would need a joint resolution of approval from Congress. The bill’s rules would expire 5 years after enactment. In practice, it mainly affects foreign agents, lobbying and communications entities, and the federal agencies that police foreign influence and registration compliance.
- Sections 3(d)(1), 3(d)(2), and 3(h) exemptions would not apply to certain agents of foreign principals tied to listed countries.
- The bill targets corporate or government entities “owned or controlled by” countries listed in 22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A).
- The Secretary of State could propose adding or deleting countries, but Congress must approve the change by joint resolution.
- The amendments would automatically end 5 years after enactment.
- The bill would amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 and the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956.
Who This Bill Affects
For most people, the direct day-to-day effect is likely limited, because the bill mainly changes disclosure and registration rules for foreign agents and the lawyers, lobbyists, media consultants, and other intermediaries who work for them. If you are involved with foreign-owned or foreign-controlled entities from countries on the State Department’s list, the bill could mean fewer available exemptions, more filing obligations under FARA, and more scrutiny of your activities. For the general public, the main benefit would be more visible information about foreign-backed influence campaigns and communications in U.S. politics and public debate.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- National security and foreign influence watchdogs They are likely to argue that entities tied to hostile or adversarial governments should not be able to use FARA exemptions that reduce disclosure. Closing those loopholes makes it easier to detect covert lobbying, propaganda, and influence operations.
- Transparency advocates and election integrity groups They would say the bill improves public visibility into who is speaking in U.S. political and policy debates on behalf of foreign interests. Requiring more registration and disclosure can help journalists, lawmakers, and voters understand the source of messaging.
- Law enforcement and counterintelligence officials They may support the bill because it aligns registration rules more closely with the risks posed by foreign-controlled entities from listed countries. The approval process for changing the country list also adds congressional oversight to sensitive national-security judgments.
- Foreign media, lobbying, and consulting firms They may argue the bill could capture legitimate commercial, diplomatic, or communications work and increase compliance costs. Narrower exemptions can force more entities to register, hire counsel, and disclose information even when their activity is not covert.
- Civil liberties and speech advocates They could worry that expanding registration obligations chills advocacy and speech connected to foreign clients, including lawful policy outreach and media work. They may also object to a broader definition of who must register when controlled by listed countries.
- Multinational businesses with foreign government ties Companies with complex ownership or government-linked shareholders may see the bill as creating uncertainty about whether exemptions still apply. That uncertainty can raise legal risk for ordinary business communications and government-relations activity.
Key Implications
-
““the exemptions under subsections (d)(1), (d)(2), and (h) shall not apply””
This is the core tightening of the bill. It strips away several FARA exemptions for covered agents, meaning more entities would have to register and disclose their activities instead of relying on an exemption.
-
““owned or controlled by 1 or more of the identified countries””
The bill does not target every foreign principal equally; it focuses on entities linked to countries that appear on the State Department’s identified-country list. That narrows the reach to politically sensitive foreign-state or state-linked actors.
-
““may… propose the addition or deletion of countries””
The country list is not frozen. This gives the executive branch a mechanism to update the list, but only through a process that still requires congressional approval before it takes effect.
-
““become effective upon enactment of a joint resolution of approval””
Congress keeps the final say over whether the country-list change actually happens. That means the bill builds a legislative check into any future changes to the definition of “country of concern.”
-
““shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment””
The new rules are temporary unless Congress renews them. The sunset creates a built-in review point to assess whether the tighter exemption rules and approval process should continue.
Latest Status
June 17, 2026
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Related Bills
Take Action
Get more from BillBoard
Free tools to understand, respond to, and track this bill.
Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.