Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA):
June 30, 2020
Background and Issues for Congress
Jacob R. Straus
On June 9, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Foreign Agents Registration Act
Specialist on the Congress
(FARA) into law (22 U.S.C. §§611-621). As initially enacted, FARA sought to expose foreign

influence in American politics, with a specific focus on identifying and making a public record of
attempts to spread propaganda and foreign agendas. Since its enactment, FARA has been revised

to respond to the changing nature of representation of foreign entities in the United States. Three
revisions—which occurred in 1942, 1966, and 1995—have reoriented the law away from propaganda activities and toward
foreign advocacy and lobbying.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the law focuses on requiring foreign agents—an individual or group that acts
“as an agent, representative, employee, or servant, otherwise acts at the order, request, or under the direction or control o f a
‘foreign principal’” and conducts certain covered activities (22 U.S.C. §611(c); 28 C.F.R. §5.100)—to register with the DOJ.
FARA defines a foreign principal as “a foreign government, a foreign political party, any person outside the United States
(except U.S. citizens who are domiciled within the United States), and any entity organized under the laws of a foreign
country or having its principal place of business in a foreign country” (22 U.S.C. §611(b); 28 C.F.R. §5.100). FARA does not
prohibit advocacy activities, but rather requires covered individuals and firms to register with the DOJ. FARA was initially
administrated by the Department of State, but it is now administered by the DOJ. On a semiannual basis, FARA requires the
DOJ to issue a report to Congress on DOJ’s administration and enforcement of the law.
This report provides the legislative history of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a summary of its current provisions, and
an analysis of recent legislative proposals to amend the law. Recent proposals include additional registration and disclosure
requirements, changing requirements for labeling of informational materials, granting the DOJ civil investigative demand
authority, repealing FARA exemptions, and restricting certain former officials from registering as foreign agents.
Additionally, Congress could consider providing additional funding and/or staffing for FARA administration or consider
combining FARA administration with the administration of the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA).

Congressional Research Service

link to page 30 link to page 32 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Appendixes
Appendix. Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) Definitions............................................ 26

Contacts
Author Information ....................................................................................................... 28

Congressional Research Service

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

n June 8, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Foreign Agents Registration
Act (FARA) into law.1 The law sought to “combat the spread of hidden foreign influence
O through propaganda in American politics,”2 by “shining ‘the spotlight of pitiless
publicity’ on such propaganda.”3 Specifical y, FARA responded to foreign influence concerns by
creating a system designed “to identify agents of foreign principals who might engage in
subversive acts or in spreading foreign propaganda and to require them to make public record of
the nature of their employment.”4
Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) administers FARA, and the law “requires certain agents
of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities or other activities specified under the
statute to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as wel
as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities.”5 FARA “neither prohibits
representation of foreign interests in the United States nor prevents dissemination of foreign
propaganda.”6 Instead, the act provides only for public disclosure of any such activities,7 which is
seen by some as a protection of individuals’ First Amendment rights to speech and petition.8
This report traces the history of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. It begins with a legislative
history of FARA, including its enactment in 1938 and major amendments in 1942, 1966, and
1995. It next includes a section-by-section analysis of the current law. Then, issues for Congress
are considered. These issues include recent legislative proposals to amend aspects of FARA and
other administrative considerations. This report does not include issues related to foreign
interference in elections or campaign finance, which are not directly covered by FARA.9
Foreign Influence Concerns Prior to World War II
During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress had entered into a foreign al iance with
France to help the colonies defeat the British.10 After the war, the Founding Fathers grew

1 P.L. 75-583, 52 Stat. 631, June 8, 1938.
2 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, “Department of Justice Posts Advisory Opinions on FARA.Gov
Website,” press release, June 8, 2019.
3 Karim G. Lynn, “Unconstitutional Institutions: Political Propaganda and the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” New
York Law School Law Review, vol. 33, no. 2 (1988), p. 346.
4 Vierick v. United States, 318 U.S. 236, 241 (1943). See also, U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary,
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, report to accompany H.R. 2564, 104th Cong., 1st sess., November 14, 1995, H.Rept.
104-339, part 1 (Washington: GPO, 1995), pp. 5 -8.
5 U.S. Department of Justice, “Foreign Agents Registration Act,” at https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara.
6 Philip J. Perry, “Recently Proposed Reforms to the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” Cornell International Law
Journal, vol. 23, no. 1 (Winter 1990), p. 133.
7 U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, Foreign Propaganda, report to accompany H.R. 1591, 75th Cong.,
1st sess., July 30, 1937, H.Rept. 1381 (Washington: GPO, 1937), p. 2.
8 Ava Marion Plakins, “Heat Not Light: T he Foreign Agents Registration Act after Meese v. Keene,” Fordham
International Law Journal, vol. 11, no 1 (1987), pp. 184-207; and Nick Robinson, “ ‘Foreign Agents’ in an
Interconnected World: FARA and the Weaponization of T ransparency,” Duke Law Journal, vol. 69 (2020), pp. 1075-
1147, at https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/dlj/vol69/iss5/2.
9 For more information on foreign involvement in campaigns and campaign finance, see CRS Report R46146,
Cam paign and Election Security Policy: Overview and Recent Developm ents for Congress, coordinated by R. Sam
Garrett ; and CRS In Focus IF10697, Foreign Money and U.S. Cam paign Finance Policy, by R. Sam Garrett .
10 For example, see C.H. Van T yne, “Influence which Determined the French Government to Make the T reaty with
America, 1778,” The American Historical Review, vol. 21, no. 3 (April 1916), pp. 528-541; C.H. Van T yne, “French
Aid Before the Alliance of 1778,” The American Historical Review, vol. 31, no. 1 (October 1925), pp. 20-40; and
Orville T . Murphy, “T he Battle of Germantown and the Franco -American Alliance of 1778,” The Pennsylvania
Congressional Research Service

1

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

concerned about the potential influence of foreign powers on the development of the United
States.11 Accordingly, the Constitution contains a specific provision against the acceptance of an
emolument, office, or title granted by a foreign state.12
President George Washington also addressed foreign influence. In his 1796 farewel address,
President Washington wrote:
Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow
citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and
experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican
government.13
After Washington’s address, foreign influence continued to be an issue for the government. In the
early days of the republic, several incidents brought the role of foreign influence to prominence.
In 1808, for example, the House of Representatives agreed to a resolution creating a committee to
investigate al egations that General James Wilkinson, General of the Army, was a Spanish
agent.14 Although General Wilkinson was ultimately acquitted after an investigation,15 the
ongoing interest by foreign governments to influence American public policy was perceived as a
continuing threat for much of the next century.16
Balancing constitutional protections of free speech and the right to petition against foreign
influence has historical y been a chal enge.17 The right to petition the government has long been
considered a protected and “preferred” freedom “enshrined in the First Amendment.”18 Rooted in

Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 82, no. 1 (January 1958), pp. 55 -64.
11 Gouverneur Morris, among others, expressed this concern on July 5, 1787, during discussions about the Constitution.
T he Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 note that Morris said: “ How far foreign powers would be ready to take
part in the confusions he would not say. T hreats that they will be invited have it seems been thrown out. He drew the
melancholy picture of foreign intrusions as exhibited in the History of Germany, and urged it as a standing lesson to
other nations.” Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, edited by Max Farrand, vol. 1 (New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1911), p. 530, at https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(fr001157)):.
12 U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 9, clause 8. For more information on the Emoluments Clause, see CRS In Focus
IF11086, The Em olum ents Clauses of the U.S. Constitution , by Kevin J. Hickey and Michael A. Foster.
13 U.S. Senate, United States Senate Historical Office, Washington’s Farewell Address to the People of the United
States, S.Pub. 115-5 (Washington: GPO, 2017), pp. 20-21, at https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/
pdf/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.pdf.
14 “General Wilkinson,” House debate, Annuals of the Congress of the United States, vol. 18 (January 18, 1808), pp.
1461-1462. General Wilkinson was given back his commission by President James Madison on February 14, 1812. In
explaining why General Wilkinson was being recommissioned, President Madison wrote “that although there are
instances in the Court, as well as in the conduct of the Officer on trial, which are evidently and justly objectionable, his
acquittal of the several charges agst.[sic] him is approved, and his sword is accordingly ordered to be restored.” Andro
Linklater, An Artist in Treason: The Extraordinary Double Life of General Jam es Wilkinson (New York: Walker
Publishing Company, 2009), p. 294.
15 T homas Robson Hay, “Some Reflections on the Career of General James Wilkinson,” The Mississippi Valley
Historical Review, vol. 21, no. 4 (March 1935), p. 486.
16 For example, as early as 1852, a joint resolution was introduced to reaffirm “t hat governments are instituted among
men to secure the inalienable rights of life, liberty , and the pursuits of happiness” and resolved that the government
“will perseveringly adhere to, as a principle of international action, the advice given by Washington in his Farewell
Address: ... ‘Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence.’” For more information, see “ Non -Intervention,”
Congressional Globe vol. 21 (January 19, 1852), p. 298.
17 U.S. Congress, House Special Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of Nazi and Other Propaganda,
report pursuant to H.Res. 198, 73rd Congress, 74th Cong., 1st sess., February 15, 1935, H.Rept. 153 (Washington: GPO,
1935), p. 2.
18 Edmund G. Brown. “T he Right to Petition: Political or Legal Freedom,” UCLA Law Review, vol. 8, issue 3 (July
Congressional Research Service

2

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

English common law,19 the colonists brought the right to petition with them to the New World,
and it became engrained in American life.20 General y, the right to petition focuses on the ability
of citizens to contact their elected officials through various means. This might include traditional
forms of petition (e.g., postcards, form letters, documents signed by multiple citizens) as wel as
the ability to hire representation to lobby the government.21 Consequently, laws that address
foreign influence have general y avoided censorship in favor of transparency in order to “preserve
in this country the freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”22
Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938
The idea of regulating foreign influence dates to at least the early 1900s, when the first pieces of
legislation that aimed at directly addressing the real or perceived possibility of foreign influence
in American politics were introduced. These measures general y required the registration of
individuals or groups seeking to influence public policy or promote propaganda. Some measures
would have banned certain classes of individuals from acting as foreign agents. For example, in
1917, three measures were introduced in the House. These would have required the filing of
certain information by groups and individuals seeking to influence legislation or public opinion;23
prohibited the making of untrue statements under oath to influence the passage or defeat of
measures that dealt with a foreign nation;24 or restricted aliens from acting as foreign agents
without notification to and consent from the U.S. government.25 The House did not consider any
of these measures.
Although Congress did not consider any of the 1917 measures or others like them, in 1918, the
Senate Judiciary Committee empaneled a subcommittee to investigate German and Bolshevik
propaganda.26 The subcommittee found that German and Bolshevik brewing and liquor interests
had
furnished large sums of money for the purpose of secretly controlling newspapers and
periodicals … contributed enormous sums of money to political campaigns in violation of
the Federal statues and the statues of several of the states … [and] subsidized authors of

1961), p. 730.
19 In 1628, the English Parliament “ forced the King [Charles I] to assent to the Petition of Right. T his asked for
settlement of Parliament’s complaints against the King’s non-parliamentary taxation and imprisonments without trial,
plus the unlawfulness of martial law and forced billets.” For more information see, United Kingdom Parliament, “ The
Civil War: Charles I and the Petition of Right,” Living Heritage, at http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/
evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/civilwar/overview/petition-of-right.
20 Stephen A. Higginson, “ A Short History of the Right to Petition Government for the Redress of Grievances, ” The
Yale Law Journal, vol. 96, no. 1 (November 1986), pp. 142-166; and Norman B. Smith, “ ‘Shall Make No Law
Abridging ... ’: An Analysis of the Neglected, But Nearly Absolute, Right of Petition,” University of Cincinnati Law
Review, vol. 54, no. 4 (1986), pp. 1153 -1197.
21 Maggie McKinley, “Lobbying and the Petition Clause,” Stanford Law Review, vol. 68, issue 5 (May 2016), pp. 1131-
1206; and Nicholas W. Allard, “Lobbying Is an Honorable Profession: T he Right to Petition and the Competition to Be
Right,” Stanford Law & Policy Review, vol. 19, no. 1 (2008), pp. 23-69.
22 T estimony of Carl J. Austrian, American-Jewish Committee, in U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary,
Subcommittee No. 1, To Require the Registration of Certain Persons Em ployed by Agencies To Dissem inate
Propaganda in the U.S., hearing on H.R. 1591, 75th Cong., 1st sess., June 16, 1937, unpublished (Washington: GPO,
1937), p. 28.
23 H.R. 5287 (65th Congress), introduced August 24, 1917.
24 H.R. 2585 (65th Congress), introduced April 10, 1917.
25 H.R. 2583 (65th Congress), introduced April 10, 1917.
26 S.Res. 307 (66th Congress), agreed to February 16, 1920.
Congressional Research Service

3

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

recognized standing in literary circles to write articles of their selection for many standard
periodicals.27
With the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany, concern about foreign propaganda and influence grew
in the United States.28 To address the growing threat of propaganda, the House of Representatives
created the Special Committee on Un-American Activities in 1934.29 The special committee was
instructed to conduct an
investigation of (1) the extent, character, and objects of Nazi propaganda activities in the
United States, (2) the diffusion within the United States of subversive propaganda that is
instigated from foreign countries and attacks the principle of the form of government as
guaranteed by our Constitution, and (3) all other questions in relation thereto that would
aid Congress in any necessary remedial legislation.30
In February 1935, the special committee issued its findings to the House.31 After a thorough
investigation, the special committee made several recommendations, including
1. enacting legislation to require representatives of foreign governments, political
parties, or companies to register with the government;
2. restricting the length of stay of foreigners engaged in propaganda activities;
3. al owing the prosecution of witnesses who refuse to cooperate with congressional
committees;
4. and prohibiting individuals from advocating for “the overthrow or destruction by
force and violence of the Government of the United States.”32
In the 75th Congress (1937-1938), Representative John McCormack, former chair of the special
committee, introduced the bil that would become FARA.33 H.R. 1591, as introduced, would have
required “al persons who are in the United States for political propaganda purposes ... to register
with the State Department and to supply information about their political propaganda activities,
their employers, and the terms of their contracts.”34
In his testimony on foreign influence legislation before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary
Committee, Representative McCormack testified on the need for registration and disclosure
legislation. He said:
Now what is the evidence? Naturally you gentlemen would ask the question “What is the
evidence; what is the necessity for this?” We found during our investigation that Ivy L.
Lee, one of the biggest and most powerful public relations firms [in] this country was
indirectly in the employ of the German Government. Now I say indirectly. How was it?

27 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Brewing and Liquor Interests and German and Bolshevik
Propaganda, pursuant to S.Res. 307 and 439 (65th Congress), 66th Cong., 1st sess., July 28, 1919, S.Doc. 62, vol. 1
(Washington: GPO, 1919), pp. v-vi.
28 U.S. Congress, Special Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of Nazi and Other Propaganda, 74th
Cong., 1st sess., February 15, H.Rept. 153 (Washington: GPO, 1935), p. 2.
29 H.Res. 198 (73rd Congress), agreed to March 20, 1934.
30 H.Res. 198 (73rd Congress).
31 U.S. Congress, Special Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of Nazi and Other Propaganda, 74th
Cong., 1st sess., February 15, H.Rept. 153 (Washington: GPO, 1935).
32 Ibid., p. 25.
33 “Public Bills and Resolutions,” Congressional Record, vol. 81, part 1 (January 5, 1937), p. 34.
34 U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, Foreign Propaganda, report to accompany H.R. 1591, 75th
Cong., 1st sess., July 30, 1937, H.Rept. 1381 (Washington: GPO, 1937), p. 2.
Congressional Research Service

4

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

They were employed by a Swiss firm, foreign industry, controlled by the German dye
industry, and Mr. Lee in his own testimony admitted when he was making his report to his
principals that he knew the report was going to the members of the German Government,
his reports, he admitted, were strictly political advice, advising as to what kind of speeches
the members of the German Government should make for consumption in the United
States; advising them on different questions. That will all be shown in the evidence which
this subcommittee obtained from him during the short while it was engaged in this
investigation.35
After the House and Senate passed different versions of the bil s between August 1937 and May
1938,36 they reconciled their differences and President Roosevelt signed the act into law on June
8, 1938.37
As enacted,38 FARA required certain persons—agents of a foreign principal39—to register with
the Secretary of State and disclose certain information when they represented foreign entities—
foreign principals40—as “a public-relations counsel, publicity agent, or as agent, servant,
representative, or attorney.”41 Registration was required to be made “under oath” within 30 days
and include information about the registrant’s contact information, contacts, compensation, and
foreign principals represented.42 Recertification was required every six months43 and the
Secretary of State was required to keep records permanently.44 The law also carried penalties for
noncompliance that included the potential for fines and prison time.45

35 T estimony of Representative John McCormack, in U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee
No. 1, To Require the Registration of Certain Persons Em ployed by Agencies To Dissem inate Propaganda in the U.S.,
hearing on H.R. 1591, 75th Cong., 1st sess., June 16, 1937, unpublished (Washington: GPO, 1937), p. 4.
36 For more information on the debate and legislative process, see “Foreign Propaganda,” debate in the House,
Congressional Record, vol. 81, part 7 (August 3, 1937), pp. 8037-8038; “ Dissemination of Propaganda in the United
States,” debate in the Senate, Congressional Record, vol. 83, part 6 (May 17, 1938), pp. 7052-7053; “Registration of
Persons Employed to Disseminate Propaganda—Conference Report,” Congressional Record, vol. 83, part 7 (May 27,
1938), pp. 7619-7620; and “ Registration of Certain Persons Disseminating Propaganda,” Congressional Record, vol.
83, part 7 (June 2, 1938), pp. 8021 -8022.
37 “Message from the President,” Congressional Record, vol. 83, part 8 (June 9, 1938), p. 8636.
38 P.L. 75-583, 52 Stat. 631, June 8, 1938.
39 P.L. 75-853, §1(d). An agent of a foreign principal means “any person who acts or engages or agrees to act as a
public-relations counsel, publicity agent, or as agent, servant, representative, or attorney for a foreign principal or for
any domestic organization subsidized directly or indirectly in whole or in part by a foreign principal. Such term shall
not include a duly accredited diplomatic or consular officer of a foreign government who is so recognized by the
Department of State of the United States, nor a person, other than a public-relations counsel, or publicity agent,
performing only private, nonpolitical, financial, mercantile, or other activities in furthera nce of the bona fide trade or
commerce of such foreign principal.”
40 P.L. 75-853, §1(c). A foreign principal means “the government of a foreign country, a political party of a foreign
country, a person domiciled abroad, or any foreign business, partnership , association, corporation, or political
organization.”
41 P.L. 75-853, §1(d).
42 P.L. 75-853, §2.
43 P.L. 75-853, §3.
44 P.L. 75-853, §4.
45 P.L. 75-853, §5.
Congressional Research Service

5

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Amendments to FARA
As enacted, FARA required the registration and disclosure of information by individuals and
groups engaged in propaganda activities in the United States on behalf of a foreign principal
client. After approximately a year of implementation, the law was amended to make some
technical changes to
5. broaden the definition of “foreign principal” to include domestic entities funded
by foreign principals;
6. expand the definition of “agent of a foreign principal” to include individuals
compensated by or under the direction of a foreign principal;
7. clarify the application of the accredited or consular officers of foreign
governments exemption to require that such individuals must be on record with
the State Department; and
8. al ow the Secretary of State to remove from public scrutiny records from
terminated foreign agents.46
Since these amendments, the law has been substantial y revised on three additional occasions to
respond to the changing nature of representation of foreign entities in the United States. These
changes, which occurred in 1942, 1966, and 1995, have reoriented the law away from propaganda
activities and toward foreign advocacy and lobbying. This section provides an overview of these
amendments and how they changed FARA.
1942 Amendments
As the implementation of FARA, as amended, continued, observers began to note that even with
the 1939 modifications the law was not necessarily capturing the information thought necessary
to understand foreign propaganda efforts.47 As early as July 1937—before the enactment of FARA
in 1938—the House had empaneled a second Un-American Activities Committee to continue the
investigations begun by the McCormack committee in 1934.48 Chaired by Representative Martin
Dies, Jr., the committee was charged, in part, with differentiating between anti-American
propaganda that was designed to subvert the government and ideas that might be “unorthodox,”
but which were intended to strengthen the American form of democracy.49
The Dies committee issued several reports in the early 1940s,50 and its work indirectly led to an
effort to make FARA more effective. Although FARA had resulted in “some successful

46 U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, Amending the Act Requiring Registration of Agents of Foreign
Principals, report to accompany H.R. 5988, 76 th Cong., 1st sess., May 31, 1939, H.Rept. 711 (Washington: GPO, 1939),
pp. 1-2. See also, U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Am ending the Act Requiring Registration of
Agents of Foreign Principals, report to accompany H.R. 5988, 76 th Cong., 1st sess, July 25, 1939, S.Rept. 902
(Washington: GPO, 1939), pp. 1-2.
47 Bruce Lannes Smith, “Democratic Control of Propaganda through Registration and Disclosure I,” Public Opinion
Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 1 (Spring 1942), pp. 27-40; and Bruce Lannes Smith “ Democratic Control of Propaganda through
Registration and Disclosure II,” Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 4 (Winter 1943), pp. 707-719.
48 H.Res. 282 (75th Congress).
49 U.S. Congress, House, Special Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of Un-American Propaganda
Activities in the United States, report pursuant to H.Res. 282 (75th Cong.) and H.Res. 26 (76th Cong), 77th Cong., 1st
sess., H.Rept. 1, January 3, 1941 (Washington: GPO, 1941), p. 1.
50 U.S. Congress, House, Special Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of Un-American Propaganda
activities in the United States, report pursuant to H.Res. 282 (75th Cong.) and H.Res. 26 (76th Cong), 76th Cong., 3rd
Congressional Research Service

6

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

prosecutions under the existing statute,”51 the House Judiciary Committee believed “that the act
can be made even more effective and valuable in the regulation of the important activities which
it covers.”52
In late 1941, Representative Hatton Sumners introduced H.R. 6269 to amend FARA
to protect the national defense, internal security, and foreign relations of the United States
by requiring public disclosure by persons engaging in propaganda activities and other
activities for or on behalf of foreign governments, foreign political parties, and other
foreign principals, so that the Government and the people of the United States may be
informed of the identity of such persons and may appraise their statements and actions in
the light of their association and activities.53
Although H.R. 6269 passed Congress in January 1942,54 President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed
the measure.55 In his veto message, President Roosevelt wrote:
This bill was drafted in peacetime to protect a nation at peace. … The bill, however,
obviously was not drafted with a view to the situation created by the Axis assault upon our
country and our entry into the war in fighting partnership with 25 united nations and in
active cooperation with other nations whose defense we deem vital to our own defense.
To achieve victory we must be certain there is a minimum of interference with the
strengthening and perfecting of joint action. Active collaboration of a military or economic
nature with friendly countries requires the fullest and most constant exchange of
representatives between us. … It is far from clear that the requirements of this legislation
would not in many instance be unnecessary, inappropriate, and onerous in respect to the
representatives of friendly nations who are constantly coming to and from the United States
to cooperate with us.56

sess., January 3, 1940, H.Rept. 1476 (Washington: GPO, 1940); and U.S. Congress, House, Special Committee on Un -
American Activities, Special Report on Subversive Activities Aim ed at Destroying Our Representative Form of
Governm ent, report pursuant to H.Res. 282 (75th Cong.) and H.Res. 26 (76th Cong), 77th Cong., 2nd sess., June 25, 1942,
H.Rept. 2277 (Washington: GPO, 1941).
51 U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Amending the Act Requiring the Registration of Foreign Agents,
report to accompany H.R. 6269, 77th Cong., 1st sess., December 18, 1941, H.Rept. 1547 (Washington: GPO, 1941), p.
1.
52 Ibid., pp. 1-2.
53 H.R. 6269 (77th Congress); “Public Bills and Resolutions,” Congressional Record, vol. 87, part 9 (December 17,
1941), p. 9949. H.R. 6269 was reported by the House Judiciary Committee on December 18, 1941; passed the Senate,
with amendments, on January 12, 1942; and the conference report was agreed to in the House and Senate on January
28, 1942. Senate passage: “Registration of Propagandists,” Congressional Record, Senate debate, vol. 88, part 1
(January 12, 1942); Senate agreement to Conference Report: “Registration of Propagandists—Conference Report,”
Congressional Record, vol. 88, part 1 (January 28, 1942), p. 791; and House agreem ent to conference report:
“Amending the Foreign Agents’ Registration Act,” Congressional Record, vol. 88, part 1 (January 28, 1942), p. 797.
54 U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Amending the Act Requiring Registration of Foreign Agents,
report to accompany S. 2399, 77th Cong., 2nd sess., April 20, 1942, H.Rept. 2038 (Washington: GPO, 1942), p. 1.
55 U.S. Congress, House, Message from the President of the United States Transmitting without Approval, H.R. 6269, A
Bill to Amend the Act Entitled “An Act to Require the Registration of Certain Persons Employed by Agencies to
Disseminate Propaganda in the United States, and for Other Purposes,” Approved June 8, 1938, as Amended , 77th
Cong., 2nd sess., February 9, 1942, H.Doc. 611 (Washington: GPO, 194 2).
56 Ibid., pp. 1-2.
Congressional Research Service

7

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Congress responded with new legislation to address President Roosevelt’s concerns by adding an
exemption for “agents of countries deemed vital to defense of the U.S.”57 President Roosevelt
signed the new bil into law on April 29, 1942.58
As enacted, the amendments to FARA expanded the definitions of “persons who are considered to
be foreign principals and foreign agents.”59 The amendments also
 transferred administration of the law to the Department of Justice from the
Department of State;60
 expanded information required in initial registration statements and supplemental
disclosures;61
 created exemptions for accredited diplomats or consular officers, non-public
relations counsels, officials of recognized foreign governments, diplomatic or
consular staff, individuals engaged in bona fide trade, religious, and educational
activities, and agents of countries deemed vital to the defense of the United
States;62
 defined “political propaganda”63 and required submission of propaganda
materials to the Attorney General and the Library of Congress, with appropriate
labeling;64
 required preservation of records and al owance for public inspection;65 and
 established penalties for noncompliance.66
1966 Amendments
Following the 1942 amendments, FARA implementation and enforcement focused on propaganda
and the dissemination of information potential y harmful to America’s democracy.67 After World
War II, Nazi propaganda was no longer a specific worry and, as a result, the statute reportedly

57 U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Amendments to the Act of June 8, 1938, as Amended, Requiring
the Registration of Agents of Foreign Principals, report to accompany S. 2399, 77th Cong., 2nd sess., S.Rept. 1227
(Washington: GPO, 1942), p. 3; and U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Am ending the Act Requiring
Registration of Foreign Agents, report to accompany S. 2399, 77th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Rept. 2038 (Washington: GPO,
1942), p. 3.
58 “Registering of Persons Disseminating Propaganda,” Congressional Record, vol. 77, part 3 (March 30, 1942), p.
3178; and P.L. 532, 56 Stat. 248, April 29, 1942.
59 U.S. Department of Justice, The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, As Amended and the Rules and
Regulations Prescribed by the Attorney General, Washington, DC, 1942, p. 2.
60 P.L. 532, §2.
61 P.L. 532, §1(2).
62 P.L. 532, §1(3).
63 P.L. 532, §1(1)(j).
64 P.L. 532, §1(4)
65 P.L. 532, §1(5)-(6).
66 P.L. 532, §1(8).
67 David L. Simiele, “Disclosure Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as Amended, Note,” Western
Reserve Law Review, vol. 14, issue 3 (June 1963), p. 579-590.
Congressional Research Service

8

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

went largely unenforced by the Department of Justice,68 with approximately nine FARA cases
prosecuted by the department through the early 1960s.69
In the 1960s, during congressional consideration of the Sugar Act Amendments of 1962,
“lobbying by representatives of foreign governments reached something of an al -time high in
intensity.”70 As a result of perceived “aggressive lobbying by foreign representatives over the
periodic real ocation of the sugar quota,”71 Congress began to take an active interest in potential y
updating FARA to address these types of activities.
At that time, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee authorized a staff investigation into
“nondiplomatic activities of representatives of foreign governments, and the extent to which such
representatives attempt to influence the policies of the United States and affect the national
interest.”72 The staff investigation concluded “there has been an increasing number of incidents
involving attempts by foreign governments, or their agents, to influence the conduct of American
foreign policy by techniques outside normal diplomatic channels.”73 Legislation to address the
staff report’s concerns was introduced in 1963 to “deal with certain new types of activities by
foreign agents with which the original drafters may not have been familiar.”74
In the 89th Congress (1965-1966), legislation was reintroduced to amend FARA and shift its focus
from propaganda to advocacy activities. In his remarks during the Senate debate, Senator
Fulbright summarized why the bil was necessary. He said:
The basic purpose of the bill is to update the Foreign Agents Registration Act to reflect the
changes in the nature of the U.S. role in world affairs today. A quarter of a century ago, the
original targets of this act were the subversive agent and propagandis t. But as our interests
through the world have multiplied, the efforts of foreign and domestic politics have become
correspondingly greater and more subtle. The place of the old foreign agent has been taken
by the professional lobbyists and public opinion manipulators whose object is not [to]
subvert the Government but to influence its politics to the satisfaction of his client. The
trench coat has been replaced by the gray flannel suit.75
President Lyndon Johnson signed the FARA amendment into law on June 30, 1966.76

68 Francis R. O'Hara, “T he Foreign Agents Registration Act -T he Spotlight of Pitiless Publicity,” Villanova Law Review,
vol. 10, no. 3 (Spring 1965), p. 441.
69 Ibid., p. 441; and “ Attorneys under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938,” Harvard Law Review vol. 78, no.
3 (January 1965), pp. 619-634.
70 Daniel M. Berman and Robert A. Heineman, “Lobbying by Foreign Governments on the Sugar Act Amendments of
1962,” Law and Contemporary Problems, vol. 26, no. 2 (Spring 1963), p. 416, at https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?article=2961&context=lcp.
71 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, The Federal Lobbying Disclosure Laws, 102nd Cong., 1st sess., June 20, July 16, and September 25, 1991,
S.Hrg. 102-377 (Washington: GPO, 1991), p. 487.
72 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Nondiplomatic Activities of Representatives of Foreign
Governm ents, committee print, 87th Cong., 2nd sess., July 1962 (Washington: GPO, 1962), p. v.
73 Ibid.
74 Sen. James Fulbright, “Amendment of Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938,” Congressional Record, vol. 109,
part 12 (September 10, 1963), p. 16598. Sen. Fulbright, along with Sen. Bourke Hickenlooper, introduced S. 2136 (88 th
Congress). It passed the Senate in July 1963, but was not considered by the House. U.S. Congress, Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations, Foreign Agents Registration Act, hearing on S. 693, 89th Cong., 1st sess., February 16, 1965
(Washington: GPO, 1965), p. 5.
75 Sen. James Fulbright, “Amendment of Foreign Agents Registration Act,” Senate debate, Congressional Record, vol.
111, part 5 (April 5, 1965), p. 6984.
76 “Messages from the President —Approval of Bills and Joint Resolution,” Congressional Record, vol. 112, part 11
Congressional Research Service

9

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

As enacted, the FARA amendment was
intended to protect the interests of the United States by requiring complete public
disclosure by persons acting for or in the interests of foreign principals where their
activities are political in nature or border on the political. Such public disclosures as
required by the act will permit the Government and the people of the United States to be
informed as to the identities and activities of such persons and so be better able to appraise
them and the purposes for which they act.77
Specifical y, the amendments to FARA refocused the law on advocacy rather than propaganda.78
The amendments
1. expanded several definitions, including the terms “foreign principal” and “agent
of a foreign principal,” and added definitions for “political activities” and
“political consultant”;79
2. clarified exemptions for individuals and companies that are not required to
register under the law and provided that the Attorney General can provide for
exemptions by regulation;80
3. specified a registration timeline and the content of registration and disclosure
statements, including details of campaign contributions;81
4. changed the requirements for labeling and filing of political propaganda;82 and
5. provided for enforcement authority to the Attorney General and specified
maximum fines and jail time for noncompliance.83
1995 Amendments
In December 1995, Congress created the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) as a replacement for
the Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946.84 The LDA, in the words of one Senator during floor
debate, “tightens up the registration and disclosure requirements for the Washington-based

(July 11, 1966), p. 15066. T he 1966 amendment (S. 693) passed the Senate on April 5, 1965 (“ Amendment to Foreign
Agents Registration Act of 1938, as Amended,” Senate debate, Congressional Record, vol. 111, part 5 [April 5, 1965],
pp. 6982-6994), were reported by the House Judiciary Committee on May 3, 1966 (“ Reports of Committees on Public
Bills and Resolutions,” Congressional Record, vol. 112, part 8 [May 3, 1966], p. 9785), and passed the House on May
16, 1966, with amendment (Foreign Agents Registration Act Amendmen ts,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol.
112, part 8 [May 16, 1966], pp. 10534-10539). Following a conference committee, the conference report was adopted
by the Senate and the House on June 21, 1966 (“Amendment of Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1 938—Conference
Report,” Congressional Record, vol. 112, pat 10 [June 21, 1966], p. 13827-13828); “Foreign Agents Registration Act
Amendments,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 112, part 10 (June 21, 1966), pp. 13713-13714; and U.S.
Congress, House, U.S. Congress, House, Foreign Agents Registration Act Am endm ents, conference report to
accompany S. 693, 89th Cong., 2nd sess., June 16, 1966, H.Rept. 1632 (Washington: GPO, 1966).
77 U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, Foreign Agents Registration Act Amendments, report to
accompany S. 693, 89th Cong., 2nd sess., May 1966, H.Rept. 1470 (Washington: GPO, 1966), p. 2.
78 P.L. 89-486, 80 Stat. 244, July 4, 1966.
79 P.L. 89-486, §1(1)-(5).
80 P.L. 89-486, §1(5), §2(7), and §3.
81 P.L. 89-486, §2.
82 P.L. 89-486, §4.
83 P.L. 89-486, §7.
84 P.L. 104-65, 109 Stat. 691, December 19, 1995; 2 U.S.C. §§1601 -1614. For more information on the Lobbying
Disclosure Act, see CRS Report R44292, The Lobbying Disclosure Act at 20: Analysis and Issues for Congress, by
Jacob R. Straus.
Congressional Research Service

10

link to page 30 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

lobbyists, without infringing upon the rights of ordinary citizens at the grassroots to petition their
Government.”85 Although LDA focused on domestic lobbying, it also contained four FARA
amendments. As summarized in a House Judiciary Committee report on H.R. 2564, companion
legislation to the measure that became the LDA, those amendments were as follows:
(1) FARA is limited to agents of foreign governments and political parties. Lobbyists of
foreign corporations, partnerships, associations, and individuals are required to register
under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, where applicable, but not under FARA.
(2) The so-called “U.S. subsidiary exemption” is eliminated from FARA. This Subsection
grants an exemption to activities on behalf of a foreign -owned company in the United
States that further the bona fide commercial, industrial, or financial interests of the U.S.
subsidiary.
(3) The applicability of the so-called “lawyers’ exemption” is clarified by changing the
exemption’s application only to communications with agency officials in the context of
those specific instances set out in this amendment. These include judicial proceedings, law
enforcement proceedings, and agency proceedings required by statute or regulation to be
conducted on the record.
(4) The term “political propaganda” is eliminated from the Act, and replaced by the term
“informational materials.”86
In 2007, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA) further amended FARA.87
The HLOGA amendments required the Attorney General to develop an electronic filing system
and to make the accompanying database available to the public.88
Summary of Current FARA Provisions
Today, FARA is general y focused on individuals conducting political or advocacy work on
behalf of “foreign principals” within the United States. These “agents of a foreign principal” are
required to register with the Department of Justice and to disclose their relationships, activities,
receipts, and disbursements in support of their advocacy or public relations activities. FARA
specifies the type of activities covered and the information required to be reported to the DOJ on
a semiannual basis, how DOJ should administer and enforce the law, and penalties associated
with noncompliance. Codified at 22 U.S.C. §§611-621, a summary of each FARA section is
contained below.89
Section 611—Definitions
Section 611 provides definitions used throughout the law. These definitions include the specifics
of a “foreign principal” and “agent of a foreign principal,” among other technical terms. For a
more detailed summary of al of the definitions in the law, see the Appendix.

85 Sen. Robert Dole, “Lobbying Reform,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, vol. 141, part 14 (July 25,
1995), p. 20193.
86 U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, report to accompany H.R.
2564, 104th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 104-339, Part 1, November 14, 1995 (Washington: GPO, 1995), p. 21.
87 P.L. 110-81, §212, 121 Stat. 749, September 14, 2007.
88 Ibid.
89 For a legal analysis of FARA, see CRS In Focus IF11439, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): A Legal
Overview, by Jacob D. Shelly.
Congressional Research Service

11

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Although al of the definitions found in 22 U.S.C. §611 are important for the administration and
enforcement of FARA, two definitions are essential to understanding the advocacy relationship
that FARA aims to capture. They are “foreign principal” and “agent of a foreign principal.”
Foreign Principal

(b) The term “foreign principal" includes—
(1) a government of a foreign country and a foreign political party;
(2) a person outside of the United States, unless it is established that such person is an individual and a citizen of
and domiciled within the United States, or that such person is not an individual and is organized under or created
by the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and
has its principal place of business within the United States; and
(3) a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the
laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign country [§611(b)].

Agent of a Foreign Principal

(c) Expect [sic] as provided in subsection (d) of this section,90 the term "agent of a foreign principal" means—
(1) any person who acts as an agent, representative, employee, or servant, or any person who acts in any other
capacity at the order, request, or under the direction or control, of a foreign principal or of a person any of
whose activities are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, control ed, financed, or subsidized in whole or in
major part by a foreign principal, and who directly or through any other person-
(i) engages within the United States in political activities for or in the interests of such foreign principal;
(i ) acts within the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee
or political consultant for or in the interests of such foreign principal;
(i i) within the United States solicits, col ects, disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money, or other
things of value for or in the interest of such foreign principal; or
(iv) within the United States represents the interests of such foreign principal before any agency or official of
the Government of the United States; and
(2) any person who agrees, consents, assumes or purports to act as, or who is or holds himself out to be,
whether or not pursuant to contractual relationship, an agent of a foreign principal as defined in clause (1) of this
subsection [§611(c)].
Section 612—Registration Statement
Individuals who meet the definition of an “agent of a foreign principal” are required to file a
registration statement within 10 days of agreeing to become an agent,91 and then file supplemental
statements every six months thereafter.92 Statements are filed with the Attorney General through

90 22 U.S.C. §611(d) provides that “ (d) T he term ‘agent of a foreign principal’ does not include any news or press
service or association organized under the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States, or any newspaper, magazine, periodical, or other publication for which there is on file
with the United States Postal Service information in compliance with section 3611 of title 39, published in the United
States, solely by virtue of any bona fide news or journalistic activities, including the solicitation or acceptance of
advertisements, subscriptions, or other compensation therefor, so long as it is at least 80 per centum beneficially owned
by, and its officers and directors, if any, are citizens of the United States, and such news or press service or association,
newspaper, magazine, periodical, or other publication, is not owned, directed, supervised, controlled, subsidized, or
financed, and none of its policies are determined by any foreign principal defined in subsection (b) of this section, or by
any agent of a foreign principal required to register under this subchapter.”
91 22 U.S.C. §612(a).
92 22 U.S.C. §612(b).
Congressional Research Service

12

link to page 17 link to page 18 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

the DOJ’s National Security Division and the FARA Unit.93 Individuals who are exempted under
22 U.S.C. §613 (see “Section 613—Exemptions” below) do not have to file either a registration
statement or supplemental statements.
Pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §612, a registration statement includes
 the registrant’s name and both personal and business addresses;
 the registrant’s status, including nationality for al individuals, partnerships, and
corporate directors or officers;
 a statement of the nature of the registrant’s business, including a complete list of
employees, the nature of their work, and the name and address of every foreign
principal the registrant represents;
 copies of the registrant’s written agreement with a foreign principal and
conditions for al oral agreements;
 the nature and amount of contributions, income, money, or other items of value
received from a foreign principal; and
 a detailed statement of spending connected with activities for the foreign
principal.
Al registration and supplemental statements are made under oath,94 and must be filed
electronical y.95
Section 613—Exemptions
Certain agents of a foreign principal are exempt from registering under FARA. Figure 1 shows
the exemptions available under 22 U.S.C. §613 and who qualifies for each type of exemption.
Potential filers who fal within one of the exemption categories self-select their exemption and do
not notify the DOJ. Therefore, exempt agents of a foreign principal who claim an exemption do
not appear in the FARA database on the Department of Justice website.96

93 U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit, at
https://www.fara.gov.
94 22 U.S.C. §612(c).
95 22 U.S.C. §612(g). Instructions for filing statements online can be found at U.S. Department of Justice, National
Security Division, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit, “ Registration Forms and T emplates,” at
https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara/fara-forms.
96 U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit , “Search
Filings,” at https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=1235:10. Filings can also be browsed at https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=
1381:1:13449112022053:::::.
Congressional Research Service

13

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Figure 1. Exemptions to Registration Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act
(22 U.S.C. §613)

Source: CRS analysis of 22 U.S.C. §613.
Section 614—Filing and Labeling of Political Propaganda
Although the 1966 amendments to FARA reoriented the law toward advocacy activities and away
from the regulation of political propaganda, FARA continues to require that political propaganda
be filed with the DOJ and be labeled.97 Also cal ed “informational materials,” copies of these
materials must be filed by agents of a foreign principal within 48 hours and ensure that the
following labeling language is included:
This material is distributed by (name of registrant) on behalf of (name of foreign principal).
Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.98

97 22 U.S.C. §614.
98 U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit , “What are
the Filing and Labeling Requirements for Informational Materials?” General FARA Frequently Asked Questions, at
https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara/general-fara-frequently-asked-questions. For additional regulations on the labeling of
informational materials, see 28 C.F.R. §5.402, at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text -idx?SID=
55bbcbd4f61d657ca4ec8a5862d848e1&mc=true&node=se28.1.5_1402&rgn=div8.
Congressional Research Service

14

link to page 19

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Further, the DOJ has determined that all informational materials disseminated by registered
foreign agents, including those posted on social media or sent by text message, “must contain a
conspicuous label if such media are used as instruments to disseminate informational materials.”99
That label can be on a web home page, a running header or footer on a website, or on an “About
Us” page.100 These labels are a separate matter from campaign finance disclosures (e.g., political
advertisements).101 Figure 2 provides an example of a disclaimer from a FARA informational
materials filing.
Figure 2. Example of FARA Informational Materials Label Requirements

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, “Protest Monday-Cargil : Don’t Let the Amazon Burn,” filing by the Center
for International Policy (under grant from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation), by Waxman
Strategies, at https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6710-Informational-Materials-20191004-100.pdf.
Section 615—Books and Records
FARA requires that al agents of a foreign principal “keep and preserve … such books of account
and other records with respect to al his activities, the disclosure of which is required under the
provisions” of the law.102 Records that must be maintained include al correspondence about
activities taken on behalf of a foreign principal, correspondence about political activities, original
copies of contracts, names of individuals to whom informational materials have been transmitted,
and bookkeeping and financial records.103 Records must be available for inspection,104 and must
be kept for three years after the foreign principal-agent relationship has been terminated.105

99 Ibid.
100 Ibid.
101 For more information on labels for campaign political advertisements, see CRS In Focus IF11398, Campaign
Finance Law: Disclosure and Disclaim er Requirem ents for Political Ca m paign Advertising, by L. Paige Whitaker; and
CRS In Focus IF10758, Online Political Advertising: Disclaim ers and Policy Issues, by R. Sam Garrett .
102 22 U.S.C. §615.
103 28 C.F.R. §5.500(a).
104 28 C.F.R. §5.500(b).
105 28 C.F.R. §5.500(c).
Congressional Research Service

15

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Section 616—Public Examination of Official Records; Transmittal
of Records and Information
The law requires the Attorney General to maintain permanent copies of al registration statements
and to provide copies to the public, the Secretary of State, other executive agencies, and
congressional committees.106 The Attorney General is also required to maintain a publicly
available, internet accessible, searchable, and downloadable database.107
Section 617—Liability of Officers
In addition to individual registration requirements, FARA requires that firms or other entities that
are agents of a foreign principal are also required to register. This section specifical y requires
that the entities’ officers or directors are “under obligation” to ensure the agent of a foreign
principal is registered and could face prosecution if they do not comply with the law.108
Section 618—Enforcement and Penalties
Violations of FARA carry the potential for fines or imprisonment. Any person who wil fully
violates the law or wil fully makes false statements in registration or supplemental statements
upon conviction may “be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not
more than five years, or both.”109 Violating provisions of the filing and labeling requirements for
political propaganda,110 failing to correct deficient registration statements, or having a contingent
fee arrangement with a foreign principal111 carry potential penalties of up to a $5,000 fine or six
months in prison.112
Section 619—Territorial Applicability of Subchapter
FARA applies in al of the “States, the District of Columbia, the Territories, the Canal Zone, the
insular possessions, and al other places now or hereafter subject to the civil or military
jurisdiction of the United States.”113

106 22 U.S.C. §616(a)-(c).
107 22 U.S.C. §616(d). T hat database can be browsed at https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=1381:1:9405883694077:::::, and
searched at https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=1235:10.
108 22 U.S.C. §617.
109 22 U.S.C. §618(a).
110 22 U.S.C. §614(b) and (e)-(f).
111 22 U.S.C. §618(g) and (h).
112 22 U.S.C. §618(a).
113 22 U.S.C. §619. T he T erritories include Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Northern Mariana Islands. T he Canal Zone is the Panama Canal Zone as established by the Panama Canal T reaty of
1977. For information, see 22 U.S.C. §3602.
Congressional Research Service

16

link to page 17 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Section 620—Rules and Regulations
Authorizes the Attorney General to establish regulations to carry out the law.114 The regulations
for FARA are located at 28 C.F.R. §§5.1-5.1101.115
Section 621—Reports to Congress
Every six months, the Attorney General is required to submit a report to Congress on the
administration of FARA, including registrations filed under the law and the “nature, sources and
content of political propaganda disseminated and distributed.”116 Past reports to Congress are on
the FARA website at https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara/fara-reports-congress.
Recent Legislative Proposals to Amend FARA
In recent years, interest in FARA and its potential to identify foreign engagement in advocacy
activities and information sharing has increased.117 Reflecting that interest, some Members of
Congress have introduced multiple measures in the past several Congresses to amend al or parts
of FARA.
A review of these bil s reveals several trends in how Members of Congress would amend FARA
or its implementation by the DOJ. These proposals coincide with perceived trends in how foreign
principals, through foreign agents, are engaged in advocacy work and the dissemination of
informational materials.
This section discusses the major proposals identified in introduced legislation.
Registration and Disclosure Requirements
Under FARA, foreign agents include individuals or firms who have a contractual relationship
with a foreign principal.118 These individuals or firms are general y required to register with the
Department of Justice.119 Some studies of FARA have indicated that current registration and
disclosure requirements might not sufficiently capture the nature and scope of foreign lobbying
and information dissemination.120 In recent Congresses, most proposals that address FARA

114 22 U.S.C. §620.
115 28 C.F.R. §§5.1-5.1101 can be found at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=
259e3a91dffa3826a993f58ddfc90147&mc=true&node=pt28.1.5&rgn=div5.
116 22 U.S.C. §621.
117 A search of Congress.gov (both full text and bill summaries) from the 111 th Congress (2009-2010) to the 116th
Congress (2019-2020, through April 24, 2020) finds approximately 90 measures introduced tha t would amend FARA.
For a full search, see U.S. Congress, Congress.gov, at https://www.congress.gov/quick-search/legislat ion?
wordsPhrases=%22foreign+agents+registration+act%22&include=on&wordVariants=on&congresses%5B%5D=116&
congresses%5B%5D=115&congresses%5B%5D=114&congresses%5B%5D=113&congresses%5B%5D=112&
congresses%5B%5D=111&legislationNumbers=&legislativeAction=&sponsor=on&representative=&senator=&
searchResultViewT ype=compact&KWICView=false. T he search began in the 111th Congress, because it was the first
Congress after the enactment of minor FARA reforms in the Honest Leadership and Open Go vernment Act (HLOGA),
P.L. 110-81, §212, 121 Stat. 749, September 14, 2007.
118 22 U.S.C. §§611-612.
119 Certain individuals and groups are exempt from FARA registration. For mo re information on exemptions, see
“Section 613—Exemptions.”
120 For example, see Yuk K. Law, “T he Foreign Agents Registration Act: A New Standard for Determining Agency,”
Congressional Research Service

17

link to page 18 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

registration and disclosure do not propose to change the type of information currently required to
be disclosed under 22 U.S.C. §612, but rather focus on how often reports are filed and how filings
are made publicly accessible. For example, several proposals would amend FARA and require
quarterly, rather than semiannual, reports.121 Proponents believe that quarterly reports would align
FARA reporting with LDA reporting, which is already required on a quarterly basis. They also
argue that more frequent disclosure would increase transparency of foreign activity and provide
additional information to the Department of Justice for enforcement, when necessary.122
Disclosure every six months would maintain the status quo and continue to provide information at
the same rate as currently required under FARA.
In addition to changing reporting time frames, some legislative proposals would amend FARA to
require that DOJ provide registration and disclosure statements in a digitized, searchable format
on its FARA website.123 Currently, FARA filings are electronical y available and are searchable by
registrant number, registrant name, registration start and end date, status (active or terminated),
and when the DOJ received the filing.124 Other information required on FARA forms is not
currently searchable. This includes registrant occupation, salary, or contributions from foreign
principals, among others.
Providing digitized, searchable registration and disclosure forms would arguably al ow
information to be more readily accessible to the public, thus providing additional potential
transparency to information about foreign agents and their activities on behalf of foreign
principals. Requiring a change in the DOJ’s collection and display of information, however, could
have additional administrative costs associated with the filing, coding, maintenance, display,
search, and download of data.
Labeling of Informational Materials
As mentioned above under “Section 614—Filing and Labeling of Political Propaganda,” FARA
requires the disclosure of certain informational materials to the DOJ. As social media has become
a more popular form of communication and information dissemination, questions have arisen
about whether social media communications are, or should be, covered as informational materials
under FARA.125 To address this question, several bil s have been introduced that would formal y
define email and social media posts as “informational materials” under FARA.126

Fordham International Law Journal, vol., 6, issue 2 (1982), pp. 367-370.
121 For example, see S. 2039 (115th Congress), introduced October 31, 2017; and H.R. 4170 (115th Congress),
introduced October 31, 2017. S. 2039 was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and did not receive
further consideration. On January 17, 2018, the House Judiciary Committee marked up H.R. 4170, and ordered the bill
to be reported.
122 Rep. David Cicilline, remarks at U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, “Markup of H.R. 4170, T he
‘Disclosing Foreign Influence Act,’” January 17, 2018, p. 25, at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20180117/
106786/HMKP-115-JU00-Transcript-20180117.pdf.
123 See, for example, H.R. 1566 (116th Congress), introduced on March 6, 2019; H.R. 1, §7104 (116th Congress), passed
the House on March 8, 2019. For more information on H.R. 1, including its FARA provisions, see CRS In Focus
IF11097, H.R. 1: Overview and Related CRS Products, coordinated by R. Sam Garrett .
124 U.S. Department of Justice, “Search Filings,” at https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=1235:10.
125 For example, see Joshua R. Fattal, “FARA on Facebook: Modernizing the Foreign Agents Registration Act to
Address Propagandists on Social Media,” New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, vol. 21, no. 4
(2019), pp. 903-948; and US v. Concord Managem ent & Consulting LLC (347 F. Supp. 3d 28), 49, at
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15089234790502537545&hl=en&as_sdt=6,47&as_vis=1.
126 See, for example, H.R. 2811 (115th Congress), introduced on June 7, 2017; and S. 625 (115th Congress), introduced
Congressional Research Service

18

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Official y defining social media posts as informational materials would clarify that a foreign
agent would be required to provide the DOJ their social media posts along with other
informational materials. Proposed legislation, however, does not address how social media posts
might be captured and stored. Currently, if a foreign agent believes that a social media post
constitutes informational materials, he or she would capture them as a PDF document and include
them in FARA filings.127
Should Congress or the DOJ want to capture a more dynamic cache of social media posts, they
might consider adopting National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) guidance on
managing social media records (Bulletin 2014-02).128 The NARA guidance, among other things,
specifies how agencies might capture social media information, including the potential for the
capture of comments. While such guidance does not currently apply to foreign agents, because
they are not a federal agency, NARA’s best practices might serve as a guide and may provide the
potential for the consistent capture of al types of informational materials. That the DOJ does not
currently use NARA standards, however, does not mean that the current FARA unit policy of PDF
capture for social media posts is not consistent, only that social media, because it can be
dynamical y shared, does not necessarily lend itself to the static PDF platform.
Civil Investigative Demand Authority
Since 2007, the Department of Justice reports that it has successfully prosecuted 12 FARA cases,
with 8 cases settled since 2017.129 In recent years, at least six bil s have been introduced to
provide the DOJ with civil investigative demand authority, to aid the agency in the potential
prosecution of FARA cases.130 Civil investigative demand (CID) authority is “a type of subpoena
that al ows the Department of Justice to obtain documents, require responses to interrogatories,
and take depositions.”131 Drawn from a similar provision in the False Claims Act,132 CIDs “are
effectively administrative subpoenas that the Department [of Justice] may issue to demand
documents, interrogatory answers, or moral testimony from any persons with information
relevant to an investigation.”133
Proponents of providing DOJ CID authority argue, “CID authority … wil make the job easier, it
wil enhance enforcement of FARA, and it wil pursue the underlying objectives of the legislation

on March 14, 2017.
127 U.S. Department of Justice, “How to I File Copies of Social Media?” Frequently Asked Questions, at
https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara/frequently-asked-questions#50.
128 National Archives and Records Administration, “Bulletin 2014 -02: Guidance on Managing Social Media Records,”
October 25, 2013, at https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2014/2014-02.html.
129 U.S. Department of Justice, “Recent FARA Cases,” at https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara/recent-cases.
130 H.R. 2811 (115th Congress), introduced June 7, 2017; H.R. 4170 (115th Congress), introduced October 31, 2017;
H.R. 6249 (115th Congress), introduced June 27, 2018; S. 625 (115th Congress), introduced March 14, 2017; S. 2039
(115th Congress), introduced October 31, 2017; and S. 1762 (116th Congress), introduced June 10, 2019.
131 Rep. Bob Goodlatte, in U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Markup of H.R. 4170, The “Disclosing
Foreign Influence Act,” January 17, 2018, p. 5, at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20180117/106786/HMKP-
115-JU00-T ranscript-20180117.pdf#page=5.
132 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733. For more information on the False Claims Act, see U.S. Department of Justice, “T he False
Claims Act,” at https://www.justice.gov/civil/false-claims-act; CRS Report R40785, Qui Tam: The False Claims Act
and Related Federal Statutes, by Charles Doyle; and CRS Report R40786, Qui Tam : An Abbreviated Look at the False
Claim s Act and Related Federal Statutes, by Charles Doyle.
133 Rep. Bob Goodlatte, in U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Markup of H.R. 4170, The “Disclosing
Foreign Influence Act,” January 17, 2018, p. 7, at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20180117/106786/HMKP-
115-JU00-T ranscript-20180117.pdf#page=7.
Congressional Research Service

19

link to page 17 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

that has been a part of our law since 1938.”134 Opponents argue that CID could “raise Fourth
Amendment and other constitutional concerns.”135 In a 2018 House Judiciary Committee markup
on a bil that would have granted DOJ CID authority, one Member commented,
We have heard … that the use of CIDs may effectively be an end-run around the Fourth
Amendment, particularly where, as in the case of FARA, criminal prosecution sanctions
may result from an investigation.
To obtain documents and other evidence in a criminal investigation, law enforcement
officials must get a search warrant issued by a judge after a showing of probable cause that
a crime was committed, and that items connected with a crime are likely to be found at the
locations specified in the warrant. The CID language in this bill, however, appears to alow
law enforcement to obtain such items without any prior judicial authorization, thereby
circumventing an important constitutional limit on government authority.136
Repealing Exemption Under FARA for LDA Registration
As discussed above (“Section 613—Exemptions”), individuals who are registered lobbyists under
the LDA are not required to register under FARA. Pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §613(h), the FARA
registration requirement does not apply to
Any agent of a person described in section 611(b)(2) of this title or an entity described in
section 611(b)(3) of this title if the agent has engaged in lobbying activities and has
registered under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 [2 U.S.C. §1601 et seq.] in
connection with the agent’s representation of such person or entity.137
Individuals who meet this exemption requirement are not required to register and disclose under
FARA if they are already registered under LDA for the same relationship. Further, the Department
of Justice’s FARA FAQ clarifies the department’s interpretation of the exemption. It says:
Any agent who is engaged in lobbying activities and is registered under the Lobbying
Disclosure Act is exempt from registration under FARA if the representation is not on
behalf of a foreign government or foreign political party.138

134 Rep. Mike Johnson, in U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Markup of H.R. 4170, T he “Disclosing
Foreign Influence Act,” January 17, 2018, p. 45, at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20180117/106786/
HMKP-115-JU00-Transcript -20180117.pdf#page=45.
135 Rep. Jerrold Nadler, in U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Markup of H.R. 4170, The “Disclosing
Foreign Influence Act,” January 17, 2018, p. 8, at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20180117/106786/HMKP-
115-JU00-T ranscript-20180117.pdf#page=8. T he Fourth Amendment protects people against unreasonable searches
and seizures by the government. For more information, see United States Courts, “What does the Fourth Amendment
Mean?” at https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-
resources/what-does-0.
136 Rep. Nadler, in U.S. Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary, Markup of H.R. 4170, The “Disclosing Foreign
Influence Act,” January 17, 2018, p. 10, at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20180117/106786/HMKP-115-
JU00-T ranscript -20180117.pdf#page=10.
137 22 U.S.C. §613(h). Under FARA, the definitions of a foreign principal can be found at 22 U.S.C. §611. Specifically,
22 U.S.C. §611(b)(2)-(3) states that a foreign principal includes “ (2) a person outside of the United States, unless it is
established that such person is an individual and a citizen of and domiciled within the United States, or that such person
is not an individual and is organized under or created by the laws of the United States or of any State or other place
subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and has its principal place of business within the United States; and (3) a
partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the laws of or
having its principal place of business in a foreign country.”
138 U.S. Department of Justice, “Does Everyone Who Acts as an Agent of a Foreign Principal Have to Register?”
General FARA Frequently Asked Questions, at https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara/general-fara-frequently-asked-
questions. Additionally, the DOJ has issued regulations (28 C.F.R. §5.307) for the LDA exemption. It states that “ For
Congressional Research Service

20

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Over the past several years, interest in amending FARA to remove the exemption in 22 U.S.C.
§613(h) has increased. Most advocates of this change would repeal the entire exemption and
require registration under both FARA and LDA.139 Some, however, have suggested that the
current exemption should be reversed. These advocates believe that foreign agents engaged in
lobbying should be required to register under FARA because of their primary relationship to a
foreign principal. They also believe that the foreign agents who register under FARA should then
be exempt from the LDA.140
Amending FARA to repeal the LDA exemption, or creating an exemption in LDA for FARA
filers, might serve to increase the number of foreign agents who register under FARA. Foreign
agents who currently use the LDA exemption have an advocacy relationship that meets the LDA
definition of a lobbyist.141 If the LDA exemption were repealed or modified, these foreign agents
would conceivably have to register under FARA and LDA, thus arguably providing additional
insight into the advocacy work of foreign agents and the number of foreign agents in the United
States. Should an exemption in LDA be created to exempt FARA filers, foreign agents would
only register under FARA and the LDA data would no longer contain these individuals and firms,
thus potential y creating a similar problem of underregistration in LDA for lobbyists who
represent foreign clients.
If the FARA exemption was repealed or modified, individuals or firms who represent foreign
clients could have to register under both laws. The current exemption schema seemingly prevents
potential y duplicate registrations. The issue of registration under both laws could be further
complicated because the laws are administered by different entities—the Department of Justice
(FARA) and the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate (LDA).142
Restricting Certain Former Officials From Acting as Foreign Agents
Current revolving door laws require that former executive and legislative branch officials serve a
one-year “cooling off” period before performing certain representational or advocacy activities on
behalf of foreign governments or foreign political parties.143 In recent years, media reports144 and

the purpose of section 3(h) of the Act, the burden of establishing that registration under the Lobbyi ng Disclosure Act of
1995, 2 U.S.C. §1601 et seq. (LDA), has been made shall fall upon the person claiming the exemption. T he Department
of Justice will accept as prima facie evidence of registration a duly executed registration statement filed pursuant to the
LDA. In no case where a foreign government or foreign political party is the principal beneficiary will the exemption
under 3(h) be recognized.”
139 For example, see H.R. 2819 (115th Congress), introduced June 7, 2017; H.R. 4170 (115th Congress), introduced
October 31, 2017; and H.R. 5150, §605(b) (116th Congress), introduced November 18, 2019.
140 S. 2482, §5 (115th Congress), introduced March 1, 2018.
141 Charles Lawson, “Shining the ‘Spotlight of Pitiless Publicity’ on Foreign Lobbyists?: Evaluating the Impact of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 on the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” Vanderbilt Journal of Translational Law,
vol. 29, no. 5 (November 1996), pp. 1151-1184.
142 For more information on the administration of the LDA, see CRS Report RL34377, Lobbying Registration and
Disclosure: The Role of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate, by Jacob R. Straus.
143 18 U.S.C. §207(f). For more information on the revolving door, see, CRS Report R45946, Executive Branch Service
and the “Revolving Door” in Cabinet Departments: Background and Issues for Congress, by Jacob R. Straus,
Executive Branch Service and the “Revolving Door” in Cabinet Departments: Background and Issues for Congress, by
Jacob R. Straus.
144 Nick Robinson, “T he Foreign Agents Registration Act is Broken: Stepping Up Enforceme nt of FARA Before
Reforming the Act is a Recipe for Disaster,” Foreign Policy, July 22, 2019, at https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/22/
the-foreign-agents-registration-act-is-broken; and Megan R. Wilson, “ Foreign Lobbying Law Open to Exploitation,”
The Hill, November 28, 2017, at https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/362042-foreign-lobbying-law-open-to-
Congressional Research Service

21

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

academic studies145 have evaluated and discussed former federal and congressional officials’ use
of the “revolving door” to become foreign agents, in some cases concluding that violations of the
law might be occurring. To counter the narrative that former executive or congressional officials
are not observing statutory “cooling off” periods, legislation has been introduced to alter
restrictions on former Members of Congress, congressional employees, and/or executive branch
officials from becoming foreign agents. Strategies to limit the registration of these individuals as
foreign agents general y take two forms. Some proposals would ban former Members of Congress
or congressional employees from receiving certain benefits for any month they are registered as
foreign agents.146 Other proposals would increase the “cooling off” period for congressional or
executive branch officials from the current 1 year to 10 years or more.147
Restricting a former covered official’s access to retirement benefits if the official serves as a
foreign agent might dissuade individuals from representing foreign clients after their government
service. Determining whether a particular individual might be eligible for retirement benefits in a
particular month would likely require real-time matching of data to know if a covered official
lobbied in a particular period, and communication of those data to benefit administrators.148
The extension of “cooling off” periods, or bans on former officials from becoming foreign agents,
are often designed to discourage covered individuals from representing foreign clients within the
period specified by the law. One academic study found that former officials thrive on contacts
with their former col eagues or bosses.149 Another academic study found that when those contacts
leave government, the lobbyists are found to be less effective.150 Subsequently, some see the
extension of the “cooling off” period as a strategy to further discourage covered government
employees from trying to leverage their experience.151

exploitation.
145 Jeffrey Lazarus, Amy McKay, and Lindsey Herbel, “Who Walks T hrough the Revolving Door?: Examining the
Lobbying Activities of Former Members of Congress,” Interest Groups & Advocacy, vol. 5, no. 1 (2016), pp. 82-100;
Daniel G. Webber, Jr., “Proposed Revolving Door Restrictions: Limiting Lobbying by Ex -Lawmakers,” Oklahoma City
Law Review, vol. 21, issue 1 (Spring 1996), pp. 29 -52; and Michael E. Shepard and Hye Young You, “ Exit Strategy:
Career Concerns and Revolving Doors in Congress,” Am erican Political Science Review, vol. 114, no. 1 (February
2020), pp. 270-284.
146 See, for example, H.R. 3505 (115th Congress), introduced July 27, 2017.
147 See, for example, H.R. 4343 (112th Congress), introduced March 29, 2012, would have increased “cooling off”
periods for the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and other officers of the executive branch from
lobbying for a foreign government for 10 years after leaving office. H.R. 484 (115th Congress), introduced January 12,
2017; and H.R. 6476 (114th Congress), introduced December 8, 2016, would have created lifetime bans on political
appointees from becoming agents of a foreign principal. None of these proposals were considered by the House.
148 For more information on federal retirement benefits and administration, see CRS Report RL30631, Retirement
Benefits for Mem bers of Congress, by Katelin P. Isaacs; CRS In Focus IF10243, Civilian Federal Retirem ent: Current
Law, Recent Changes, and Reform Proposals, by Katelin P. Isaacs; CRS Report 98-972, Federal Em ployees’
Retirem ent System : Sum m ary of Recent Trends, by Katelin P. Isaacs; and CRS Report 98-810, Federal Em ployees’
Retirem ent System : Benefits and Financing , by Katelin P. Isaacs.
149 Jeffrey Lazarus and Amy Melissa McKay, “Consequences of the Revolving Door: Evaluating the Lobbying Success
of Former Congressional Members and St aff,” paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science
Association, Chicago, IL, April 2012, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2141416.
150 Jordi Blanes I Vidal, Mirko Draca, and Christian Fons-Rosen, “Revolving Door Lobbyists,” American Economic
Review, vol. 102, no. 7 (2012), pp. 3731 -3748, at https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.102.7.3731. This
study found that “lobbyists connected to US Senators suffer an average 24 percent drop in the generated revenue when
their previous employer leaves the Senate.” T he authors regard these “findings as evidence t hat connections to
powerful, serving politicians are key determinants of the revenue that lobbyists generate” (3732).
151 Robert H. Mundheim, “Conflict of Interest and the Former Government Employee: Rethinking the Revolving
Door,” Creighton Law Review, vol. 14, no. 3 (1980-1981), pp. 707-722.
Congressional Research Service

22

link to page 23 link to page 23 link to page 23 link to page 23 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Extending the “cooling off” period to two years or more could possibly be seen as an
unreasonable restriction on post-employment. In some circumstances, however, lifetime bans
have been applied to certain individuals engaged in specific capacities during their time in
government. For example, 18 U.S.C. §207(b) banned the U.S. Trade Representative and the
Deputy Trade Representative for life from “representing, aiding, or advising foreign entities with
the intent to influence a decision of a government official.”152
Other Considerations for Congress
As discussed above under “Civil Investigative Demand Authority,” historical y the enforcement
of FARA reportedly has been somewhat limited. In addition to recent legislative proposals,
should Congress wish to modify FARA administration or enforcement, at least two options exist.
These include potential y providing additional monetary or staffing resources to the DOJ and
combining FARA and LDA administration.
Provide Additional Funding and/or Staffing for Administration or
Enforcement
Proposed changes to the administration or enforcement of FARA could require additional funding
or staffing resources. From an administrative perspective, additional staff might be used to check
registration statements and informational material submissions proactively for compliance or
review requests to grant exemptions to FARA, should FARA be amended to require approval
rather than self-selection for exemptions.153
From an enforcement perspective, additional staffing or funding could al ow the DOJ additional
resources for the investigation and potential prosecution of foreign agents that have not complied
with FARA registration or disclosure requirements. Additional y, should the DOJ be given “Civil
Investigative Demand Authority,” additional resources might be utilized to carry out that
authority.154 Should new resources not be provided, however, shifting existing resources to FARA
enforcement might leave fewer resources for other priorities.
Combine FARA and LDA Administration
Lobbying laws differ for foreign agents (FARA) and domestic lobbyists (LDA), and these two
laws are administrated by different entities—FARA by the Department of Justice and LDA by the
Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate. To streamline the administration of foreign

152 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Laws on Post-Employment Activities, Foreign Representation, and
Lobbying, GAO-10-766, June 2010, p. 7, https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10766.pdf.
153 U.S. General Accounting Office, Foreign Agent Registration: Justice Needs to Improve Program Administration ,
GAO/NSIAD-90-250, July 30, 1990, p. 4, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/220/213011.pdf#page=5.
154 Ibid., pp. 2-3. In 1980, GAO recommended that the DOJ “seek authority to (1) give the Justice Department
additional enforcement measure, including administrative subpoena powers, and (2) re quire individuals to submit
written notification of all exemption claims prior to engaging in the representation of a foreign principal.” GAO
reported that DOJ has sought these authorities. T o date, as discussed under “ Civil Investigative Demand Authority,”
Congress has not enacted legislation to address these concerns. See also, U.S. General Accounting Office,
Im provem ents Needed in the Adm inistration of Foreign Agent Registration, ID-80-51, July 31, 1980,
https://www.gao.gov/assets/140/130020.pdf; and U.S. General Accounting Office, Foreign Agent Registration: Justice
Needs to Im prove Program Adm inistration, GAO/NSIAD-90-250, July 30, 1990, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/220/
213011.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

23

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

agent and lobbying disclosure and registration, Congress might consider transferring LDA
administration to the DOJ or FARA administration to the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of
the Senate.
Historical y, registration of foreign lobbyists and agents was first handled by the Department of
State before it was transferred to the Department of Justice.155 The Clerk of the House and the
Secretary of the Senate have historical y handled LDA administration.156 Congress could choose
to maintain FARA administration with the DOJ and LDA administration with Congress, could
add LDA registration to the DOJ portfolio, or could transfer FARA administration to the Clerk of
the House and the Secretary of the Senate. Such a change, however, would likely require
additional resources to hire personnel and to realign current LDA or FARA registration and
disclosure.
Alternatively, Congress could create a new entity to administer both the LDA and FARA.
Creating a new agency could al ow a singular focus on lobbying and potential y provide for a
holistic view of lobbying registration and disclosure across both domestic and foreign clients and
issues, regardless of whether contact is made with the executive or legislative branch. Combining
lobbying administration into a new agency, however, could involve significant costs to transfer
LDA and FARA data and to hire personnel.
Should Congress merge LDA and FARA enforcement, the DOJ would likely retain the right to
investigate and potential y prosecute noncompliance. If a combined lobbying administration unit
was placed either in Congress or in a new (or existing) agency, referrals of noncompliance would
likely stil be required for DOJ to potential y take any action.
Concluding Observations
The Foreign Agents Registration Act is more than 80 years old. Initial y enacted to “combat the
spread of hidden foreign influence through propaganda in American politics,”157 today FARA has
been reoriented to focus on foreign principals engaged in advocacy activities in the United States.
An analysis of FARA and its amendments in 1942, 1966, and 1995; scholarly work on foreign
agents; and proposed legislation identified five areas where interest in further altering FARA has
been expressed. These include registration and disclosure requirements, the labeling of
informational materials, civil investigative demand authority, repealing exemptions under FARA,
and restricting certain former officials from becoming foreign agents. Additional considerations
include providing additional resources for administration and enforcement and potential y
combining LDA and FARA administration.
The continued introduction of legislation suggests that some Members of Congress are actively
thinking about potential FARA amendments. Whether future amendments to FARA might occur

155 Executive Order 9176, “T ransferring the Administration of the Act of June 8, 1938, as amended, Requiring the
Registration of Agents of Foreign Principals, from the Secretary of State to the Attorney General,” 7 Federal Register
4127, June 2, 1942.
156 2 U.S.C. §1603(a)(1).
157 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, “Department of Justice Posts Advisory Opinions on
FARA.Gov Website,” press release, June 8, 2019. Specifically, FARA responded to foreign influence concerns by
creating a system “to identify agents of foreign principals who might engage in subversive acts or in spreading foreign
propaganda and to require them to make public record of the nature of their employment.” Vierick v. United States, 318
U.S. 236, 241 (1943). See also, U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995,
report to accompany H.R. 2564, 104th Cong., 1st sess., November 14, 1995, H.Rept. 104-339, part 1 (Washington:
GPO, 1995), pp. 5-8.
Congressional Research Service

24

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

is unknown. Should Congress decide to make changes to FARA, it may likely be the result of
responding to the current foreign lobbying environment.

Congressional Research Service

25

link to page 30 link to page 31 link to page 31 link to page 31 link to page 31 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Appendix. Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA)
Definitions
Table A-1 provides a summary of the definitions provided for in FARA.
Table A-1. Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) Definitions
22 U.S.C. §611
Term
Definition
Person
Individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations or any other combination of
individuals [§611(a)]
Foreign Principal
Government of a foreign country; foreign political party; person outside the
United States;a and “a partnership association, corporation, organization, or
other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal
place of business in a foreign country” [§611(b)]
Agent of a Foreign Principal
(1) “Any person who acts as an agent, representatives, employee, or servant,”
or “at the order, request or under direct control” of a foreign principal or a
person “directly or indirectly supervised, directed, control ed, financed, or
subsidized ... by a foreign principal,” and engages in certain covered activities;b
(2) “any person who agrees, consents, assumes or purports to act as ... an agent
of a foreign principal”c [§611(c)]
Government of a Foreign
“any person or group of persons exercising sovereign de facto or de jure
Country
political jurisdiction over any country,” or part of another country. Does not
include the United States [§611(e)]
Foreign Political Party
“Any organization or other combination of individuals … having for an aim or
purpose … the establishment, administration, control, or acquisition of
administration or control of a government of a foreign country.” Does not
include the United States [§611(f)]
Public-Relations Counsel
“any person who engages directly or indirectly in informing, advising, or in any
way representing a principal in any public relations matter pertaining to political
or public interests, policies, or relations” [611(g)]
Publicity Agent
“any person who engages directly or indirectly in the publication or
dissemination of oral, visual, graphic, written, or pictorial information or matter
of any kind, including publication by means of advertising, books, periodicals,
newspapers, lectures, broadcasts, motion pictures, or otherwise” [611(h)]
Information-Service Employee
“any person who is engaged in furnishing, disseminating, or publishing accounts,
descriptions, information, or data with respect to the political, industrial,
employment, economic, social, cultural, or other benefits, advantages, facts, or
conditions of any country other than the United States or of any government of
a foreign country or of a foreign political party or of a partnership, association,
corporation, organization, or other combination of individuals organized under
the laws of, or having its principal place of business in, a foreign country [611(i)]
Registration Statement
Registration statement required to be filed with the Attorney General under 22
U.S.C. 612(a) [611(k)]
American Republic
Any of the states which were signatory to the Final Act of the Second Meeting
of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics at Habana, Cuba,
July 30, 1940d [611(l)]
United States
Includes the States, the District of Columbia, the territories, the Canal Zone,
the insular possessions, and other places subject to the civil or military
jurisdiction of the United States [611(m)]
Congressional Research Service

26

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Term
Definition
Prints
“Newspapers and periodicals, books, pamphlets, sheet music, visiting cards,
address cards, printing proofs, engravings, photographs, pictures, drawings,
plans, maps, patterns to be cut out, catalogs, prospectuses, advertisements, and
printed, engraved, lithographed, or autographed notices of various kinds … and
impressions or reproductions….” [611(n)]
Political Activities
Any activities that the engaging party believes wil or intends to influence
government or the American public in regards to American domestic or foreign
policy [611(o)]
Political Consultant
“Person who engages in informing or advising any other person with reference
to the domestic or foreign policies of the United States or the political or public
interest, policies, or relations of a foreign country or of a foreign political party”
[611(p)]
Source: CRS analysis and summary of 22 U.S.C. §611.
Notes:
a. A person is not an agent of a foreign principal if they are a citizen of and live in the United States, or are a
business incorporated in the United States and have their principal place of business within the United
States [611(b)(2)].
b. With respect to covered activities, FARA defines an agent of a foreign principal as one who “(i) engages
within the United States in political activities for or in the interests of such foreign principal; (i ) acts within
the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee or political
consultant for or in the interests of such foreign principal; (i i) within the United States solicits, col ects,
disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money, or other things of value for or in the interest of such
foreign principal; or (iv) within the United States represents the interests of such foreign principal before
any agency or official of the Government of the United States” [§611(c)(1)].
c. Pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §611(d), “The term ‘agent of a foreign principal’ does not include any news or press
service or association organized under the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject
to the jurisdiction of the United States, or any newspaper, magazine, periodical, or other publication for
which there is on file with the United States Postal Service information in compliance with section 3611 of
title 39, published in the United States, solely by virtue of any bona fide news or journalistic activities,
including the solicitation or acceptance of advertisements, subscriptions, or other compensation therefor,
so long as it is at least 80 per centum beneficial y owned by, and its officers and directors, if any, are citizens
of the United States, and such news or press service or association, newspaper, magazine, periodical, or
other publication, is not owned, directed, supervised, control ed, subsidized, or financed, and none of its
policies are determined by any foreign principal defined in subsection (b) of this section, or by any agent of a
foreign principal required to register under this subchapter.”
d. For more information on the Final Act of the Second Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the
American Republics at Habana, Cuba, July 30, 1940, see “Provisional Administration of European Colonies
and Possessions in the Americas (Convention),” July 30, 1940, 56 Stat. 1273, Treaty Series 977, at
https://www.loc.gov/law/help/us-treaties/bevans/m-ust000003-0623.pdf.

Congressional Research Service

27

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Background and Issues for Congress

Author Information

Jacob R. Straus

Specialist on the Congress

Acknowledgments
Kathleen Marchsteiner, Research Librarian, assisted with research for this report.

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Congressional Research Service
R46435 · VERSION 1 · NEW
28