This bill requires lobbyists to disclose whether they are exempt from registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act when filing their lobbying disclosures.
Joe Neguse
Representative
CO-2
The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act mandates that lobbyists must now disclose on their registration forms whether they qualify for an exemption under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. This change enhances transparency by requiring registrants to explicitly state their status regarding representation of foreign entities.
Lobbyists Must Now Disclose FARA Exemptions: A Small Change for Big Transparency
The aptly named Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act is less about sweeping reform and more about tightening up the paperwork. Specifically, Section 2 introduces a mandatory new step for anyone registering as a lobbyist under the existing Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
The New Paperwork Requirement
Think of this as the government adding one critical checkbox to an already complicated form. When lobbyists register, they now have to include a statement clarifying their status regarding the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA). FARA is the law that requires people representing the interests of foreign governments or political parties to register with the Justice Department. However, FARA has several exemptions, including one—Section 3(h)—that often applies to domestic lobbying firms that happen to have foreign clients.
Under this new rule, if a lobbyist is currently claiming that specific FARA exemption, they must clearly state that fact on their regular lobbying disclosure form. This isn't a new rule about who has to register; it’s a new rule about what information must be included on the registration form. For the average person, this means that when government watchdogs or journalists look up who is lobbying on a specific issue, they will immediately know if that lobbyist is also claiming a carve-out from the foreign agent rules.
Why This Matters for Transparency
This change is purely administrative, but it closes a small gap in transparency. Previously, a lobbyist could be working for a foreign client—and claiming the FARA exemption—without that connection being immediately obvious on their public lobbying disclosure. Now, the two systems are linked by this required statement. It’s a minor headache for the lobbyists who have to fill out the extra field, but it provides immediate clarity for oversight bodies and the public.
Essentially, the bill makes it easier to track the full scope of a lobbyist's work, ensuring that even when a foreign connection is exempt from FARA registration, that status is still explicitly disclosed during the standard lobbying registration process. It’s a low-key move that improves government insight into potential foreign influence without creating massive new regulations.