Foreign Agents Bill Expands Enforcement Power and Demands Annual Transparency Reports from DOJ

The new Foreign Agents Transparency Act is essentially a major cleanup and power boost for enforcing the existing Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the law that requires people lobbying or doing public relations for foreign governments or entities to register with the U.S. government. Specifically, this bill clarifies that the obligation to register covers a full five-year look-back period before the law is enacted, and it significantly expands the Attorney General’s power to chase down agents who tried to slip away after their contract ended. It also sets up a new annual reporting requirement, forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to detail exactly how they’re enforcing these rules.

The Five-Year Lookback: Retroactive Compliance

Section 2 of this Act is all about clearing up confusion on the timeline. FARA registration has always been mandatory, but this bill clarifies that if you acted as an agent for a foreign principal at any point in the five years before this new law takes effect, you are covered by the registration requirement. Think of it like this: if you worked for a foreign entity in 2020 and thought you were in the clear because the rules were murky, the government is now explicitly saying, “Nope, we’re looking back five years, and your obligation to register covers that time.” This clarification applies to anyone who was an agent during that period, tightening the net on past activities.

No Running Away: Enforcement After the Contract Ends

This is where the Attorney General (AG) gets a serious upgrade in authority (Section 3). Currently, the AG can seek a court order to force someone to comply with FARA while they are actively working for the foreign principal. This bill changes that, allowing the AG to seek a compliance order even after the person has stopped acting as an agent. If you were required to register while you were on the clock but didn't, the court can still issue an order forcing you to comply with those past obligations, even if you’ve moved on to a new job. For individuals who acted as agents in the five years leading up to this law, this means that even if they cut ties with the foreign entity years ago, they can still be legally compelled to address any past FARA compliance failures.

Mandated Transparency: Congressional Oversight Gets a Dashboard

Section 4 introduces a new layer of transparency that matters to everyone interested in government accountability. It requires the Attorney General to submit an annual, machine-readable report to Congress detailing every single enforcement action taken under FARA. This isn't just a summary; the report must include the name of the “covered individual” (the person they went after), a clear explanation of why the enforcement action was initiated, and the current status of the case (ongoing, settled, completed). This new reporting mandate is a big win for oversight, giving Congress a detailed, annual dashboard of how the DOJ is using its FARA enforcement powers. It means less operating in the dark and more accountability for the agency wielding these expanded powers.