H.R. 1419 – Protect Against Unlawful Lobbying (PAUL) Act of 2021

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Updated February 7, 2026 at 11:26 PM UTC

The Protect Against Unlawful Lobbying (PAUL) Act amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act to strengthen enforcement. It creates a dedicated unit within the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, gives the Attorney General authority to levy civil penalties, and requires registered foreign agents to report recent transactions that provide financial benefits to federal or state officials. The changes affect foreign agents, the DOJ, and U.S. officeholders.

Key Provisions

Establishes a dedicated enforcement unit in the DOJ’s National Security Division to investigate and enforce FARA, with $10 million appropriated each fiscal year.
Allows the Attorney General to impose civil money penalties of up to $10,000 for late or incomplete registration, $1,000 for supplement failures, and up to $200,000 for knowing violations.
Prohibits foreign principals from paying any civil penalties assessed against agents.
Requires agents to disclose any transaction in the past 60 days where a foreign principal gave a federal or state official a gift, profit, salary, favorable regulatory treatment, or other financial benefit, with statements filed within 90 days of the law’s enactment.
Mandates current registrants to submit supplemental, sworn disclosures of such transactions for the period they acted as agents.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee

April 28, 2021

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 26, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

February 26, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee

April 28, 2021

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 26, 2021

I

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1419

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 26, 2021

Ms. Omar (for herself, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Pressley) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to establish a separate unit within the Department of Justice for the investigation and enforcement of such Act, to provide the Attorney General with the authority to impose civil money penalties for violations of such Act, and to require agents of foreign principals who are registered under such Act to disclose transactions involving things of financial value conferred on officeholders.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protect Against Unlawful Lobbying (PAUL) Act of 2021.

2.

Establishment of FARA investigation and enforcement unit within Department of Justice

Section 8 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 618) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(i)

Dedicated enforcement unit

(1)

Establishment

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Attorney General shall establish a unit within the counterespionage section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice with responsibility for the enforcement of this Act.

(2)

Powers

The unit established under this subsection is authorized to—

(A)

take appropriate legal action against individuals suspected of violating this Act; and

(B)

coordinate any such legal action with the United States Attorney for the relevant jurisdiction.

(3)

Consultation

In operating the unit established under this subsection, the Attorney General shall, as appropriate, consult with the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of State.

(4)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the activities of the unit established under this subsection $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each succeeding fiscal year.

.

3.

Authority to impose civil money penalties

(a)

Establishing authority

Section 8 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 618) is amended by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection:

(d)

Civil money penalties

(1)

Registration statements

Whoever fails to file timely or complete a registration statement as provided under section 2(a) shall be subject to a civil money penalty of not more than $10,000 per violation.

(2)

Supplements

Whoever fails to file timely or complete supplements as provided under section 2(b) shall be subject to a civil money penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation.

(3)

Other violations

Whoever knowingly fails to—

(A)

remedy a defective filing within 60 days after notice of such defect by the Attorney General; or

(B)

comply with any other provision of this Act,

shall upon proof of such knowing violation by a preponderance of the evidence, be subject to a civil money penalty of not more than $200,000, depending on the extent and gravity of the violation.

(4)

No fines paid by foreign principals

A civil money penalty paid under paragraph (1) may not be paid, directly or indirectly, by a foreign principal.

(5)

Use of fines

All civil money penalties collected under this subsection shall be used to defray the cost of the enforcement unit established under subsection (i).

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

4.

Disclosure of transactions involving things of financial value conferred on officeholders

(a)

Requiring agents To disclose known transactions

(1)

In general

Section 2(a) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612(a)) is amended—

(A)

by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs (11) and (12); and

(B)

by inserting after paragraph (9) the following new paragraph:

(10)

To the extent that the registrant has knowledge of any transaction which occurred in the preceding 60 days and in which the foreign principal for whom the registrant is acting as an agent conferred on a Federal or State officeholder any thing of financial value, including a gift, profit, salary, favorable regulatory treatment, or any other direct or indirect economic or financial benefit, a detailed statement describing each such transaction.

.

(2)

Effective date

The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to statements filed on or after the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b)

Supplemental disclosure for current registrants

Not later than the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act, each registrant who (prior to the expiration of such period) filed a registration statement with the Attorney General under section 2(a) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612(a)) and who has knowledge of any transaction described in paragraph (10) of section 2(a) of such Act (as added by subsection (a)(1)) which occurred at any time during which the registrant was an agent of the foreign principal involved, shall file with the Attorney General a supplement to such statement under oath, on a form prescribed by the Attorney General, containing a detailed statement describing each such transaction.