H.R. 4545 – Retroactive Foreign Agents Registration Act

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Updated January 20, 2026 at 9:43 AM UTC

The Retroactive Foreign Agents Registration Act amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act to require individuals who previously acted as agents of foreign principals to register for those past activities. It also gives the Attorney General authority to seek court orders that force retroactive compliance, even if the person is no longer acting as an agent. The changes apply to anyone who served as a foreign agent at any time before, on, or after the law’s enactment.

Key Provisions

Changes the wording in FARA’s registration requirement, replacing “for the period” with “covering the period” to clarify that registration must cover past activities.
Allows the Attorney General to request a court order requiring a person to comply with any FARA provision retroactively, including registration, regardless of current agent status.
Specifies that these amendments apply to any individual who served as a foreign principal’s agent before, on, or after the enactment date.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Cline asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 4545, a bill originally introduced by Representative Gallagher, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

December 10, 2024 • 5:10 PM

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 11, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

July 11, 2023

HouseFloor

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Cline asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 4545, a bill originally introduced by Representative Gallagher, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

December 10, 2024 • 5:10 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 4545 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Ben ClineR-VA-6 · Dec 10, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 4545, a bill originally introduced by Representative Gallagher of Wisconsin, for the purpose of…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 11, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4545

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 11, 2023

Mr. Gallagher (for himself, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Roy, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Wittman, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Banks, Ms. Spanberger, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Moulton, and Ms. Brown) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended to clarify the obligation of individuals who formerly served as agents of foreign principals to register retroactively as foreign agents under the Act with respect to activities carried out previously on behalf of such foreign principals, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Retroactive Foreign Agents Registration Act.

2.

Clarifying obligation to register retroactively as agents of foreign principals

(a)

Obligation

The third sentence of section 2(a) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 612(a)) is amended by striking for the period and inserting covering the period.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any individual who serves as the agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, at any time before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

3.

Permitting order requiring compliance to apply retroactively

(a)

Retroactive compliance

Section 8(f) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 618(f)) is amended—

(1)

by inserting after the first sentence the following: The Attorney General may make application for an order requiring a person to comply with any appropriate provision of this Act or any regulation thereunder while the person acts as an agent of a foreign principal or at any time thereafter.; and

(2)

by striking the period at the end and inserting the following: , including an order requiring a person to comply with section 2 with respect to any period during which the person acts as the agent of a foreign principal notwithstanding that the person does not act as the agent of a foreign principal at the time the court issues the order..

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any individual who serves as the agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, at any time before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.