S. 3050Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

PAID OFF Act of 2025

Introduced October 23, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 29, 2026 at 3:53 AM UTC

The PAID OFF Act of 2025 tightens the Foreign Agents Registration Act by removing key exemptions for agents tied to entities owned or controlled by designated “countries of concern.” It also establishes a formal, congressional‑approved procedure for updating that list of countries. The changes apply to anyone required to register as a foreign agent, and they automatically lapse after five years.

Key Provisions

  • Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to say that certain exemption categories (subsections (d)(1), (d)(2), and (h)) do not apply to any foreign‑principal agent that is a corporate or government entity owned or controlled by a country on the State Department’s “country of concern” list.
  • Creates a new process for changing the “country of concern” list: the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, can propose adding or deleting countries, must submit the proposal to the Senate Foreign Relations and House Judiciary committee leaders, and the change only takes effect after Congress passes a specific joint resolution approving the modification.
  • Sets a sunset provision so that all the amendments made by this Act expire five years after the law’s enactment.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions
SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 500.

July 27, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

October 23, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

October 23, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

June 17, 2026

SenateCommittee

Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch without amendment. Without written report.

July 27, 2026

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 500.

July 27, 2026

Bill Text

2 versions available

Reading Mode
Latest
Reported to SenateIssued July 27, 2026

II

Calendar No. 500

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3050

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 23, 2025

Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Risch, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Welch, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

July 27, 2026

Reported by Mr. Risch, without amendment

A BILL

To amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, to modify requirements under that Act relating to exemptions, and for other purposes.

1.

Treatment of exemptions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938

This Act may be cited as the Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation, and Obscured Foreign Financing Act of 2025 or the PAID OFF Act of 2025.

2.

Treatment of exemptions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938

Section 3 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 613), is amended—

(1)

in the matter preceding subsection (a), by inserting , except as provided in subsection (i) after principals; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(i)

Limitations

The exemptions under subsections (d)(1), (d)(2), and (h) shall not apply to any agent of a foreign principal that is a corporate or government entity that is owned or controlled by 1 or more of the identified countries listed in clauses (i) through (v) of section 1(m)(1)(A) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A)).

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3.

Mechanism to amend definition of country of concern

Section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

(6)

Modification to definition of country of concern

(A)

In general

The Secretary of State may, in consultation with the Attorney General, propose the addition or deletion of countries described in paragraph (1)(A).

(B)

Submission

Any proposal described in subparagraph (A) shall—

(i)

be submitted to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and

(ii)

become effective upon enactment of a joint resolution of approval as described in subparagraph (C).

(C)

Joint resolution of approval

(i)

In general

For purposes of subparagraph (B)(ii), the term joint resolution of approval means only a joint resolution—

(I)

that does not have a preamble;

(II)

that includes in the matter after the resolving clause the following: That Congress approves the modification of the definition of country of concern under section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, as submitted by the Secretary of State on ____; and section 1(m)(1)(A) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A)) is amended by ______., the blank spaces being appropriately filled in with the appropriate date and the amendatory language required to modify the list of countries in paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection by adding or deleting 1 or more countries; and

(III)

the title of which is as follows: Joint resolution approving modifications to definition of country of concern under section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956..

(ii)

Referral

(I)

Senate

A resolution described in clause (i) that is introduced in the Senate shall be referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

(II)

House of Representatives

A resolution described in clause (i) that is introduced in the House of Representatives shall be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.

.

4.

Sunset

The amendments made by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

July 27, 2026

Reported without amendment