S. 5682 – Foreign Government-Owned Media FARA Registration Act

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Updated October 22, 2026 at 4:51 AM UTC

The bill amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act to require any news or media organization in the United States that is owned, controlled, or financed by a foreign government to register as a foreign agent. It adds a definition that captures such foreign‑government‑owned media, with limited exemptions for outlets that are editorially independent and primarily U.S. owned. The law also obligates the Attorney General to give Congress an annual report listing these foreign media outlets and their registration status.

Key Provisions

Expands the definition of “agent of a foreign principal” to include any news, press service, or digital media operating in the U.S. that is owned, controlled, or financed wholly or partially by a foreign government, unless the outlet can prove editorial independence and meets an 80% U.S. ownership threshold.
Specifies that U.S.-organized news entities that are at least 80% owned by U.S. persons and not directed or financed by a foreign government are excluded from the registration requirement.
Requires the Attorney General to submit an annual report to Congress listing all foreign‑government‑owned media operating in the U.S., indicating whether each is registered under FARA, and explaining any non‑registration.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/30/2026.

Foreign Relations Committee

October 15, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

October 15, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/30/2026.

Foreign Relations Committee

October 15, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued October 15, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5682

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 15, 2026

Mr. Scott of Florida, under authority of the order of the Senate of September 30, 2026, introduced the following bill; which was ordered read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended to clarify that foreign government-owned media operating in the United States must register as a foreign agent.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Foreign Government-Owned Media FARA Registration Act.

2.

Definition

Section 1 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 611) is amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:

(d)

The term agent of a foreign principal—

(1)

includes any news or press service or association operating in the United States that is owned, controlled, or financed directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by a government of a foreign country, unless that news or press service or association—

(A)

has the freedom, pursuant to the law of that foreign country, to take any position adverse to the foreign government owning, controlling, or financing the news or press service or association; and

(B)

can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that the news or press service or association is independent in all matters relating to the editorial decisions of the news or press service or association; and

(2)

does not include any news or press service or association organized under the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or any newspaper, magazine, periodical, digital media, or other publication for which there is on file with the United States Postal Service information in compliance with section 3685 of title 39, United States Code, published in the United States, solely by virtue of any bona fide news or journalistic activities, including the solicitation or acceptance of advertisements, subscriptions, or other compensation therefor, so long as it is at least 80 per centum beneficially owned by, and its officers and directors, if any are citizens of the United States, and such news or press service or association, newspaper, magazine, periodical, digital media, or other publication, is not owned, directed, supervised, controlled, subsidized, or financed, and none of its policies are determined by any foreign principal defined in subsection (b) of this section, or by any agent of a foreign principal required to register under this Act.

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3.

Reports to the Congress

The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.) is amended by striking section 11 (22 U.S.C. 621) and inserting the following:

11.

Reports to the Congress

(a)

The Attorney General shall provide an annual report to the Congress concerning administration of this Act, including registrations filed pursuant to this Act, and the nature, sources and content of political propaganda disseminated and distributed.

(b)

In each report submitted under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall include in the report—

(1)

a list of each foreign media outlet operating in the United States that is owned, controlled, or financed directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by a government of a foreign country; and

(2)

with respect to each foreign media outlet described in paragraph (1)—

(A)

a statement of whether the foreign media outlet is registered under this Act; and

(B)

if the foreign media outlet is not registered under this Act, an explanation of why the foreign media outlet is not registered under this Act.

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