H.R. 5337: To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit members of Congress from entering into any agreement with any foreign person or any commercial entity for the purpose of influencing or seeking a change in a law or regulation of the United States that would ease any restriction on a state sponsor of terrorism, and for other purposes.

H.R. 5337: To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit members of Congress from entering into any agreement with any foreign person or any commercial entity for the purpose of influencing or seeking a change in a law or regulation of the United States that would ease any restriction on a state sponsor of terrorism, and for other purposes.

108th Congress · introduced 2004-10-08 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-10-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit members of Congress from entering into any agreement with any foreign person or any commercial entity for the purpose of influencing or seeking a change in a law or regulation of the United States that would ease any restriction on a state sponsor of terrorism, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

Amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to redefine agent of a foreign principal to include Members of Congress who enter into written agreements with any foreign person to modify any Federal law or regulation that would result in easing any restriction imposed on any country the government of which has been determined by the Secretary of State, for purposes of specified Federal law, to be a government that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. Amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to deem any agreement or action on behalf of a foreign person or a business concern which is prohibited under the Federal criminal code to be U.S. export assistance prohibited under such Act. (Currently, U.S. assistance and financing is prohibited for exports to Cuba or for commercial exports to Iran, Libya, North Korea, or Sudan.) Expresses the sense of Congress that any Member of Congress who violates the Federal criminal code should be sanctioned under the appropriate congressional rule.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit members of Congress from entering into any agreement with any foreign person or any commercial entity for the purpose of influencing or seeking a change in a law or regulation of the United States that would ease any restriction on a state sponsor of terrorism, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hr5337.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hr>

Record fed-us-cong108-hr5337 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108