S. 1724: Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-05-20 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3196)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-05-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3196) 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

Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act of 2021

Plain summary

Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act of 2021 This bill provides the Department of Justice (DOJ) with a mechanism to demand evidence for investigating compliance with foreign-agent disclosure requirements and increases penalties relating to such requirements. DOJ may issue civil investigative demands to a person who may have information relevant to an investigation related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA). Such demands may be for documents, written answers to questions, or oral testimony. The bill prescribes various procedures and requirements, such as minimum notice periods when seeking oral testimony. Investigative demands may be enforced or challenged in district court. Such investigative demands may not require the production of information that would be protected from disclosure under (1) the rules governing grand jury subpoenas, or (2) the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to the extent the rules are consistent with this bill. The bill increases the maximum criminal fine for certain FARA violations from $10,000 to $200,000. It shall be unlawful for an agent of a foreign principal to willfully fail to disclose being a FARA-registered agent before or during a meeting with a Member of Congress (or with staff of a Member or congressional committee). The bill provides for various civil penalties for failing to meet agent registration requirements. The foreign principal of a penalized agent may not pay the imposed fines. The Government Accountability Office shall (1) analyze the effectiveness of FARA enforcement, and (2) audit the exemption to the Lobbying Disclosure Act for FARA-registered agents.

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

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

John Cornyn (R-TX), Todd Young (R-IN)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] reported raising $527,998 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (3)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
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 Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117s1724.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>

Record fed-us-cong117-s1724 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117