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S. 4901: PAID OFF Act of 2022

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S. 4901: PAID OFF Act of 2022

117th Congress · introduced 2022-09-20 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S4858)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2022-09-20 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S4858) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

PAID OFF Act of 2022

Plain summary

Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation, and Obscured Foreign Financing Act of 2022 or the PAID OFF Act of 2022 This bill requires certain persons to register as agents of a foreign principal if the foreign principal in question is a foreign adversary. For the purposes of this bill, a foreign adversary is a foreign government or person (individual or entity) that has engaged in a long-term pattern of conduct significantly adverse to U.S. national security or the security and safety of U.S. persons. Currently, the Foreign Agents Registration Act exempts certain agents from the act's registration requirements, including agents (1) engaged only in private and nonpolitical activities to advance a foreign principal's bona fide trade or commerce interests, or (2) engaged in certain lobbying activities and where the agent has registered as a lobbyist. Under this bill, these exemptions shall not apply if the foreign principal is a foreign adversary.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

PAID OFF Act of 2022

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Deb Fischer (R-NE)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] reported raising $8.6 million (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.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-s4901 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117