0
Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act
7/31/2024, 4:57 PM
Summary of Bill S 4548
The Foreign Extortion Prevention Act of 2019 was enacted to prohibit foreign officials from engaging in extortion against US citizens. However, there have been some technical issues with the implementation of this law that need to be addressed. The Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act aims to clarify and improve the language of the original law to ensure that it is effectively enforced.
Some of the key provisions of the Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act include clarifying the definition of "extortion" and specifying the penalties for violating the law. The bill also seeks to streamline the reporting requirements for individuals and entities who may be subject to extortion by foreign officials. Overall, the Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act is a bipartisan effort to strengthen the original Foreign Extortion Prevention Act of 2019 and ensure that US citizens are protected from extortion by foreign officials. It is currently being considered by Congress and may be subject to further amendments before it is passed into law.
Congressional Summary of S 4548
Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act
This act makes technical corrections and substantive changes to the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), which was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.
As originally enacted, FEPA established a new federal criminal offense involving bribery by foreign officials. Also, FEPA explicitly granted extraterritorial jurisdiction over offenses and established criminal penalties for violations.
This act narrows the scope of individuals who are foreign officials subject to the federal criminal provisions. Specifically, it redefines foreign official so that it does not include an individual acting in an unofficial capacity on behalf of a foreign government or international organization.
Additionally, this act broadens the scope of conduct that is prohibited. As originally enacted, FEPA generally prohibited conduct to solicit or accept a bribe in return for influence in the performance of any official act. This act broadens the scope of the prohibited conduct to include the solicitation or acceptance of a bribe in return for influence in the performance of any act or decision.
Finally, this act specifies that extraterritorial jurisdiction applies if the foreign official soliciting or accepting the bribe is in the United States.
