FIRM Act

Hozzl · 2022-02-09T03:42:22Z

Explore the details of House Bill 5733 FIRM Act currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on International Affairs. Stay informed on legislative developments.

2/9/2022, 3:42 AM

Congressional Summary of HR 5733

Foreign Influence Registration Modernization Act or the FIRM Act

This bill revises provisions related to the registration of foreign agents, and it transfers certain oversight duties regarding lobbying to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Current law exempts from foreign agent registration requirements any person engaging only in religious, scholastic, or scientific pursuits. The bill eliminates this exemption for agents of foreign principals that are known violators of human rights.

The bill also narrows the definition of foreign principal, waiving registration requirements for agents of foreign enterprises that are not under the control or direction of a foreign government or political party.

The bill further requires registration statements and supplements to be filed in a digitized format and stored in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable database.

In addition, the bill authorizes DOJ to enact a civil penalty of up to $200,000 for a violation of foreign agent registration requirements.

Lastly, the bill transfers administration of lobbyist registration, reporting, disclosure and enforcement, and penalties from Congress to DOJ.

Read the Full Bill

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Current Status of Bill HR 5733

Bill HR 5733 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since January 30, 2020. Bill HR 5733 was introduced during Congress 116 and was introduced to the House on January 30, 2020. Bill HR 5733's most recent activity was Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. as of January 30, 2020

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 5733

Total Number of Sponsors

Democrat Sponsors

Republican Sponsors

Unaffiliated Sponsors

Total Number of Cosponsors

Democrat Cosponsors

Republican Cosponsors

Unaffiliated Cosponsors

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 5733

Primary Policy Focus

International Affairs

Potential Impact Areas

- Art, artists, authorship

- Charitable contributions

- Civil actions and liability

- Congressional oversight

- Department of Justice

- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

- Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

- Foreign aid and international relief

- Government information and archives

- Human rights

- Licensing and registrations

- Political parties and affiliation

- Public participation and lobbying

- Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

- Teaching, teachers, curricula

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 5733

FIRM Act

To amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended to waive the application of the Act to agents representing foreign enterprises which are not under the control or direction of foreign governments or foreign political parties, to exclude agents who represent foreign governments which engage in a pattern of gross violations of human rights from the exemption provided under the Act for agents engaged in scholastic and certain other pursuits, and for other purposes.

FIRM Act

Foreign Influence Registration Modernization Act