PAID OFF Act of 2025
Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Whitehouse Push Bipartisan PAID OFF Act to Reveal Foreign Influence from Adversary Nations
The PAID OFF Act of 2025 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Foreign Relations for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
The bill has strong bipartisan support from influential senators in both parties, which usually helps a bill move forward. However, it must still pass through committees and compete with other major legislative priorities.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Some visa holders working in the U.S. on behalf of companies or organizations tied to countries of concern would lose their current exemptions from registering as foreign agents. This means additional paperwork and legal compliance requirements for those engaged in commercial, scientific, or other previously exempt activities linked to adversary-nation entities.
“The exemptions under subsections (d)(1), (d)(2), and (h) shall not apply to any agent of a foreign principal that is a corporate or government entity that is owned or controlled by 1 or more of the identified countries”
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
Package of House bills aims to counter foreign influence
The Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation and Obscured Foreign Financing (PAID OFF) Act would close loopholes that currently allow unregistered agents of foreign adversaries to lobby in America, specifically targeting nations like Iran, China, and Russia.
Congress Weighs Foreign Agent Disclosure and Registration Bills
The PAID OFF Act is a bipartisan proposal to make LDA and commercial activity exemptions to FARA registration unavailable to agents of a foreign principal acting in the interests of a 'country of concern,' including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba.
PAID OFF: Congress says it's cracking down on Chinese lobbying. The truth is more complicated
While the PAID OFF Act is billed as a way to prevent foreign influence, it is primarily a mechanism for increasing transparency. It removes exemptions for those engaging in 'bona fide trade or commerce' or already registered under the Lobbying Disclosure Act for countries of concern.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
PAID OFF Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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