PAID OFF Act of 2025

The bill changes the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) so that some current exemptions no longer apply to certain foreign agents. Specifically, if an agent represents a foreign company or government that is owned or controlled by a “country of concern,” that agent cannot use three existing exemptions in FARA. Those exemptions are in sections (d)(1), (d)(2), and (h) of FARA, which normally allow some agents to avoid registering. The bill also updates the State Department Basic Authorities Act to create a formal way to change which nations count as a “country of concern.” Under the bill, the Secretary of State, after consulting with the Attorney General, may propose adding or removing countries from this list. Any proposed change must be sent to key committees in the Senate and House, and it only takes effect if Congress passes a specific type of joint resolution of approval that uses set wording and formatting. Finally, the bill includes a sunset clause. All of the changes made by this bill would automatically end 5 years after the date it is enacted. After that, the law would go back to how it was before these amendments, unless Congress acts again.

The bill could increase how many foreign agents must publicly register when they work for companies or governments linked to countries the U.S. treats as “countries of concern.” This may make financial ties, lobbying, and information campaigns from those countries more visible to the public and to U.S. officials. It may also affect how foreign businesses and government-related groups from those countries operate in the United States. By giving the Secretary of State a process to propose updates to the “country of concern” list, the bill creates a flexible system that can respond to changes in foreign relations or security risks, while still requiring Congress to approve any changes. The 5-year sunset means these changes are temporary unless Congress renews or revises them, so longer-term effects are uncertain.