Technical corrections only. v3 updates the bill's status from 'Reported in Senate' to 'Engrossed in Senate' and changes the document type from 'A BILL' to 'AN ACT', reflecting its passage in the Senate. No substantive policy changes were made to the legislative text.
Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act
- Sponsor
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
- Committees
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Dec 17, 2025
Bottom line
The bill increases transparency by requiring lobbyists to explicitly state if they are exempt from certain foreign agent registration requirements.
What it actually does
This bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to require individuals or entities registered as lobbyists to disclose whether they are exempt from registration under section 3(h) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA). This adds a new reporting field to existing lobbying disclosure forms, aiming to provide greater clarity on potential foreign influence activities.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that this bill closes a potential transparency gap by ensuring that the public and policymakers have a clearer understanding of whether individuals or entities engaged in lobbying are also operating under a FARA exemption. This enhanced disclosure is seen as crucial for identifying and understanding the full scope of foreign influence activities in the United States, promoting accountability and informed decision-making.
Opponents contend
Critics might contend that this bill adds an unnecessary administrative burden on lobbyists who are already complying with existing disclosure laws. They may argue that the information regarding FARA exemptions is already available through other means or that the specific exemption (3(h)) does not warrant additional explicit disclosure under the LDA, potentially creating redundancy without significant public benefit.
The bill is exceptionally short and can be read and understood in less than a minute, making it highly accessible for anyone wishing to evaluate its contents.
Section 2
Registrant Disclosure Regarding Foreign Agent Registration Exemption
This provision amends Section 4(b) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(b)) by adding a new paragraph (8). This new requirement mandates that any registrant under the LDA must include a statement indicating whether they are exempt under section 3(h) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938. Essentially, lobbyists will now have to explicitly declare if they are not subject to FARA's requirements due to this specific exemption, which generally covers activities related to bona fide religious, scholastic, academic, scientific, or artistic pursuits.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue this provision closes a potential transparency gap, ensuring that the public and policymakers have a clearer understanding of whether individuals or entities engaged in lobbying are also operating under a FARA exemption. This could indicate foreign influence activities not fully captured by LDA alone, thereby enhancing accountability.
Critics contend
Critics might contend that this adds an additional, potentially redundant, administrative burden on lobbyists who are already complying with existing disclosure laws. They may argue that the information is already available or that the specific exemption (3(h)) is well-understood and does not require additional explicit disclosure under LDA, leading to unnecessary paperwork.
Tradeoffs
This provision balances the desire for greater transparency in foreign influence operations against the potential for increased compliance costs and administrative burden for lobbying firms. It seeks to clarify the status of certain activities that might otherwise fall into a grey area between the two disclosure acts.
The bill requires registrants to state whether they are exempt under section 3(h) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938. This specific FARA exemption generally applies to persons whose activities are in furtherance of bona fide religious, scholastic, academic, scientific, or artistic pursuits, or of the fine arts, or to persons engaged in the dissemination of information not intended to influence U.S. policy.
Section 2(3), referencing 22 U.S.C. 613(h)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice to reference existing law rather than reproduce complex statutory language, ensuring legal precision and consistency with established definitions.
Case for: Supporters would argue that referencing the specific FARA exemption ensures legal precision and avoids re-writing complex statutory language, relying on existing legal definitions and interpretations.
Case against: Critics might argue that without explicitly defining or summarizing the 3(h) exemption within the bill, the full scope of the disclosure requirement may not be immediately clear to a casual reader or even some registrants without legal counsel, potentially hindering transparency for non-experts.
Estimated impact: Clarifies the status of a specific subset of lobbyists regarding their foreign principal affiliations, particularly those engaged in cultural, educational, or informational activities that might not be overtly political.