S. 3050 — PAID OFF Act of 2025

This section limits exemptions from registration requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 for agents of foreign principals owned or controlled by certain countries of concern. Specifically, it eliminates applicability of exemptions in subsections (d)(1) (private, nonpolitical activities), (d)(2) (certain legal representation), and (h) (religious, scholastic, academic, scientific, or fine arts activities) to agents of any corporate or government entity owned or controlled by one or more countries listed in 22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A)(i)-(v).

This section establishes a congressional approval process to modify the definition of "country of concern" under the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 by adding or deleting countries from the list specified in 22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A). The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, may propose such changes by submitting them to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on the Judiciary; the changes become effective upon enactment of a joint resolution of approval that follows a specified format (i.e., no preamble, prescribed resolving clause with submission date and amendatory language, and title "Joint resolution approving modifications to definition of 'country of concern' under section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956"), with Senate referrals to the Committee on Foreign Relations and House referrals to the Committee on the Judiciary. (The amendment also redesignates existing paragraphs (6) and (7) of subsection (m) as paragraphs (7) and (8).)