# Plain Language Summary: PAID OFF Act of 2023

This bill makes it harder for people working on behalf of certain foreign governments to avoid registering with the U.S. government. Currently, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) requires people who lobby, consult, or work for foreign governments to publicly register and disclose who they're working for and what they're doing. However, the law has some exemptions that allow certain types of foreign agents to skip this registration requirement. This bill closes two of those loopholes, but only for six specific countries that the bill labels as "countries of concern": China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria.

Right now, if you're a consultant, lobbyist, or public relations person working for a foreign government, you might be able to claim an exemption from registration under certain circumstances. This bill says that if you're working for one of those six countries, you can't use those exemptions anymore—you have to register. This means Americans would have better visibility into who is working on behalf of these governments and what activities they're engaged in on U.S. soil. The idea behind the bill is to prevent these countries from hiding their influence operations and funding behind exemptions that were designed for other purposes.

The changes only last until October 1, 2026, so this is a temporary measure rather than a permanent change to the law. After that date, the exemptions would go back to working the way they currently do. This sunset provision means Congress would need to pass new legislation if they want to keep these restrictions in place beyond 2026.

PAID OFF Act of 2023

Pfluger, August

Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation, and Obscured Foreign Financing Act of 2023 or the PAID OFF Act of 2023 This bill requires certain persons to register as agents of a foreign principal if the foreign principal in question is China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or Syria. Currently, the Foreign Agents Registration Act exempts certain agents from the act's registration requirements, including agents (1) engaged only in private and nonpolitical activities to advance a foreign principal's bona fide trade or commerce interests, or (2) engaged in certain lobbying activities and where the agent has registered as a lobbyist. Under this bill, these exemptions shall not apply if the foreign principal is one of the countries specified in this bill. The changes made by this bill shall expire on October 1, 2026.