# Plain Language Summary: Foreign Extortion Prevention Act

This bill creates a new federal crime specifically targeting extortion schemes that originate from outside the United States. Right now, extortion is illegal, but this law adds a specific provision to make it a crime when someone outside the country uses threats or coercion to demand money, property, or services from Americans or American businesses. The key difference is that prosecutors won't need to prove the extortion affected interstate commerce or used certain communication methods—they just need to show the extortion came from abroad and targeted someone in the U.S.

The practical effect is that federal law enforcement gets a clearer tool to prosecute international extortion rings. This includes scams where criminals overseas threaten violence, expose embarrassing information, or harm someone's reputation unless they pay money. It also covers cases where foreign actors demand payment by threatening to damage property or disrupt business operations. The penalties for this crime include fines and imprisonment, with sentences potentially reaching up to 20 years depending on whether the extortion involves threats of physical harm.

This law mainly affects people and businesses that might become targets of international extortion schemes. It gives the FBI and Department of Justice more straightforward authority to investigate and prosecute these crimes without having to prove additional legal requirements. For most Americans, this is simply a clarification that makes it easier for federal authorities to go after criminals operating from outside U.S. borders who try to shake down money from people here at home.

Foreign Extortion Prevention Act

Whitehouse, Sheldon

Foreign Extortion Prevention Act This bill establishes a federal criminal offense involving bribery by foreign officials. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime for foreign officials to demand or accept anything of value personally or for another person or a nongovernmental entity to influence the performance of an official act or otherwise confer an improper advantage. The bill explicitly grants extraterritorial jurisdiction over the offense. A violation is subject to criminal penalties&#8212;a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both. Finally, the bill establishes a Victims of Kleptocracy Fund in the Treasury and directs fines and penalties for violations to be deposited into the fund for anti-corruption initiatives.