[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6008. Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. TREATMENT OF EXEMPTIONS UNDER THE FOREIGN AGENTS 
                   REGISTRATION ACT OF 1938.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation, and 
     Obscured Foreign Financing Act of 2026'' or the ``PAID OFF 
     Act of 2026''.
       (b) Treatment of Exemptions Under the Foreign Agents 
     Registration Act of 1938.--Section 3 of the Foreign Agents 
     Registration Act of 1938, as amended (22 U.S.C. 613), is 
     amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding subsection (a), by inserting 
     ``, except as provided in subsection (i)'' after 
     ``principals''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(i) Limitations.--The exemptions under subsections 
     (d)(1), (d)(2), and (h) shall not apply to any agent of a 
     foreign principal that is a corporate or government entity 
     that is owned or controlled by 1 or more of the identified 
     countries listed in clauses (i) through (v) of section 
     1(m)(1)(A) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
     1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A)).''.
       (c) Mechanism to Amend Definition of ``Country of 
     Concern''.--Section 1(m) of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs 
     (7) and (8), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
       ``(6) Modification to definition of `country of concern'.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of State may, in 
     consultation with the Attorney General, propose the addition 
     or deletion of countries described in paragraph (1)(A).
       ``(B) Submission.--Any proposal described in subparagraph 
     (A) shall--
       ``(i) be submitted to the Chairman and Ranking Member of 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
     Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary 
     of the House of Representatives; and
       ``(ii) become effective upon enactment of a joint 
     resolution of approval as described in subparagraph (C).
       ``(C) Joint resolution of approval.--
       ``(i) In general.--For purposes of subparagraph (B)(ii), 
     the term `joint resolution of approval' means only a joint 
     resolution--

       ``(I) that does not have a preamble;
       ``(II) that includes in the matter after the resolving 
     clause the following: `That Congress approves the 
     modification of the definition of ``country of concern'' 
     under section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities 
     Act of 1956, as submitted by the Secretary of State on ____; 
     and section 1(m)(1)(A) of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A)) is amended 
     by ______