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SB3996 • 2026

FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION

FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Jason Plummer
Last action
2026-02-06
Official status
Referred to Assignments
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION

FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION

What This Bill Does

  • FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-06 Illinois General Assembly

    Filed with Secretary by Sen. Jason Plummer

  2. 2026-02-06 Illinois General Assembly

    First Reading

  3. 2026-02-06 Illinois General Assembly

    Referred to Assignments

Official Summary Text

FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION

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Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3996

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3996

Introduced 2/6/2026, by Sen. Jason Plummer

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Provides that no person
shall act as an agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern
unless he or she has filed with the Attorney General a true and complete
registration statement and supplements thereto or unless he or she is
exempt from registration under the provisions of the Act. Provides that,
except as otherwise provided in the Act, every person who becomes an agent
of a foreign principal from a country of concern shall, within 10 days
thereafter, file with the Attorney General, in duplicate, a registration
statement, under oath on a form prescribed by the Attorney General.
Provides that the obligation of an agent of a foreign principal from a
country of concern to file a registration statement shall, after the 10th
day of his or her becoming such agent, continue from day to day, and
termination of such status shall not relieve such agent from his or her
obligation to file a registration statement for the period during which he
or she was an agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern.
Provides that any person who acted as an agent of a foreign principal from
a country of concern at any time after January 1, 2014 and until the
effective date of the Act shall file with the Attorney General a true and
complete retroactive registration statement and supplements thereto.
Provides that the registration provisions do not apply to certain agents
and foreign principals. Provides penalties for violation. Provides that
the Attorney General may at any time make, prescribe, amend, and rescind
such rules and forms as the Attorney General may deem necessary to carry
out the provisions of the Act. Defines "country of concern" as the People's
Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran,
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the
Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro, or the Syrian Arab Republic,
including any agent of or any other entity under significant control of
such foreign country of concern, or any other entity deemed by the Governor
in consultation with the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency and Office of Homeland Security.
LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b

A BILL FOR

SB3996
LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1

AN ACT concerning foreign agents.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
5
Foreign Agents Registration Act.

6

Section 5.
Purpose.
The purpose of this Act is to provide
7
public transparency for the political and propaganda
8
activities conducted by agents representing principals from
9
foreign countries of concern.

10

Section 10.
Definitions.
In this Act:
11

"Person" means an individual, partnership, association,
12
corporation, organization, or any other combination of
13
individuals.
14

"Foreign principal" means:
15

(1) a government of a foreign country and a foreign
16

political party;
17

(2) a person outside of the United States, unless it
18

is established that such person is an individual and a
19

citizen of and domiciled within the United States, or that
20

such person is not an individual and is organized under or
21

created by the laws of the United States or of any State or
22

other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United

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1

States and has its principal place of business within the
2

United States;
3

(3) a partnership, association, corporation,
4

organization, or other combination of persons organized
5

under the laws of or having its principal place of
6

business in a foreign country; or
7

(4) a partnership, association, corporation,
8

organization, or other combination of persons that is at
9

least 20% beneficially owned by a partnership,
10

association, corporation, organization, or other
11

combination of persons organized under the laws of or
12

having its principal place of business in a foreign
13

country.
14

"Agent of a foreign principal" means:
15

(1) any person who acts as an agent, representative,
16

employee, or servant, or any person who acts in any other
17

capacity at the order, request, or under the direction or
18

control of a foreign principal or of a person any of whose
19

activities are directly or indirectly supervised,
20

directed, controlled, financed, or subsidized in whole or
21

in part by a foreign principal, and who directly or
22

through any other person:
23

(i) engages within this State in political
24

activities for or in the interests of such foreign
25

principal;
26

(ii) acts within this State as a public-relations

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1

counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee
2

or political consultant for or in the interests of
3

such foreign principal;
4

(iii) within this State solicits, collects,
5

disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money,
6

or other things of value for or in the interest of such
7

foreign principal; or
8

(iv) within this State represents the interests of
9

such foreign principal before any agency or official
10

of the government or of a unit of local government; and
11

(2) any person who agrees, consents, assumes or
12

purports to act as, or who is or holds himself or herself
13

out to be, whether or not pursuant to contractual
14

relationship, an agent of a foreign principal as defined
15

in clause (1) of this definition.
16

"Agent of a foreign principal" does not include any news
17
or press service or association organized under the laws of
18
the United States or of any State or other place subject to the
19
jurisdiction of the United States, or any newspaper, magazine,
20
periodical, or other publication for which there is on file
21
with the United States Postal Service information in
22
compliance with 39 U.S.C. 3611, published in the United
23
States, solely by virtue of any bona fide news or journalistic
24
activities, including the solicitation or acceptance of
25
advertisements, subscriptions, or other compensation therefor,
26
so long as it is at least 80% beneficially owned by, and its

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1
officers and directors, if any, are citizens of the United
2
States, and such news or press service or association,
3
newspaper, magazine, periodical, or other publication, is not
4
owned, directed, supervised, controlled, subsidized, or
5
financed, and none of its policies are determined by any
6
foreign principal defined in this Section, or by any agent of a
7
foreign principal required to register under this Act.
8

"Government of a foreign country" means any person or
9
group of persons exercising sovereign de facto or de jure
10
political jurisdiction over any country, other than the United
11
States, or over any part of such country, and includes any
12
subdivision of any such group and any group or agency to which
13
such sovereign de facto or de jure authority or functions are
14
directly or indirectly delegated. The term shall include any
15
faction or body of insurgents within a country assuming to
16
exercise governmental authority whether such faction or body
17
of insurgents has or has not been recognized by the United
18
States.
19

"Foreign political party" means any organization or any
20
other combination of individuals in a country other than the
21
United States, or any unit or branch thereof, having for an aim
22
or purpose, or which is engaged in any activity devoted in
23
whole or in part to, the establishment, administration,
24
control, or acquisition of administration or control, of a
25
government of a foreign country or a subdivision thereof, or
26
the furtherance or influencing of the political or public

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1
interests, policies, or relations of a government of a foreign
2
country or a subdivision thereof.
3

"Public-relations counsel" means any person who engages
4
directly or indirectly in informing, advising, or in any way
5
representing a principal in any public relations matter
6
pertaining to political or public interests, policies, or
7
relations of such principal.
8

"Publicity agent" means any person who engages directly or
9
indirectly in the publication or dissemination of oral,
10
visual, graphic, written, or pictorial information or matter
11
of any kind, including publication by means of advertising,
12
books, periodicals, newspapers, lectures, broadcasts, motion
13
pictures, or otherwise.
14

"Information-service employee" means any person who is
15
engaged in furnishing, disseminating, or publishing accounts,
16
descriptions, information, or data with respect to the
17
political, industrial, employment, economic, social, cultural,
18
or other benefits, advantages, facts, or conditions of any
19
country other than the United States or of any government of a
20
foreign country or of a foreign political party or of a
21
partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other
22
combination of individuals organized under the laws of, or
23
having its principal place of business in, a foreign country.
24

"Registration statement" means the registration statement
25
required to be filed with the Attorney General under Section
26
15 or 20, and any supplements thereto required to be filed

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1
under Section 15 or 20, and includes all documents and papers
2
required to be filed therewith or amendatory thereof or
3
supplemental thereto, whether attached thereto or incorporated
4
therein by reference.
5

"United States", when used in a geographical sense, means
6
the several States, the District of Columbia, the Territories,
7
the insular possessions, and all other places now or hereafter
8
subject to the civil or military jurisdiction of the United
9
States.
10

"Prints" means newspapers and periodicals, books,
11
pamphlets, sheet music, visiting cards, address cards,
12
printing proofs, engravings, photographs, pictures, drawings,
13
plans, maps, patterns to be cut out, catalogs, prospectuses,
14
advertisements, and printed, engraved, lithographed, or
15
autographed notices of various kinds, and, in general, all
16
impressions or reproductions obtained on paper or other
17
material assimilable to paper, on parchment or on cardboard,
18
by means of printing, engraving, lithography, autography, or
19
any other easily recognizable mechanical process, with the
20
exception of the copying press, stamps with movable or
21
immovable type, and the typewriter.
22

"Political activities" means any activity that the person
23
engaging in believes will, or that the person intends to, in
24
any way influence any agency or official of the State or a unit
25
of local government, or any section of the public within this
26
State with reference to formulating, adopting, or changing the

SB3996
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1
domestic or foreign policies of the United States or with
2
reference to the political or public interests, policies, or
3
relations of a government of a foreign country or a foreign
4
political party.
5

"Political consultant" means any person who engages in
6
informing or advising any other person with reference to the
7
policies or the political or public interest, policies, or
8
relations of a foreign country or of a foreign political
9
party.
10

"Country of concern" means the People's Republic of China,
11
the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the
12
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba,
13
the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro, or the Syrian Arab
14
Republic, including any agent of or any other entity under
15
significant control of such foreign country of concern, or any
16
other entity deemed by the Governor in consultation with the
17
Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and
18
Office of Homeland Security.

19

Section 15.
Requirements to register as a foreign agent.
20

(a) No person shall act as an agent of a foreign principal
21
from a country of concern unless he or she has filed with the
22
Attorney General a true and complete registration statement
23
and supplements thereto as required by subsections (a) and (b)
24
or unless he or she is exempt from registration under the
25
provisions of this Act. Except as otherwise provided in the

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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1
Act, every person who becomes an agent of a foreign principal
2
from a country of concern shall, within 10 days thereafter,
3
file with the Attorney General, in duplicate, a registration
4
statement, under oath on a form prescribed by the Attorney
5
General. The obligation of an agent of a foreign principal
6
from a country of concern to file a registration statement
7
shall, after the 10th day of his or her becoming such agent,
8
continue from day to day, and termination of such status shall
9
not relieve such agent from his or her obligation to file a
10
registration statement for the period during which he or she
11
was an agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern.
12
The registration statement shall include the following, which
13
shall be regarded as material for the purposes of this
14
subsection:
15

(1) registrant's name, principal business address, and
16

all other business addresses in the United States or
17

elsewhere, and all residence addresses, if any;
18

(2) status of the registrant; if an individual,
19

nationality; if a partnership, name, residence addresses,
20

and nationality of each partner and a true and complete
21

copy of its articles of copartnership; if an association,
22

corporation, organization, or any other combination of
23

individuals, the name, residence addresses, and
24

nationality of each director and officer and of each
25

person performing the functions of a director or officer
26

and a true and complete copy of its charter, articles of

SB3996
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1

incorporation, association, constitution, and bylaws, and
2

amendments thereto; a copy of every other instrument or
3

document and a statement of the terms and conditions of
4

every oral agreement relating to its organization, powers,
5

and purposes; and a statement of its ownership and
6

control;
7

(3) a comprehensive statement of the nature of
8

registrant's business; a complete list of registrant's
9

employees and a statement of the nature of the work of
10

each; the name and address of every foreign principal from
11

a country of concern for whom the registrant is acting,
12

assuming or purporting to act or has agreed to act; the
13

character of the business or other activities of every
14

such foreign principal from a country of concern, and, if
15

any such foreign principal from a country of concern be
16

other than a natural person, a statement of the ownership
17

and control of each; and the extent, if any, to which each
18

such foreign principal from a country of concern is
19

supervised, directed, owned, controlled, financed, or
20

subsidized, in whole or in part, by any government of a
21

foreign country or foreign political party, or by any
22

other foreign principal from a country of concern;
23

(4) copies of each written agreement and the terms and
24

conditions of each oral agreement, including all
25

modifications of such agreements, or, where no contract
26

exists, a full statement of all the circumstances, by

SB3996
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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1

reason of which the registrant is an agent of a foreign
2

principal from a country of concern; a comprehensive
3

statement of the nature and method of performance of each
4

such contract, and of the existing and proposed activity
5

or activities engaged in or to be engaged in by the
6

registrant as agent of a foreign principal from a country
7

of concern for each such foreign principal from a country
8

of concern, including a detailed statement of any such
9

activity which is a political activity;
10

(5) the nature and amount of contributions, income,
11

money, or thing of value, if any, that the registrant has
12

received within the preceding 180 days from each such
13

foreign principal from a country of concern, either as
14

compensation or for disbursement or otherwise, and the
15

form and time of each such payment and from whom received;
16

(6) a detailed statement of every activity which the
17

registrant is performing or is assuming or purporting or
18

has agreed to perform for himself, herself, or any other
19

person other than a foreign principal from a country of
20

concern and which requires his registration hereunder,
21

including a detailed statement of any such activity which
22

is a political activity;
23

(7) the name, business, and residence addresses, and
24

if an individual, the nationality, of any person other
25

than a foreign principal from a country of concern for
26

whom the registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to

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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1

act or has agreed to act under such circumstances as
2

require his or her registration hereunder; the extent to
3

which each such person is supervised, directed, owned,
4

controlled, financed, or subsidized, in whole or in part,
5

by any government of a foreign country or foreign
6

political party or by any other foreign principal from a
7

country of concern; and the nature and amount of
8

contributions, income, money, or thing of value, if any,
9

that the registrant has received during the preceding 180
10

days from each such person in connection with any of the
11

activities referred to in clause (6) of this subsection,
12

either as compensation or for disbursement or otherwise,
13

and the form and time of each such payment and from whom
14

received;
15

(8) a detailed statement of the money and other things
16

of value spent or disposed of by the registrant during the
17

preceding 180 days in furtherance of or in connection with
18

activities which require his or her registration hereunder
19

and which have been undertaken by him either as an agent of
20

a foreign principal from a country of concern or for
21

himself or any other person or in connection with any
22

activities relating to his becoming an agent of such
23

principal from a country of concern, and a detailed
24

statement of any contributions of money or other things of
25

value made by him during the preceding 180 days (other
26

than contributions the making of which is prohibited under

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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1

the terms of 18 U.S.C. 613 in connection with an election
2

to any political office or in connection with any primary
3

election, convention, or caucus held to select candidates
4

for any political office);
5

(9) copies of each written agreement and the terms and
6

conditions of each oral agreement, including all
7

modifications of such agreements, or, where no contract
8

exists, a full statement of all the circumstances, by
9

reason of which the registrant is performing or assuming
10

or purporting or has agreed to perform for himself or for a
11

foreign principal from a country of concern or for any
12

person other than a foreign principal from a country of
13

concern any activities which require his or her
14

registration hereunder;
15

(10) such other statements, information, or documents
16

pertinent to the purposes of this subsection as the
17

Attorney General, having due regard for the national
18

security and the public interest, may from time to time
19

require; and
20

(11) such further statements and such further copies
21

of documents as are necessary to make the statements made
22

in the registration statement and supplements thereto, and
23

the copies of documents furnished therewith, not
24

misleading.
25

(b) Every agent of a foreign principal from a country of
26
concern who has filed a registration statement required by

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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1
subsection (a) shall, within 30 days after the expiration of
2
each period of 6 months succeeding such filing, file with the
3
Attorney General a supplement thereto under oath, on a form
4
prescribed by the Attorney General, which shall set forth with
5
respect to such preceding 6 months' period such facts as the
6
Attorney General, having due regard for the national security
7
and the public interest, may deem necessary to make the
8
information required under this Section accurate, complete,
9
and current with respect to such period. In connection with
10
the information furnished under clauses (3), (4), (6), and (9)
11
of subsection (a), the registrant shall give notice to the
12
Attorney General of any changes therein within 10 days after
13
such changes occur. If the Attorney General, having due regard
14
for the national security and the public interest, determines
15
that it is necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act, the
16
Attorney General may, in any particular case, require
17
supplements to the registration statement to be filed at more
18
frequent intervals in respect to all or particular items of
19
information to be furnished.
20

(c) The registration statement and supplements thereto
21
shall be executed under oath as follows: If the registrant is
22
an individual, by him or her; if the registrant is a
23
partnership, by the majority of the members thereof; if the
24
registrant is a person other than an individual or a
25
partnership, by a majority of the officers thereof or persons
26
performing the functions of officers or by a majority of the

SB3996
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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1
board of directors thereof or persons performing the functions
2
of directors, if any.
3

(d) The fact that a registration statement or supplement
4
thereto has been filed shall not necessarily be deemed a full
5
compliance with this Act and the rules thereunder on the part
6
of the registrant; nor shall it indicate that the Attorney
7
General has in any way passed upon the merits of such
8
registration statement or supplement thereto; nor shall it
9
preclude prosecution, as provided for in this Act, for willful
10
failure to file a registration statement or supplement thereto
11
when due or for a willful false statement of a material fact
12
therein or the willful omission of a material fact required to
13
be stated therein or the willful omission of a material fact or
14
copy of a material document necessary to make the statements
15
made in a registration statement and supplements thereto, and
16
the copies of documents furnished therewith, not misleading.
17

(e) If any agent of a foreign principal from a country of
18
concern, required to register under the provisions of this
19
Act, has previously thereto registered with the Attorney
20
General under this Act, the Attorney General, in order to
21
eliminate inappropriate duplication, may permit the
22
incorporation by reference in the registration statement or
23
supplements thereto filed hereunder of any information or
24
documents previously filed by such agent of a foreign
25
principal from a country of concern under the provisions of
26
said section.

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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1

Section 20.
Retroactive transparency.
Any person who acted
2
as an agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern at
3
any time after January 1, 2014 and until the effective date of
4
this Act shall file with the Attorney General a true and
5
complete retroactive registration statement and supplements
6
thereto as required under Section 15.

7

Section 25.
Exemptions.
The requirements of Sections 15
8
and Section 20 of this Act do not apply to the following agents
9
of foreign principals:
10

(1) a duly accredited diplomatic or consular officer
11

of a foreign government who is so recognized by the United
12

States Department of State, while said officer is engaged
13

exclusively in activities which are recognized by the
14

United States Department of State as being within the
15

scope of the functions of such officer;
16

(2) any official of a foreign government, if such
17

government is recognized by the United States, who is not
18

a public-relations counsel, publicity agent,
19

information-service employee, or a citizen of the United
20

States, whose name and status and the character of whose
21

duties as such official are of public record in the United
22

States Department of State, while the official is engaged
23

exclusively in activities which are recognized by the
24

Department of State as being within the scope of the

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LRB104 18746 RLC 32189 b
1

functions of such official;
2

(3) any member of the staff of, or any person employed
3

by, a duly accredited diplomatic or consular officer of a
4

foreign government who is so recognized by the United
5

States Department of State, other than a public-relations
6

counsel, publicity agent, or information-service employee,
7

whose name and status and the character of whose duties as
8

such member or employee are of public record in the United
9

States Department of State, while said member or employee
10

is engaged exclusively in the performance of activities
11

which are recognized by the United States Department of
12

State as being within the scope of the functions of such
13

member or employee; and
14

(4) any person qualified to practice law in this
15

State, insofar as the person engages or agrees to engage
16

in the legal representation of a disclosed foreign
17

principal from a country of concern before any State court
18

of law or any agency of the government of the State or a
19

unit of local government; provided, that for the purposes
20

of this Act legal representation does not include attempts
21

to influence or persuade agency personnel or officials
22

other than in the course of judicial proceedings, criminal
23

or civil law enforcement inquiries, investigations, or
24

proceedings, or agency proceedings required by statute or
25

rule to be conducted on the record.

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Section 30.
Filing and labeling of informational
2
materials.
3

(a) Every person within this State who is an agent of a
4
foreign principal from a country of concern and who is
5
required to register under the provisions of this Act and who
6
transmits or causes to be transmitted in the United States
7
mails or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or
8
foreign commerce any informational materials for or in the
9
interests of such foreign principal from a country of concern
10
(i) in the form of prints, or (ii) in any other form which is
11
reasonably adapted to being, or which the person believes will
12
be, or which the person intends to be, disseminated or
13
circulated among 2 or more persons shall, not later than 48
14
hours after the beginning of the transmittal thereof, file
15
with the Attorney General 2 copies thereof.
16

(b) It is unlawful for any person within the United States
17
who is an agent of a foreign principal from a country of
18
concern and required to register under the provisions of this
19
Act to transmit or cause to be transmitted in the United States
20
mails or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or
21
foreign commerce any informational materials for or in the
22
interests of such foreign principal from a country of concern
23
without placing in such informational materials a conspicuous
24
statement that the materials are distributed by the agent on
25
behalf of the foreign principal from a country of concern, and
26
that additional information is on file with the Attorney

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General. The Attorney General may by rule define what
2
constitutes a conspicuous statement for the purposes of this
3
Section.
4

(c) The copies of informational materials required by this
5
Section to be filed with the Attorney General shall be
6
available for public inspection under such rules as Attorney
7
General may prescribe.
8

(d) It is unlawful for any person within this State who is
9
an agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern
10
required to register under the provisions of this Act to
11
transmit, convey, or otherwise furnish to any agency or
12
official of the government of this State (including a member
13
or committee of either House of the General Assembly or a
14
member or committee of a unit of local government) for or in
15
the interests of such foreign principal from a country of
16
concern any political propaganda or to request from any such
17
agency or official for or in the interests of such foreign
18
principal from a country of concern any information or advice
19
with respect to any matter pertaining to the political or
20
public interests, policies or relations of a foreign country
21
of concern or of a political party from a country of concern or
22
pertaining to the foreign or domestic policies of the United
23
States or this State unless the propaganda or the request is
24
prefaced or accompanied by a true and accurate statement to
25
the effect that such person is registered as an agent of such
26
foreign principal from a country of concern under this Act.

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(e) Whenever any agent of a foreign principal from a
2
country of concern required to register under this Section
3
appears before any committee of the General Assembly or a unit
4
of local government to testify for or in the interests of such
5
foreign principal from a country of concern, the agent shall,
6
at the time of such appearance, furnish the committee with a
7
copy of his most recent registration statement filed with the
8
Attorney General as an agent of such foreign principal from a
9
country of concern for inclusion in the records of the
10
committee as part of the agent's testimony.

11

Section 35.
Maintenance of books and records.
Every agent
12
of a foreign principal from a country of concern registered
13
under this Act shall keep and preserve while the person is an
14
agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern such
15
books of account and other records with respect to all his
16
activities, the disclosure of which is required under the
17
provisions of this Act, in accordance with such business and
18
accounting practices, as the Attorney General, having due
19
regard for the national security and the public interest, may
20
by rule prescribe as necessary or appropriate for the
21
enforcement of the provisions of this Act and shall preserve
22
the same for a period of 3 years following the termination of
23
such status. Until rules are in effect under this Section
24
every agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern
25
shall keep books of account and shall preserve all written

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1
records with respect to his activities. Such books and records
2
shall be open at all reasonable times to the inspection of any
3
official charged with the enforcement of this Act. It shall be
4
unlawful for any person knowingly to conceal, destroy,
5
obliterate, mutilate, or falsify, or to attempt to conceal,
6
destroy, obliterate, mutilate, or falsify, or to cause to be
7
concealed, destroyed, obliterated, mutilated, or falsified,
8
any books or records required to be kept under the provisions
9
of this Act.

10

Section 40.
Public transparency and examination of
11
official records.
12

(a) The Attorney General shall retain in permanent form
13
one copy of all registration statements furnished under this
14
Act, and the same shall be public records and open to public
15
examination and inspection at such reasonable hours, under
16
such rules, as the Attorney General may prescribe, and copies
17
of the same shall be furnished to every applicant at such
18
reasonable fee as the Attorney General may prescribe.
19

(b) The Attorney General shall, promptly upon receipt,
20
transmit one copy of every registration statement filed
21
hereunder and one copy of every amendment or supplement
22
thereto filed hereunder, to the United States Secretary of
23
State for such comment and use as the United States Secretary
24
of State may determine to be appropriate from the point of view
25
of the foreign relations of the United States. Failure of the

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1
Attorney General so to transmit such copy shall not be a bar to
2
prosecution under this Act.
3

(c) The Attorney General is authorized to furnish to
4
departments and agencies in the executive branch and
5
committees of the General Assembly such information obtained
6
by the Attorney General in the administration of this Act,
7
including the names of registrants under this Act, copies of
8
registration statements, or parts thereof, or other documents
9
or information filed under this Act, as may be appropriate in
10
the light of the purposes of this Act.
11

(d) The Attorney General shall every 6 months report to
12
the General Assembly concerning administration of this Act,
13
including registrations filed pursuant to this Act, and the
14
nature, sources and content of political propaganda
15
disseminated and distributed.
16

(e) The Attorney General shall every month report on a web
17
portal administered by the Attorney General concerning
18
administration of this Act, including registrations filed
19
pursuant to this Act, and the nature, sources and content of
20
political propaganda disseminated and distributed.

21

Section 45.
Liability of officers.
Each officer, or person
22
performing the functions of an officer, and each director, or
23
person performing the functions of a director, of an agent of a
24
foreign principal from a country of concern which is not an
25
individual shall be under obligation to cause such agent to

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execute and file a registration statement and supplements
2
thereto as and when such filing is required under subsections
3
(a) and (b) of Section 15 or of Section 20 and shall also be
4
under obligation to cause such agent to comply with all the
5
requirements of Sections 30 and 35 and all other requirements
6
of this Act. Dissolution of any organization acting as an
7
agent of a foreign principal from a country of concern shall
8
not relieve any officer, or person performing the functions of
9
an officer, or any director, or person performing the
10
functions of a director, from complying with the provisions of
11
this Section. In case of failure of any such agent of a foreign
12
principal from a country of concern to comply with any of the
13
requirements of this Act, each of its officers, or persons
14
performing the functions of officers, and each of its
15
directors, or persons performing the functions of directors,
16
shall be subject to prosecution therefore.

17

Section 50.
Enforcement and penalties.
18

(a) A person is guilty of a Class 3 felony and shall, in
19
addition to a term of imprisonment, upon conviction thereof,
20
may be fined not more than $100,000 if the person:
21

(1) knowingly violates any provision of this Act or
22

any rule thereunder; or
23

(2) in any registration statement or supplement
24

thereto or in any other document filed with or furnished
25

to the Attorney General under the provisions of this Act

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1

knowingly makes a false statement of a material fact or
2

knowingly omits any material fact required to be stated
3

therein or knowingly omits a material fact or a copy of a
4

material document necessary to make the statements therein
5

and the copies of documents furnished therewith not
6

misleading.
7

(a-1) A person who violates Section 30 or subsection (g)
8
of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for which a
9
fine of not more than $50,000 may be imposed.
10

(b) Any person who is a student, faculty member,
11
researcher, adjunct, or otherwise employed or associated with
12
a university in this State who:
13

(1) knowingly violates any provision of this Act or
14

any rule thereunder; or
15

(2) in any registration statement or supplement
16

thereto or in any other document filed with or furnished
17

to the Attorney General under the provisions of this
18

subsection knowingly makes a false statement of a material
19

fact or knowingly omits any material fact required to be
20

stated therein or knowingly omits a material fact or a
21

copy of a material document necessary to make the
22

statements therein and the copies of documents furnished
23

therewith not misleading,

24
shall, upon conviction thereof, be expelled or dismissed from
25
any role with an institution of higher education in this State
26
and shall be prohibited from entering any campus in this

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1
State.
2

Each institution of higher education in this State shall
3
adopt a policy for expulsion or dismissal of individuals found
4
in violation of this Act.
5

(c) In any proceeding under this Act in which it is charged
6
that a person is an agent of a foreign principal from a country
7
of concern with respect to a foreign principal outside of the
8
United States, proof of the specific identity of the foreign
9
principal from a country of concern shall be permissible but
10
not necessary.
11

(d) Any alien who shall be convicted of a violation of, or
12
a conspiracy to violate, any provision of this Act or any rule
13
thereunder shall be subject to referral to the United States
14
Department of Justice for removal pursuant to Chapter 4 of
15
Title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
16

(e) Failure to file any such registration statement or
17
supplements thereto as is required by either subsection (a) or
18
(b) of Section 15 shall be considered a continuing offense for
19
as long as such failure exists, notwithstanding any statute of
20
limitation or other statute to the contrary.
21

(f) Whenever in the judgment of the Attorney General any
22
person is engaged in or about to engage in any acts which
23
constitute or will constitute a violation of any provision of
24
this Act, or rules issued thereunder, or whenever any agent of
25
a foreign principal from a country of concern fails to comply
26
with any of the provisions of this Act or the rules issued

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1
thereunder, or otherwise is in violation of the Act, the
2
Attorney General may make application to the appropriate state
3
court for an order enjoining such acts or enjoining such
4
person from continuing to act as an agent of such foreign
5
principal from a country of concern, or for an order requiring
6
compliance with any appropriate provision of the Act or rule
7
thereunder. The circuit court shall have jurisdiction and
8
authority to issue a temporary or permanent injunction,
9
restraining order, or such other order which it may deem
10
proper.
11

(g) If the Attorney General determines that a registration
12
statement does not comply with the requirements of this Act or
13
the rules issued thereunder, the Attorney General shall so
14
notify the registrant in writing, specifying in what respects
15
the statement is deficient. It shall be unlawful for any
16
person to act as an agent of a foreign principal from a country
17
of concern at any time 10 days or more after receipt of such
18
notification without filing an amended registration statement
19
in full compliance with the requirements of this Act and the
20
rules issued thereunder.
21

(h) It is unlawful for any agent of a foreign principal
22
from a country of concern required to register under this Act
23
to be a party to any contract, agreement, or understanding,
24
either express or implied, with such foreign principal from a
25
country of concern pursuant to which the amount or payment of
26
the compensation, fee, or other remuneration of such agent is

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1
contingent in whole or in part upon the success of any
2
political activities carried on by such agent.

3

Section 55.
Rules.
The Attorney General may at any time
4
adopt such rules and forms as he or she may deem necessary to
5
carry out the provisions of this Act.

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