[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5956 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5956

   To require certain disclosures on advertisements paid for by the 
 governments of foreign countries or by foreign persons, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2025

   Mr. Kean introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require certain disclosures on advertisements paid for by the 
 governments of foreign countries or by foreign persons, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Defending Against Foreign Propaganda 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR DISCLOSURE WITH RESPECT TO ADVERTISEMENTS PAID 
              FOR BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND FOREIGN 
              PERSONS.

    (a) Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--A person may not disseminate to a consumer 
        an advertisement paid for by the government of a foreign 
        country or by a foreign person without disclosing to the 
        consumer, in the manner described in paragraph (2), that the 
        advertisement was paid for by such government or by such 
        person.
            (2) Manner described.--The manner described in this 
        paragraph is the following:
                    (A) With respect to an advertisement that includes 
                a sound component, a disclosure made pursuant to 
                paragraph (1) shall be included in the advertisement as 
                a sound component.
                    (B) With respect to an advertisement that includes 
                a printed language component, a disclosure made 
                pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be included in the 
                advertisement as a printed language component.
                    (C) With respect to an advertisement that includes 
                a video component, a disclosure made pursuant to 
                paragraph (1) shall be included in the advertisement as 
                a sound component and a printed language component.
                    (D) With respect to an advertisement paid for by a 
                foreign person, a disclosure made pursuant to paragraph 
                (1) shall include the following as applicable:
                            (i) The name of the foreign country from 
                        which the foreign person is a citizen of.
                            (ii) The name of the foreign country in 
                        which the foreign person has its principal 
                        place of business.
    (b) Enforcement by Federal Trade Commission.--
            (1) Unfair or deceptive acts or practices.--A violation of 
        this section shall be treated as a violation of a regulation 
        under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act 
        (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)) regarding unfair or deceptive acts or 
        practices.
            (2) Powers of commission.--The Federal Trade Commission 
        shall enforce this section in the same manner, by the same 
        means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as 
        though all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade 
        Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into 
        and made a part of this Act. Any person who violates this 
        section shall be subject to the penalties and entitled to the 
        privileges and immunities provided in the Federal Trade 
        Commission Act.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Alien.--The term ``alien'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
        U.S.C. 1101).
            (2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means the 
        following:
                    (A) An alien.
                    (B) A partnership, association, corporation, 
                organization, or other combination of persons having 
                its principal place of business in a foreign country.
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