22 U.S. Code § 612 - Registration statement

(a) Filing; contents

No person shall act as an agent of a foreign principal unless he has filed with the Attorney General a true and complete registration statement and supplements thereto as required by subsections (a) and (b) of this section or unless he is exempt from registration under the provisions of this subchapter. Except as hereinafter provided, every person who becomes an agent of a foreign principal shall, within ten days thereafter, file with the Attorney General, in duplicate, a registration statement, under oath on a form prescribed by the Attorney General. The obligation of an agent of a foreign principal to file a registration statement shall, after the tenth day of his becoming such agent, continue from day to day, and termination of such status shall not relieve such agent from his obligation to file a registration statement for the period during which he was an agent of a foreign principal. The registration statement shall include the following, which shall be regarded as material for the purposes of this subchapter:

(1) Registrant’s name, principal business address, and all other business addresses in the United States or elsewhere, and all residence addresses, if any;

(2) Status of the registrant; if an individual, nationality; if a partnership, name, residence addresses, and nationality of each partner and a true and complete copy of its articles of copartnership; if an association, corporation, organization, or any other combination of individuals, the name, residence addresses, and nationality of each director and officer and of each person performing the functions of a director or officer and a true and complete copy of its charter, articles of incorporation, association, constitution, and bylaws, and amendments thereto; a copy of every other instrument or document and a statement of the terms and conditions of every oral agreement relating to its organization, powers, and purposes; and a statement of its ownership and control;

(3) A comprehensive statement of the nature of registrant’s business; a complete list of registrant’s employees and a statement of the nature of the work of each; the name and address of every foreign principal for whom the registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to act or has agreed to act; the character of the business or other activities of every such foreign principal, and, if any such foreign principal be other than a natural person, a statement of the ownership and control of each; and the extent, if any, to which each such foreign principal is supervised, directed, owned, controlled, financed, or subsidized, in whole or in part, by any government of a foreign country or foreign political party, or by any other foreign principal;

(4) Copies of each written agreement and the terms and conditions of each oral agreement, including all modifications of such agreements, or, where no contract exists, a full statement of all the circumstances, by reason of which the registrant is an agent of a foreign principal; a comprehensive statement of the nature and method of performance of each such contract, and of the existing and proposed activity or activities engaged in or to be engaged in by the registrant as agent of a foreign principal for each such foreign principal, including a detailed statement of any such activity which is a political activity;

(5) The nature and amount of contributions, income, money, or thing of value, if any, that the registrant has received within the preceding sixty days from each such foreign principal, either as compensation or for disbursement or otherwise, and the form and time of each such payment and from whom received;

(6) A detailed statement of every activity which the registrant is performing or is assuming or purporting or has agreed to perform for himself or any other person other than a foreign principal and which requires his registration hereunder, including a detailed statement of any such activity which is a political activity;

(7) The name, business, and residence addresses, and if an individual, the nationality, of any person other than a foreign principal for whom the registrant is acting, assuming or purporting to act or has agreed to act under such circumstances as require his registration hereunder; the extent to which each such person is supervised, directed, owned, controlled, financed, or subsidized, in whole or in part, by any government of a foreign country or foreign political party or by any other foreign principal; and the nature and amount of contributions, income, money, or thing of value, if any, that the registrant has received during the preceding sixty days from each such person in connection with any of the activities referred to in clause (6) of this subsection, either as compensation or for disbursement or otherwise, and the form and time of each such payment and from whom received;

(8) A detailed statement of the money and other things of value spent or disposed of by the registrant during the preceding sixty days in furtherance of or in connection with activities which require his registration hereunder and which have been undertaken by him either as an agent of a foreign principal or for himself or any other person or in conection [1] with any activities relating to his becoming an agent of such principal, and a detailed statement of any contributions of money or other things of value made by him during the preceding sixty days (other than contributions the making of which is prohibited under the terms of section 613 [2] of title 18) in connection with an election to any political office or in connection with any primary election, convention, or caucus held to select candidates for any political office;

(9) Copies of each written agreement and the terms and conditions of each oral agreement, including all modifications of such agreements, or, where no contract exists, a full statement of all the circumstances, by reason of which the registrant is performing or assuming or purporting or has agreed to perform for himself or for a foreign principal or for any person other than a foreign principal any activities which require his registration hereunder;

(10) Such other statements, information, or documents pertinent to the purposes of this subchapter as the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, may from time to time require;

(11) Such further statements and such further copies of documents as are necessary to make the statements made in the registration statement and supplements thereto, and the copies of documents furnished therewith, not misleading.

(b) Supplements; filing period

Every agent of a foreign principal who has filed a registration statement required by subsection (a) of this section shall, within thirty days after the expiration of each period of six months succeeding such filing, file with the Attorney General a supplement thereto under oath, on a form prescribed by the Attorney General, which shall set forth with respect to such preceding six months’ period such facts as the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, may deem necessary to make the information required under this section accurate, complete, and current with respect to such period. In connection with the information furnished under clauses (3), (4), (6), and (9) of subsection (a) of this section, the registrant shall give notice to the Attorney General of any changes therein within ten days after such changes occur. If the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, determines that it is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter, he may, in any particular case, require supplements to the registration statement to be filed at more frequent intervals in respect to all or particular items of information to be furnished.

(c) Execution of statement under oath

The registration statement and supplements thereto shall be executed under oath as follows: If the registrant is an individual, by him; if the registrant is a partnership, by the majority of the members thereof; if the registrant is a person other than an individual or a partnership, by a majority of the officers thereof or persons performing the functions of officers or by a majority of the board of directors thereof or persons performing the functions of directors, if any.

(d) Filing of statement not deemed full compliance nor as preclusion from prosecution

The fact that a registration statement or supplement thereto has been filed shall not necessarily be deemed a full compliance with this subchapter and the regulations thereunder on the part of the registrant; nor shall it indicate that the Attorney General has in any way passed upon the merits of such registration statement or supplement thereto; nor shall it preclude prosecution, as provided for in this subchapter, for willful failure to file a registration statement or supplement thereto when due or for a willful false statement of a material fact therein or the willful omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or the willful omission of a material fact or copy of a material document necessary to make the statements made in a registration statement and supplements thereto, and the copies of documents furnished therewith, not misleading.

(e) Incorporation of previous statement by reference

If any agent of a foreign principal, required to register under the provisions of this subchapter, has previously thereto registered with the Attorney General under the provisions of section 2386 of title 18, the Attorney General, in order to eliminate inappropriate duplication, may permit the incorporation by reference in the registration statement or supplements thereto filed hereunder of any information or documents previously filed by such agent of a foreign principal under the provisions of said section.

(f) Exemption by Attorney General

The Attorney General may, by regulation, provide for the exemption—

(1) from registration, or from the requirement of furnishing any of the information required by this section, of any person who is listed as a partner, officer, director, or employee in the registration statement filed by an agent of a foreign principal under this subchapter, and

(2) from the requirement of furnishing any of the information required by this section of any agent of a foreign principal.

where by reason of the nature of the functions or activities of such person the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, determines that such registration, or the furnishing of such information, as the case may be, is not necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

(g) Electronic filing of registration statements and supplements

A registration statement or supplement required to be filed under this section shall be filed in electronic form, in addition to any other form that may be required by the Attorney General.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 2, 52 Stat. 632; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 251; Aug. 3, 1950, ch. 524, § 1, 64 Stat. 399; Pub. L. 89–486, § 2, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 245; Pub. L. 110–81, title II, § 212(a), Sept. 14, 2007, 121 Stat. 749.)

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[1]  So in original. Probably should be “connection”.

[2]  See References in Text note below.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 613 of title 18, referred to in subsec. (a)(8), was repealed by Pub. L. 94–283, title II, § 201(a), May 11, 1976, 90 Stat. 496.

Codification

In subsec. (e), “section 2386 of title 18” was in the original “the Act of October 17, 1940 (54 Stat. 1201)”, which had been classified to sections 14 to 17 of title 18. “Section 2386 of title 18” substituted for “sections 14 to 17 of title 18” on authority of act June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 863, section 1 of which enacted Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Prior Provisions

Provisions on this subject were contained in sections 612 and 613 of this title prior to general amendment of act June 8, 1938, by act Apr. 29, 1942.

Amendments

2007—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 110–81 added subsec. (g).

1966—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89–486, § 2(1), struck out requirement for transmittal of registration statements by the Attorney General to the Secretary of State and provision declaring a failure of transmission not to be a bar to prosecutions, now covered in section 616(b) of this title.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 89–486, § 2(2), struck out “, unless, and to the extent, this requirement is waived in writing by the Attorney General” after “statement of the nature of the work of each” and provided for a statement of the extent to which a foreign principal is supervised, directed, etc., by any other foreign principal.

Subsec. (a)(4), (6). Pub. L. 89–486, § 2(3), (4), inserted “, including a detailed statement of any such activity which is a political activity”.

Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 89–486, § 2(5), required certain information pertaining to control and financial arrangements with respect to those persons, not themselves foreign principals, who are so related to a foreign principal that their agents when engaged in political activities in the interests of the principal are required to register.

Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 89–486, § 2(6), inserted requirement that agent report the money or other things of value spent or disposed of in connection with his becoming the agent of his foreign principal and all political contributions made during the preceding sixty days, other than contributions made on behalf of their principals, such contributions being prohibited under section 613 of title 18.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 89–486, § 2(7), added subsec. (f).

1950—Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 3, 1950, made failure to register a continuing offense.

1942—Act Apr. 29, 1942, amended section generally.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2007 Amendment

Pub. L. 110–81, title II, § 212(c), Sept. 14, 2007, 121 Stat. 750, provided that:

“The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 616 of this title] shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 14, 2007].”

Effective Date of 1966 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 89–486 effective ninety days after July 4, 1966, see section 9 of Pub. L. 89–486, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Effective Date of 1942 Amendment

Amendment by act Apr. 29, 1942, effective on the sixtieth day after Apr. 29, 1942, except that prior to such sixtieth day the Attorney General may make, prescribe, amend, and rescind such rules, regulations, and forms as may be necessary to carry out act Apr. 29, 1942, see section 3 of act Apr. 29, 1942, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Fees for Necessary Expenses of Registration Unit

Pub. L. 102–395, title I, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1831, provided in part that:

“In addition, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, for fiscal year 1993 and thereafter, the Attorney General shall establish and collect fees to recover necessary expenses of the Registration Unit (to include salaries, supplies, equipment and training) pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act [probably means Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.], and shall credit such fees to this appropriation, to remain available until expended.”