State Legislatures Ramp Up Foreign Influence Fight with ‘Baby FARA’ Bills in 2025
By Mark Smith
In a bold push against shadowy foreign meddling, U.S. state legislatures are wielding their own versions of the Foreign Agents Registration Act—dubbed “Baby FARA” laws—to expose lobbyists and influencers tied to overseas powers. With federal enforcement dialing back under the Trump administration, these state-level FARA bills are surging, targeting everything from Chinese real estate grabs to Russian energy pitches.
The wave kicked off in April 2025 when Arkansas became the first to ink a Baby FARA statute, mandating registration for reps of “hostile foreign principals” like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Fast-forward to summer: Texas, Louisiana, and Nebraska joined the fray, with governors signing measures that slap disclosure rules on agents pushing for state contracts, policy tweaks, or public opinion shifts on behalf of adversaries. Florida rounded out the quintet in late July, broadening the net to include foreign corporations from sanctioned nations. These baby FARA laws mirror the 1938 federal FARA by requiring detailed filings on activities, funding, and contacts—but zero in on state and local arenas where global players often fly under the radar.
Take Texas’s new regime, effective September 1: It bans compensated lobbying by agents of entities based in China or Russia and demands upfront registration with the secretary of state. Louisiana’s version, live since December, hits registered lobbyists with update mandates by year’s end if they’re shilling for adversaries, covering everything from legislative jawboning to administrative nods. Nebraska’s October rollout requires quarterly reports to the attorney general, flagging “covered activities” like disbursing funds or swaying officials—echoing FARA’s core but skipping many of its exemptions for academics or nonprofits. Florida’s law amps up penalties, with fines up to $50,000 for non-compliance, while Arkansas keeps it tight on “hostile” actors only.
This state surge stems from a federal fumble: On her first day, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced DOJ would deprioritize FARA’s criminal bite, narrowing it to outright espionage cases. That left a void, especially after 2024’s high-profile busts—like ex-New York aide Linda Sun’s China ties—faded into civil slaps. States, eyeing gaps in local influence peddling, introduced over 200 such bills in 2025 sessions, from Arizona’s stalled China-focused registry to New York’s pending foreign donation bans. Georgia’s near-miss—Senate Bill 368 vetoed by Gov. Brian Kemp over FARA overlap—highlights the tension, but lawmakers vow overrides in 2026.
Compliance pros are split. “These baby FARA laws plug real holes in state capitols, where foreign cash flows unchecked,” argues Venable’s lobbying watchdog team, citing risks to U.S. trade secrets and election meddling. But ICNL’s Nick Robinson warns they’re “weaponized transparency,” potentially chilling nonprofits and academics with vague “agent” definitions that snag humanitarian work. Steptoe attorneys flag “countries of concern” lists—China, Iran, Russia et al.—as ripe for abuse, absent FARA’s religious or scientific carve-outs. On X, #BabyFARA trended briefly in July, with posts like @PoliticalLawyer’s “State power grab or smart shield? DOJ’s retreat forces hands,” drawing 3K engagements amid debates on federal preemption.
For everyday Americans—from Texas ranchers eyeing Chinese land buys to California voters dodging foreign ad blitzes—these state FARA bills hit close to home. They promise transparency in local deals worth billions, like Nebraska’s ag subsidies or Florida’s port bids, potentially slashing undue influence that jacks up costs or skews policies. Politically, they bolster Trump’s “America First” vibe without D.C. gridlock, easing taxpayer burdens from opaque lobbying—estimated at $4 billion yearly nationwide. Yet, overreach could hike compliance fees for small biz, rippling into higher consumer prices amid 3.2% inflation, while tech firms gripe about tracking foreign-linked apps or investments.
Pending bills in Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee signal more to come, with some eyeing “Honest Services Registries” for clean nonprofits. As 2025 sessions wind down, these baby FARA laws mark a decentralized defense against global intrigue, but experts predict court clashes over FARA turf wars. With DOJ’s proposed regs still in comment limbo till March, states are betting big on self-reliance—could this patchwork fortify democracy or fragment it further?
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