Bill > SB1397

This bill introduces the "Tennessee Foreign Adversary and Chinese Military Company Disclosure and Accountability Act," which requires lobbyists representing foreign adversaries or Chinese military companies to complete specific affidavits disclosing their lobbying activities. The bill defines key terms such as "foreign adversary" (countries on a Department of Commerce list as of January 1, 2025) and "Chinese military company" (companies blacklisted by the Department of Defense). Lobbyists must certify that they are voluntarily lobbying for these entities and acknowledge the geopolitical implications of their work, specifically understanding China's strategic goals of challenging U.S. global leadership. The legislation imposes strict penalties for non-compliance, with a civil fine of $50,000 per violation, up to a maximum of 20 violations per year, with each day of non-disclosure considered a separate violation. The act aims to increase transparency regarding political influence operations by agents from adversarial nations and provides additional disclosure requirements beyond existing state and federal lobbying regulations. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2025, giving entities time to prepare for the new reporting requirements.

Government Affairs

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1397&ga=114