Foreign Influence Transparency Act

HR 1819, the Foreign Influence Transparency Act, modifies U.S. laws to increase transparency around foreign influence. It tightens exemptions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act by requiring that activities not promote a foreign government's political agenda, and lowers the disclosure threshold for foreign gifts and agreements at colleges from $250,000 to $50,000. The bill mandates that institutions of higher education publicly disclose the full text of all agreements with foreign entities - including Confucius Institutes funded by China - and provide these to the Department of Education and relevant congressional committees. Non-compliant schools lose eligibility to enroll foreign students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.