Transnational Repression Policy Act
The Transnational Repression Policy Act is a bill that aims to U.S. policy and operations against foreign governments and their agents who act abroad to intimidate, harass, or harm individuals—such as dissidents, activists, journalists, minority groups, or diaspora members—within or outside the United States. It would require the executive branch to develop an interagency strategy within about nine months that enhances international awareness, raises the costs for perpetrators, and expands collaboration with allies. The bill also mandates training for both State Department personnel and U.S. domestic law enforcement, and it authorizes funding for such programs. In addition, it would direct DHS and DOJ to create a toolkit for affected communities, expand outreach, and assess how spyware, data brokers, and export controls may be used to enable transnational repression. The bill contemplates potential changes to U.S. law (e.g., expanding the Foreign Agents Registration Act and other provisions) and would push for enhanced monitoring of overseas police stations and other foreign-government activities aimed at diaspora communities. In short, the act seeks to prevent transnational repression by shaping U.S. policy, improving coordination across agencies, funding civil society and research, increasing training and awareness, and potentially updating laws to better deter and punish foreign efforts to target individuals beyond borders.
Key Points
- 1Interagency strategy and global partnership
- 2- Within 270 days, the Secretary of State, with other federal agencies, must submit a strategy to increase international awareness, raise costs for perpetrators, and improve coordination with allies and multilateral bodies (including potential UN engagement) to counter transnational repression.
- 3- The strategy includes diplomacy, coalitions, monitoring mechanisms, and public affairs efforts to draw attention to and oppose acts of transnational repression.
- 4Focus areas of the strategy
- 5- Diplomacy and multilateral engagement to create awareness and best practices.
- 6- Assistance and capacity-building for victims and civil society.
- 7- Consideration of a UN special rapporteur on transnational repression.
- 8- Outreach to foreign missions in the U.S. and public diplomacy at multilateral venues.
- 9Law enforcement and legal framework
- 10- The strategy may propose updates to U.S. law to address tactics used in transnational repression, including criminalizing gathering information about diaspora individuals on behalf of foreign governments and expanding definitions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and 18 U.S.C. 951.
- 11- Coordination among FBI, State, DHS, intelligence agencies, and domestic law enforcement to counter surveillance tech and export controls used in repression.
- 12- Assessment of civil liberties impacts and engagement with affected communities.
- 13Training and capacity-building
- 14- Training for Department of State personnel on perpetrators, known regimes, digital surveillance tools, and policy priorities.
- 15- Training for U.S. domestic officials (DHS, DOJ, FBI, INTERPOL Washington, refugee services) and relevant private sector and community partners.
- 16- Authorization of funds for fiscal year 2026 to develop and deliver this curriculum.
- 17DHS and DOJ implementation in the United States
- 18- A toolkit or guide within 270 days describing federal resources to assist targeted individuals and communities.
- 19- Proactive outreach to inform communities about reporting criminal incidents to the FBI.
- 20- Annual trainings for caseworker staff in congressional offices on tactics and resources.
- 21- An assessment of how data purchased or exported by foreign actors (spyware, data brokers, and export-controlled technologies) could be misused to enable repression.