Foreign Adversary Federal Offense Act of 2025

The Foreign Adversary Federal Offense Act of 2025 (H.R. 4081) would broaden and escalate penalties for economic and defense espionage when the wrongdoing is carried out on behalf of a “covered nation” (as defined by section 4872 of Title 10). The bill amends 18 U.S.C. § 1831 (economic espionage) to add a set of “special penalties” that kick in when the offense is committed to advance the interests of a covered nation. It also expands penalties for violations of 18 U.S.C. § 793 (gathering, transmitting, or losing defense information) so that, if done to benefit a covered nation, the offender faces a mandatory minimum sentence. In both cases, the bill creates higher fines, longer prison terms, and, for individuals, ineligibility for supervised release in many scenarios. The definition of “severe harm” is tied to critical infrastructure information, and the penalty framework uses a defined category of foreign nations (covered nations) to determine when enhanced penalties apply.