This bill, titled the "Foreign Adversary Federal Offense Act of 2025," significantly amends title 18 of the United States Code to establish mandatory minimum penalties for specific espionage offenses. Its primary purpose is to impose harsher sentences when economic or defense espionage is committed to advance the interests of a "covered nation," defined as a foreign adversary. For individuals committing economic espionage, penalties include fines up to $5,000,000 and imprisonment of not less than 10 years, with potential for up to 20 years if the offense results in severe harm to economic or national security , and ineligibility for supervised release. Severe harm is specifically defined as relating to nonpublic information concerning critical infrastructure that, if acted upon, could lead to its incapacitation or destruction. Organizations found guilty of economic espionage on behalf of a covered nation face fines up to the greater of $20,000,000 or five times the value of the stolen trade secret. Furthermore, the bill amends provisions related to gathering, transmitting, or losing defense information, mandating imprisonment of not less than 15 years and up to life, or both, if such offenses are committed to advance the interests of a covered nation.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Crime and Law Enforcement
Foreign Adversary Federal Offense Act of 2025
USA119th CongressHR-4081| House
| Updated: 6/23/2025
This bill, titled the "Foreign Adversary Federal Offense Act of 2025," significantly amends title 18 of the United States Code to establish mandatory minimum penalties for specific espionage offenses. Its primary purpose is to impose harsher sentences when economic or defense espionage is committed to advance the interests of a "covered nation," defined as a foreign adversary. For individuals committing economic espionage, penalties include fines up to $5,000,000 and imprisonment of not less than 10 years, with potential for up to 20 years if the offense results in severe harm to economic or national security , and ineligibility for supervised release. Severe harm is specifically defined as relating to nonpublic information concerning critical infrastructure that, if acted upon, could lead to its incapacitation or destruction. Organizations found guilty of economic espionage on behalf of a covered nation face fines up to the greater of $20,000,000 or five times the value of the stolen trade secret. Furthermore, the bill amends provisions related to gathering, transmitting, or losing defense information, mandating imprisonment of not less than 15 years and up to life, or both, if such offenses are committed to advance the interests of a covered nation.