The Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) is a United States federal law that enables US authorities to prosecute foreign officials who demand or accept bribes from a US citizen, US company, or within a US jurisdiction. FEPA was signed into law by Joe Biden on December 22, 2023, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 .
12-584: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA 2024) is a United States federal law which specifies the budget, expenditures, and policies of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for fiscal year 2024. The National Defense Authorization Act is an annual bill proposed in the United States Congress that redefines the United States military budget for the following fiscal year. Each chamber of Congress introduced
24-659: A US citizen, US company, or within a US jurisdiction. Analysts stated that FEPA addresses a longstanding gap in US anti-bribery legislation by tackling the "demand" side of bribery. At the same time, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) focuses on the "supply" side of bribery. Republicans vigorously opposed the anti-extremism working group created by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin . That working group had been created by Austin after it became apparent that some service members and veterans had participated in
36-633: A version of the NDAA: H.R. 2670 in the House and S. 2226 in the Senate . The House passed their version on July 14, 2023 by a vote of 219–210 . Led by Chuck Schumer and Mike Rounds , the Senate passed theirs on July 27, 2023 by a vote of 86–11 . The Senate then replaced H.R. 2670 with the text of S. 2226 and passed it by unanimous consent, and indefinitely postponed S. 2226. The House disagreed to
48-546: The 2022 NDAA (e.g. 50 U.S.C. § 3373 ), the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (e.g. 50 U.S.C. § 3373a ), as well as an accompanying Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report for the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (i.e. S. Rept. 116-233 ). The Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) enables US authorities to prosecute foreign officials who demand or accept bribes from
60-483: The attack on the US Capitol January 6, 2021 . That working group released recommendations at the end of 2021. Implementation, however, appeared to stall as Republicans increasingly opposed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the military, which Republicans derided as "wokeness". Meanwhile, a recent inspector general report found dozens of troops, who appeared to be advocating violent overthrow of
72-463: The "demand" side of bribery. At the same time, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) focuses on the "supply" side of bribery. One expert noted that FEPA is "probably the most important U.S. anti-bribery effort since the FCPA itself became law. The law amends the federal domestic bribery statute to add a new subsection punishing foreign government officials for demanding or receiving a bribe. The law
84-445: The 118th Congress's first law was enacted on March 20. It has been called one of the least productive Congresses since 1951, being compared to the 113th Congress or the 92nd Congress . The 118th Congress has enacted the following laws: The 118th Congress has approved the following treaties: Foreign Extortion Prevention Act Analysts stated that FEPA addresses a longstanding gap in US anti-bribery legislation by tackling
96-595: The President from withdrawing from NATO without approval of a two-thirds Senate supermajority or an act of Congress. The original House bill contained provisions to: The Senate amendment contained: List of acts of the 118th United States Congress The 118th United States Congress , which began on January 3, 2023, and will end on January 3, 2025, has enacted 82 public laws and zero private laws . In contrast with previous Congresses, which generally enacted their first laws no later than January or February,
108-458: The Senate amendment and asked to hold conference on September 19, with the Senate insisting on its amendment and agreeing to conference on November 15. The subsequent conference report was filed on December 6 ( H. Rept. 118-301 ). The bill was approved by the Senate and House and sent to President Joe Biden on December 14. Biden signed it into law on December 22. In his signing statement , Biden expressed reservations about provisions that restrict
120-602: The US government. The seriousness of this issue seems apparent from the fact that military and veterans have participated in other violent extremist events. For example, the Oklahoma City bomber , Timothy McVeigh , had served with distinction in Operation Desert Storm but had earned a reputation as a sergeant for assigning undesirable work to black servicemen and using derogatory language. Section 1250A ( 22 U.S.C. § 1928f ) prevents
132-779: The executive branch's discretion in Guantanamo detainee transfers and raised constitutional concerns regarding congressional oversight and foreign policy authority. Sections 1841 et seq. outline the creation and management of a comprehensive collection of government records on UFOs or unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) at the National Archives (NARA), detailing the processes for assembling, preserving, and providing public access to these records, along with specific protocols for their review, disclosure, and secure handling. NARA subsequently provided guidance to federal agencies to identify, organize, and disclose UAP records for
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#1732773074391144-407: The new collection. Sections 1687 and 7343 disallow use of funds or independent research and development (IRAD) indirect expenses for UFOs or UAP unless such material and information is made available the appropriate congressional committees and congressional leadership. Language on the topic of UFO/UAP was also included in the previous 2023 NDAA (e.g. 50 U.S.C. § 3373b ),
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