Stop TNR Act of 2026

Summary#

This bill, the Stop TNR Act of 2026, defines "transnational repression" and adds a criminal sentencing enhancement for acts that meet that definition when carried out by or for a foreign power, its agent, or its proxy. The enhancement can add up to 10 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines on top of the penalty for the underlying federal offense. The bill also centralizes oversight of prosecutions in the Department of Justice National Security Division and oversight of investigations in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to update sentencing guidelines, requires annual public reports and congressional briefings about incidents and government responses, calls for a whole-of-government AI strategy and public education on AI-enabled repression, and asks for a review of available tools such as sanctions, visa restrictions, and export controls. The bill authorizes the appropriation of whatever sums are necessary to carry it out.

What it means for you#

• If someone is convicted of a federal offense that includes an act meeting the bill's definition of transnational repression, a court can add up to 10 years and up to $100,000 in fines to the sentence.
• The definition covers actions by foreign powers, agents, or proxies that reach beyond the foreign power's borders and that harass, coerce, threaten (including causing fear of death, serious bodily harm, or imprisonment), stop someone from exercising constitutional rights (including First Amendment rights), or involve extrajudicial killing.
• "United States person" under the bill includes U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, and anyone physically present in the United States at the time of the act.
• Federal oversight of these cases will be centralized in the National Security Division and the FBI. The government will publish annual unclassified reports and provide briefings to Congress about trends and specific incidents, while protecting sensitive investigative details.
• The bill requires development of an AI-focused strategy for preventing and responding to AI-enabled transnational repression and a public education campaign.

Expenses#

The bill authorizes "such sums as may be necessary" to carry out its provisions. No specific funding amounts are listed in the text.

Proponents' View#

According to the bill's findings and provisions, supporters say that foreign governments and their agents increasingly intimidate, harass, surveil, and sometimes plan violence against people in the United States to silence critics. They argue that defining transnational repression and adding a sentencing enhancement will help deter foreign-directed attacks, improve the ability of law enforcement to identify and prosecute such acts, centralize responsibility for investigations and prosecutions, and strengthen reporting, AI strategies, and other government responses.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.