S 2132 · 119th Congress · Crime and Law Enforcement

CLEAR Path Act

Introduced June 18, 2025 Latest action April 22, 2026 4 cosponsors

Sponsor

Latest action

Held at the desk.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Apr 22, 2026

floor Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Apr 22, 2026

floor Received in the House.

Apr 22, 2026

floor Held at the desk.

Apr 21, 2026

passed Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.

Apr 21, 2026

passed Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S1854; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1854-1855)

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Apr 21, 2026 Engrossed in Senate

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Jan 28, 2026 Reported to Senate

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Jun 18, 2025 Introduced in Senate

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Changelog

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How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

`ih` / `is` — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.

`rfh` / `rfs` — Referred to a committee for review.

`rh` / `rs` — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).

`pcs` / `pch` — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.

`eh` / `es` — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.

`rdh` / `rds` — Received by the other chamber.

`eah` / `eas` — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.

`ath` / `ats` — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.

`enr` — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.

`pl` — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.

`pp` — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before `eh`/`es`. Going from `pcs` → `enr` is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

+12 −196 30 unchanged

--- Reported (Senate)

+++ Engrossed (Senate)

@@ -1,204 +1,22 @@

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

-[S. 2132 Reported in Senate (RS)]

+[S. 2132 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

<DOC>

-Calendar No. 305

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 2132

+_______________________________________________________________________

+AN ACT

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and mitigate the

potential for conflicts of interest following government service, and

for other purposes.

-_______________________________________________________________________

-IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

-June 18, 2025

-Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Welch, Mr. Risch, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr.

-Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

-to the Committee on the Judiciary

-January 28, 2026

-Reported by Mr. Grassley, with an amendment

-[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed

-in italic]

-_______________________________________________________________________

-A BILL

-To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and mitigate the

-potential for conflicts of interest following government service, and

-for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled,

-<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Conflict-free Leaving

-Employment and Activity Restrictions Path Act'' or the ``CLEAR Path

-Act''.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> It is the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) Congress and the executive branch have

-recognized the importance of preventing and mitigating the

-potential for conflicts of interest following government

-service, including with respect to senior United States

-officials working on behalf of foreign governments;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) Congress and the executive branch should

-jointly evaluate the status and scope of post-employment

-restrictions.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 3. POST-EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS ON OFFICIALS IN POSITIONS

-SUBJECT TO SENATE CONFIRMATION.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (a) In General.--Section 207 of title 18, United States

-Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(m) Extended Post-Employment Restrictions for Officials

-in Positions Subject to Senate Confirmation.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(A) Country of concern.--The term

-`country of concern' has the meaning given the term in

-section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities

-Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)).</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(B) Foreign governmental entity.--The

-term `foreign governmental entity' has the meaning

-given the term in section 1(m) of the State Department

-Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C.

-2651a(m)).</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(C) Represent.--The term `represent'

-does not include representation by an attorney, who is

-duly licensed and authorized to provide legal advice in

-a United States jurisdiction, of a person or entity in

-a legal capacity or for the purposes of rendering legal

-advice.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(D) Senate-confirmed position.--The term

-`Senate-confirmed position' means a position in a

-department or agency of the executive branch of the

-United States for which appointment is required to be

-made by the President, by and with the advice and

-consent of the Senate.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(2) Agency heads, deputy heads, and other

-positions subject to senate confirmation.--With respect to a

-person serving as the head or deputy head of, or serving in any

-Senate-confirmed position in, a department or agency of the

-executive branch of the United States, the restrictions

-described in subsection (f)(1) shall apply to any such person

-who knowingly represents, aids, or advises a foreign

-governmental entity of a country of concern before an officer

-or employee of the executive or legislative branch of the

-United States with the intent to influence a decision of the

-officer or employee in carrying out his or her official duties

-at any time after the termination of the person's service in

-that position.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(3) Notice of restrictions.--Any person subject

-to the restrictions under this subsection shall be provided

-notice of these restrictions by the relevant department or

-agency--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(A) upon appointment by the President;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(B) upon termination of service with the

-relevant department or agency.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(4) Effective date.--The restrictions under this

-subsection shall apply only to persons who are appointed by the

-President to the positions referenced in this section on or

-after the date of enactment of the Conflict-free Leaving

-Employment and Activity Restrictions Path Act.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(5) Sunset.--The restrictions under this

-subsection shall expire on the date that is 5 years after the

-date of enactment of the Conflict-free Leaving Employment and

-Activity Restrictions Path Act.''.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1(m) of the State

-Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)) is

-amended--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as

-paragraphs (8) and (9), respectively; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the

-following:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(6) Relation to government-wide restrictions.--

-This subsection shall not apply to a person by reason of the

-person's service in a position referenced in this subsection if

-the person is subject to the restrictions under section 207(m)

-of title 18, United States Code, by reason of the same

-service.''.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 4. MECHANISM TO AMEND DEFINITION OF ``COUNTRY OF

-CONCERN''.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> Section 1(m) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act

-of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)) is amended by inserting after paragraph

-(6), as added by section 3(b), the end the following:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(7) Modification to definition of `country of

-concern'.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of State

-may, in consultation with the Attorney General, propose

-the addition or deletion of countries described in

-paragraph (1)(A).</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(B) Submission.--Any proposal described

-in subparagraph (A) shall--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(i) be submitted to the Chairman

-and Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign

-Relations of the Senate and the Chairman and

-Ranking Member of the Committee on the

-Judiciary of the House of Representatives;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(ii) become effective upon

-enactment of a joint resolution of approval as

-described in subparagraph (C).</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(C) Joint resolution of approval.--

-</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(i) In general.--For purposes of

-subparagraph (B)(ii), the term `joint

-resolution of approval' means only a joint

-resolution--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(I) that does not have a

-preamble;</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(II) that includes in

-the matter after the resolving clause

-the following: `That Congress approves

-the modification of the definition of

-``country of concern'' under section

-1(m) of the State Department Basic

-Authorities Act of 1956, as submitted

-by the Secretary of State on ____; and

-section 1(m)(1)(A) of the State

-Department Basic Authorities Act of

-1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(m)(1)(A)) is

-amended by ______.', the blank spaces

-being appropriately filled in with the

-appropriate date and the amendatory

-language required to modify the list of

-countries in paragraph (1)(A) of this

-subsection by adding or deleting 1 or

-more countries; and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(III) the title of which

-is as follows: `Joint resolution

-approving modifications to definition

-of ``country of concern'' under section

-1(m) of the State Department Basic

-Authorities Act of 1956.'.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(ii) Referral.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(I) Senate.--A

-resolution described in clause (i) that

-is introduced in the Senate shall be

-referred to the Committee on Foreign

-Relations of the Senate.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(II) House of

-representatives.--A resolution

-described in clause (i) that is

-introduced in the House of

-Representatives shall be referred to

-the Committee on the Judiciary of the

-House of Representatives.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

@@ -389,8 +207,12 @@

Representatives shall be referred to

the Committee on the Judiciary of the

House of Representatives.''.

-Calendar No. 305

+Passed the Senate April 21, 2026.

+Attest:

+Secretary.

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

@@ -399,14 +221,8 @@

_______________________________________________________________________

-A BILL

+AN ACT

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and mitigate the

potential for conflicts of interest following government service, and

for other purposes.

-_______________________________________________________________________

-January 28, 2026

-Reported with an amendment

Cosponsors (4)

Members who signed on to support this bill.