US Federal House Bill HB3582

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/23/25
• Refer: 5/23/25

Caption

No revolving doors in FMS Act of 2025

Summary

HB3582, titled the “No revolving doors in FMS Act of 2025,” would amend the federal post-employment lobbying restrictions in section 207 of title 18, United States Code. The bill targets former employees of the Department of State and the Department of Defense who worked on foreign military sales (FMS) matters during the three years before leaving federal service. For those former employees, it would prohibit knowingly making communications to, or appearances before, federal officials or Congress with the intent to influence decisions related to foreign military sales. The bill does not change the foreign military sales program itself; instead, it expands ethics and conflict-of-interest rules governing former federal personnel. It would make violations punishable under existing criminal penalty provisions in section 216 of title 18, thereby strengthening the “cooling-off” period for a specific category of national security and defense procurement work. In practical terms, it would affect former State Department and Pentagon staff, lobbyists, defense contractors, and others seeking to advocate on FMS matters after government service.

Impact

HB3582 would amend federal ethics law by adding a new category of post-employment restriction under 18 U.S.C. § 207(f) for former State Department and Department of Defense employees involved in foreign military sales. The bill would broaden the scope of prohibited lobbying and advocacy on FMS matters and subject covered conduct to the criminal penalties already provided in 18 U.S.C. § 216. It would not alter state law, but it would directly affect federal employees, former federal employees, defense industry advocates, and congressional or agency decision-making on arms export and military sales issues.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as an ethics and anti-corruption reform aimed at preventing revolving-door influence in a sensitive national security area. The bipartisan sponsorship listed in the bill text suggests at least some cross-party interest in the proposal. However, there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, so there is no documented debate history to indicate broader support, opposition, or amendments.

Contention

The main point of contention likely concerns whether the bill is an appropriate ethics safeguard or an overbroad restriction on post-government employment and advocacy. Supporters would likely argue that former officials with recent FMS involvement should not be able to leverage insider knowledge or relationships to influence sales decisions. Potential critics may argue that the restriction could limit legitimate expertise, reduce the pool of qualified advocates, or create ambiguity about what communications count as covered lobbying on foreign military sales. No specific objections or supporters are recorded in the provided materials.