MOSCOW, November 17 (RAPSI) - The State Duma Committee on Information Policy has recommended that the lower house adopt a bill that would toughen control of media outlets that have international funding sources, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

The bill will require the said mass media to inform the Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor about their foreign financing.

According to the bill, media outlets would face fines equal to funds received for failure to report foreign budgeting; officials would pay fines of up to 50,000 rubles ($752,000). A court will be entitled to shut down an organization for repeated violation.

The bill was submitted to the State Duma in October by a group of lawmakers.