MOSCOW, November 8 (RAPSI) – A bill setting criterion for recognizing individuals as foreign agents may come into force in 2020, the head of the Federation Council’s temporary commission for protection of the state sovereignty and prevention of forays into domestic politics Andrey Klimov told journalists on Friday.

If the State Duma adopts the initiative by the end of the year, the Federation Council may also approve it soon, Klimov said.

In 2018, the State Duma passed in the first reading a bill establishing administrative liability for violating procedures governing the activities of mass media classified as “foreign agents”.

Moreover, individuals may be also called foreign agents if comply with the criteria. According to MP Petr Tolstoy, the document may affect bloggers, who are financed from abroad and are registered as media.

Under the bill, reports and publications of media declared foreign agents must contain a reference to the outlet’s status. If such media outlets fail to register as foreign agents or mark their publications, it will face blocking.