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US Lawmaker Warns India's FCRA Bill Could Hit Bilateral Ties
India has a rule called the FCRA that decides how groups like churches, charities and schools can accept money from other countries.
To receive that money, groups need a special permission slip that must be renewed every five years.
The Indian government wants to change the rules with a new bill.
Under the new bill, if a group loses or fails to renew its permission slip, the government can take charge of the group's money and buildings.
A US Congressman named Riley Moore said this is unfair and especially bad for churches, calling it an 'attack against Christians'.
He warned it could make India and the United States less friendly with each other.
Some people in India also worry the government will have too much power over charities and churches.
The Indian government says the new rules are only to make sure foreign money is used honestly and safely, and it promises that any church building it looks after will keep its religious meaning.
Reports differ on when the bill was introduced, but it is still being discussed in India's Parliament.
US Congressman Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, called India's proposed FCRA amendments a 'clear attack against Christians' in a post on X on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
Moore warned the bill could let the Indian government take over churches and religious charities, saying it would be 'a point of major concern' for US-India bilateral ties.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 would create a government-appointed 'Designated Authority' to manage foreign contributions and assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or not renewed.
The bill would cut the maximum penalty for violations from five years' imprisonment to one year, set a Rs 10 lakh utilisation threshold for renewal, and require that the religious character of places of worship be maintained.
FCRA portal data as of July 15, 2026 showed 14,449 active, 22,498 cancelled and 15,212 expired registrations; critics say the bill expands state control over NGOs while the government calls it a transparency measure.
- Who
- US Congressman Riley Moore, a first-term Republican from West Virginia and a member of President Donald Trump's party, criticised the bill; his remarks echo concerns from US lawmakers including Representative Chris Smith and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behind the bill, while opposition MPs and civil society groups oppose it, and the Vishva Hindu Parishad dismissed Moore's remarks as 'rumour mongering'.
- What
- Proposed amendments to India's Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) that would create a government-appointed 'Designated Authority' to manage foreign contributions and assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or not renewed, and would reduce the maximum penalty for violations from five years' imprisonment to one year.
- Where
- India and the United States; concerns over churches are especially pronounced in Kerala, where Christian organisations run large educational and healthcare institutions.
- When
- Moore posted his remarks on X on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as Parliament debates the bill during the ongoing Monsoon Session; reports differ on whether the bill was introduced in March during the Budget Session or is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha next week.
- Why
- Moore says the bill could permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities, calling it a 'clear attack against Christians'; the Indian government says the changes bring transparency, oversight and accountability to the use of foreign funds.
Critics of the Bill
Government and Supporters
Nature of the Bill
Critics of the Bill
Moore and other critics call the bill a 'clear attack against Christians' that would let the Indian government take over churches, religious charities, schools and healthcare institutions whose FCRA registrations lapse, are cancelled or are not renewed.
Government and Supporters
Supporters say the bill is religion-neutral and applies to all FCRA-registered organisations, not just churches, and that the religious character of any place of worship taken over must be preserved.
State Control Over NGOs
Critics of the Bill
Opposition MPs, NGOs and civil society groups say the amendments give the Centre sweeping control over organisations dependent on foreign funding, with some describing the bill as 'dangerous' and 'draconian'.
Government and Supporters
The government says the changes improve transparency, strengthen oversight and accountability, close the legal vacuum around assets of cancelled organisations, and prevent misuse of overseas funds.
Impact on India-US Relations
Critics of the Bill
Moore warned that if the bill proceeds in its current form it would be 'a point of major concern' in the bilateral relationship; Representative Chris Smith and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have raised similar concerns.
Government and Supporters
Supporters dismiss the criticism as 'rumour mongering' and meddling in India's internal matters, note that comparable foreign-funding laws exist in other democracies such as the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and say the bill is about India's sovereignty over foreign funding.
Key facts
- Bill
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Law being amended
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010
- Key provision
- A government-appointed 'Designated Authority' takes over management of foreign contributions and assets if an organisation's FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or not renewed
- Penalty change
- Maximum imprisonment for violations reduced from five years to one year
- Renewal threshold
- Organisations that received or used less than Rs 10 lakh in foreign contributions in the previous two financial years may not qualify for renewal
- Place of worship safeguard
- Religious character of places of worship taken over must be maintained
- FCRA registrations (as of July 15, 2026)
- 14,449 active; 22,498 cancelled; 15,212 expired
- Foreign contributions (2019-2022)
- 13,520 organisations received Rs 55,741 crore, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs
Quotes
U.S. Congressman Riley Moore
First‑term Republican Congressman representing West Virginia
“Christians have been in India since St Thomas the Apostle travelled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But despite this long Christian history, India's Parliament is considering amending Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities. This is a clear attack against Christians.””
news18.com
wionews.com
firstpost.com
NDTV
scroll.in
“"Please inform which provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules permit government takeover of churches and religious charities in India, amount to an attack against Christians, or may become a major concern in the bilateral relationship with India."”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
'Clear Attack On Christians': US Lawmaker Warns India's FCRA Changes Could Affect Bilateral Ties
‘India’s FCRA bill an attack on Christians, could hit bilateral ties,’ says US lawmaker
'Clear attack against Christians': US Congressman warns FCRA Bill could hurt India-US ties
US Congressman Riley Moore voices concern on FCRA amendments, warns it could affect India-US ties
US Lawmaker Says FCRA Changes Target Christians, Could Hit India Ties
'Concern For India-US Ties': Team Trump Leader On Foreign Funding Rule Change
‘Clear attack against Christians’: US legislator warns FCRA amendment could hurt ties with India
'Clear Attack on Christians': US Congressman Says FCRA Bill Could Hit India-US Bilateral Ties
US lawmaker flags India's FCRA bill, says could hit bilateral ties
'This Is A Clear Attack Against Christians': US Congressman Riley Moore Slams India's FCRA Amendment Bill, Warns of Impact On Churches & Bilateral Ties
FCRA Amendment Bill: US Congressman Riley Moore pushes alarmist narrative
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