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Title I — Additional actions in connection with the national emergency with respect to Syria

S. 52 · 116th Congress · Jan 8, 2019 · Lineage

I Additional actions in connection with the national emergency with respect to Syria

Sec. 101 Measures with respect to Central Bank of Syria

(a)
Determination regarding Central Bank of Syria— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine, under section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that the Central Bank of Syria is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern.
(b)
Enhanced due diligence and reporting requirements— If the Secretary of the Treasury determines under subsection (a) that reasonable grounds exist for concluding that the Central Bank of Syria is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern, the Secretary, in consultation with the Federal functional regulators (as defined in section 509 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6809)), shall impose one or more of the special measures described in section 5318A(b) of title 31, United States Code, with respect to the Central Bank of Syria.
(c)
Report required—
(1)
In general— Not later than 90 days after making a determination under subsection (a) with respect to whether the Central Bank of Syria is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the reasons for the determination.
(2)
Form— A report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
(3)
Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(B)
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.

Sec. 102 Sanctions with respect to foreign persons that engage in certain transactions

(a)
Imposition of sanctions—
(1)
In general— On and after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to a foreign person if the President determines that the foreign person, on or after such date of enactment, knowingly engages in an activity described in paragraph (2).
(2)
Activities described— A foreign person engages in an activity described in this paragraph if the foreign person—
(A)
knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support to, or knowingly engages in a significant transaction with—
(i)
the Government of Syria (including any entity owned or controlled by the Government of Syria) or a senior political figure of the Government of Syria;
(ii)
a foreign person that is a military contractor, mercenary, or a paramilitary force knowingly operating in a military capacity inside Syria for or on behalf of the Government of Syria, the Government of the Russian Federation, or the Government of Iran; or
(iii)
a foreign person subject to sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) with respect to Syria or any other provision of law that imposes sanctions with respect to Syria;
(B)
knowingly sells or provides significant goods, services, technology, information, or other support that significantly facilitates the maintenance or expansion of the Government of Syria's domestic production of natural gas, petroleum, or petroleum products;
(C)
knowingly sells or provides aircraft or spare aircraft parts that are used for military purposes in Syria for or on behalf of the Government of Syria to any foreign person operating in an area directly or indirectly controlled by the Government of Syria or foreign forces associated with the Government of Syria;
(D)
knowingly provides significant goods or services associated with the operation of aircraft that are used for military purposes in Syria for or on behalf of the Government of Syria to any foreign person operating in an area described in subparagraph (C); or
(E)
knowingly, directly or indirectly, provides significant construction or engineering services to the Government of Syria.
(3)
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that, in implementing this section, the President should consider financial support under paragraph (2)(A) to include the provision of loans, credits, or export credits.
(b)
Sanctions described—
(1)
In general— The sanctions to be imposed with respect to a foreign person subject to subsection (a) are the following:
(A)
Blocking of property— The President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property of the foreign person if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.
(B)
Aliens ineligible for visas, admission, or parole—
(i)
Visas, admission, or parole— An alien who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, has knowingly engaged in any activity described in subsection (a)(2) is—
(I)
inadmissible to the United States;
(II)
ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to enter the United States; and
(III)
otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the United States or to receive any other benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(ii)
Current visas revoked—
(I)
In general— The issuing consular officer, the Secretary of State, or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry documentation issued to an alien described in clause (i) regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is issued.
(II)
Effect of revocation— A revocation under subclause (I)—
(aa)
shall take effect immediately; and
(bb)
shall automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien’s possession.
(2)
Penalties— The penalties provided for in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of regulations promulgated under section 403(b) to carry out paragraph (1)(A) to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that Act.
(3)
Exception to comply with United Nations Headquarters Agreement— Sanctions under paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to an alien if admitting the alien into the United States is necessary to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States, or other applicable international obligations.

Sec. 103 Strategy relating to areas of Syria in which civilians are subject to forced displacement

(a)
In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall—
(1)
identify the areas described in subsection (b); and
(2)
submit to the appropriate congressional committees the strategy described in subsection (c).
(b)
Areas described— The areas described in this subsection are areas in Syria that the President determines—
(1)
are under the control of—
(A)
the Government of Syria;
(B)
the Government of the Russian Federation;
(C)
the Government of Iran; or
(D)
a foreign person described in section 102(a)(2)(A)(ii); and
(2)
are areas in which civilians have been subject to forced displacement by—
(A)
a government specified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1); or
(B)
a foreign person described in section 102(a)(2)(A)(ii).
(c)
Strategy described— The strategy described in this subsection is a strategy to deter foreign persons from entering into contracts related to reconstruction in the areas described in subsection (b) for or on behalf of—
(1)
a government specified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of subsection (b)(1); or
(2)
a foreign person described in section 102(a)(2)(A)(ii).
(d)
Form— The strategy required by subsection (a)(2) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
(e)
Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(1)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
(2)
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.