Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Saudi Arabia December 6, 2019, Anti-Terror and Accountability Act”.
Saudi Arabia December 6, 2019, Anti-Terror and Accountability Act
A BILL
To take certain actions with respect to Saudi Arabia in response to the shootings that occurred at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida on December 6, 2019.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
Trust between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States has been eroded by the devastating humanitarian costs of the war in Yemen, the kidnappings and shakedowns of royals and other businessmen in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the torture of women activists seeking equal rights.
Fifteen of the September 11, 2001, attackers were Saudi citizens, nationals, or of Saudi descent and some of these individuals had direct assistance from the Saudi Government for training, logistical support, and radicalization.
Mohammed Alshamrani, a 21-year-old second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force who was radicalized by al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Osama bin Laden’s teachings of Wahhabiism, fatally shot Cameron Walters, 21, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, and wounded eight others, including two sheriff’s deputies, at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida on December 6, 2019, in an act of unprovoked and cowardly terror.
Al-Shamrani was a Trojan Horse sent by his country, Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi authorities were negligent in properly screening Al-Shamrani.
The Saudi Government had an obligation to report Al-Shamrani’s anti-American social media posts prior to his enrolment in a joint military training program at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The Saudi Government was derelict in monitoring and reporting Al-Shamrani’s radicalization, and on failed in their promise to compensate the victims of Al-Shamrani’s terrorist attack.
Sec. 3 Prohibitions on assistance to Saudi Arabia
In general— None of the funds available to the Department of Defense or any other Federal agency may be used to—
support the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen or any other Saudi-led proxy wars; or
carry out any military officer exchange programs with Saudi Arabia.
Export controls— Notwithstanding the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, the President shall prohibit the export of munitions containers, weapon support, support equipment, spare and repair parts, technical and logistical support services, and related elements of logistical and program support to Saudi Arabia.
Sec. 4 Compensation for victims
Section 404(c) of the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 20144) is amended—
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (B), by striking “or” at the end and inserting;
in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and
by adding at the end, the following:
“(D) $10,000,000 for a victim as defined under 40 CFR § 170.305 (or an immediate family member of a victim if the victim is deceased, whether or not as direct result of the shooting) of the shooting by Mohammed Alshamrani at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida on December 6, 2019.”
in paragraph (3)(A), by adding at the end the following:
“(iv) Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the Saudi Arabia December 6, 2019, Anti-Terror and Accountability Act, for a claim described in paragraph (2)(D).”
Sec. 5 Funding for compensation for victims
Section 404(e)(5) of the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act (34 U.S.C. 20144(e)(5)) is amended—
by striking “Fund” and inserting “Fund—”;
by striking “out of any” and inserting “(A) out of any”; and
by adding at the end, the following new subparagraph:
“(B) $1,000,000,000 to be derived from unobligated balances of amounts appropriated for security assistance for Ukraine in fiscal year 2023 and to remain available until expended to carry out subsection (c)(2)(D) and for other purposes of the fund. Any unused funds are made available to all victim eligible for damages under 34 U.S.C. 20144.”