US Codex
Bill
Notes

H.R. 554 — what changed

Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2023

From Introduced in House to Reported in House. 2 sections amended between Introduced in House and Reported in House.

Sec. 2 Report on financial institutions and accounts connected to certain Chinese government officials

(a)
Financial institutions report—
(1)
In general— Not later than 90 days after the date that the President, pursuant to section 3(c) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3302(c)), informs the Congress of a threat resulting from actions of the People’s Republic of China and any danger to the interests of the United States arising therefrom, and annually thereafter for 3 years, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit a report to the appropriate Members of Congress containing the following:
(A)
With respect to each of at least 10 natural persons described under subsection (b), at least 1 of whom is a natural person listed under paragraph (1) of such subsection (b) and at least 1 of whom is a natural person listed under paragraph (2) of such subsection (b), the estimated total funds that are held in financial institutions and are under direct or indirect control by such natural person and a description of such funds.
(B)
A list of any financial institutions that—
(i)
maintain an account in connection with significant funds described in subparagraph (A); or
(ii)
otherwise provide significant financial services to a natural person covered by the report.
(2)
changed Briefing required— Not later than 30 days after submitting a report described under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury, or a designee of the Secretary, shall brief provide to the appropriate Members of Congress an unclassified or classified briefing (as determined appropriate by the Secretary) on the funds covered by the report, including a description of how the funds were acquired, and any illicit or corrupt means employed to acquire or use the funds.
(3)
Exemptions— The requirements described under paragraph (1) may not be applied with respect to a natural person or a financial institution, as the case may be, if the President determines:
(A)
The funds described under paragraph (1)(A) were primarily acquired through legal and noncorrupt means.
(B)
The natural person has agreed to provide significant cooperation to the United States for an important national security purpose with respect to China.
(C)
A financial institution has agreed to—
(i)
no longer maintain an account described under paragraph (1)(B)(i);
(ii)
no longer provide significant financial services to a natural person covered by the report; or
(iii)
provide significant cooperation to the United States for an important national security purpose with respect to China.
(4)
Waiver— The President may waive any requirement described under paragraph (1) with respect to a natural person or a financial institution upon reporting to the appropriate Members of Congress that—
(A)
the waiver would substantially promote the objective of ending the threat described under paragraph (1);
(B)
the threat described under paragraph (1) is no longer present; or
(C)
the waiver is essential to the national security interests of the United States.
(b)
Natural persons described— The natural persons described in this subsection are persons who, at the time of a report, are the following:
(1)
A member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
(2)
A member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party that is not described under paragraph (1).
(3)
A member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party that—
(A)
is none of the foregoing; and
(B)
performs any official duty that directly or indirectly affects Taiwan.
(c)
changed Form of report; reports; public availability—
(1)
changed Form— The report reports required under paragraphs (1) and (4) of subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.
(2)
changed Public availability— The Secretary of the Treasury shall make the unclassified portion of the report required under subsection (a) (a)(1) available to the public on the website and social media accounts of the Department of the Treasury—
(A)
in English, Chinese, and any other language that the Secretary finds appropriate; and
(B)
in precompressed, easily downloadable versions that are made available in all appropriate formats.

Sec. 3 Prohibition on financial services for certain immediate family

(a)
changed In general— The Secretary of the Treasury may shall prohibit a United States financial institution, and any person owned or controlled by a United States financial institution, from engaging in a significant transaction with—
(1)
changed a natural person covered by a report made under section 2(a); orand
(2)
the immediate family of a person described under paragraph (1), if the Secretary finds that such immediate family benefits from funds described in the report.
(b)
added Exceptions—
(1)
added Exception for intelligence, law enforcement, and national security activities— Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any intelligence, law enforcement, or national security activity of the United States.
(2)
added Waiver— The President may waive the application of subsection (a) with respect to a person upon reporting to the appropriate Members of Congress that—
(A)
added the waiver would substantially promote the objective of ending the threat described under section 2(a)(1);
(B)
added the threat described under section 2(a)(1) is no longer present; or
(C)
added the waiver is essential to the national security interests of the United States.
(3)
added Form of reports— The reports required under paragraph (2) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.
(4)
added Rule of construction—
(A)
added In general— Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing or requiring any sanction with respect to the importation of any good.
(B)
added Good defined— In this paragraph, the term “good” means any article, natural or manmade substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data.
(c)
added Implementation; penalties—
(1)
added Implementation— The President may exercise all authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this section. Not later than 60 days after issuing a license pursuant to this section, the President shall submit a copy of the license to the appropriate Members of Congress.
(2)
added Penalties— A person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of this section or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry out this section shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section 206.
(d)
added Termination— This section shall have no force or effect on the earlier of—
(b)
removed Termination— Subsection (a) shall have no force or effect on the earlier of—
(1)
renumbered was (3)(3) the date that is 30 days after the date that the President reports to the appropriate Members of Congress that the threat described under section 2(a)(1) is no longer present; or
(2)
renumbered was (3)(4) the date that is 25 years after the date that the Secretary of the Treasury submits the final report required under section 2(a)(1).