No Ransom Payments Act of 2016 2016-09-06 Introduced in Senate No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

This bill prohibits the President from paying final judgments, awards, or compromise settlements to Iran using specified Department of Treasury funds (specified funds) until the President certifies that: (1) Iran has returned any money from such funds paid to it by the United States after January 1, 2016, (2) Iran has satisfied all outstanding judgments against it awarded to U.S. plaintiffs by U.S. courts, and (3) individuals taken hostage and held for 444 days following the U.S. Embassy seizure in Iran on November 4, 1979, have been compensated from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

The President must certify before providing or authorizing payment of any funds to Iran that: (1) the funds will not be used to support international terrorism, and (2) Iran or Iran-supported groups are not unjustly detaining U.S. citizens.

The President, within 60 days after enactment of this bill, shall impose property transaction and U.S. entry sanctions against any Iranian person:

  • involved in the kidnapping or unjust detention of a U.S. citizen on or after March 9, 2007;
  • that engages, or attempts to engage, in an activity or transaction that materially contributes to such kidnapping or unjust detentions; and
  • owned or controlled by such a person, acting on behalf of such a person, or providing support for such a person.

The Director of National Intelligence shall report within 60 days on whether funds paid to Iran by the United States after January 1, 2016, have been used by Iran to support international terrorism.

The President and U.S. government officers shall not:

  • make a payment to a government or person to secure the release of unjustly detained U.S. citizens (a payment to assist arrested U.S. citizens is excluded from such prohibition), or
  • use specified funds to make any payment to a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism (a specific payment or a specific payee is excluded from such prohibition if Congress has passed a joint resolution waiving the application of such prohibition).
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