[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1288 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1288

   To halt Saudi support for institutions that fund, train, incite, 
 encourage, or in any other way aid and abet terrorism, to secure full 
Saudi cooperation in the investigation of terrorist incidents, to halt 
 the issuance of visas to citizens of Saudi Arabia until the President 
certifies that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not discriminate in the 
 issuance of visas on the basis of religious affiliation or heritage, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 2009

 Mr. Weiner (for himself, Mr. Crowley, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Nadler of New 
   York, and Mrs. Tauscher) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To halt Saudi support for institutions that fund, train, incite, 
 encourage, or in any other way aid and abet terrorism, to secure full 
Saudi cooperation in the investigation of terrorist incidents, to halt 
 the issuance of visas to citizens of Saudi Arabia until the President 
certifies that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not discriminate in the 
 issuance of visas on the basis of religious affiliation or heritage, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) 
        mandates that all states ``refrain from providing any form of 
        support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in 
        terrorist acts'', take ``the necessary steps to prevent the 
        commission of terrorist acts'', and ``deny safe haven to those 
        who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts''.
            (2) The Council on Foreign Relations concluded in an 
        October 2002 report on terrorist financing that ``[f]or years, 
        individuals and charities based in Saudi Arabia have been the 
        most important source of funds for al-Qaeda, and for years, 
        Saudi officials have turned a blind eye to this problem''.
            (3) In a June 2004 report entitled ``Update on the Global 
        Campaign Against Terrorist Financing'', the Council on Foreign 
        Relations reported that ``[w]e find it regrettable and 
        unacceptable that since September 11, 2001, we know of not a 
        single Saudi donor of funds to terrorist groups who has been 
        publicly punished''.
            (4) According to the final report of the National 
        Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, when 
        asked where terrorist leaders would likely locate their bases, 
        military officers and government officials repeatedly listed 
        Saudi Arabia as a prime location.
            (5) A report released on January 28, 2005 by Freedom 
        House's Center for Religious Freedom found that Saudi Arabia is 
        the state most responsible for the propagation of material 
        promoting hatred, intolerance, and violence within United 
        States mosques and Islamic centers, and that these publications 
        are often official publications of a Saudi ministry or 
        distributed by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC.
            (6) During a July 2003 hearing on terrorism before the 
        Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security of 
        the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, David Aufhauser, 
        General Counsel of the Treasury Department, stated that Saudi 
        Arabia is, in many cases, the ``epicenter'' of financing for 
        terrorism.
            (7) The New York Times, citing United States and Israeli 
        sources, reported on September 17, 2003, that at least 50 
        percent of the current operating budget of Hamas comes from 
        ``people in Saudi Arabia''.
            (8) The Middle East Media Research Institute concluded in a 
        July 3, 2003, report on Saudi support for Palestinian 
        terrorists that ``for decades, the royal family of the Kingdom 
        of Saudi Arabia has been the main financial supporter of 
        Palestinian groups fighting Israel''. The report notes 
        specifically that Saudi-sponsored organizations have funneled 
        over $4,000,000,000 to finance the Palestinian intifada that 
        began in September 2000.
            (9) A joint committee of the Select Committee on 
        Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee 
        on Intelligence of the House of Representatives issued a report 
        on July 24, 2003, that quotes various United States Government 
        personnel who complained that the Saudis refused to cooperate 
        in the investigation of Osama bin Laden and his network both 
        before and after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
            (10) After the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers housing 
        complex at Dahran, Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 United States 
        Air Force personnel and wounded approximately 400 people, the 
        Government of Saudi Arabia refused to allow United States 
        officials to question individuals held in detention by the 
        Saudis in connection with the attack.
            (11) As recounted by counterterrorism officials in a 
        September 2003 issue of Time Magazine, Saudi Arabia denied 
        United States officials access to several suspects in the 
        custody of the Government of Saudi Arabia, including a Saudi 
        Arabian citizen in detention for months who had knowledge of 
        extensive plans to inject poison gas in the New York City 
        subway system.
            (12) The United States Commission on International 
        Religious Freedom has reported that Saudi Arabian Government-
        funded textbooks used both in Saudi Arabia and also in North 
        American Islamic schools and mosques have been found to 
        encourage incitement to violence against non-Muslims.
            (13) There are indications that, since the May 12, 2003, 
        suicide bombings in Riyadh, the Government of Saudi Arabia is 
        making a more serious effort to combat terrorism.
            (14) An official website of the Saudi Arabian Government's 
        Supreme Commission for Tourism included the following text:
            ``Visas will not be issued for the following groups of 
        people:
                    ``An Israeli passport holder or a passport that has 
                an Israeli arrival/departure stamp.
                    ``Those who don't abide by the Saudi traditions 
                concerning appearance and behaviors. Those under the 
                influence of alcohol will not be permitted into the 
                Kingdom.
                    ``There are certain regulations for pilgrims and 
                you should contact the consulate for more information.
                    ``Jewish People.''.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) it is imperative that the Government of Saudi Arabia 
        immediately and unconditionally--
                    (A) provide complete, unrestricted, and 
                unobstructed cooperation to the United States, 
                including the unsolicited sharing of relevant 
                intelligence in a consistent and timely fashion, in the 
                investigation of groups and individuals that are 
                suspected of financing, supporting, plotting, or 
                committing an act of terror against United States 
                citizens anywhere in the world, including within the 
                Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
                    (B) permanently close all charities, schools, or 
                other organizations or institutions in the Kingdom of 
                Saudi Arabia that fund, train, incite, encourage, or in 
                any other way aid and abet terrorism anywhere in the 
                world (hereafter in this Act referred to as ``Saudi-
                based terror organizations''), including by means of 
                providing support for the families of individuals who 
                have committed acts of terrorism;
                    (C) end funding or other support by the Government 
                of Saudi Arabia for charities, schools, and any other 
                organizations or institutions outside the Kingdom of 
                Saudi Arabia that train, incite, encourage, or in any 
                other way aid and abet terrorism anywhere in the world 
                (hereafter in this Act referred to as ``offshore terror 
                organizations''), including by means of providing 
                support for the families of individuals who have 
                committed acts of terrorism; and
                    (D) block all funding from private Saudi citizens 
                and entities to any Saudi-based terror organization or 
                offshore terrorism organization; and
            (2) the President, in deciding whether to make the 
        certification under section 4, should judge whether the 
        Government of Saudi Arabia has continued and sufficiently 
        expanded the efforts to combat terrorism that it redoubled 
        after the May 12, 2003, bombing in Riyadh.

SEC. 4. SANCTIONS.

    (a) Restrictions on Exports and Diplomatic Travel.--Unless the 
President makes the certification described in subsection (c), the 
President shall take the following actions:
            (1) Prohibit the export to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and 
        prohibit the issuance of a license for the export to the 
        Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, of--
                    (A) any defense articles or defense services on the 
                United States Munitions List under section 38 of the 
                Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778) for which 
                special export controls are warranted under such Act 
                (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.); and
                    (B) any item identified on the Commerce Control 
                List maintained under part 774 of title 15, Code of 
                Federal Regulations.
            (2) Restrict travel of Saudi diplomats assigned to 
        Washington, District of Columbia, New York, New York, the Saudi 
        Consulate General in Houston, or the Saudi Consulate in Los 
        Angeles to a 25-mile radius of Washington, District of 
        Columbia, New York, New York, the Saudi Consulate General in 
        Houston, or the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles, respectively.
    (b) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of subsection 
(a) if the President--
            (1) determines that it is in the national security interest 
        of the United States to do so; and
            (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        report that contains the reasons for such determination.
    (c) Certification.--The President shall transmit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a certification of any determination made by 
the President after the date of the enactment of this Act that the 
Government of Saudi Arabia--
            (1) is fully cooperating with the United States in 
        investigating and preventing terrorist attacks;
            (2) has permanently closed all Saudi-based terror 
        organizations;
            (3) has ended any funding or other support by the 
        Government of Saudi Arabia for any offshore terror 
        organization; and
            (4) has exercised maximum efforts to block all funding from 
        private Saudi citizens and entities to offshore terrorist 
        organizations.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    (a) Requirement for Report.--Not later than six months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter until the 
President makes the certification described in section 4(c), the 
Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the progress made by the Government of Saudi 
Arabia toward meeting the conditions described in paragraphs (1) 
through (4) of such section.
    (b) Form.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall be in 
unclassified form but may include a classified annex.

SEC. 6. CESSATION OF VISA ISSUANCE.

    Beginning on the day after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
no visa shall be issued by the Government of the United States to a 
citizen of Saudi Arabia until the President certifies that the Kingdom 
of Saudi Arabia does not discriminate in the issuance of visas on the 
basis of religious affiliation or heritage.

SEC. 7. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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