[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2297 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.2297

                     One Hundred Fourteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
           the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen


                                 An Act


 
  To prevent Hizballah and associated entities from gaining access to 
 international financial and other institutions, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Hizballah 
International Financing Prevention Act of 2015''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Statement of policy.

 TITLE I--PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY HIZBALLAH TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL 
                         AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Sec. 101. Report on imposition of sanctions on certain satellite 
          providers that carry al-Manar TV.
Sec. 102. Sanctions with respect to financial institutions that engage 
          in certain transactions.

TITLE II--REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND SIGNIFICANT 
             TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH

Sec. 201. Report and briefing on narcotics trafficking by Hizballah.
Sec. 202. Report and briefing on significant transnational criminal 
          activities of Hizballah.
Sec. 203. Rewards for Justice and Hizballah's fundraising, financing, 
          and money laundering activities.
Sec. 204. Report on activities of foreign governments to disrupt global 
          logistics networks and fundraising, financing, and money 
          laundering activities of Hizballah.

                   TITLE III--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 301. Rule of construction.
Sec. 302. Regulatory authority.
Sec. 303. Termination.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
    It shall be the policy of the United States to--
        (1) prevent Hizballah's global logistics and financial network 
    from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and 
    international activities; and
        (2) utilize all available diplomatic, legislative, and 
    executive avenues to combat the global criminal activities of 
    Hizballah as a means to block that organization's ability to fund 
    its global terrorist activities.

 TITLE I--PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY HIZBALLAH TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL 
                         AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

    SEC. 101. REPORT ON IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON CERTAIN SATELLITE 
      PROVIDERS THAT CARRY AL-MANAR TV.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees and leadership a report on the following:
        (1) The activities of all satellite, broadcast, Internet, or 
    other providers that have knowingly entered into a contractual 
    relationship with al-Manar TV, and any affiliates or successors 
    thereof.
        (2) With respect to all providers described in paragraph (1)--
            (A) an identification of those providers that have been 
        sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 
        note; relating to blocking property and prohibiting 
        transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or 
        support terrorism); and
            (B) an identification of those providers that have not been 
        sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and, with respect 
        to each such provider, any information indicating that the 
        provider has knowingly entered into a contractual relationship 
        with al-Manar TV, and any affiliates or successors of al-Manar 
        TV.
    (b) Form of Report.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, but may 
include a classified annex.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees and Leadership Defined.--
In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership'' means--
        (1) the Speaker, the minority leader, the Committee on Foreign 
    Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, and the Permanent 
    Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; 
    and
        (2) the majority leader, the minority leader, the Committee on 
    Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
    Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
    SEC. 102. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT 
      ENGAGE IN CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.
    (a) Prohibitions and Conditions With Respect to Certain Accounts 
Held by Foreign Financial Institutions.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the President shall prescribe regulations to 
    prohibit, or impose strict conditions on, the opening or 
    maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a 
    payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that the 
    President determines, on or after such date of enactment, engages 
    in an activity described in paragraph (2).
        (2) Activities described.--A foreign financial institution 
    engages in an activity described in this paragraph if the foreign 
    financial institution--
            (A) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or 
        transactions for Hizballah;
            (B) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or 
        transactions of a person identified on the list of specially 
        designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the 
        Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the 
        Treasury and the property and interests in property of which 
        are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic 
        Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) for acting on behalf of or 
        at the direction of, or being owned or controlled by, 
        Hizballah;
            (C) knowingly engages in money laundering to carry out an 
        activity described in subparagraph (A) or (B); or
            (D) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or 
        transactions or provides significant financial services to 
        carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A), (B), or 
        (C).
        (3) 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 prescribed under this subsection to the same extent 
    that such penalties apply to a person that commits an unlawful act 
    described in subsection (a) of such section 206.
        (4) Procedures for judicial review of classified information.--
            (A) In general.--If a finding under this subsection, or a 
        prohibition, condition, or penalty imposed as a result of any 
        such finding, is based on classified information (as defined in 
        section 1(a) of the Classified Information Procedures Act (18 
        U.S.C. App.)) and a court reviews the finding or the imposition 
        of the prohibition, condition, or penalty, the President may 
        submit such information to the court ex parte and in camera.
            (B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this paragraph shall 
        be construed to confer or imply any right to judicial review of 
        any finding under this subsection or any prohibition, 
        condition, or penalty imposed as a result of any such finding.
    (b) Waiver.--
        (1) In general.--The President may waive, on a case-by-case 
    basis, the application of a prohibition or condition imposed with 
    respect to a foreign financial institution pursuant to subsection 
    (a) for a period of not more than 180 days, and may renew the 
    waiver for additional periods of not more than 180 days, on and 
    after the date on which the President--
            (A) determines that such a waiver is in the national 
        security interests of the United States; and
            (B) submits to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        report describing the reasons for such determination.
        (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1)(B) shall be 
    submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.
    (c) Special Rule To Allow for Termination of Sanctionable 
Activity.--The President shall not be required to apply sanctions to a 
foreign financial institution described in subsection (a) if the 
President certifies in writing to the appropriate congressional 
committees that--
        (1) the foreign financial institution--
            (A) is no longer engaging in the activity described in 
        subsection (a)(2); or
            (B) has taken and is continuing to take significant 
        verifiable steps toward terminating the activity described in 
        that subsection; and
        (2) the President has received reliable assurances from the 
    government with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial 
    institution that the foreign financial institution will not engage 
    in any activity described in subsection (a)(2) in the future.
    (d) Report on Foreign Central Banks.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary 
    of the Treasury shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
    committees a report that--
            (A) identifies each foreign central bank that the Secretary 
        determines engages in one or more activities described in 
        subsection (a)(2)(D); and
            (B) provides a detailed description of each such activity.
        (2) Form of report.--Each report required by paragraph (1) 
    shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a 
    classified annex.
    (e) Implementation.--The President may exercise all authorities 
provided under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this 
section.
    (f) Definitions.--
        (1) In general.--In this section:
            (A) Account; correspondent account; payable-through 
        account.--The terms ``account'', ``correspondent account'', and 
        ``payable-through account'' have the meanings given those terms 
        in section 5318A of title 31, United States Code.
            (B) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                (i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee 
            on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
                (ii) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
            Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
            Senate.
            (C) Financial institution.--The term ``financial 
        institution'' means a financial institution specified in 
        subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), 
        (K), (M), (N), (P), (R), (T), (Y), or (Z) of section 5312(a)(2) 
        of title 31, United States Code.
            (D) Foreign financial institution.--The term ``foreign 
        financial institution'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 1010.605 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations.
            (E) Hizballah.--The term ``Hizballah'' means--
                (i) the entity known as Hizballah and designated by the 
            Secretary of State as a foreign terrorist organization 
            pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality 
            Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); or
                (ii) any person--

                    (I) the property or interests in property of which 
                are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency 
                Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
                    (II) who is identified on the list of specially 
                designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by 
                the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department 
                of the Treasury as an agent, instrumentality, or 
                affiliate of Hizballah.

            (F) Money laundering.--The term ``money laundering'' 
        includes the movement of illicit cash or cash equivalent 
        proceeds into, out of, or through a country, or into, out of, 
        or through a financial institution.
        (2) Other definitions.--The President may further define the 
    terms used in this section in the regulations prescribed under this 
    section.

     TITLE II--REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND 
       SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH

    SEC. 201. REPORT AND BRIEFING ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING BY 
      HIZBALLAH.
    (a) Report.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
    appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report on the 
    activities of Hizballah related to narcotics trafficking worldwide.
        (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
    submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, but 
    may include a classified annex.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the submission of the 
report required by subsection (a), the President shall provide to the 
appropriate congressional committees and leadership a briefing on--
        (1) the report;
        (2) procedures for designating Hizballah as a significant 
    foreign narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin 
    Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.); and
        (3) Government-wide efforts to combat the narcotics trafficking 
    activities of Hizballah.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees and Leadership Defined.--
In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership'' means--
        (1) the Speaker, the minority leader, the Committee on Foreign 
    Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on the 
    Judiciary, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 
    the House of Representatives; and
        (2) the majority leader, the minority leader, the Committee on 
    Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
    Affairs, the Committee on Finance, the Committee on the Judiciary, 
    and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
    SEC. 202. REPORT AND BRIEFING ON SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL 
      ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH.
    (a) Report.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
    appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report on the 
    significant transnational criminal activities of Hizballah, 
    including human trafficking.
        (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
    submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, but 
    may include a classified annex.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the submission of the 
report required by subsection (a), the President shall provide to the 
appropriate congressional committees and leadership a briefing on--
        (1) the report;
        (2) procedures for designating Hizballah as a significant 
    transnational criminal organization under Executive Order 13581 (75 
    Fed. Reg. 44,757); and
        (3) Government-wide efforts to combat the transnational 
    criminal activities of Hizballah.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees and Leadership Defined.--
In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership'' means--
        (1) the Speaker, the minority leader, the Committee on Foreign 
    Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on the 
    Judiciary, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 
    the House of Representatives; and
        (2) the majority leader, the minority leader, the Committee on 
    Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
    Affairs, the Committee on Finance, the Committee on the Judiciary, 
    and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
    SEC. 203. REWARDS FOR JUSTICE AND HIZBALLAH'S FUNDRAISING, 
      FINANCING, AND MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES.
    (a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that details actions taken by the 
Department of State through the Department of State rewards program 
under section 36 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act (22 
U.S.C. 2708) to obtain information on fundraising, financing, and money 
laundering activities of Hizballah and its agents and affiliates.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State 
shall provide a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees on 
the status of the actions described in subsection (a).
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
    Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
        (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
    Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
    SEC. 204. REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO DISRUPT 
      GLOBAL LOGISTICS NETWORKS AND FUNDRAISING, FINANCING, AND MONEY 
      LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH.
    (a) Report.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
    appropriate congressional committees a report that includes--
            (A) a list of countries that support Hizballah or in which 
        Hizballah maintains important portions of its global logistics 
        networks;
            (B) with respect to each country on the list required by 
        subparagraph (A)--
                (i) an assessment of whether the government of the 
            country is taking adequate measures to disrupt the global 
            logistics networks of Hizballah within the territory of the 
            country; and
                (ii) in the case of a country the government of which 
            is not taking adequate measures to disrupt such networks--

                    (I) an assessment of the reasons that government is 
                not taking such adequate measures; and
                    (II) a description of measures being taken by the 
                United States to encourage that government to improve 
                measures to disrupt such networks;

            (C) a list of countries in which Hizballah, or any of its 
        agents or affiliates, conducts significant fundraising, 
        financing, or money laundering activities;
            (D) with respect to each country on the list required by 
        subparagraph (C)--
                (i) an assessment of whether the government of the 
            country is taking adequate measures to disrupt the 
            fundraising, financing, or money laundering activities of 
            Hizballah and its agents and affiliates within the 
            territory of the country; and
                (ii) in the case of a country the government of which 
            is not taking adequate measures to disrupt such 
            activities--

                    (I) an assessment of the reasons that government is 
                not taking such adequate measures; and
                    (II) a description of measures being taken by the 
                United States to encourage that government to improve 
                measures to disrupt such activities; and

            (E) a list of methods that Hizballah, or any of its agents 
        or affiliates, utilizes to raise or transfer funds, including 
        trade-based money laundering, the use of foreign exchange 
        houses, and free-trade zones.
        (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
    submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, and 
    may contain a classified annex.
        (3) Global logistics networks of hizballah.--In this 
    subsection, the term ``global logistics networks of Hizballah'', 
    ``global logistics networks'', or ``networks'' means financial, 
    material, or technological support for, or financial or other 
    services in support of, Hizballah.
    (b) Briefing on Hizballah's Assets and Activities Related To 
Fundraising, Financing, and Money Laundering Worldwide.--Not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days 
thereafter, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and 
the heads of other applicable Federal departments and agencies shall 
provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the 
disposition of Hizballah's assets and activities related to 
fundraising, financing, and money laundering worldwide.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
    Financial Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on 
    Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
        (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
    Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee on 
    Intelligence of the Senate.

                  TITLE III--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

    SEC. 301. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
    Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall apply 
to the authorized intelligence activities of the United States.
    SEC. 302. REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
    (a) In General.--The President shall, not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate regulations as 
necessary for the implementation of this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act.
    (b) Notification to Congress.--Not less than 10 days before the 
promulgation of regulations under subsection (a), the President shall 
notify the appropriate congressional committees of the proposed 
regulations and the provisions of this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act that the regulations are implementing.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
    Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
        (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
    Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
    SEC. 303. TERMINATION.
    This Act shall terminate on the date that is 30 days after the date 
on which the President certifies to Congress that Hizballah--
        (1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization 
    pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
    U.S.C. 1189); and
        (2) is no longer designated for the imposition of sanctions 
    pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
    blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who 
    commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.