[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1706 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1706
To limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of
Syria or associated forces, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 13, 2019
Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Brendan F.
Boyle of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the
Committee on Financial Services, 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 limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of
Syria or associated forces, 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 ``No Assistance for Assad Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Seven years into the conflict in Syria, over 11 million
Syrians have been displaced from their homes and more than
470,000 have been killed.
(2) Since the conflict in Syria began, the United States
has provided more than $7.7 billion to meet humanitarian needs
of the Syrian people, making the United States the world's
single largest donor to the Syrian humanitarian response.
(3) It is estimated that the reconstruction of Syria could
cost between $200 and $350 billion.
(4) According to the 2018 Transparency International
Corruption Index, Syria is among the most corrupt countries in
the world.
(5) In August 2017, the Government of the People's Republic
of China hosted a trade fair in Syria, and a Chinese-Arab
business group announced a $2 billion commitment from the
Chinese Government to fund the construction of industrial parks
in Syria.
(6) The Russian Federation's Chamber of Commerce and
Industry stated that Russian businesses will have first
``priority'' in the allotment of reconstruction funds that
Syria receives, and Russia signed a bilateral agreement with
Syria giving Russia exclusive oil and gas rights in areas under
Assad regime control.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States that United States foreign
assistance made available for reconstruction or stabilization in Syria
should be used only in a democratic Syria or in areas of Syria not
controlled by a government led by Bashar al-Assad or associated forces.
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OF SYRIA CONTROLLED BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA OR ASSOCIATED FORCES.
(a) Limitation.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in subsection (c), for
each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2024, amounts authorized
to be appropriated or otherwise made available for assistance
described in paragraph (2) may not be provided, directly or
indirectly, for any area of Syria controlled by the Government
of Syria or associated forces, as determined by the Secretary
of State, unless a certification described in subsection (b) is
in effect.
(2) Assistance described.--Assistance referred to in
paragraph (1) is the following:
(A) Assistance to carry out stabilization
activities for the relevant area.
(B) Assistance to carry out reconstruction
activities for the relevant area.
(b) Certification.--
(1) In general.--A certification described in this
subsection is a certification submitted by the President to the
appropriate congressional committees that contains a
determination that the following criteria have been met:
(A) The air space over Syria is no longer being
utilized by the Government of Syria or the Government
of the Russian Federation to target civilian
populations through the use of incendiary devices,
including barrel bombs, chemical weapons, and
conventional arms, including air-delivered missiles and
explosives.
(B) Areas of Syria besieged by the forces of the
Government of Syria, the Government of the Russian
Federation, the Government of Iran, or associated
forces are no longer cut off from international aid and
have regular access to humanitarian assistance, freedom
of travel, and medical care.
(C) The Government of Syria is releasing all
political prisoners forcibly held within the prison
system of the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the
Government of Syria is allowing full access to the same
facilities for investigations by appropriate
international human rights organizations.
(D) The forces of the Government of Syria, the
Government of the Russian Federation, the Government of
Iran, and associated forces are no longer engaged in
deliberate targeting of medical facilities, schools,
residential areas, and community gathering places,
including markets, in violation of international norms.
(E) The Government of Syria is--
(i) taking steps to verifiably fulfill its
commitments under the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on
their Destruction, done at Geneva September 3,
1992, and entered into force April 29, 1997
(commonly known as the ``Chemical Weapons
Convention''), and the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at
Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968,
and entered into force March 5, 1970 (21 UST
483); and
(ii) making tangible progress toward
becoming a signatory to the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production and
Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and
Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, done at
Washington, London, and Moscow April 10, 1972,
and entered into force March 26, 1975 (26 UST
583).
(F) The Government of Syria is permitting the safe,
voluntary, and dignified return of Syrians displaced by
the conflict.
(G) The Government of Syria is taking verifiable
steps to establish meaningful accountability for
perpetrators of war crimes in Syria and justice for
victims of war crimes committed by the Assad regime,
including by participation in a credible and
independent truth and reconciliation process.
(H) The Government of Syria has halted the
development and deployment of ballistic and cruise
missiles.
(2) Effective period.--A certification shall be in effect
under this subsection for a period of 90 days beginning on the
date on which the President submits the certification to the
appropriate congressional committees.
(3) Renewal or report.--Not later than 90 days after the
date on which the President submits to the appropriate
congressional committees a certification under this subsection
the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees either--
(A) a new certification under this subsection
indicating that the conditions described in paragraph
(1) are continuing to be met; or
(B) a report that--
(i) describes why the President is unable
to make a new certification under this
subsection; and
(ii) contains a certification that no funds
will be obligated or expended to provide
assistance described in subsection (a) in
contravention of subsection (a).
(c) Exception.--
(1) In general.--The limitation on assistance under
subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to--
(A) assistance for projects to be administered by
local organizations that reflect the aims, needs, and
priorities of local communities in Syria;
(B) assistance for projects to meet basic human
needs in Syria, including--
(i) drought relief;
(ii) assistance to refugees, internally
displaced persons, and conflict victims;
(iii) the distribution of food and
medicine; and
(iv) the provision of health services; and
(C) assistance to carry out the activities
described in subsection (b)(1)(E).
(2) Report and determination.--The President shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees a report and
determination for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2024 on
each project with respect to which this subsection applies
during the preceding fiscal year, including--
(A) a description of the project;
(B) a description of how United States funds with
respect to the project were used;
(C) the geographic location or locations of the
project; and
(D) a determination with respect to whether the
project benefitted an official of the Assad regime.
(3) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that,
to the greatest extent practicable, the United States should
not fund projects described in this subsection with respect to
which the Government of Syria, any official of the Government
of Syria, and any immediate family member of an official of the
Government of Syria have a financial or material interest or
are affiliated with the implementing partner of the project.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(2) Associated forces.--The term ``associated forces''
includes forces of the Government of the Russian Federation,
the Government of Iran, Iranian-backed proxy militias, and
Hezbollah.
(3) Directly or indirectly.--The term ``directly or
indirectly'' includes assistance to multilateral institutions
and international governmental organizations, such as the
United Nations and related agencies, the International Monetary
Fund, and the World Bank.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON DELIVERY OF UNITED STATES HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO
SYRIA.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report on delivery of United
States humanitarian assistance to Syria.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall include the following:
(1) A description of the challenges of access to areas of
Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or associated
forces for purposes of providing United States humanitarian
assistance, including assistance funded through multilateral
institutions and international governmental organizations.
(2) A description of where such United States humanitarian
assistance has been able to be delivered in such areas.
(3) A description of where such United States humanitarian
assistance has been denied access in such areas.
(4) A description of how the United States Government is
working to improve access to such areas.
(5) A description of the roles and responsibilities of
United States allies and partners and other countries in the
region in ensuring access to such areas.
(6) A description of how such United States humanitarian
assistance and implementing partners of such assistance are
monitored and evaluated.
(7) A description of the major challenges that the United
States faces in monitoring such United States humanitarian
assistance and how the United States is working to overcome
such challenges.
(8) A description of the strategy of the United States to
deliver humanitarian assistance to areas of Syria controlled by
the Government of Syria or associated forces and in which the
Government of Syria or associated forces is impeding access to
such areas.
(c) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' and ``associated forces'' have the meanings
given such terms in section 4(d).
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