[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1706 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






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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