[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3202 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3202
To prohibit any official action to recognize or normalize relations
with any Government of Syria that is led by Bashar al-Assad, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 11, 2023
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of
Texas, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Hill, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Radewagen,
Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Gimenez) 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 prohibit any official action to recognize or normalize relations
with any Government of Syria that is led by Bashar al-Assad, 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 ``Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act
of 2023''.
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO THE CAESAR SYRIA CIVILIAN PROTECTION ACT.
(a) Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act.--Section 7412 of the
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 (title LXXIV of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020; 22 U.S.C. 8791
note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``with respect to
a foreign person if the President determines that the
foreign person, on or after such date of enactment,
knowingly engages in an activity described in paragraph
(2).'' and inserting ``with respect to a foreign person
that the President determines--
``(A) knowingly engages, on or after such date of
enactment, in an activity described in paragraph (2);
``(B) is an adult family member of a foreign person
described in subparagraph (A); or
``(C) is owned or controlled by a foreign person
described in subparagraph (A) or (B).'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by amending clause (i) to read
as follows:
``(i) the Government of Syria (including
any entity owned or controlled by the
Government of Syria), a senior political figure
of the Government of Syria, a member of the
People's Assembly of Syria, or a senior foreign
political figure (as such term is defined in
section 101.605 of title 31, Code of Federal
Regulations) of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
of Syria, including any such senior foreign
political figure who is--
``(I) a member of the Central
Command, Central Committee, or Auditing
and Inspection Committee of such Party;
or
``(II) a leader of a local branch
of such Party;'';
(II) in clause (ii), by striking
``; or'' and inserting a semicolon;
(III) in clause (iii), by striking
the semicolon and inserting ``; or'';
and
(IV) by adding at the end the
following new clause:
``(iv) Syria Arab Airlines, Cham Wings, or
any foreign person owned or controlled by Syria
Arab Airlines or Cham Wings;'';
(ii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read
as follows:
``(C) knowingly sells or provides aircraft or spare
aircraft parts--
``(i) to the Government of Syria; or
``(ii) for or on behalf of the Government
of Syria to any foreign person operating in an
area directly or indirectly controlled by the
Government of Syria or foreign forces
associated with the Government of Syria;'';
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``;
or'' and inserting a semicolon;
(iv) in subparagraph (E)--
(I) by striking ``construction or
engineering services'' and inserting
``financial, construction, or
engineering services''; and
(II) by striking the closing period
and inserting a semicolon; and
(v) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraphs:
``(F) knowingly engages in or directs--
``(i) the diversion of goods (including
agricultural commodities, food, medicine, and
medical devices), or any international
humanitarian assistance, intended for the
people of Syria; or
``(ii) the dealing in proceeds from the
sale or resale of such diverted goods or
international humanitarian assistance, as the
case may be;
``(G) knowingly, directly or indirectly, engages in
or attempts to engage in, the seizure, confiscation,
theft, or expropriation for personal gain or political
purposes of property, including real property, in Syria
or owned by a citizen of Syria;
``(H) knowingly, directly or indirectly, engages in
or attempts to engage in a transaction or transactions
for or with such seized, confiscated, stolen, or
expropriated property described in subparagraph (G); or
``(I) knowingly provides significant financial,
material, or technological support to a foreign person
engaging in an activity described in any of
subparagraphs (A) through (H).''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraphs:
``(4) Transaction defined.--For purposes of the
determination required by subparagraph (a)(2)(A), the term
`transaction' includes in-kind transactions.
``(5) Significant transaction clarified.--In this section,
the term `significant transaction' includes any natural gas,
electricity, or other energy-related transaction, without
regard to whether such transaction was authorized by a license
or regulation issued prior the date of the enactment of this
paragraph pursuant to section 203 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702).''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(c) Congressional Requests.--Not later than 30 days after
receiving a request from the chairman and ranking member of one of the
appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether a foreign
person knowingly engages in an activity described in subsection (a)(2)
the President shall--
``(1) make the determination specified in subsection (a)(1)
with respect to that foreign person; and
``(2) submit to such chairman and ranking member that
submitted the request a report with respect to such
determination that includes a statement of whether the
President has imposed or intends to impose the sanctions
described in subsection (b) with respect to that foreign
person.''.
(b) Removal of Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--The
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, as amended by subsection
(a), is further amended--
(1) by striking section 7434; and
(2) by redesignating sections 7435 through 7438 as sections
7434 through 7437, respectively.
(c) Determination With Respect to Syria Trust for Development.--
(1) Determination.--Not later than 120 days after the
enactment of this Act, the President shall--
(A) determine whether the nonprofit organization
chaired by Asma Al-Assad, the First Lady of Syria,
known as the ``Syria Trust for Development'' meets the
criteria for the imposition of sanctions under section
7412(a) of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of
2019, as amended by subsection (a); and
(B) submit to the appropriate congressional
committees such determination, including a
justification for the determination.
(2) Form.--The determination under paragraph (1)(B) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but the justification
specified in such paragraph may be included in a classified
annex. The unclassified determination shall be made available
on a publicly available website of the Federal government.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Financial
Services of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
(d) Findings on Applicability With Respect to Syrian Arab Airlines,
Cham Wings Airlines, and Related Entities.--Congress finds the
following:
(1) In 2013, the President identified Syrian Arab Airlines
as a blocked instrumentality or controlled entity of the
Government of Syria and concurrently sanctioned Syrian Arab
Airlines pursuant to Executive Order 13224 for acting for or on
behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force of
Iran.
(2) In 2016, the President sanctioned Syria-based Cham
Wings Airlines pursuant to Executive Order 13582 for having
materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial,
material, or technological support for, or goods or services in
support of, the Government of Syria and Syrian Arab Airlines.
(3) Section 7412(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the Caesar Syria Civilian
Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note) mandates the
application of sanctions against any foreign person that
``knowingly provides significant financial, material, or
technological support to, or knowingly engages in a significant
transaction with . . . a foreign person subject to sanctions
pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) with respect to Syria or any other
provision of law that imposes sanctions with respect to
Syria,'', which applies to airport service providers outside of
Syria.
(e) Severability.--If any provision of this Act, or the application
of such provision to any person or circumstance, is found to be
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act, or the application of that
provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF RECOGNITION OF ASSAD REGIME.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States--
(1) not to recognize or normalize relations with any
Government of Syria that is led by Bashar al-Assad due to the
Assad regime's ongoing crimes against the Syrian people,
including failure to meet the criteria outlined in section
7431(a) of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019;
(2) to actively oppose recognition or normalization of
relations by other governments with any Government of Syria
that is led by Bashar Al-Assad, including by fully implementing
the mandatory primary and secondary sanctions in the Caesar
Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and Executive Order
13894; and
(3) to use the full range of authorities, including those
provided under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019
and Executive Order 13894, to deter reconstruction activities
in areas under the control of Bashar al-Assad.
(b) Prohibition.--In accordance with subsection (a), no Federal
official or employee may take any action, and no Federal funds may be
made available, to recognize or otherwise imply, in any manner, United
States recognition of Bashar al-Assad or any Government in Syria that
is led by Bashar al-Assad.
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY STRATEGY TO COUNTER NORMALIZATION WITH ASSAD
REGIME.
(a) Report and Strategy Required.--
(1) Submission.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for a period
not to exceed 5 years, the Secretary of State (in consultation
with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Administrator of the
Drug Enforcement Administration, and the heads of other
appropriate Federal departments and agencies) shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report and strategy
to describe and counter actions taken or planned by foreign
governments to normalize, engage with, or upgrade political,
diplomatic, or economic ties with the regime led by Bashar al-
Assad in Syria (in this section referred to as the ``Assad
regime'').
(2) Elements.--The elements of the report under paragraph
(1) shall include--
(A) a description of violations of international
law and human rights abuses committed by Bashar al-
Assad, the Government of the Russian Federation, or the
Government of Iran and progress towards justice and
accountability for the Syrian people;
(B) a full list of diplomatic meetings at the
Ambassador level or above, between the Syrian regime
and any representative of the Governments of Turkey,
the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Oman,
Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tunisia,
Algeria, Morocco, Libya, or Lebanon, respectively;
(C) a full list of transactions, including
investments, grants, contracts, or donations (including
loans or other extension of credit), exceeding $50,000
in areas of Syria held by the Assad regime by any
persons from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt,
Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, or
Lebanon;
(D) for each item on the list identified in
subparagraph (C), a determination of whether such
transaction subjects any of the parties to the
transaction to sanctions under the Caesar Syria
Civilian Protection Act of 2019, as amended by section
2;
(E) a description of the steps the United States is
taking to actively deter recognition or normalization
of relations by other governments with the Assad
regime, including specific diplomatic engagements and
use of economic sanctions authorized by statutes or
implemented through Executive Orders, including--
(i) the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection
Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note);
(ii) the Syria Accountability and Lebanese
Sovereignty Restoration Act (22 U.S.C. 2151
note);
(iii) the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions,
Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22
U.S.C. 8501 et seq.);
(iv) Executive Order 13894 (84 Fed. Reg.
55851; relating to blocking property and
suspending entry of certain persons
contributing to the situation in Syria);
(v) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.);
(vi) the Countering American Adversaries
through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9401 et seq.);
and
(vii) the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin
Designation Act; and
(F) an assessment of how recognition or
normalization of relations by other governments with
the Assad regime impacts the national security of the
United States, prospects for implementation of the
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254,
prospects for justice and accountability for war crimes
in Syria, and the benefits derived by the Government of
the Russian Federation or the Government of Iran.
(b) Scope.--The initial report required by subsection (a) shall
address the period beginning on January 1, 2021, and ending on the date
of the enactment of this Act, and each subsequent report shall address
the one-year period following the conclusion of the scope of the prior
report.
(c) Form.--Each report under subsection (a) shall be submitted in
an unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex. The
unclassified section of such a report shall be made publicly available
on a website of the United States Federal Government.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section, the
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on the
Judiciary, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee
on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
the Judiciary, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Select
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
SEC. 5. REPORTS ON MANIPULATION OF UNITED NATIONS BY ASSAD REGIME IN
SYRIA.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and annually thereafter for a period not to exceed 5 years, the
Secretary of State, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate a report on the manipulation of the United Nations by the
regime led by Bashar al-Assad in Syria (in this section referred to as
the ``Assad regime''), including--
(1) a description of conditions, both explicit and
implicit, set by the Assad regime with respect to United
Nations operations in Syria including with respect to
implementing partners, hiring practices, allocation of grants
and contracts, and procurement of goods and services;
(2) a description of the extent to which the United Nations
has rejected or otherwise opposed any of the conditions
described in paragraph (1);
(3) an identification of officials or employees of the
United Nations (including funds, programs and specialized
agencies of the United Nations) with ties to the Assad regime,
including family ties, or persons designated for sanctions by
United Nations donor countries;
(4) a full account of access restrictions imposed by the
Assad regime and the overall impact on the ability of the
United Nations to deliver international assistance to target
beneficiaries in areas outside regime control;
(5) a description of ways in which United Nations aid
improperly benefits the Assad regime and its associates in
defiance of basic humanitarian principles;
(6) a description of the due diligence mechanisms and
vetting procedures in place to ensure entities contracted by
the United Nations to ensure goods, supplies, or services
provided Syria do not have links to the Assad regime, known
human rights abusers, or persons designated for sanctions by
United Nations donor countries;
(7) an identification of entities affiliated with the Assad
regime, including the Syria Trust for Development and the
Syrian Arab Red Crescent, foreign government ministries, and
private corporations owned or controlled directly or indirectly
by the Assad regime, that have received United Nations funding,
contracts, or grants or have otherwise entered into a
formalized partnership with the United Nations;
(8) an assessment of how the Assad regime sets arbitrary or
punitive exchange rates to extract funding from the United
Nations, as well as the total amount extracted by such means;
(9) an assessment of the degree to which the various forms
of manipulation described in this section has resulted in
compromises of the humanitarian principles of humanity,
neutrality, impartiality, and independence of the United
Nations; and
(10) a strategy to reduce the ability of the Assad regime
to manipulate or otherwise influence the United Nations and
other aid operations in Syria and ensure United States and
international aid is delivered in a neutral and impartial
manner consistent with basic humanitarian principles.
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