[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8001 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8001

    To impose sanctions on the Houthis for attacks on international 
                   shipping, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2024

  Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. McCaul, Mr. 
 Wilson of South Carolina, Ms. Salazar, and Mrs. Radewagen) 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 impose sanctions on the Houthis for attacks on international 
                   shipping, 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 ``Combating Houthi Threats and 
Aggression Act''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to work with United States 
allies and partners to safeguard maritime security in the Red Sea and 
the Gulf of Aden, including by supporting interdiction efforts and by 
opposing attacks on international shipping that threaten the free flow 
of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law, 
as such attacks harm the global economy, destabilize the Middle East 
and Africa region, and undermine United States national security 
interests.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON CAPABILITY OF THE HOUTHIS TO THREATEN UNITED STATES 
              NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY GOALS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
capability of the Houthis (also known as ``Ansar Allah'') to threaten 
United States national security and foreign policy goals.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) An assessment of senior Houthi leadership' intentions 
        and capacity to conduct and sustain military operations from 
        Yemen that target the United States, Israel, or global 
        shipping.
            (2) A description of the funding, materiel, training, and 
        other forms of support the Houthis receive from Iran, 
        Hezbollah, or any other entity acting for or on behalf of Iran, 
        including contributions to advance the Houthis' indigenous 
        weapons production capability and existing weapons arsenal.
            (3) A description of the Houthis' ballistic missile and 
        unmanned delivery systems, including those that are covered 
        under Category 1 or Category 2 of the Missile Control 
        Technology Regime and the precision and reach of such weapons.
            (4) A description of the Houthis' maritime capabilities, 
        including sea missiles and drones.
            (5) An analysis of the Houthi's current indigenous weapons 
        production capabilities and how their control over the Al-
        Hudaydah port and Sana'a international airport enables them to 
        sustain weapons production.
            (6) An assessment of the Houthis' stockpiles and employment 
        of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) dual-use drone technology, 
        and the countries of origin for these products.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON HOUTHI ATTACKS THAT THREATEN FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION IN 
              THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the day of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the following:
            (1) A summary of Houthi (also known as ``Ansar Allah'') 
        attacks that threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and 
        Gulf of Aden.
            (2) An assessment of the impact that Houthi threats to 
        freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have on 
        United States security interests.
            (3) An assessment of the impact that Houthi threats to 
        freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have on 
        the global economy, including the United States economy.
            (4) An assessment of Iran's role in the Houthis' attacks 
        that threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of 
        Aden, including Iran's provision of targeting assistance to the 
        Houthis.
            (5) A description of China's presence in the Red Sea and 
        Gulf of Aden during the reporting period.
            (6) An assessment of how the Houthis' attacks in the Red 
        Sea and Gulf of Aden impact Russia, China, and Iran's freedom 
        of navigation in those waterways relative to the United States 
        and our partners' freedom of navigation.
    (b) Scope.--The initial report required by subsection (a) shall 
address the period beginning on October 7, 2023, and ending on the date 
that is 90 days after date of the enactment of this Act, and each 
subsequent report shall address the one-year period following the 
conclusion of the prior report.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON VIOLATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST 
              YEMEN AUTHORIZED UNDER UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL 
              RESOLUTION 2216.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
following:
            (1) A description of violations or attempted violations of 
        the United Nations arms embargo against Yemen authorized under 
        United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015) and 
        successor resolutions.
            (2) A list of incidents in which the United States or other 
        countries interdicted weapons and related components believed 
        to be intended for the Houthis, including--
                    (A) for each interdiction incident, what specific 
                entity conducted the interdiction, the circumstances 
                and location of such interdiction, what weapons or 
                components were seized and the believed origins of such 
                components, and under what authority each such seizure 
                took place;
                    (B) a description of what United States Government 
                resources are currently devoted to identifying, 
                disrupting, interdicting, or otherwise dismantling the 
                flow of illicit weapons intended for the Houthis, and 
                identifying under what authorities these activities 
                take place; and
                    (C) United States coordination with international 
                partners on efforts to identify, disrupt, dismantle or 
                interdict illicit weapons flows to the Houthis, 
                including identifying United States security assistance 
                and cooperation programs that contribute to the 
                interdiction efforts of such partners.
    (b) Scope.--The initial report required by subsection (a) shall 
address the period beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending on the date 
that is 90 days after date of the enactment of this Act, and each 
subsequent report shall address the one-year period following the 
conclusion of the prior report.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate.

SEC. 6. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO ANY ATTACKS BY THE HOUTHIS ON 
              INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IN THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN 
              AND OTHER MILITARY SUPPORT TO THE HOUTHIS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described 
in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person the President 
determines, on or after the date of enactment of this Act--
            (1) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have 
        directly or indirectly engaged in, any attacks by the Houthis 
        (also known as ``Ansar Allah'') that threaten international 
        shipping in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden;
            (2) knowingly engages in, or attempts to engage in, 
        activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, 
        or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to the 
        conduct described in paragraph (1); or
            (3) knowingly engages in any activity that materially 
        contributes to the supply, sale, or transfer directly or 
        indirectly of arms and related materiel of all types, including 
        weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, 
        paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, 
        and technical assistance, training, financial or other 
        assistance, to any foreign person engaging in the conduct 
        described in paragraph (1).
    (b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this 
subsection are the following:
            (1) Blocking of property.--The President shall exercise all 
        authorities granted under the International Emergency Economic 
        Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to 
        block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests 
        in property of the foreign person if such property and 
        interests in property are in the United States, come within the 
        United States, or come within the possession or control of a 
        United States person.
            (2) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole.--
                    (A) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien 
                described in subsection (a) shall be--
                            (i) inadmissible to the United States;
                            (ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other 
                        documentation to enter the United States; and
                            (iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 
                        or paroled into the United States or to receive 
                        any other benefit under the Immigration and 
                        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
                    (B) Current visas revoked.--
                            (i) In general.--The visa or other entry 
                        documentation of any alien described in 
                        subsection (a) is subject to revocation 
                        regardless of the issue date of the visa or 
                        other entry documentation.
                            (ii) Immediate effect.--A revocation under 
                        clause (i) shall, in accordance with section 
                        221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
                        (8 U.S.C. 1201(i))--
                                    (I) take effect immediately; and
                                    (II) cancel any other valid visa or 
                                entry documentation that is in the 
                                possession of the alien.
    (c) Penalties.--Any person that violates, or attempts to violate, 
subsection (b) or any regulation, license, or order issued pursuant to 
that subsection, shall be subject to the penalties set forth in 
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person 
that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that 
section.
    (d) Waiver.--
            (1) In general.--The President may waive, on a case-by-case 
        basis, the application of sanctions under this section for 
        periods not to exceed 180 days with respect to a foreign person 
        only if, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the 
        waiver is to take effect, the President submits to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a written determination 
        and justification that the waiver is in the national security 
        interests of the United States.
            (2) Briefing.--Not later than 60 days after the issuance of 
        a waiver under paragraph (1), and every 180 days thereafter 
        while the waiver remains in effect, the President shall brief 
        the appropriate congressional committees on the reasons for the 
        waiver.
    (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) Regulations.--
            (1) 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 
        section.
            (2) Notification to congress.--Not later than 10 days 
        before the promulgation of regulations under this subsection, 
        the President shall notify the appropriate congressional 
        committees of the proposed regulations and the provisions of 
        this section that the regulations are implementing.
    (g) Exceptions.--
            (1) Exception for intelligence activities.--Sanctions under 
        this section shall not apply to any activity subject to the 
        reporting requirements under title V of the National Security 
        Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.) or any authorized 
        intelligence activities of the United States.
            (2) Exception to comply with international obligations and 
        for law enforcement activities.--Sanctions under this section 
        shall not apply with respect to an alien if admitting or 
        paroling the alien into the United States is necessary--
                    (A) to permit the United States to comply with the 
                Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United 
                Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and 
                entered into force November 21, 1947, between the 
                United Nations and the United States, or other 
                applicable international obligations; or
                    (B) to carry out or assist authorized law 
                enforcement activity in the United States.

SEC. 7. SUNSET.

    This Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
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