[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9564 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9564

 To authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to the Houthis, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2024

Mr. Issa (for himself and Mr. Phillips) 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 authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to the Houthis, 
                        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 ``Houthi Human Rights Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) Houthi efforts to indoctrinate Yemenis into a violent, 
        anti-Semitic, and extremist worldview are a threat to a Yemeni-
        led peace process and to regional stability; and
            (2) it is counter to United States policy to provide 
        support to the Houthis in Yemen, including by supporting any 
        efforts by the Houthis to indoctrinate, coerce, or force 
        Yemenis to conform to their violent, anti-Semitic, and 
        extremist worldview.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON HOUTHI INDOCTRINATION.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report on--
            (1) Houthi efforts to indoctrinate Yemenis into a violent, 
        anti-Semitic, or extremist worldview; and
            (2) the long-term threat this indoctrination campaign poses 
        to regional stability.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON OBSTACLES TO PROVISION OF HUMANITARIAN AID IN AREAS 
              OF YEMEN UNDER DE-FACTO HOUTHI CONTROL.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report on obstacles to the provision of humanitarian aid by 
international organizations and nongovernmental organizations in areas 
of Yemen under de-facto Houthi control.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) An identification of challenges to distribution of 
        humanitarian aid created by Houthi-enforced rules, regulations, 
        and bureaucracy with respect to access, and freedom of 
        movement, and the overall impact on such rules, regulations, 
        and bureaucracy have on the international community's ability 
        to distribute such aid in a manner consistent with basic 
        humanitarian principles.
            (2) An assessment of attempted Houthi interference in the 
        delivery of humanitarian aid, including the manipulation or 
        undue influence of beneficiary lists or related data for 
        political or military purposes, and the implications of any 
        interference on civilian needs and aid distribution.
            (3) An evaluation of the Houthis' use of violence and 
        intimidation against humanitarian workers and diplomats, 
        including current and former United States Embassy locally 
        employed staff.
            (4) An overview of the steps the United States and its 
        partners are taking to ensure humanitarian assistance is 
        delivered unhindered and consistent with basic humanitarian 
        principles, including how United States-supported organizations 
        respond to attempted Houthi diversion or interference.
            (5) Scope.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
        address the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on 
        the date that is 90 days after date of the enactment of this 
        Act.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES COMMITTED BY THE HOUTHIS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on human rights abuses 
committed by the Houthis, including gender-based discrimination and 
violence, including--
            (1) mahram regulations;
            (2) recruitment and use of child soldiers;
            (3) enforced disappearance;
            (4) prolonged and arbitrary detention;
            (5) conduct that amounts to torture; and
            (6) unlawful killing.
    (b) Scope.--The report required by subsection (a) shall address the 
period beginning on March 1, 2015, and ending on the date that is 90 
days after date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 6. SANCTIONS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE GLOBAL MAGNITSKY HUMAN RIGHTS 
              AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a determination on whether foreign 
persons described in subsection (b) meet the criteria for sanctions 
authorized under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability 
Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note), including with respect to acts that 
constitute gross violations of internationally recognized human rights 
as defined in section 502B(d)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2304(d)(1)).
    (b) Persons Described.--A foreign person described in this 
subsection is a foreign person that--
            (1) is a member of the Houthis; and
            (2) knowingly--
                    (A) imposes arbitrary or unlawful restriction on 
                the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen; or
                    (B) engages in the human rights abuses described in 
                section 5(a).

SEC. 7. SANCTIONS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE ROBERT LEVINSON HOSTAGE TAKING 
              AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a determination on whether foreign 
persons described in subsection (b) meet the criteria for sanctions 
authorized under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-
Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741 et seq.), and Executive Order 
14078.
    (b) Persons Described.--A foreign person described in this 
subsection is a foreign person that--
            (1) is a member of the Houthis; and
            (2)(A) is responsible for or is complicit in, or 
        responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, 
        the hostage-taking of a United States national abroad or the 
        unlawful or wrongful detention of a United States national 
        abroad; or
            (B) knowingly provides financial, material, or 
        technological support for, or goods or services in support of, 
        an activity described in subparagraph (A).

SEC. 8. SUNSET.

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

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) 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) the term ``foreign person'' means a person that is not 
        a United States person;
            (3) the term ``Houthis'' refers to persons officially known 
        as ``Ansarallah'';
            (4) the term ``person'' means and individual or entity; and
            (5) the term ``United States person'' means--
                    (A) a national of the United States;
                    (B) an alien who is lawfully present in the United 
                States; or
                    (C) an entity organized under the laws of the 
                United States or of any jurisdiction within the United 
                States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
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