[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7857 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7857
To impose sanctions on foreign persons the President determines to have
knowingly engaged in, facilitated, or benefitted from severe forms of
trafficking in persons in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein sex
trafficking enterprise or in connection with efforts to conceal,
facilitate, finance, or profit from such enterprise.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2026
Ms. Wasserman Schultz 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 foreign persons the President determines to have
knowingly engaged in, facilitated, or benefitted from severe forms of
trafficking in persons in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein sex
trafficking enterprise or in connection with efforts to conceal,
facilitate, finance, or profit from such enterprise.
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 Escaping Justice Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary
of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee
on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary
of the Senate.
(2) Epstein-related records.--The term ``Epstein-related
records'' means all records, documents, communications, and
investigative materials in the possession of the Department of
State or Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices, that relate
to the contents of paragraphs (1) through (9) of section 2(a)
of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (Public Law 119-38).
(3) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a
person that is not a United States person.
(4) Knowingly.--The term ``knowingly'', with respect to
conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person has
actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the
circumstance, or the result.
(5) Severe forms of trafficking in persons.--The term
``severe forms of trafficking in persons'' has the meaning
given that term in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
(6) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence to the United States;
or
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such entity.
SEC. 3. IDENTIFICATION OF SANCTIONABLE PERSONS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the President shall,
in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the
Treasury, and the Attorney General, submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report identifying each foreign person that
the President determines, based on credible information, knowingly
engaged in conduct described in subsection (b).
(b) Sanctionable Conduct Described.--The conduct described in this
subsection is any of the following, when undertaken knowingly in
connection with the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking enterprise or in
connection with efforts to conceal, facilitate, finance, or profit from
such enterprise:
(1) Engaging in severe forms of trafficking in persons,
including sex trafficking involving a person under 18 years of
age.
(2) Aiding, abetting, commanding, inducing, financing,
organizing, or otherwise facilitating severe forms of
trafficking in persons or the sexual exploitation of minors.
(3) Knowingly benefitting financially or receiving anything
of value from participation in, or facilitation of, severe
forms of trafficking in persons or the sexual exploitation of
minors.
(4) Obstructing, intimidating, retaliating against,
threatening, or corruptly influencing a victim, witness, or law
enforcement officer in connection with an investigation,
prosecution, or civil action relating to conduct described in
paragraphs (1) through (3).
(c) Credible Information Standard.--For purposes of this Act,
``credible information'' may include information from--
(1) United States Government agencies, including law
enforcement and intelligence components;
(2) judicial proceedings, including indictments, judgments,
plea agreements, sentencing findings, and sworn testimony;
(3) foreign governments, international organizations, or
multilateral bodies;
(4) credible reporting by nongovernmental organizations;
and
(5) Epstein-related records, provided that the appearance
of a name in such records shall not be sufficient to support a
determination under subsection (a).
(d) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. The
unclassified form shall be prepared in a manner that protects the
privacy and safety of victims.
SEC. 4. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.
(a) Imposition.--Except as provided in section 5, the President
shall impose the sanctions described in subsections (b) and (c) with
respect to each foreign person identified in the report required under
section 3(a).
(b) Asset Blocking.-- The President shall exercise all powers
granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C.
1701 et seq.) to block and prohibit all transactions in all 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 are or come within the possession or control of a United
States person.
(c) Inadmissibility and Visa Restrictions.--
(1) In general.--The foreign person shall be--
(A) inadmissible to the United States;
(B) ineligible to receive a visa or other
documentation to enter the United States; and
(C) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled
into the United States.
(2) Current visas revoked.--The Secretary of State shall
revoke, in accordance with applicable law, any visa or other
entry documentation issued to a foreign person described in
subsection (a), regardless of when the visa or documentation is
or was issued.
(d) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections (b) and
(c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to any person who violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of any prohibition
of this section, or an order or regulation prescribed under this
section, to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that
commits an unlawful act described in subsection section 206(a) of such
Act (50 U.S.C. 1705(a)).
SEC. 5. WAIVER; EXCEPTIONS; TERMINATION.
(a) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions
under section 4 with respect to a foreign person if the President--
(1) determines--
(A) that such a waiver is in the national interest
of the United States; or
(B) that the sanctions would be applied with
respect to any authorized intelligence, law
enforcement, or national security activity of the
United States; and
(2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees,
not later than 15 days before the waiver takes effect,
notification of the determination and a justification for the
waiver.
(b) Exception.--Sanctions under section 4(c) shall not apply to the
extent necessary to comply with the Agreement between the United
Nations and the United States regarding the Headquarters of the United
Nations, or other applicable international obligations of the United
States.
(c) Termination.--
(1) In general.--The President shall terminate the
application of sanctions under section 4 with respect to a
foreign person if the President determines and reports to the
appropriate congressional committees that--
(A) the person did not engage in the conduct for
which the person was sanctioned;
(B) the person--
(i) has been prosecuted and sentenced
appropriately for the conduct in the United
States or under the jurisdiction of another
country;
(ii) has served the sentence imposed; and
(iii) has taken verifiable steps to
remediate harm to victims; or
(C) the person--
(i) has credibly demonstrated a significant
change in behavior;
(ii) has provided substantial cooperation
to United States law enforcement or judicial
authorities; and
(iii) has taken verifiable steps to
remediate harm to victims.
(2) Petition.--The President shall establish a process by
which a person sanctioned under section 4 may submit a petition
for the termination of such sanctions pursuant to this
subsection.
SEC. 6. BRIEFING.
Upon request, the President, acting through the heads of the
applicable Federal departments or agencies, shall provide to any of the
appropriate congressional committees a briefing, which may be
classified, on the status of the implementation of this Act.
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act may be construed to alter, affect, or otherwise
relieve the Attorney General of the obligations under the Epstein Files
Transparency Act (Public Law 119-38).
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