[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8681 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8681
To impose sanctions with respect to any foreign person employing forced
labor or child labor in the cobalt mining sector of a foreign country.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 7, 2026
Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania 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 with respect to any foreign person employing forced
labor or child labor in the cobalt mining sector of a foreign country.
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 ``Sanctioning Harmful Illicit
Exploitation of Labor and Dependents Act'' or ``SHIELD Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) forced labor and illegal exploitation of child labor in
some of the most dangerous work in the world is a grievous
human rights abuse;
(2) reports by journalists, the Department of Labor, and
nongovernmental organizations overwhelmingly indicate that
there is widespread forced labor and child labor in the cobalt
mining sectors of foreign countries; and
(3) the United States should impose economic costs on
foreign entities that utilize forced labor and child labor in
the cobalt mining sectors of foreign countries.
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS.
(a) Authorization.--The President shall impose the sanctions
described in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person
employing forced labor or child labor in the cobalt mining sector of a
foreign country.
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Asset blocking.--Notwithstanding the requirements of
section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise of all powers
granted to the President by that Act to the extent necessary 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.
(2) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) Visas, admission, or parole.--In the case of an
alien subject to sanctions pursuant to subsection (a),
the alien is--
(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 an alien described in
subparagraph (A) shall be revoked, regardless
of when such visa or other entry documentation
was issued.
(ii) Immediate effect.--A revocation under
clause (i) shall--
(I) take effect in accordance with
section 221(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)); and
(II) cancel any other valid visa or
entry documentation that is in the
alien's possession.
(c) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception to comply with international obligations.--
Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect
to the admission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien
into the United States is necessary 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.
(2) Exception relating to the provision of humanitarian
assistance.--Sanctions under this section may not be imposed
with respect to transactions or the facilitation of
transactions for--
(A) the sale of agricultural commodities, food,
medicine, or medical devices;
(B) the provision of humanitarian assistance;
(C) financial transactions relating to humanitarian
assistance; or
(D) transporting goods or services that are
necessary to carry out operations relating to
humanitarian assistance.
(d) Implementation; Penalties.--
(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and
205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this section.
(2) 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 a person
that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or
causes a violation of regulations promulgated to carry out this
section to the same extent that such penalties apply to a
person who commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a)
of that Act.
(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions
imposed with respect to a foreign person under this section if the
President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees not
later than 15 days before such waiver is to take effect that the waiver
is important to the national security interests of the United States.
(f) Sunset.--The authority to impose sanctions under this section
shall terminate on the date that is seven years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(g) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(2) the term ``foreign person'' means an individual or
entity that is not a United States person; and
(3) the term ``United States person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen;
(B) a permanent resident alien of the United
States;
(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;
or
(D) a person in the United States.
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