[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1592. Mr. COTTON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to 
establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the 
National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub 
program, to require a strategy and report on economic security, 
science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to 
establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        In subtitle A of title II of division E, insert after 
     section 5204 the following:

     SEC. 5205. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO DELIBERATE 
                   CONCEALMENT OR DISTORTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT 
                   PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES OF INTERNATIONAL 
                   CONCERN.

       (a) In General.--The President may impose the sanctions 
     described in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign 
     person the President determines, based on credible evidence--
       (1) is a government official, or a senior associate of such 
     an official, that is responsible for, or complicit in, 
     ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, or financially 
     benefits from, acts intended to deliberately conceal or 
     distort information about a public health emergency of 
     international concern, including coronavirus disease 2019 
     (commonly known as ``COVID-19''); or
       (2) has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided 
     financial, material, or technological support for, or goods 
     or services in support of, an act described in paragraph (1).
       (b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this 
     subsection are the following:
       (1) Inadmissibility to united states.--In the case of a 
     foreign person who is an individual--
       (A) ineligibility to receive a visa to enter the United 
     States or to be admitted to the United States; or
       (B) if the individual has been issued a visa or other 
     documentation, revocation, in accordance with section 221(i) 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), of 
     the visa or other documentation.
       (2) Blocking of property.--
       (A) In general.--The blocking, in accordance with the 
     International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 
     et seq.), of all transactions in all property and interests 
     in property of a 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.
       (B) Exception relating to importation of goods.--
       (i) In general.--The authority to block and prohibit all 
     transactions in all property and interests in property under 
     subparagraph (A) shall not include the authority to impose 
     sanctions on the importation of goods.
       (ii) Good defined.--In this subparagraph, the term ``good'' 
     means any article, natural or manmade substance, material, 
     supply, or manufactured product, including inspection and 
     test equipment, and excluding technical data.
       (c) Consideration of Certain Information in Imposing 
     Sanctions.--In determining whether to impose sanctions under 
     subsection (a), the President shall consider--
       (1) information provided jointly by the chairperson and 
     ranking member of each of the appropriate congressional 
     committees; and
       (2) credible information obtained by other countries and 
     nongovernmental organizations that monitor violations of 
     human rights and global health issues, including issues 
     related to infectious disease.
       (d) Requests by Appropriate Congressional Committees.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after receiving a 
     request that meets the requirements of paragraph (2) with 
     respect to whether a foreign person is described in 
     subsection (a), the President shall--
       (A) determine if that person is so described; and
       (B) submit a classified or unclassified report to the 
     chairperson and ranking member of the committee or committees 
     that submitted the request with respect to that determination 
     that includes--
       (i) a statement of whether or not the President imposed or 
     intends to impose sanctions with respect to the person; and
       (ii) if the President imposed or intends to impose 
     sanctions, a description of those sanctions.
       (2) Requirements.--A request under paragraph (1) with 
     respect to whether a foreign person is described in 
     subsection (a) shall be submitted to the President in writing 
     jointly by the chairperson and ranking member of one of the 
     appropriate congressional committees.
       (e) Reports Required.--Not later than 120 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 
     the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a report that includes--
       (1) a list of each foreign person with respect to which the 
     President imposed sanctions under subsection (b) during the 
     year preceding the submission of the report;
       (2) a description of the type of sanctions imposed with 
     respect to each such person;
       (3) the number of foreign persons with respect to which the 
     President--
       (A) imposed sanctions under subsection (b) during that 
     year; or
       (B) terminated sanctions under subsection (h) during that 
     year;
       (4) the dates on which such sanctions were imposed or 
     terminated, as the case may be;
       (5) the reasons for imposing or terminating such sanctions; 
     and
       (6) a description of the efforts of the President to 
     encourage the governments of other countries to impose 
     sanctions that are similar to the sanctions authorized by 
     this section.
       (f) Termination of Sanctions.--The President may terminate 
     the application of sanctions under this section with respect 
     to a person if the President determines and reports to the 
     appropriate congressional committees not later than 15 days 
     before the termination of the sanctions that--
       (1) credible information exists that the person did not 
     engage in the activity for which sanctions were imposed;
       (2) the person has been prosecuted appropriately for the 
     activity for which sanctions were imposed; or
       (3) the termination of the sanctions is in the national 
     security interests of the United States.
       (g) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such 
     regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry 
     out this section.
       (h) Public Health Emergency of International Concern 
     Defined.--In this section, the term ``public health emergency 
     of international concern'' means a public health emergency 
     determined to be a public health emergency of international 
     concern by the World Health Organization.
                                 ______