[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.
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