[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 132 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S5049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3207. Mr. CURTIS (for himself and Ms. Rosen) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle B of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1219. KEEPING HEZBOLLAH OUT OF LATIN AMERICA.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``No
Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Secretary of State should pursue aggressive efforts
against Iranian proxy networks in the Western Hemisphere,
including by--
(1) demanding that governments put an end to the impunity
enjoyed by designated individuals and entities or face the
consequences described in this section for their inaction;
(2) working with allies, potentially through international
forums, such as the Financial Action Task Force, to greylist
government entities that cooperate with Hezbollah;
(3) engaging governments in Latin America to ensure they
have adequate legislative tools to investigate terrorist
activities and combat the financing of terrorism; and
(4) persuading allies in the Latin America to designate
Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, using Argentina's
model for designation as a blueprint.
(c) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of
the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(4) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate
(5) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives;
(6) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives;
(7) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(8) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the
House of Representatives.
(d) Determination With Respect to Terrorist Sanctuaries.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, the Attorney General, and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, shall--
(A) conduct an assessment to determine whether any country,
region, or jurisdiction in Latin America meets the definition
of ``terrorist sanctuary'' under section 140(d)(4) of the
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and
1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d)(4)); and
(B) submit the results of such assessment to the
appropriate congressional committees.
(2) Considerations.--In making a determination pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consider--
(A) the extent to which Hezbollah or any other foreign
terrorist organization (as designated pursuant to section
219(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1189(a))) operates freely, raises or transfers funds,
recruits, or obtains safe haven within a given country,
region, or jurisdiction;
(B) whether the host government has knowingly tolerated, or
has failed to take action to address, terrorist activities
after learning of their existence; and
(C) any other factors relevant to the definition of
``terrorist sanctuary'' under section 140(d)(4) of the
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and
1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d)(4)).
(e) Revocation of Visas.--The President may impose the
sanctions described in subsection (f) with respect to any
foreign individual the President determines is a government
official of any foreign state, subdivision, or municipality
designated as a terrorist sanctuary under subsection (d)
unless such official has taken significant, verifiable steps
to stop such activity or the relevant jurisdiction no longer
meets the definition of terrorist sanctuary under section
140(d)(4) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal
Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d)(4)).
(f) Sanctions Described.--
(1) Ineligibility for visas and admissions to the united
states.--A foreign individual described in subsection (e)
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 or to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(2) Current visas revoked.--
(A) In general.--The issuing consular officer or the
Secretary of State (or a designee of the Secretary), in
accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), shall revoke any visa or
other entry documentation issued to a foreign individual
described in subsection (e) regardless of when the visa or
other entry documentation was issued.
(B) Effect of revocation.--A revocation under subparagraph
(A) shall--
(i) take effect immediately; and
(ii) automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry
documentation that is in the foreign individual's possession.
(C) Rulemaking.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out
this subsection.
(g) Exception To Comply With Law Enforcement Objectives and
Agreement Regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations.--
Sanctions under subsection (f) shall not apply to a foreign
person if admitting the person into the United States--
(1) would further important law enforcement objectives; or
(2) 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 of the United States.
(h) Waiver.--
(1) In general.--The President may waive the application of
sanctions under subsection (f) with respect to--
(A) an individual, on a case-by-case basis for periods not
to exceed 180 days, if the President determines that such
individual's entry or continued presence in the United States
is vital to the national security interests of the United
States;
(B) a jurisdiction, including a foreign country, or any
subdivision of such country, that is designated as a
terrorist sanctuary pursuant to subsection (d), for periods
not to exceed 1 year, if the President determines that
waiving the application of sanctions with respect to
officials or other residents of such jurisdiction is in the
national interest of the United States.
(2) Report.--Not later than 15 days before granting or
renewing a waiver under paragraph (1), the President shall
submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees
that includes--
(A) the name of the individual or the specific jurisdiction
subject to the waiver;
(B) a detailed justification explaining how the waiver
serves--
(i) the national security interests of the United States
(for individuals); or
(ii) the national interest of the United States (for
jurisdictions); and
(C) with respect to renewals--
(i) an assessment of the individual's or jurisdiction's
activities during the most recent waiver period; and
(ii) any conditions imposed to ensure compliance with
United States interests.
(i) Termination of Sanctions.--The President may terminate
the application of sanctions under this section with respect
to a foreign individual if the President determines and
reports to the appropriate congressional committees not later
than 15 days before the termination of such sanctions that--
(1) the foreign individual is no longer engaged in the
activity that was the basis for such sanctions or has taken
significant verifiable steps toward stopping such activity;
(2) the President has received reliable assurances that
such individual will not knowingly engage in any activity
subject to sanctions under this section in the future; or
(3) the termination of such sanctions is in the national
security interests of the United States.
(j) Rulemaking.--The President shall issue such
regulations, licenses, and orders as may be necessary to
carry out this section.
(k) Sunset.--Any sanctions imposed pursuant to this section
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
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