[112th Congress Public Law 283]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]



[[Page 2491]]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE REWARDS PROGRAM UPDATE AND TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT 
                                 OF 2012

[[Page 126 STAT. 2492]]

Public Law 112-283
112th Congress

                                 An Act


 
     To authorize the Secretary of State to pay a reward to combat 
  transnational organized crime and for information concerning foreign 
  nationals wanted by international criminal tribunals, and for other 
             purposes. <<NOTE: Jan. 15, 2013 -  [S. 2318]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Department of 
State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012. 22 
USC 2651 note. 22 USC 2708 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of State Rewards Program 
Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Department of State's existing rewards programs 
        permit the payment of reward for information leading to the 
        arrest or conviction of--
                    (A) individuals who have committed, or attempted or 
                conspired to commit, certain acts of international 
                terrorism;
                    (B) individuals who have committed, or attempted or 
                conspired to commit, certain narcotics-related offenses; 
                and
                    (C) individuals who have been indicted by certain 
                international criminal tribunals.
            (2) The Department of State considers the rewards program to 
        be ``one of the most valuable assets the U.S. Government has in 
        the fight against international terrorism''. Since the program's 
        inception in 1984, the United States Government has rewarded 
        over 60 people who provided actionable information that, 
        according to the Department of State, prevented international 
        terrorist attacks or helped convict individuals involved in 
        terrorist attacks.
            (3) The program has been credited with providing information 
        in several high-profile cases, including the arrest of Ramzi 
        Yousef, who was convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade 
        Center, the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein, who United States 
        military forces located and killed in Iraq after receiving 
        information about their locations, and the arrests or deaths of 
        several members of the Abu Sayyaf group, believed to be 
        responsible for the kidnappings and deaths of United States 
        citizens and Filipinos in the Philippines.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the rewards 
program of the Department of State should be expanded in order to--

[[Page 126 STAT. 2493]]

            (1) address the growing threat to important United States 
        interests from transnational criminal activity, such as 
        intellectual property rights piracy, money laundering, 
        trafficking in persons, arms trafficking, and cybercrime; and
            (2) target other individuals indicted by international, 
        hybrid, or mixed tribunals for genocide, war crimes, or crimes 
        against humanity.
SEC. 3. ENHANCED REWARDS AUTHORITY.

    Section 36 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 
U.S.C. 2708) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``serious violations 
        of international humanitarian law, transnational organized 
        crime,'' after ``international narcotics trafficking,'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``Attorney General'' and inserting ``heads of 
                other relevant departments or agencies'';
                    (B) in paragraphs (4) and (5), by striking 
                ``paragraph (1), (2), or (3)'' both places it appears 
                and inserting ``paragraph (1), (2), (3), (8), or (9)'';
                    (C) in paragraph (6)--
                          (i) by inserting ``or transnational organized 
                      crime group'' after ``terrorist organization''; 
                      and
                          (ii) by striking ``or'' at the end;
                    (D) in paragraph (7)--
                          (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
                      by striking ``, including the use by the 
                      organization of illicit narcotics production or 
                      international narcotics trafficking'' and 
                      inserting ``or transnational organized crime 
                      group, including the use by such organization or 
                      group of illicit narcotics production or 
                      international narcotics trafficking'';
                          (ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or 
                      transnational organized crime'' after 
                      ``international terrorism''; and
                          (iii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``or transnational 
                                organized crime group'' after 
                                ``terrorist organization''; and
                                    (II) by striking the period at the 
                                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraphs:
            ``(8) the arrest or conviction in any country of any 
        individual for participating in, primarily outside the United 
        States, transnational organized crime;
            ``(9) the arrest or conviction in any country of any 
        individual conspiring to participate in or attempting to 
        participate in transnational organized crime; or
            ``(10) the arrest or conviction in any country, or the 
        transfer to or conviction by an international criminal tribunal 
        (including a hybrid or mixed tribunal), of any foreign national 
        accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, as 
        defined under the statute of such tribunal.'';
            (3) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(3) Advance notification for international criminal 
        tribunal rewards.--Not less than <<NOTE: Deadline. Reports.>> 15 
        days before publicly

[[Page 126 STAT. 2494]]

        announcing that a reward may be offered for a particular foreign 
        national accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or 
        genocide, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a report, which may be submitted in 
        classified form if necessary, setting forth the reasons why the 
        arrest or conviction of such foreign national is in the national 
        interests of the United States.''; and
            (4) in subsection (k)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as 
                paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following 
                new paragraphs:
            ``(5) <<NOTE: Definition.>>  Transnational organized 
        crime.--The term `transnational organized crime' means--
                    ``(A) racketeering activity (as such term is defined 
                in section 1961 of title 18, United States Code) that 
                involves at least one jurisdiction outside the United 
                States; or
                    ``(B) any other criminal offense punishable by a 
                term of imprisonment of at least four years under 
                Federal, State, or local law that involves at least one 
                jurisdiction outside the United States and that is 
                intended to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial 
                or other material benefit.
            ``(6) <<NOTE: Definition.>>  Transnational organized crime 
        group.--The term `transnational organized crime group' means a 
        group of persons that includes one or more citizens of a foreign 
        country, exists for a period of time, and acts in concert with 
        the aim of engaging in transnational organized crime.''.
SEC. 4. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.

    Section 36(e)(1) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708) is amended by striking ``The Secretary shall 
authorize a reward of $50,000,000 for the capture or death or 
information leading to the capture or death of Osama bin Laden.''.
SEC. 5. <<NOTE: 22 USC 2708 note.>> RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be 
construed as authorizing the use of activity precluded under the 
American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002 (title II of Public Law 
107-206; 22 U.S.C. 7421 et seq.).
SEC. 6. <<NOTE: 22 USC 2708 note.>> FUNDING.

    The Secretary of State shall use amounts appropriated or otherwise 
made available to the Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular 
Services account of the Department of State to pay rewards authorized 
pursuant to this Act and to carry out other

[[Page 126 STAT. 2495]]

activities related to such rewards authorized under section 36 of the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act (22 U.S.C. 2708).

    Approved January 15, 2013.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 2318:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112-232 (Comm. on Foreign Relations).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 158 (2012):
                                    Dec. 19, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                    Dec. 30, considered in House.
                                                        Vol. 158 (2013):
                                    Jan. 1, considered and passed House.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2013):
            Jan. 15, Presidential statement.

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