Victims Before Ransom Act

Victims Before Ransom Act

This bill prohibits the use of funds by the United States to make a payment to the government of Iran or an Iranian national relating to the settlement of any claim before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal until the President certifies to Congress that Iran has paid all compensatory damages awarded to a U.S. person or entity in a final judgment of a federal or state court arising from an act of international terrorism for which the government of Iran was determined not to be immune from the court's jurisdiction.

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5949 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5949

 To prohibit the use of funds to make payments to Iran relating to the 
   settlement of claims brought before the Iran-United States Claims 
 Tribunal until Iran has paid certain compensatory damages awarded to 
             United States persons by United States courts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 7, 2016

 Mr. Lance (for himself and Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit the use of funds to make payments to Iran relating to the 
   settlement of claims brought before the Iran-United States Claims 
 Tribunal until Iran has paid certain compensatory damages awarded to 
             United States persons by United States courts.

    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 ``Victims Before Ransom Act''.

SEC. 2. RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN PAYMENTS RELATING TO CLAIMS BROUGHT 
              BEFORE THE IRAN-UNITED STATES CLAIMS TRIBUNAL.

    (a) In General.--No amounts authorized to be appropriated or 
otherwise made available for any fiscal year may be obligated or 
expended for a payment described in subsection (b) until the President 
certifies to Congress that the Government of Iran has paid all 
compensatory damages awarded to a United States person in a final 
judgment--
            (1) issued by a district court of the United States under 
        Federal or State law against the Government of Iran; and
            (2) arising from an act of international terrorism, for 
        which the Government of Iran was determined not to be immune 
        from the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States or of 
        the States under section 1605A of title 28, United States Code, 
        or section 1605(a)(7) of such title (as in effect on January 
        27, 2008).
    (b) Payments Described.--A payment described in this subsection is 
a payment by the United States to the Government of Iran or a national 
of Iran relating to the settlement of a claim before the Iran-United 
States Claims Tribunal.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Act of international terrorism.--The term ``act of 
        international terrorism'' includes--
                    (A) an act of torture, extrajudicial killing, 
                aircraft sabotage, or hostage taking, as those terms 
                are defined in section 1605A(h) of title 28, United 
                States Code; and
                    (B) providing material support or resources, as 
                defined in section 2339A of title 18, United States 
                Code, for an act described in subparagraph (A).
            (2) United states person.--The term ``United States 
        person'' means--
                    (A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully 
                admitted for permanent residence to the United States; 
                or
                    (B) an entity organized under the laws of the 
                United States or of any jurisdiction within the United 
                States.
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