Hezbollah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2020
This bill establishes measures to deter money laundering by Hezbollah in Lebanon and Latin America.
Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must prohibit or place conditions on the opening or maintaining of certain correspondent or payable-through accounts by the Central Bank of Syria if Treasury determines that certain jurisdictions in Lebanon or areas in Latin America are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
Further, the President must sanction certain senior foreign political figures or foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hezbollah.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8445 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8445
To impose certain measures with respect to Hezbollah-dominated areas in
Lebanon and Latin America and to impose sanctions with respect to
senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and
Nicaragua supporting Hezbollah.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 30, 2020
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Perry, Mr.
Yoho, Mr. Burchett, Mr. Walker, Mr. Steube, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi,
Mr. Bacon, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Gosar, Mrs. Lesko, and Mr.
McClintock) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the
Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To impose certain measures with respect to Hezbollah-dominated areas in
Lebanon and Latin America and to impose sanctions with respect to
senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and
Nicaragua supporting Hezbollah.
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 ``Hezbollah Money Laundering
Prevention Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. MEASURES WITH RESPECT TO HEZBOLLAH-DOMINATED AREAS IN LEBANON
AND LATIN AMERICA.
(a) Determination Regarding Jurisdictions of Lebanon.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall
determine, under section 5318A of title 31, United States Code,
whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that any of the
jurisdictions of Lebanon described in paragraph (2) are
jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
(2) Jurisdictions described.--The jurisdictions of Lebanon
described in this paragraph are the following:
(A) The Nabatieh Governorate.
(B) The Haret Hreik municipality in the Baabda
district in the Dahieh suburbs south of Beirut.
(C) The Chiyah municipality in the Baabda district
in the western suburbs of Beirut.
(D) The Hadeth Beirut municipality in the Baabda
district in the suburbs of Beirut.
(E) The Hermel district in the Baalbek-Hermel
Governorate.
(F) The Baalbek and Temnin el-Foka municipalities
in the Baalbe-Hermel Governorate.
(G) The Tyre district in the South Governorate.
(b) Determination Regarding the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Tri-
Border Areas.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine, under
section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, whether reasonable
grounds exist for concluding that the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay tri-
border areas, are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
(c) Prohibitions or Conditions on Opening or Maintaining Certain
Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts.--If the Secretary of the
Treasury determines under subsection (a) or (b) that reasonable grounds
exist for concluding that any jurisdiction described in subsection (a)
or (b) is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern, the
Secretary, in consultation with the Federal functional regulators (as
defined in section 509 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6809)),
shall impose the special measures described in section 5318A(b)(5) of
title 31, United States Code, with respect to the Central Bank of
Syria.
(d) Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after making a
determination under subsection (a) and (b) with respect to
whether a jurisdiction is a jurisdiction of primary money
laundering concern, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
includes the reasons for the determination.
(2) Form.--A report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the
Senate.
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SENIOR FOREIGN POLITICAL FIGURES IN
LEBANON, VENEZUELA, CUBA, AND NICARAGUA SUPPORTING
HEZBOLLAH.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described
in subsection (c) with respect to each individual on the list required
by subsection (b).
(b) List.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a list of individuals who
are senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela,
Cuba, and Nicaragua that the President determines have
knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a
significant transaction with Hezbollah or meet the criteria for
sanctions under the Hezbollah International Financing
Prevention Act, the Hezbollah International Financing Amendment
Act, or the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability
Act.
(2) Additional requirement.--The President shall include
Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon's General
Directorate of General Security, on the list required by this
subsection.
(3) Form.--The list required by this subsection shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified
annex.
(c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection with respect to an individual are the sanctions described in
section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act
(subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
(d) Exception To Comply With United Nations Headquarters Agreement;
Enforcement.--Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note) apply
with respect to the imposition of sanctions under this section to the
same extent as such subsections apply with respect to the imposition of
sanctions under such section 1263.
(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the imposition of sanctions
under subsection (c) with respect to an individual if the President--
(1) determines that such a waiver is in the national
interests of the United States; and
(2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees
notice of, and a justification for, the waiver.
(f) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this
section.
(g) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
(1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose
sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or
requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
(2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good''
means any article, natural or man-made substance, material,
supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test
equipment, and excluding technical data.
(h) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
SEC. 4. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN PERSONS SUPPORTING HEZBOLLAH
IN LATIN AMERICA.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described
in subsection (c) with respect to each foreign person on the list
required by subsection (b).
(b) List.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a list of foreign persons
that the President determines have knowingly directly or
indirectly engaged in significant transactions with or provided
material support to Hezbollah in Mexico, Venezuela, Paraguay,
Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Cuba, Bolivia, or any other country
in Latin America.
(2) Form.--The list required by this subsection shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified
annex.
(c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection with respect to a foreign person are the sanctions described
in section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability
Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656
note).
(d) Exception To Comply With United Nations Headquarters Agreement;
Enforcement.--Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act apply with respect to the
imposition of sanctions under this section to the same extent as such
subsections apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under
such section 1263.
(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the imposition of sanctions
with respect to a foreign person under this section if the President--
(1) determines that such a waiver is in the national
interests of the United States; and
(2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees
notice of, and a justification for, the waiver.
(f) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this
section.
(g) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
(1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose
sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or
requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
(2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good''
means any article, natural or man-made substance, material,
supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test
equipment, and excluding technical data.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the
Senate.
(2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' has the
meaning given the term in section 1262 of the Global Magnitsky
Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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