Safeguarding Syria Sanctions Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4847 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4847

  To provide for limitations on general license authorities under the 
                      Syria Sanctions Regulations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2023

 Mr. Baird (for himself, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, 
 Financial Services, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means, 
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 provide for limitations on general license authorities under the 
                      Syria Sanctions Regulations.

    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 ``Safeguarding Syria Sanctions Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 
        northwest Syria and central-southern Turkiye.
            (2) On February 9, 2023, the Department of the Treasury 
        issued Syria General License 23, temporarily authorizing direct 
        transactions with the Assad regime related to earthquake relief 
        efforts for 180 days.
            (3) Prior to the earthquake, pre-existing general licenses 
        enabled assistance to the Syrian people by authorizing robust 
        exemptions for humanitarian assistance carried out by the 
        United Nations and nongovernmental organizations. Such pre-
        existing licenses are set to remain in effect past the 
        expiration of General License 23.
            (4) Since the Department of the Treasury issued Syria 
        General License 23, numerous reports have documented extensive 
        efforts by the Assad regime, and its Russian and Iranian 
        backers, to leverage the earthquake response for their gain.
            (5) The Iranian regime and its proxies have reportedly 
        smuggled lethal weapons into Syria to target United States 
        forces under the guise of earthquake relief.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to actively oppose 
recognition or normalization of relations by other governments with any 
Government of Syria, including by fully implementing the mandatory 
primary and secondary sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian 
Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note) and Executive Order 13894 
(84 Fed. Reg. 55851; relating to blocking property and suspending entry 
of certain persons contributing to the situation in Syria) to deter any 
form of investment, loan, transaction, or reconstruction in areas under 
the control of the Assad regime, or its Russian and Iranian backers, or 
that may otherwise benefit the Assad regime.

SEC. 4. LIMITATIONS ON LICENSE AUTHORITIES UNDER THE SYRIA SANCTIONS 
              REGULATIONS.

    (a) In General.--No general license may be issued, renewed, or 
otherwise extended by the Department of Treasury on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act under the Syria Sanctions Regulations to 
respond to the earthquake that struck northwest Syria on February 6, 
2023.
    (b) Notification Requirement.--The Secretary of the Treasury, with 
the concurrence of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of 
Commerce, shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any 
change to the Syria Sanctions Regulations, including changes to any 
existing regulation, ruling, instruction, license, or authorization, 
not later than 15 days prior to the date on which such change is to 
take effect.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Financial Services, the Committee on Ways and Means, 
                and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and 
                the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and
            (2) the term ``Syria Sanctions Regulations'' means the 
        regulations specified in part 542 of title 31, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, or any successor or related regulations.
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