PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE REWARDS PROGRAM 

UPDATE AND TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT 

OF 2012 


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126 STAT. 2492 PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 

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. 

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 ‘‘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— 

Department of 

State Rewards 

Program Update 

and Technical 

Corrections Act 

of 2012. 

22 USC 2651 

note. 

22 USC 2708 

note. 

Jan. 15, 2013 

[S. 2318] 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 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 15 days before publicly Deadline. 

Reports. 


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126 STAT. 2494 PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 

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) 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) 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. 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. 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 

22 USC 2708 

note. 

22 USC 2708 

note. 

Definition. 

Definition. 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 126 STAT. 2495 

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. 

Æ 

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. 


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