I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9299 

To make certain improvements relating to the coordination of efforts to 

promote internet freedom and access to information in Iran, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 2, 2024 

Mr. SWALWELL (for himself, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. KHANNA, 

Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. LAWLER, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. FOXX, Mr. 

PETERS, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms. LEE

of California, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. LIEU, Mr. MILLS, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. 

BICE, and Mr. HIMES) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To make certain improvements relating to the coordination 

of efforts to promote internet freedom and access to 

information in Iran, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Internet Reach and 

5 Access Now Act’’ or ‘‘IRAN Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVED COORDINATION OF EFFORTS TO PRO2 MOTE INTERNET FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO 

3 INFORMATION IN IRAN. 

4 (a) DUTIES.—The Secretary of State shall be the 

5 Federal official with primary responsible for the following 

6 duties: 

7 (1) Promoting widespread internet freedom in 

8 Iran and access to information in Iran. 

9 (2) Coordinating any efforts carried out by the 

10 heads of other Federal departments and agencies re11 lating to the promotion of widespread internet free12 dom in Iran and access to information in Iran. 

13 (3) Serving as the principal official within the 

14 Federal Government responsible for coordinating up15 dates to the strategy required under section 414 of 

16 the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights 

17 Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754) and implementing 

18 such strategy and any updates thereto. 

19 (b) UPDATES TO COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO

20 PROMOTE INTERNET FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO INFOR21 MATION IN IRAN.— 

22 (1) UPDATES.—Section 414 of the Iran Threat 

23 Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 

24 U.S.C. 8754) is amended— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and in2 serting ‘‘(A) INITIAL STRATEGY.—Not later 

3 than’’; 

4 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (11) and 

5 (12) as paragraphs (14) and (15), respectively; 

6 (C) by inserting after paragraph (10) the 

7 following new paragraphs: 

8 ‘‘(11) evaluate the use of virtual private net9 works and direct-to-cell satellite technologies by civil 

10 society and human rights activists in Iran and de11 velop strategies for increasing the accessibility of 

12 such networks and technologies; 

13 ‘‘(12) develop guidance for the Department of 

14 the Treasury to ensure that enforcement of sanc15 tions does not prevent companies from providing to 

16 Iranian civilians the technology and other tools nec17 essary to access the open internet; 

18 ‘‘(13) assess the ability of the Iranian regime to 

19 cut off all access to the internet and develop a strat20 egy to circumvent internet blackouts for Iranian civil 

21 society;’’; and 

22 (D) by adding at the end the following new 

23 subsection: 

24 ‘‘(b) UPDATES.—The Secretary of State, in consulta25 tion with the Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Sep 05, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9299.IH H9299

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1 merce, the Administrator of the United States Agency for 

2 International Development, and the heads of the elements 

3 of the intelligence community (as such term is defined in 

4 section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 

5 3003)), shall review the strategy under subsection (a) on 

6 an ongoing basis and update the strategy as appropriate, 

7 taking into account the results of such review.’’. 

8 (2) SUBMISSION OF FIRST UPDATES.— 

9 (A) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 120 

10 days after the date of the enactment, the Sec11 retary of State shall— 

12 (i) review and update the strategy 

13 pursuant to section 414(b) of the Iran 

14 Threat Reduction and Syria Human 

15 Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754), as 

16 amended by paragraph (1); and 

17 (ii) submit such updated strategy to 

18 the appropriate congressional committees. 

19 (B) FORM.—The strategy under subpara20 graph (A) shall be submitted in unclassified 

21 form, but may include a classified annex. 

22 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE23 FINED.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit24 tees’’ means the following: 


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1 (1) The Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 

2 Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Perma3 nent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Com4 mittee on Appropriations of the House of Represent5 atives. 

6 (2) The Committee on Foreign Relations, the 

7 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor8 tation, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the 

9 Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

Æ 


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