I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8934 

To require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons engaged 

in piracy, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 5, 2024 

Mr. JACKSON of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 

the Judiciary, 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 require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign 

persons engaged in piracy, 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 ‘‘Sanction Sea Pirates 

5 Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) In 2011, there were 212 attempted attacks 

9 against vessels off of the Somali coast, more than 


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1 1,000 crew were held hostage, and 35 seafarers were 

2 killed. 

3 (2) Over the past decade through the beginning 

4 of 2023, rates of piracy in the Western Indian 

5 Ocean subsided. 

6 (3) Houthi attacks against commercial vessels 

7 in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Hamas 

8 terrorist attack against Israel on October 7th have 

9 impacted global shipping markets. 

10 (4) There has been a surge in Somali pirate at11 tacks, beginning in the fall of 2023 and lasting into 

12 2024, that has coincided with and taken advantage 

13 of Houthi aggression. 

14 (5) On March 12, 2024, Somali pirates hi15 jacked a Bangladeshi-flagged ship and took its crew 

16 hostage. 

17 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

18 It is the sense of Congress that— 

19 (1) the United States Government should seek 

20 to stop piracy all around the world, including off the 

21 Somali Coast and in the Gulf of Aden; 

22 (2) high seas pirates, and the criminal networks 

23 and enterprises with whom they are affiliated, 

24 should be sanctioned upon identification; and 


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1 (3) the United States should seek to work with 

2 allies and partners around the globe to combat pi3 racy around the globe and to curb the surge in pi4 racy off of the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of 

5 Aden. 

6 SEC. 4. SANCTIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose sanc8 tions described in subsection (b) with respect to any for9 eign person the President determines knowingly engages 

10 in piracy. 

11 (b) SANCTIONS DESCRIBED.—The sanctions de12 scribed in this subsection are the following: 

13 (1) ASSET BLOCKING.—Notwithstanding the re14 quirements of section 202 of the International 

15 Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), 

16 the President may exercise of all powers granted to 

17 the President by that Act to the extent necessary to 

18 block and prohibit all transactions in all property 

19 and interests in property of the foreign person if 

20 such property and interests in property are in the 

21 United States, come within the United States, or are 

22 or come within the possession or control of a United 

23 States person. 

24 (2) VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—An alien who the Sec2 retary of State or the Secretary of Homeland 

3 Security (or a designee of one of such Secre4 taries) knows, or has reason to believe, is de5 scribed in subsection (a) is— 

6 (i) inadmissible to the United States; 

7 (ii) ineligible for a visa or other docu8 mentation to enter the United States; and 

9 (iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 

10 or paroled into the United States or to re11 ceive any other benefit under the Immigra12 tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 

13 seq.). 

14 (B) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 

15 (i) IN GENERAL.—The issuing con16 sular officer, the Secretary of State, or the 

17 Secretary of Homeland Security (or a des18 ignee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in 

19 accordance with section 221(i) of the Im20 migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

21 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry 

22 documentation issued to an alien described 

23 in subparagraph (A) regardless of when 

24 the visa or other entry documentation is 

25 issued. 


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1 (ii) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A rev2 ocation under clause (i)— 

3 (I) shall take effect immediately; 

4 and 

5 (II) shall automatically cancel 

6 any other valid visa or entry docu7 mentation that is in the alien’s pos8 session. 

9 (c) EXCEPTIONS.— 

10 (1) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH INTER11 NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS.—Sanctions under sub12 section (b)(2) shall not apply with respect to the ad13 mission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien 

14 into the United States is necessary to permit the 

15 United States to comply with the Agreement regard16 ing the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed 

17 at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into 

18 force November 21, 1947, between the United Na19 tions and the United States, or other applicable 

20 international obligations. 

21 (2) EXCEPTION RELATING TO THE PROVISION

22 OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.—Sanctions under 

23 this section may not be imposed with respect to 

24 transactions or the facilitation of transactions for— 


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1 (A) the sale of agricultural commodities, 

2 food, medicine, or medical devices; 

3 (B) the provision of humanitarian assist4 ance; 

5 (C) financial transactions relating to hu6 manitarian assistance; or 

7 (D) transporting goods or services that are 

8 necessary to carry out operations relating to 

9 humanitarian assistance. 

10 (3) EXCEPTION FOR INTELLIGENCE, LAW EN11 FORCEMENT, AND NATIONAL SECURITY ACTIVI12 TIES.—Sanctions under this section shall not apply 

13 to any authorized intelligence, law enforcement, or 

14 national security activities of the United States. 

15 (d) CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.—In any judicial re16 view of a determination made under this section, if the 

17 determination was based on classified information (as de18 fined in section 1(a) of the Classified Information Proce19 dures Act) such information may be submitted to the re20 viewing court ex parte and in camera. This subsection may 

21 not be construed to confer or imply any right to judicial 

22 review. 

23 (e) IMPLEMENTATION; PENALTIES.— 

24 (1) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may ex25 ercise all authorities provided to the President under 


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1 sections 203 and 205 of the International Emer2 gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 

3 1704) to carry out this section. 

4 (2) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in 

5 subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the Inter6 national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 

7 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates, 

8 attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a 

9 violation of regulations promulgated to carry out 

10 this section to the same extent that such penalties 

11 apply to a person that commits an unlawful act de12 scribed in section 206(a) of that Act. 

13 (f) WAIVER.—The President may waive the applica14 tion of sanctions imposed with respect to a foreign person 

15 under this section if the President certifies to the Com16 mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 

17 and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 

18 not later than 15 days before such waiver is to take effect 

19 that the waiver is crucial to the national security interests 

20 of the United States. 

21 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 (1) FOREIGN PERSON.—The term ‘‘foreign per23 son’’ means an individual or entity that is not a 

24 United States person. 


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1 (2) UNITED STATES PERSON.—The term 

2 ‘‘United States person’’ means— 

3 (A) a United States citizen; 

4 (B) a permanent resident alien of the 

5 United States; or 

6 (C) an entity organized under the laws of 

7 the United States or of any jurisdiction within 

8 the United States, including a foreign branch of 

9 such an entity. 

10 (3) PIRACY.—The term ‘‘piracy’’ means any act 

11 in violation of one or more provisions of chapter 81 

12 of title 18, United States Code. 

Æ 


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