I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4681 

To limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria 

or associated forces, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2017 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. ROYCE of California, and Mr. 

BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which 

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

Committee on 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 limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or associated forces, 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 ‘‘No Assistance for 

5 Assad Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Six years into the conflict in Syria, over 11 

2 million Syrians have been displaced from their 

3 homes and over 400,000 civilians have been killed. 

4 (2) Since the conflict in Syria began, the 

5 United States has provided more than $7.4 billion to 

6 meet humanitarian needs of the Syrian people, mak7 ing the United States the world’s single largest 

8 donor to the Syrian humanitarian response. 

9 (3) As the Syrian regime continues the use 

10 cluster munitions to carry out indiscriminate attacks 

11 against civilians, the United States has played an es12 sential role in clearing unexploded ordnance in 

13 Syria, as civilians seek to return home to areas liber14 ated from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

15 (4) It is estimated that the reconstruction of 

16 Syria could cost between $200 and $350 billion. 

17 (5) According to the 2016 Transparency Inter18 national Corruption Index, Syria is among the most 

19 corrupt countries in the world. 

20 (6) Reconstruction funds can be expected to be 

21 siphoned off to the regime of Syrian President 

22 Bashar al-Assad, given the rampant corruption. 

23 (7) In October 2015, a visiting Russian delega24 tion to Syria announced that Russian firms would 

25 lead in the effort to rebuild Syria, and Syrian PresiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 Dec 20, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4681.IH H4681

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1 dent Bashar al-Assad reportedly said, ‘‘Syria is 

2 ready to provide Russian companies with all the con3 tracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars.’’. 

4 (8) In August 2017, the Government of the 

5 People’s Republic of China hosted a trade fair in 

6 Syria, and a Chinese-Arab business group an7 nounced a $2,000,000,000 commitment from the 

8 Chinese government to fund the construction of in9 dustrial parks in Syria. 

10 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

11 It shall be the policy of the United States that United 

12 States assistance made available for early recovery, recon13 struction, or stabilization in Syria should be used in a 

14 democratic Syria or in areas of Syria not controlled by 

15 the Government of Syria led by Bashar al-Assad or associ16 ated forces. 

17 SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OF SYRIA 

18 CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF 

19 SYRIA OR ASSOCIATED FORCES. 

20 (a) LIMITATION.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub22 section (d), amounts authorized to be appropriated 

23 for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022 for 

24 assistance described in paragraph (2) may be pro25 vided under any other provision of law, directly or 


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1 indirectly, for any area of Syria controlled by the 

2 Government of Syria or associated forces only dur3 ing a period for which a certification described in 

4 subsection (b) is in effect. 

5 (2) ASSISTANCE DESCRIBED.—Assistance re6 ferred to in paragraph (1) is the following: 

7 (A) Assistance to enable disaster-affected 

8 populations to transition from dependence upon 

9 emergency assistance to early recovery and self10 reliance, including the restoration of basic serv11 ices, livelihoods, shelter, and security, and the 

12 reintegration of displaced populations. 

13 (B) Assistance to carry out stabilization 

14 activities for the relevant area. 

15 (C) Assistance to carry out reconstruction 

16 activities for the relevant area. 

17 (b) CERTIFICATION.—A certification described in this 

18 subsection is a certification submitted by the President to 

19 the appropriate congressional committees that contains a 

20 determination of the President that the Government of 

21 Syria— 

22 (1) has ceased any attacks against civilians and 

23 civilian infrastructure as such, including attacks 

24 against medical facilities and personnel, and any in25 discriminate use of weapons, including through shellVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:33 Dec 20, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4681.IH H4681

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1 ing and aerial bombardment, as demanded in United 

2 Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015); 

3 (2) is taking verifiable steps to release all polit4 ical prisoners and is providing full access to Syrian 

5 prisons for investigations by appropriate inter6 national human rights organizations; 

7 (3) is taking verifiable steps to remove senior 

8 officials of the Government of Syria who are 

9 complicit in the planning, implementation, or cover10 up of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or 

11 human rights abuses and any person subject to 

12 sanctions under any provision of law from govern13 ment positions; 

14 (4) is in the process of organizing free and fair 

15 elections for a new government to be held in a timely 

16 manner and to be conducted under the supervision 

17 of United Nations observers with all Syrians, includ18 ing members of the diaspora, eligible to participate, 

19 as supported in United Nations Security Council 

20 Resolution 2254 (2015); 

21 (5) is making tangible progress toward estab22 lishing an independent judiciary; 

23 (6) is demonstrating respect for and compliance 

24 with internationally recognized human rights and 


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1 basic freedoms as specified in the Universal Declara2 tion of Human Rights; 

3 (7) is taking steps to verifiably fulfill its com4 mitments under the Convention on the Prohibition 

5 of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and 

6 Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction 

7 and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear 

8 Weapons, is making tangible progress toward becom9 ing a signatory to the Convention on the Prohibition 

10 of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of 

11 Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and 

12 on their Destruction, and adhering to the Missile 

13 Technology Control Regime and other control lists, 

14 as necessary; 

15 (8) has halted the development and deployment 

16 of ballistic and cruise missiles; 

17 (9) is taking verifiable steps to remove from po18 sitions of authority within the intelligence and secu19 rity services as well as the military those individuals 

20 who were in a position of authority or responsibility 

21 during the conflict or who are in a position of au22 thority or responsibility during a transition and who 

23 under the authority of their position are implicated 

24 in or complicit in the torture, extrajudicial killing, or 

25 execution of civilians, to include those who were inVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:01 Dec 20, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4681.IH H4681

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1 volved in decision making or execution of plans to 

2 use chemical weapons; 

3 (10) is making verifiable progress of reforming 

4 the Syrian military and security services so as to 

5 minimize the Government of Syria’s reliance on Iran 

6 and Iranian proxy forces to act on behalf or in sup7 port of Syria; and 

8 (11) is in the process of organizing the safe, 

9 unfettered and voluntary return of Syrian refugees 

10 and internally displaced persons to their homes so 

11 that Syrians may return without fear of retribution 

12 by the Government of Syria or associated forces. 

13 (c) RECERTIFICATIONS.—Not later than 90 days 

14 after the date on which the President submits to the ap15 propriate congressional committees an initial certification 

16 under subsection (b), and every 90 days thereafter 

17 through September 30, 2022— 

18 (1) the President shall submit to the appro19 priate congressional committees a recertification that 

20 the conditions described in subsection (b) are con21 tinuing to be met; or 

22 (2) if the President is unable to make such a 

23 recertification, the President shall submit to the ap24 propriate congressional committees a report that 

25 contains— 


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1 (A) the reasons for which the President is 

2 unable to make such a recertification; and 

3 (B) a certification that no funds will be ob4 ligated or expended to provide assistance de5 scribed in subsection (a) in contravention of 

6 subsection (a). 

7 (d) EXCEPTION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The limitation on assistance 

9 under subsection (a) shall not apply with respect 

10 to— 

11 (A) assistance for projects to be adminis12 tered by local organizations that reflect the 

13 aims, needs, and priorities of local communities 

14 in Syria; and 

15 (B) assistance for projects to meet human16 itarian needs, including demining and needs for 

17 food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment, 

18 education, and clothing. 

19 (2) REPORT.—The President shall submit to 

20 the appropriate congressional committees an annual 

21 report on each project with respect to which this 

22 subsection applies during the preceding calendar 

23 year, including— 

24 (A) a description of the project; 


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1 (B) a description of how United States 

2 funds with respect to the project were used; 

3 (C) the geographic location or locations of 

4 the project; and 

5 (D) an identification of the implementing 

6 partner and a list of senior officials of the im7 plementing partner. 

8 (3) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

9 Congress that, to the extent practicable, the United 

10 States should only fund projects described in this 

11 subsection with respect to which the Government of 

12 Syria, any official of the Government of Syria, and 

13 any immediate family member of an official of the 

14 Government of Syria do not have a financial or ma15 terial interest and are not affiliated with the imple16 menting partner of the project. 

17 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT19 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com20 mittees’’ means— 

21 (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

22 the Committee on Appropriations of the House 

23 of Representatives; and 


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1 (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

2 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

3 Senate. 

4 (2) ASSOCIATED FORCES.—The term ‘‘associ5 ated forces’’ includes forces of the Government of 

6 the Russian Federation, the Government of the Is7 lamic Republic of Iran, Iranian-backed proxy mili8 tias, and Hezbollah. 

9 (3) DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.—The term ‘‘di10 rectly or indirectly’’ includes assistance to multilat11 eral institutions and international governmental or12 ganizations, such as the United Nations and related 

13 agencies, the International Monetary Fund, and the 

14 World Bank. 

15 SEC. 5. REPORT ON DELIVERY OF UNITED STATES HUMANI16 TARIAN ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

18 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

19 and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 

20 International Development shall submit to the appropriate 

21 congressional committees a report on delivery of United 

22 States humanitarian assistance to Syria. 

23 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re24 quired by subsection (a) shall include the following: 


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1 (1) A description of the challenges of access to 

2 areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria 

3 or associated forces for purposes of providing United 

4 States humanitarian assistance, including assistance 

5 funded through multilateral institutions and inter6 national governmental organizations. 

7 (2) A description of where such United States 

8 humanitarian assistance has been able to be deliv9 ered in such areas. 

10 (3) A description of where such United States 

11 humanitarian assistance has been denied access in 

12 such areas. 

13 (4) A description of how the United States Gov14 ernment is working to improve access to such areas. 

15 (5) A description of the roles and responsibil16 ities of United States allies and partners and other 

17 countries in the region in ensuring access to such 

18 areas. 

19 (6) A description of how such United States hu20 manitarian assistance and implementing partners of 

21 such assistance are monitored and evaluated. 

22 (7) A description of the major challenges that 

23 the United States faces in monitoring such United 

24 States humanitarian assistance and how the United 

25 States is working to overcome such challenges. 


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1 (8) A description of the strategy of the United 

2 States to deliver humanitarian assistance to areas of 

3 Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or asso4 ciated forces and in which the Government of Syria 

5 or associated forces is impeding access to such 

6 areas. 

7 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro8 priate congressional committees’’ and ‘‘associated forces’’ 

9 have the meanings given such terms in section 4(f). 

Æ 


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