I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4303 

To enhance United States sanctions against Iran by targeting Iranian governmental officials, prohibiting Federal procurement contracts with persons 

that provide censorship or surveillance technology to the Government 

of Iran, providing humanitarian and people-to-people assistance to the 

Iranian people, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 14, 2009 

Mr. ELLISON (for himself and Mr. DELAHUNT) introduced the following bill; 

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

to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, 

and 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 enhance United States sanctions against Iran by targeting Iranian governmental officials, prohibiting Federal 

procurement contracts with persons that provide censorship or surveillance technology to the Government of 

Iran, providing humanitarian and people-to-people assistance to the Iranian people, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stand with the Iranian 

3 People Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS; STATEMENT OF 

5 POLICY. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The Government of Iran has engaged in a 

8 brutal crackdown on the Iranian people in the after9 math of the disputed presidential election of June 

10 12, 2009, stifling freedom of speech, press, and as11 sembly and violating fundamental human rights. 

12 (2) On June 23, 2009, President Obama de13 nounced the crackdown on the Iranian people, say14 ing ‘‘The United States respects the sovereignty of 

15 the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not at all inter16 fering in Iran’s affairs. But we must also bear wit17 ness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian peo18 ple, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian so19 ciety’’. 

20 (3) On June 19, 2009, the House of Represent21 atives adopted H. Res. 560 by a vote of 405–1, ‘‘ex22 pressing support for all Iranian citizens who struggle 

23 for freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and the 

24 protection of the rule of law’’. 

25 (4) Iran’s security forces, particularly the Ira26 nian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the 


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1 Basij volunteer militia, have been largely responsible 

2 for the violence and brutality committed against the 

3 Iranian people in the recent unrest. 

4 (5) Thousands of Iranian protesters have been 

5 arrested and detained for taking part in public dem6 onstrations, with many being raped and tortured to 

7 extract false confessions to be used against them 

8 and others as part of government-run ‘‘show trials’’. 

9 (6) On June 20, 2009, twenty-six year old 

10 Neda Agha Soltan was shot and killed by a member 

11 of the Basij militia, symbolizing for Iranians and 

12 people all over the world the government’s brutal 

13 crackdown against peaceful demonstrators. 

14 (b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

15 Congress that the United States— 

16 (1) respects the sovereignty, proud history, and 

17 rich culture of the Iranian people; 

18 (2) respects the universal values of freedom of 

19 speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to as20 semble; 

21 (3) respects and admires the Iranian people as 

22 they take steps to peacefully express their voices, 

23 opinions, and aspirations; 


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1 (4) deplores and condemns the use of coerced 

2 confessions and ‘‘show trials’’ as tools of political re3 pression in Iran; 

4 (5) urges the Government of Iran to intensify 

5 its cooperation on the case of Robert Levinson with 

6 the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran and to share 

7 the results of its investigation into the disappearance 

8 of Robert Levinson with the Federal Bureau of In9 vestigation; and 

10 (6) recognizes the importance of diplomacy with 

11 Iran in order to advance the national security inter12 ests of the United States, but such diplomacy should 

13 not be construed as official recognition of the de14 clared results from the June 12, 2009, Iranian pres15 idential election. 

16 (c) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It should be the policy 

17 of the United States to— 

18 (1) work to ensure that sanctions are clearly 

19 targeted at the Government of Iran and individuals 

20 within the Government of Iran, rather than the Ira21 nian society as a whole, in order to avoid creating 

22 hardship and inflicting harm on the Iranian people; 

23 (2) encourage United States allies to freeze 

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1 ment officials who have carried out human rights 

2 abuses against the people of Iran; 

3 (3) encourage United States allies to deny en4 trance visas for non-official business to Iranian Gov5 ernment officials who have carried out human rights 

6 abuses against the people of Iran; 

7 (4) work in the United Nations Security Coun8 cil to impose multilateral political and financial sanc9 tions against Iranian Governmental officials, includ10 ing officials of the IRGC and Basij militia, who have 

11 carried out human rights abuses against the people 

12 of Iran; 

13 (5) work within the United Nations to focus 

14 international attention on and investigate human 

15 rights abuses in Iran, and to secure the release of 

16 prisoners of conscience; 

17 (6) apply targeted political and financial sanc18 tions against a foreign person or foreign entity that 

19 provides illicit support to the IRGC and Basij mili20 tia; 

21 (7) encourage cooperation between United 

22 States and Iranian nongovernmental organizations, 

23 particularly with regard to facilitating people-to-peo24 ple exchanges; and 


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1 (8) expedite admission to the United States of 

2 any national of Iran who is under threat of severe 

3 penalty as a result of participating in or reporting 

4 on pro-democracy activities inside Iran, and should 

5 encourage other governments to accept such Iranian 

6 refugees for resettlement, provided applicants have 

7 not engaged in or provided support for acts of ter8 rorism and satisfy all criteria for acquiring refugee 

9 status. 

10 SEC. 3. IMPOSING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AGAINST IRAN’S 

11 HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall deny 

13 the issuance of a visa and the Secretary of Homeland Se14 curity shall deny admission to the United States to any 

15 official of the Government of Iran who is credibly alleged 

16 to have ordered, acquiesced to, or participated in human 

17 rights abuses against the people of Iran 

18 (b) WAIVER.—The ban described in subparagraph (a) 

19 may be waived if the Secretary of State certifies to Con20 gress that such a waiver is in the national interests of 

21 the United States. 


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1 SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS WITH 

2 PERSONS OR ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE CEN3 SORSHIP OR SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY 

4 TO THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN. 

5 (a) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other provi6 sion of law, the head of an executive agency may not enter 

7 into or renew a contract for the procurement of goods or 

8 services with a person or entity that provides censorship 

9 or surveillance technology to the Government of Iran. 

10 (b) WAIVER PROVISION.—The Secretary concerned 

11 may waive the application of the prohibition under sub12 section (a) with respect to a person or entity if the Sec13 retary certifies to Congress that such a waiver is in the 

14 national interest of the United States. 

15 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

16 (1) the term ‘‘censorship or surveillance tech17 nology’’ means hardware, software, telecommuni18 cations equipment, or any other technology that the 

19 President determines is designed to provide a sub20 stantial capability— 

21 (A) to restrict the free flow of information; 

22 or 

23 (B) to disrupt, monitor, or otherwise re24 strict speech; 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘executive agency’’ has the mean2 ing given that term in section 4 of the Office of Fed3 eral Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403); and 

4 (3) the term ‘‘Government of Iran’’ means any 

5 agency or instrumentality of the Government of 

6 Iran, including any entity that is controlled by the 

7 Government of Iran. 

8 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para10 graph (2), this section shall apply to contracts en11 tered into on or after the date that is 90 days after 

12 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

13 (2) EXCEPTION.—With respect to a renewal of 

14 a contract, this section shall apply to a contract re15 newed on or after the date of the enactment of this 

16 Act. 

17 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF UNITED STATES NON-PROFIT 

18 ORGANIZATIONS’ ACTIVITIES IN IRAN FOR 

19 THE PROVISION OF HUMANITARIAN AND 

20 PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE ASSISTANCE. 

21 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding any other 

22 provision of law, the establishment and carrying out of op23 erations in Iran for the direct provision of humanitarian 

24 and people-to-people assistance described in subsection (b) 

25 by any organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 


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1 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may not be prohibited or 

2 otherwise restricted. 

3 (b) ASSISTANCE DESCRIBED.—The humanitarian 

4 and people-to-people assistance referred to in subsection 

5 (a) is assistance to— 

6 (1) promote adequate and reliable nutrition; 

7 (2) advance child survival and maternal health; 

8 (3) improve access to safe water, sanitation, 

9 and shelter; 

10 (4) prepare for and respond to natural disas11 ters; 

12 (5) improve access to basic health care; 

13 (6) prevent and treat drug addiction; 

14 (7) strengthen education and literacy; 

15 (8) promote equal rights for women and minori16 ties; 

17 (9) support human rights and representative 

18 governance; 

19 (10) foster international and religious under20 standing and tolerance; and 

21 (11) facilitate international people-to-people ex22 changes. 

23 (c) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (a) shall not apply with 

24 respect to an organization described in subsection (a) if 

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1 actions with any organization or entity that appears on 

2 the Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated 

3 Nationals List. 

4 (d) NOTIFICATION AND WAIVER.—The Secretary of 

5 the Treasury may require organizations authorized under 

6 subsection (a) to notify the Department of the Treasury 

7 up to 14 days in advance of commencing operations in 

8 Iran. The Secretary of the Treasury may waive the appli9 cation of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that 

10 it is in the national security interests of the United States 

11 to do so. 

12 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 

13 respect to the establishment and carrying out of oper14 ations described in subsection (a) on or after the date of 

15 the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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