I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6431 

To suspend the designation of the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO 

ally. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2023 

Mr. OGLES (for himself and Mr. BIGGS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To suspend the designation of the State of Qatar as a 

major non-NATO ally. 

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 ‘‘Trust But Verify Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF DESIGNATION OF THE STATE OF 

6 QATAR AS A MAJOR NON-NATO ALLY. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective beginning on the date 

8 of the enactment of this Act— 

9 (1) the designation of the State of Qatar as a 

10 major non-NATO ally pursuant to section 517(a)(1) 

2 

•HR 6431 IH

1 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

2 2321k(a)(1)) or any other provision if law is hereby 

3 suspended; and 

4 (2) no Federal funds may be used to reinstate 

5 such designation unless the President submits to the 

6 appropriate congressional committees a certification 

7 described in subsection (b). 

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

9 subsection is a certification that contains a determination 

10 of the President that the State of Qatar no longer directly 

11 supports, financially or otherwise, acts of international 

12 terrorism or foreign terrorist organizations. 

13 (c) TERMINATION.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

15 the date on which the President submits to Congress 

16 a certification described in subsection (b), and every 

17 90 days thereafter, the President, acting through the 

18 Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate 

19 congressional committees a written determination 

20 that the State of Qatar is continuing to meet the re21 quirements of subsection (b). 

22 (2) TERMINATION.—If the President submits to 

23 the appropriate congressional committees a written 

24 determination under paragraph (1) that the State of 

25 Qatar is not continuing to meet the requirements of 

3 

•HR 6431 IH

1 subsection (b), then effective beginning on the date 

2 of the submission of such determination— 

3 (A) the designation of the State of Qatar 

4 as a major non-NATO ally pursuant to section 

5 517(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

6 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k(a)(1)) or any other pro7 vision if law is hereby terminated; and 

8 (B) the President may not issue a separate 

9 designation of the State of Qatar as a major 

10 non-NATO ally pursuant to section 517(a)(1) 

11 of such Act or any other provision of law. 

12 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

13 In this Act: 

14 (1) AFFILIATE.—The term ‘‘affiliate’’— 

15 (A) has the meaning given such term in 

16 section 230.405 of title 17, Code of Federal 

17 Regulations (as in effect on the date of the en18 actment of this Act); and 

19 (B) includes a person that— 

20 (i) is closely associated with another 

21 person typically in a dependent or subordi22 nate position; or 

23 (ii) has a common purpose of shared 

24 characteristics with another person. 

4 

•HR 6431 IH

1 (2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT2 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com3 mittees’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

5 the House of Representatives; and 

6 (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

7 the Senate. 

8 (3) FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.—The 

9 term ‘‘foreign terrorist organization’’ means an or10 ganization designated as a foreign terrorist organiza11 tion by the Secretary of State in accordance with 

12 section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

13 (8 U.S.C. 1189). 

14 (4) INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.—The term 

15 ‘‘international terrorism’’— 

16 (A) has the meaning given the term in sec17 tion 2331 of title 18, United States Code; and 

18 (B) includes any circumstance in which the 

19 State of Qatar— 

20 (i) refuses or fails to immediately sur21 render any member or affiliate of Hamas 

22 or any other designated foreign terrorist 

23 organization to the custody of the United 

24 States, Israel, or a mutually agreed upon 

5 

•HR 6431 IH

1 third party that intends to prosecute such 

2 persons; 

3 (ii) obstructs, delays, or otherwise un4 dermines any effort to secure the imme5 diate release of every person held by the 

6 foreign terrorist organization Hamas be7 ginning on and after October 7, 2023; 

8 (iii) declines to extradite foreign na9 tionals assessed by the Secretary of State 

10 to have directly engaged in acts of inter11 national terrorism to countries intending to 

12 prosecute such foreign nationals; or 

13 (iv) provides or otherwise knowingly 

14 and intentionally facilitates the provision of 

15 any funds (as defined in section 

16 2339C(e)(2) of title 18, United States 

17 Code) to Iran, Afghanistan, a state spon18 sor of terrorism, or a foreign terrorist or19 ganization. 

20 (5) STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.—The term 

21 ‘‘state sponsor of terrorism’’ means any country the 

22 government of which has repeatedly provided sup23 port for international terrorism pursuant to— 

24 (A) section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export 

25 Control Reform Act (50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A)); 

6 

•HR 6431 IH

1 (B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance 

2 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371); 

3 (C) section 40 of the Arms Export Control 

4 Act (22 U.S.C. 2780); or 

5 (D) any other applicable provision of law. 

Æ