I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1929 

To restrict United States nationals from traveling to countries in which 

foreign governments or anti-government forces allow foreign terrorist 

organizations to engage in armed conflict for purposes of participating 

in such armed conflict or from providing material support to entities 

that are engaged in such armed conflict, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2015 

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. COFFMAN, and Ms. SINEMA) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To restrict United States nationals from traveling to countries in which foreign governments or anti-government 

forces allow foreign terrorist organizations to engage in 

armed conflict for purposes of participating in such 

armed conflict or from providing material support to 

entities that are engaged in such armed conflict, 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 ‘‘International Conflicts 

3 of Concern Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF COUNTRIES OF CONFLICT 

5 CONCERN. 

6 (a) IDENTIFICATION.—Not later than 180 days after 

7 the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 

8 submit to Congress a report that identifies each country 

9 the government of which or anti-government forces in 

10 which the President believes, based on all information 

11 available to the President, is allowing one or more foreign 

12 terrorist organizations to engage in armed conflict that is 

13 occurring in such country. 

14 (b) UPDATES.—The President shall update the re15 port required under subsection (a)— 

16 (1) as new information becomes available; and 

17 (2) not less frequently than semi-annually. 

18 (c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 

19 and the updates required under subsection (b) shall be 

20 submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classi21 fied annex if necessary. 

22 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF COUNTRIES OF CONFLICT CON23 CERN. 

24 (a) DESIGNATION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall des2 ignate a country as a ‘‘Country of Conflict Concern’’ 

3 if the President determines that— 

4 (A) the government of such country or 

5 anti-government forces in the country is allow6 ing one or more foreign terrorist organizations 

7 to engage in armed conflict that is occurring in 

8 such country as identified in the report required 

9 under section 2(a) or any update to the report 

10 required under section 2(b); and 

11 (B) it is in the national security interest of 

12 the United States to restrict travel by any 

13 United States national to such country and to 

14 restrict material support provided by United 

15 States nationals to entities that are engaged in 

16 armed conflict in such country. 

17 (2) INITIAL DESIGNATION.—Syria shall be 

18 deemed to have been designated by the President 

19 under paragraph (1) as of the date of the enactment 

20 of this Act and the President is not required to no21 tify Congress of such designation of Syria under 

22 subsection (b). 

23 (b) REPORT ON DESIGNATION.—Upon designating a 

24 country as a Country of Conflict Concern under subsection 


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1 (a), the President shall submit to Congress a report noti2 fying Congress of the designation of the country. 

3 (c) LICENSING REQUIREMENT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to any country 

5 designated as a Country of Conflict Concern under 

6 subsection (a), the President shall exercise the au7 thorities of the International Emergency Economic 

8 Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705 et seq.) without regard 

9 to section 202 of such Act to require a United 

10 States national to obtain a license— 

11 (A) to travel to such country; or 

12 (B) to provide material support to entities 

13 that are engaged in armed conflict in such 

14 country. 

15 (2) EXCEPTION.—The requirement to obtain a 

16 license under paragraph (1) shall not apply with re17 spect to United States national who is a full-time of18 ficer or employee of the United States Government 

19 for purposes of carrying out official business of the 

20 United States Government. 

21 (d) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in sub22 sections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International 

23 Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall 

24 apply to a person who violates paragraph (1) or (2) of 

25 subsection (c), or a regulation prescribed under this Act, 


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1 to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person 

2 that commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) 

3 of that Act (50 U.S.C. 1705(a)). 

4 (e) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION.—The designa5 tion of a country as a Country of Conflict Concern under 

6 subsection (a) shall terminate on the date on which the 

7 President submits to Congress a report that contains— 

8 (1) a determination and certification that sub9 paragraph (A) or (B) of subsection (a)(1) (as the 

10 case may be), or both, no longer applies with respect 

11 to the country; and 

12 (2) a justification for the determination and 

13 certification. 

14 SEC. 4. REGULATIONS. 

15 The President is authorized to promulgate such regu16 lations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions 

17 of this Act, including the promulgation of such regulations 

18 under the authority of section 205 of the International 

19 Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1704). 

20 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.—The 

23 term ‘‘foreign terrorist organization’’ means any or24 ganization so designated by the Secretary of State 


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1 under section 219 of the Immigration and Nation2 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189). 

3 (2) UNITED STATES NATIONAL.—The term 

4 ‘‘United States national’’ means— 

5 (A) a national of the United States (as de6 fined in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration 

7 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)); or 

8 (B) an alien who is lawfully present in the 

9 United States. 

Æ 


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