H. R. 2297 

One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen 

An Act 

To prevent Hizballah and associated entities from gaining access to international 

financial and other institutions, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hizballah 

International Financing Prevention Act of 2015’’. 

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act 

is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Statement of policy. 

TITLE I—PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY HIZBALLAH TO INTERNATIONAL 

FINANCIAL AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS 

Sec. 101. Report on imposition of sanctions on certain satellite providers that carry 

al-Manar TV. 

Sec. 102. Sanctions with respect to financial institutions that engage in certain 

transactions. 

TITLE II—REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND 

SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH 

Sec. 201. Report and briefing on narcotics trafficking by Hizballah. 

Sec. 202. Report and briefing on significant transnational criminal activities of 

Hizballah. 

Sec. 203. Rewards for Justice and Hizballah’s fundraising, financing, and money 

laundering activities. 

Sec. 204. Report on activities of foreign governments to disrupt global logistics networks and fundraising, financing, and money laundering activities of 

Hizballah. 

TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 

Sec. 301. Rule of construction. 

Sec. 302. Regulatory authority. 

Sec. 303. Termination. 

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

It shall be the policy of the United States to— 

(1) prevent Hizballah’s global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic 

and international activities; and 

(2) utilize all available diplomatic, legislative, and executive 

avenues to combat the global criminal activities of Hizballah 

as a means to block that organization’s ability to fund its 

global terrorist activities. 
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TITLE I—PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY 

HIZBALLAH TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS 

SEC. 101. REPORT ON IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON CERTAIN SATELLITE PROVIDERS THAT CARRY AL-MANAR TV. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 

the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report on the 

following: 

(1) The activities of all satellite, broadcast, Internet, or 

other providers that have knowingly entered into a contractual 

relationship with al-Manar TV, and any affiliates or successors 

thereof. 

(2) With respect to all providers described in paragraph 

(1)— 

(A) an identification of those providers that have been 

sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 

1701 note; relating to blocking property and prohibiting 

transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, 

or support terrorism); and 

(B) an identification of those providers that have not 

been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and, 

with respect to each such provider, any information indicating that the provider has knowingly entered into a 

contractual relationship with al-Manar TV, and any affiliates or successors of al-Manar TV. 

(b) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required by subsection (a) 

shall be submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, but may include a classified annex. 

(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND LEADERSHIP

DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 

committees and leadership’’ means— 

(1) the Speaker, the minority leader, the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, and the 

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 

Representatives; and 

(2) the majority leader, the minority leader, the Committee 

on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, 

and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence 

of the Senate. 

SEC. 102. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS 

THAT ENGAGE IN CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS. 

(a) PROHIBITIONS AND CONDITIONS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN

ACCOUNTS HELD BY FOREIGN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act, the President shall prescribe 

regulations to prohibit, or impose strict conditions on, the 

opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent 

account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial 

institution that the President determines, on or after such 

date of enactment, engages in an activity described in paragraph (2). 
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(2) ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED.—A foreign financial institution 

engages in an activity described in this paragraph if the foreign 

financial institution— 

(A) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or 

transactions for Hizballah; 

(B) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or 

transactions of a person identified on the list of specially 

designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by 

the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department 

of the Treasury and the property and interests in property 

of which are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) for 

acting on behalf of or at the direction of, or being owned 

or controlled by, Hizballah; 

(C) knowingly engages in money laundering to carry 

out an activity described in subparagraph (A) or (B); or 

(D) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or 

transactions or provides significant financial services to 

carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A), (B), 

or (C). 

(3) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in subsections 

(b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person 

that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes 

a violation of regulations prescribed under this subsection to 

the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that 

commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of such 

section 206. 

(4) PROCEDURES FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW OF CLASSIFIED

INFORMATION.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—If a finding under this subsection, 

or a prohibition, condition, or penalty imposed as a result 

of any such finding, is based on classified information (as 

defined in section 1(a) of the Classified Information Procedures Act (18 U.S.C. App.)) and a court reviews the finding 

or the imposition of the prohibition, condition, or penalty, 

the President may submit such information to the court 

ex parte and in camera. 

(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to confer or imply any right 

to judicial review of any finding under this subsection 

or any prohibition, condition, or penalty imposed as a result 

of any such finding. 

(b) WAIVER.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may waive, on a caseby-case basis, the application of a prohibition or condition 

imposed with respect to a foreign financial institution pursuant 

to subsection (a) for a period of not more than 180 days, 

and may renew the waiver for additional periods of not more 

than 180 days, on and after the date on which the President— 

(A) determines that such a waiver is in the national 

security interests of the United States; and 

(B) submits to the appropriate congressional committees a report describing the reasons for such determination. 

(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph (1)(B) shall 

be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified 

annex. 
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(c) SPECIAL RULE TO ALLOW FOR TERMINATION OF

SANCTIONABLE ACTIVITY.—The President shall not be required to 

apply sanctions to a foreign financial institution described in subsection (a) if the President certifies in writing to the appropriate 

congressional committees that— 

(1) the foreign financial institution— 

(A) is no longer engaging in the activity described 

in subsection (a)(2); or 

(B) has taken and is continuing to take significant 

verifiable steps toward terminating the activity described 

in that subsection; and 

(2) the President has received reliable assurances from 

the government with primary jurisdiction over the foreign 

financial institution that the foreign financial institution will 

not engage in any activity described in subsection (a)(2) in 

the future. 

(d) REPORT ON FOREIGN CENTRAL BANKS.— 

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

of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, 

the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the appropriate 

congressional committees a report that— 

(A) identifies each foreign central bank that the Secretary determines engages in one or more activities 

described in subsection (a)(2)(D); and 

(B) provides a detailed description of each such activity. 

(2) FORM OF REPORT.—Each report required by paragraph 

(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 

a classified annex. 

(e) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may exercise all authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry 

out this section. 

(f) DEFINITIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—In this section: 

(A) ACCOUNT; CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNT; PAYABLETHROUGH ACCOUNT.—The terms ‘‘account’’, ‘‘correspondent 

account’’, and ‘‘payable-through account’’ have the 

meanings given those terms in section 5318A of title 31, 

United States Code. 

(B) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The 

term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 

(i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and 

(ii) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

of the Senate. 

(C) FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘financial 

institution’’ means a financial institution specified in 

subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), 

(K), (M), (N), (P), (R), (T), (Y), or (Z) of section 5312(a)(2) 

of title 31, United States Code. 

(D) FOREIGN FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘foreign financial institution’’ has the meaning given that term 

in section 1010.605 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations. 

(E) HIZBALLAH.—The term ‘‘Hizballah’’ means— 
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(i) the entity known as Hizballah and designated 

by the Secretary of State as a foreign terrorist 

organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); or 

(ii) any person— 

(I) the property or interests in property of 

which are blocked pursuant to the International 

Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 

et seq.); and 

(II) who is identified on the list of specially 

designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of 

the Department of the Treasury as an agent, 

instrumentality, or affiliate of Hizballah. 

(F) MONEY LAUNDERING.—The term ‘‘money laundering’’ includes the movement of illicit cash or cash equivalent proceeds into, out of, or through a country, or into, 

out of, or through a financial institution. 

(2) OTHER DEFINITIONS.—The President may further define 

the terms used in this section in the regulations prescribed 

under this section. 

TITLE II—REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS ON 

NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL 

ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH 

SEC. 201. REPORT AND BRIEFING ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING BY 

HIZBALLAH. 

(a) REPORT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 

the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a 

report on the activities of Hizballah related to narcotics trafficking worldwide. 

(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 

submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, 

but may include a classified annex. 

(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 30 days after the submission 

of the report required by subsection (a), the President shall provide 

to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a 

briefing on— 

(1) the report; 

(2) procedures for designating Hizballah as a significant 

foreign narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin 

Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.); and 

(3) Government-wide efforts to combat the narcotics trafficking activities of Hizballah. 

(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND LEADERSHIP

DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 

committees and leadership’’ means— 
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(1) the Speaker, the minority leader, the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Permanent Select Committee 

on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and 

(2) the majority leader, the minority leader, the Committee 

on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, 

and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Finance, the Committee 

on the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on Intelligence 

of the Senate. 

SEC. 202. REPORT AND BRIEFING ON SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL 

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH. 

(a) REPORT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 

the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a 

report on the significant transnational criminal activities of 

Hizballah, including human trafficking. 

(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 

submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, 

but may include a classified annex. 

(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 30 days after the submission 

of the report required by subsection (a), the President shall provide 

to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a 

briefing on— 

(1) the report; 

(2) procedures for designating Hizballah as a significant 

transnational criminal organization under Executive Order 

13581 (75 Fed. Reg. 44,757); and 

(3) Government-wide efforts to combat the transnational 

criminal activities of Hizballah. 

(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND LEADERSHIP

DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 

committees and leadership’’ means— 

(1) the Speaker, the minority leader, the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Permanent Select Committee 

on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and 

(2) the majority leader, the minority leader, the Committee 

on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, 

and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Finance, the Committee 

on the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on Intelligence 

of the Senate. 

SEC. 203. REWARDS FOR JUSTICE AND HIZBALLAH’S FUNDRAISING, 

FINANCING, AND MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES. 

(a) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 

appropriate congressional committees a report that details actions 

taken by the Department of State through the Department of State 

rewards program under section 36 of the State Department Basic 

Authorities Act (22 U.S.C. 2708) to obtain information on fundraising, financing, and money laundering activities of Hizballah 

and its agents and affiliates. 

(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 

State shall provide a briefing to the appropriate congressional 
H. R. 2297—7 

committees on the status of the actions described in subsection 

(a). 

(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 

this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 

means— 

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee 

on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and 

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee 

on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. 

SEC. 204. REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO 

DISRUPT GLOBAL LOGISTICS NETWORKS AND FUNDRAISING, FINANCING, AND MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH. 

(a) REPORT.— 

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

of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 

the appropriate congressional committees a report that 

includes— 

(A) a list of countries that support Hizballah or in 

which Hizballah maintains important portions of its global 

logistics networks; 

(B) with respect to each country on the list required 

by subparagraph (A)— 

(i) an assessment of whether the government of 

the country is taking adequate measures to disrupt 

the global logistics networks of Hizballah within the 

territory of the country; and 

(ii) in the case of a country the government of 

which is not taking adequate measures to disrupt such 

networks— 

(I) an assessment of the reasons that government is not taking such adequate measures; and 

(II) a description of measures being taken by 

the United States to encourage that government 

to improve measures to disrupt such networks; 

(C) a list of countries in which Hizballah, or any of 

its agents or affiliates, conducts significant fundraising, 

financing, or money laundering activities; 

(D) with respect to each country on the list required 

by subparagraph (C)— 

(i) an assessment of whether the government of 

the country is taking adequate measures to disrupt 

the fundraising, financing, or money laundering activities of Hizballah and its agents and affiliates within 

the territory of the country; and 

(ii) in the case of a country the government of 

which is not taking adequate measures to disrupt such 

activities— 

(I) an assessment of the reasons that government is not taking such adequate measures; and 

(II) a description of measures being taken by 

the United States to encourage that government 

to improve measures to disrupt such activities; 

and 

(E) a list of methods that Hizballah, or any of its 

agents or affiliates, utilizes to raise or transfer funds, 
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including trade-based money laundering, the use of foreign 

exchange houses, and free-trade zones. 

(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 

submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, 

and may contain a classified annex. 

(3) GLOBAL LOGISTICS NETWORKS OF HIZBALLAH.—In this 

subsection, the term ‘‘global logistics networks of Hizballah’’, 

‘‘global logistics networks’’, or ‘‘networks’’ means financial, 

material, or technological support for, or financial or other 

services in support of, Hizballah. 

(b) BRIEFING ON HIZBALLAH’S ASSETS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED

TO FUNDRAISING, FINANCING, AND MONEY LAUNDERING WORLDWIDE.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 

of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State, 

the Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads of other applicable 

Federal departments and agencies shall provide to the appropriate 

congressional committees a briefing on the disposition of Hizballah’s 

assets and activities related to fundraising, financing, and money 

laundering worldwide. 

(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 

this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 

means— 

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 

Financial Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on 

Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and 

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee 

on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. 

TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 

PROVISIONS 

SEC. 301. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall 

apply to the authorized intelligence activities of the United States. 

SEC. 302. REGULATORY AUTHORITY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, not later than 120 days 

after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate regulations 

as necessary for the implementation of this Act and the amendments 

made by this Act. 

(b) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—Not less than 10 days before 

the promulgation of regulations under subsection (a), the President 

shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of the proposed regulations and the provisions of this Act and the amendments made by this Act that the regulations are implementing. 

(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 

this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 

means— 

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee 

on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and 

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee 

on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. 
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SEC. 303. TERMINATION. 

This Act shall terminate on the date that is 30 days after 

the date on which the President certifies to Congress that 

Hizballah— 

(1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality 

Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); and 

(2) is no longer designated for the imposition of sanctions 

pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; 

relating to blocking property and prohibiting transactions with 

persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism). 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.