I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 779 

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 

JANUARY 31, 2017 

Mr. WITTMAN 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Conflicts 

5 of Concern Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF COUNTRIES OF CONFLICT 

2 CONCERN. 

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

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

5 submit to Congress a report that identifies each country 

6 the government of which or anti-government forces in 

7 which the President believes, based on all information 

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

9 terrorist organizations to engage in armed conflict that is 

10 occurring in such country. 

11 (b) UPDATES.—The President shall update the re12 port required under subsection (a)— 

13 (1) as new information becomes available; and 

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

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

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

17 submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classi18 fied annex if necessary. 

19 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF COUNTRIES OF CONFLICT CON20 CERN. 

21 (a) DESIGNATION.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall des23 ignate a country as a ‘‘Country of Conflict Concern’’ 

24 if the President determines that— 

25 (A) the government of such country or 

26 anti-government forces in the country is allowVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:04 Feb 07, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H779.IH H779

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1 ing one or more foreign terrorist organizations 

2 to engage in armed conflict that is occurring in 

3 such country as identified in the report required 

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

5 required under section 2(b); and 

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

7 the United States to restrict travel by any 

8 United States national to such country and to 

9 restrict material support provided by United 

10 States nationals to entities that are engaged in 

11 armed conflict in such country. 

12 (2) INITIAL DESIGNATION.—Syria shall be 

13 deemed to have been designated by the President 

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

15 of this Act and the President is not required to no16 tify Congress of such designation of Syria under 

17 subsection (b). 

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

19 country as a Country of Conflict Concern under subsection 

20 (a), the President shall submit to Congress a report noti21 fying Congress of the designation of the country. 

22 (c) LICENSING REQUIREMENT.— 

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

24 designated as a Country of Conflict Concern under 

25 subsection (a), the President shall exercise the auVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:04 Feb 07, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H779.IH H779

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1 thorities of the International Emergency Economic 

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

3 to section 202 of such Act to require a United 

4 States national to obtain a license— 

5 (A) to travel to such country; or 

6 (B) to provide material support to entities 

7 that are engaged in armed conflict in such 

8 country. 

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

10 license under paragraph (1) shall not apply with re11 spect to a United States national who is a full-time 

12 officer or employee of the United States Government 

13 for purposes of carrying out official business of the 

14 United States Government. 

15 (d) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in sub16 sections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International 

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 (e) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION.—The designa24 tion of a country as a Country of Conflict Concern under 


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

2 President submits to Congress a report that contains— 

3 (1) a determination and certification that sub4 paragraph (A) or (B) of subsection (a)(1) (as the 

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

6 to the country; and 

7 (2) a justification for the determination and 

8 certification. 

9 SEC. 4. REGULATIONS. 

10 The President is authorized to promulgate such regu11 lations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions 

12 of this Act, including the promulgation of such regulations 

13 under the authority of section 205 of the International 

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

15 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.—The 

18 term ‘‘foreign terrorist organization’’ means any or19 ganization so designated by the Secretary of State 

20 under section 219 of the Immigration and Nation21 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189). 

22 (2) UNITED STATES NATIONAL.—The term 

23 ‘‘United States national’’ means— 


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1 (A) a national of the United States (as de2 fined in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration 

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

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

5 United States. 

Æ 


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