I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1809 

To require the development of strategies and options to prevent the export 

to Iran of certain technologies related to unmanned aircraft systems, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 27, 2023 

Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. PHILLIPS, and 

Ms. TENNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 

Armed 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 require the development of strategies and options to prevent the export to Iran of certain technologies related 

to unmanned aircraft systems, 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 ‘‘Block the Use of 

5 Transatlantic Technology in Iranian Made Drones Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 1809 IH

1 (1) On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federa2 tion initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

3 (2) The Russian Federation’s war of aggression 

4 against Ukraine first began in 2014. 

5 (3) In response to the Russian Federation’s 

6 brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the 

7 United States, and allies and partners of the United 

8 States, have enacted punitive sanctions against the 

9 Russian Federation, further limiting the access of 

10 the Russian Federation to critical technologies that 

11 could support such war of aggression. 

12 (4) Since February 2022, the Russian Federa13 tion has bombarded Ukrainian infrastructure and lo14 cations actively used by civilians, using both cruise 

15 missiles and self-detonating unmanned aircrafts 

16 packed with explosives during these waves of at17 tacks. 

18 (5) Following these attacks, weapons used by 

19 the Russian Federation have been thoroughly ana20 lyzed and it has been discovered that the Russian 

21 Federation is increasingly using unmanned aircraft 

22 systems produced and sold by Iran. 

23 (6) In November 2022, it was reported that the 

24 Russian Federation and Iran made a deal wherein 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 1809 IH

1 Iran would produce hundreds of unmanned aircrafts 

2 for the Russian Federation. 

3 (7) Unmanned aircraft systems produced by 

4 Iran and used in Ukraine by the Russian Federa5 tion, including unmanned aircraft downed in 

6 Ukraine, were found to have been made with compo7 nents designed and built by United States and Euro8 pean companies and later transferred to Iranian en9 tities despite sanctions as a result of the dual use 

10 properties of such components. 

11 (8) The Biden Administration has established 

12 an interagency task force to investigate how United 

13 States and Western-made technology has been incor14 porated into unmanned aircraft systems produced by 

15 Iran and take appropriate steps in response. 

16 (9) On January 6th, 2023, the Biden Adminis17 tration enacted new sanctions targeting the un18 manned aircraft industry and missile industry of 

19 Iran, designating seven individuals in leadership po20 sitions with Qods Aviation Industries and the Aero21 space Industries Organization of Iran. 

22 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

23 It is the sense of Congress that— 

24 (1) controlling the end use of dual use tech25 nology and highly ubiquitous parts thereof in the 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 1809 IH

1 global market is difficult for manufacturers and gov2 ernment regulators alike; 

3 (2) the United States, along with the allies and 

4 partners of the United States, must continue to sup5 port Ukraine in the Ukrainian fight for freedom, 

6 independence, and democracy; and 

7 (3) the United States, along with the allies and 

8 partners of the United States, must ensure that 

9 technology designed or produced by United States 

10 entities is not used to support the Russian Federa11 tion’s war of aggression against Ukraine, particu12 larly in the case of unmanned aircraft systems pro13 duced by Iran. 

14 SEC. 4. STRATEGIES TO PREVENT EXPORT TO IRAN OF 

15 CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO UN16 MANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. 

17 (a) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STRATEGY.— 

18 (1) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 

19 Commerce (in consultation with the Secretary of 

20 State, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 

21 the elements of the intelligence community) shall de22 velop a strategy to supplement the existing sanctions 

23 regime of the United States against Iran by pre24 venting the export to Iran by United States persons 

25 regarding technologies used or that may be used in 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 1809 IH

1 the design, development, production, or operational 

2 employment of unmanned aircraft systems by Iran, 

3 including the following microelectronics: 

4 (A) Microcontrollers. 

5 (B) Voltage regulators. 

6 (C) Digital signal controllers. 

7 (D) GPS modules. 

8 (E) Microprocessors. 

9 (F) Circuit board components. 

10 (2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph 

11 (1) shall include, at a minimum, the following ele12 ments: 

13 (A) A process for the Secretary of Com14 merce (in coordination with the Secretaries and 

15 heads specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively 

16 identify— 

17 (i) current and emerging technologies 

18 used or that may be used by Iran in the 

19 design, development, production, or oper20 ational employment of unmanned aircraft 

21 systems (including critical components 

22 thereof); and 

23 (ii) United States manufacturers of 

24 such technologies. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 1809 IH

1 (B) A process for the Secretary of Com2 merce (in coordination with the Secretaries and 

3 heads specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively 

4 identify third-party distributors and resellers of 

5 the technologies specified in subparagraph 

6 (A)(i) that, through the use of intermediaries 

7 with no or nominal operations or assets, or 

8 through other mechanisms, contrive to cir9 cumvent sanctions and export controls for such 

10 items with respect to Iran. 

11 (C) A methodology for the Secretary of 

12 Commerce to proactively engage the United 

13 States manufacturers identified pursuant to the 

14 process under subparagraph (A)(ii), to provide 

15 such manufacturers with timely updates to the 

16 list of third-party distributors and resellers 

17 identified pursuant to the process under sub18 paragraph (B). 

19 (3) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 60 days after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

21 of Commerce shall submit to the appropriate con22 gressional committees the strategy under paragraph 

23 (1). 

24 (4) FORM.—The report required by subsection 

25 (a)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 1809 IH

1 portions of the report described in paragraphs (1) 

2 and (2) may contain a classified annex, so long as 

3 such annex is provided separately from the unclassi4 fied report. 

5 (b) DEPARTMENT OF STATE STRATEGY.— 

6 (1) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 

7 State (in coordination with the Secretary of Com8 merce, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 

9 the elements of the intelligence community) shall de10 velop a strategy to engage with European and Asian 

11 allies and partners of the United States regarding 

12 technologies which are used, or may be used, by Iran 

13 in the design, development, production, or oper14 ational employment of unmanned aircraft systems 

15 (including the microelectronics listed in subpara16 graphs (A) through (F) of subsection (a)(1)), to pre17 vent the export of such technologies to Iran by such 

18 allies and partners. 

19 (2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph 

20 (1) shall include, at a minimum, the following ele21 ments: 

22 (A) A process for the Secretary of State 

23 (in consultation with the relevant Secretaries 

24 and heads specified in paragraph (1)) to 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•HR 1809 IH

1 proactively identify foreign manufacturers of 

2 the technologies referred to in such paragraph. 

3 (B) A process for the Secretary of State to 

4 engage with any ally or partner of the United 

5 States regarding technologies which have been 

6 incorporated into an unmanned aircraft system 

7 produced by Iran, for the purpose of synchro8 nizing the export control regime of such ally or 

9 partner with the United States export controls 

10 developed by the Secretary of Commerce pursu11 ant to the strategy under subsection (a) with 

12 respect to such technology. 

13 (3) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 60 days after 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

15 of State shall submit to the appropriate congres16 sional committees the strategy under paragraph (1). 

17 (4) FORM.—The report required by subsection 

18 (b)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 

19 portions of the report described in paragraphs (1) 

20 and (2) may contain a classified annex, so long as 

21 such annex is provided separately from the unclassi22 fied report. 

23 (c) REQUIREMENT FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO

24 DEVELOP RANGE OF OPTIONS.— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
9 

•HR 1809 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

3 of Defense (in coordination with the Secretary of 

4 State and the heads of the elements of the intel5 ligence community) shall develop a range of options 

6 that may be employed by the Armed Forces of the 

7 United States to counter or otherwise deny Iran the 

8 ability to acquire technologies used, or that may be 

9 used, in the design, development, production, or 

10 operational employment of unmanned aircraft sys11 tems by Iran, including the following technologies: 

12 (A) Microcontrollers. 

13 (B) Voltage regulators. 

14 (C) Digital signal controllers. 

15 (D) GPS modules. 

16 (E) Microprocessors. 

17 (F) Circuit board components. 

18 (G) Computer Aided Design (CAD) soft19 ware. 

20 (H) Computer numerical control machines. 

21 (2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 45 days after 

22 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

23 of Defense shall provide to the appropriate congres24 sional committees a briefing on the options devel25 oped under paragraph (1). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
10 

•HR 1809 IH

1 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT4 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com5 mittees’’ means the following: 

6 (A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 

7 Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 

8 on Ways and Means, and the Permanent Select 

9 Committee on Intelligence of the House of Rep10 resentatives. 

11 (B) The Committee on Foreign Relations, 

12 the Committee on Armed Services, the Com13 mittee on Finance, and the Permanent Select 

14 Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. 

15 (2) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The term 

16 ‘‘intelligence community’’ has the meaning given 

17 that term in section 3 of the National Security Act 

18 of 1957 (50 U.S.C. 3003). 

19 (3) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT; UNMANNED AIR20 CRAFT SYSTEM.—The terms ‘‘unmanned aircraft’’ 

21 and ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ have the meanings 

22 given those terms in section 130i of title 10, United 

23 States Code. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB