Sanction Russian Nuclear Safety Violators Act of 2023

Subjects: International Affairs


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3246 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3246

 To authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to any foreign 
 person endangering the integrity or safety of the Zaporzhzhia nuclear 
                              power plant.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2023

Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Keating, Ms. Wild, Mr. Allred, Mr. Pallone, 
  Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Gallego) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to any foreign 
 person endangering the integrity or safety of the Zaporzhzhia nuclear 
                              power plant.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sanction Russian Nuclear Safety 
Violators Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On February 24, 2022, the Government of the Russian 
        Federation, led by Vladimir Putin, launched an unprovoked, 
        full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
            (2) Russian forces have illegally occupied the Zaporzhzhia 
        nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, 
        and have placed Russian military equipment within the power 
        plant.
            (3) Officials from the Russian Federations State Atomic 
        Energy Corporation ``Rosatom'' have been present at the plant 
        since March 2022 and have requested information on confidential 
        issues regarding the plant's operations.
            (4) The International Atomic Energy Association ``IAEA'' 
        has stated that the presence of Rosatom officials is a 
        significant safety concern and could lead to technical 
        interference in the plant's operations, and has found that the 
        power plant has structural damage in places due to shelling 
        caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
            (5) The Director General has stated that failing to 
        demilitarize the Zaporzhzhia nuclear power plant is ``playing 
        with fire''.
            (6) In May 2023, Russia evacuated citizens from the region 
        around Zaporizhzhia, including personnel who operate the plant, 
        further exacerbating concerns about the plant's stability and 
        safety.

SEC. 3. SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall impose sanctions described in 
subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person has endangered the 
integrity, safety, or undermined Ukrainian operational control of the 
Zaporzhzhia Nuclear Power Station located in southeastern Ukraine since 
the Russian Federation launched an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of 
Ukraine.
    (b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this 
subsection are the following:
            (1) Asset blocking.--Notwithstanding the requirements of 
        section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
        (50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise of all powers 
        granted to the President by that Act to the extent necessary to 
        block and prohibit all transactions in all property and 
        interests in property of the foreign person if such property 
        and interests in property are in the United States, come within 
        the United States, or are or come within the possession or 
        control of a United States person.
            (2) Visas, admission, or parole.--
                    (A) In general.--An alien who the Secretary of 
                State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a 
                designee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has 
                reason to believe, is described in subsection (a) is--
                            (i) inadmissible to the United States;
                            (ii) ineligible for a visa or other 
                        documentation to enter the United States; and
                            (iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 
                        or paroled into the United States or to receive 
                        any other benefit under the Immigration and 
                        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
                    (B) Current visas revoked.--
                            (i) In general.--The issuing consular 
                        officer, the Secretary of State, or the 
                        Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee 
                        of one of such Secretaries) shall, in 
                        accordance with section 221(i) of the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
                        1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry 
                        documentation issued to an alien described in 
                        subparagraph (A) regardless of when the visa or 
                        other entry documentation is issued.
                            (ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation 
                        under clause (i)--
                                    (I) shall take effect immediately; 
                                and
                                    (II) shall automatically cancel any 
                                other valid visa or entry documentation 
                                that is in the alien's possession.
    (c) Exceptions.--
            (1) Exception to comply with international obligations.--
        Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect 
        to the admission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien 
        into the United States is necessary to permit the United States 
        to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the 
        United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and 
        entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United 
        Nations and the United States, or other applicable 
        international obligations.
            (2) Exception relating to the provision of humanitarian 
        assistance.--Sanctions under this section may not be imposed 
        with respect to transactions or the facilitation of 
        transactions for--
                    (A) the sale of agricultural commodities, food, 
                medicine, or medical devices;
                    (B) the provision of humanitarian assistance;
                    (C) financial transactions relating to humanitarian 
                assistance; or
                    (D) transporting goods or services that are 
                necessary to carry out operations relating to 
                humanitarian assistance.
            (3) Exception related to ukrainian operational control.--
        Sanctions under this section shall not apply to any foreign 
        person seeking to reestablish Ukrainian operational control of 
        the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station or the surrounding 
        region.
    (d) Implementation; Penalties.--
            (1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all 
        authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 
        205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
        U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this subtitle.
            (2) 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 promulgated under section 
        403(b) to carry out paragraph (1)(A) to the same extent that 
        such penalties apply to a person that commits an unlawful act 
        described in section 206(a) of that Act.
    (e) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions 
imposed with respect to a foreign person under this section if the 
President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees not 
later than 15 days before such waiver is to take effect that the waiver 
is vital to the national security interests of the United States.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means 
        the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate;
            (2) the term ``foreign person'' means an individual or 
        entity that is not a United States person;
            (3) the term ``United States person'' means--
                    (A) a United States citizen;
                    (B) a permanent resident alien of the United 
                States;
                    (C) an entity organized under the laws of the 
                United States or of any jurisdiction within the United 
                States, including a foreign branch of such an entity; 
                or
                    (D) a person in the United States.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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