Block the Use of Transatlantic Technology in Iranian Made Drones Act

Subjects: International Affairs


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1809 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






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.

    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 ``Block the Use of Transatlantic 
Technology in Iranian Made Drones Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation initiated 
        a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
            (2) The Russian Federation's war of aggression against 
        Ukraine first began in 2014.
            (3) In response to the Russian Federation's brutal war of 
        aggression against Ukraine, the United States, and allies and 
        partners of the United States, have enacted punitive sanctions 
        against the Russian Federation, further limiting the access of 
        the Russian Federation to critical technologies that could 
        support such war of aggression.
            (4) Since February 2022, the Russian Federation has 
        bombarded Ukrainian infrastructure and locations actively used 
        by civilians, using both cruise missiles and self-detonating 
        unmanned aircrafts packed with explosives during these waves of 
        attacks.
            (5) Following these attacks, weapons used by the Russian 
        Federation have been thoroughly analyzed and it has been 
        discovered that the Russian Federation is increasingly using 
        unmanned aircraft systems produced and sold by Iran.
            (6) In November 2022, it was reported that the Russian 
        Federation and Iran made a deal wherein Iran would produce 
        hundreds of unmanned aircrafts for the Russian Federation.
            (7) Unmanned aircraft systems produced by Iran and used in 
        Ukraine by the Russian Federation, including unmanned aircraft 
        downed in Ukraine, were found to have been made with components 
        designed and built by United States and European companies and 
        later transferred to Iranian entities despite sanctions as a 
        result of the dual use properties of such components.
            (8) The Biden Administration has established an interagency 
        task force to investigate how United States and Western-made 
        technology has been incorporated into unmanned aircraft systems 
        produced by Iran and take appropriate steps in response.
            (9) On January 6th, 2023, the Biden Administration enacted 
        new sanctions targeting the unmanned aircraft industry and 
        missile industry of Iran, designating seven individuals in 
        leadership positions with Qods Aviation Industries and the 
        Aerospace Industries Organization of Iran.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) controlling the end use of dual use technology and 
        highly ubiquitous parts thereof in the global market is 
        difficult for manufacturers and government regulators alike;
            (2) the United States, along with the allies and partners 
        of the United States, must continue to support Ukraine in the 
        Ukrainian fight for freedom, independence, and democracy; and
            (3) the United States, along with the allies and partners 
        of the United States, must ensure that technology designed or 
        produced by United States entities is not used to support the 
        Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine, 
        particularly in the case of unmanned aircraft systems produced 
        by Iran.

SEC. 4. STRATEGIES TO PREVENT EXPORT TO IRAN OF CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES 
              RELATED TO UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.

    (a) Department of Commerce Strategy.--
            (1) Strategy required.--The Secretary of Commerce (in 
        consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
        Defense, and the heads of the elements of the intelligence 
        community) shall develop a strategy to supplement the existing 
        sanctions regime of the United States against Iran by 
        preventing the export to Iran by United States persons 
        regarding technologies used or that may be used in the design, 
        development, production, or operational employment of unmanned 
        aircraft systems by Iran, including the following 
        microelectronics:
                    (A) Microcontrollers.
                    (B) Voltage regulators.
                    (C) Digital signal controllers.
                    (D) GPS modules.
                    (E) Microprocessors.
                    (F) Circuit board components.
            (2) Elements.--The strategy under paragraph (1) shall 
        include, at a minimum, the following elements:
                    (A) A process for the Secretary of Commerce (in 
                coordination with the Secretaries and heads specified 
                in paragraph (1)) to proactively identify--
                            (i) current and emerging technologies used 
                        or that may be used by Iran in the design, 
                        development, production, or operational 
                        employment of unmanned aircraft systems 
                        (including critical components thereof); and
                            (ii) United States manufacturers of such 
                        technologies.
                    (B) A process for the Secretary of Commerce (in 
                coordination with the Secretaries and heads specified 
                in paragraph (1)) to proactively identify third-party 
                distributors and resellers of the technologies 
                specified in subparagraph (A)(i) that, through the use 
                of intermediaries with no or nominal operations or 
                assets, or through other mechanisms, contrive to 
                circumvent sanctions and export controls for such items 
                with respect to Iran.
                    (C) A methodology for the Secretary of Commerce to 
                proactively engage the United States manufacturers 
                identified pursuant to the process under subparagraph 
                (A)(ii), to provide such manufacturers with timely 
                updates to the list of third-party distributors and 
                resellers identified pursuant to the process under 
                subparagraph (B).
            (3) Submission.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees the strategy 
        under paragraph (1).
            (4) Form.--The report required by subsection (a)(1) shall 
        be submitted in unclassified form, but portions of the report 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (2) may contain a classified 
        annex, so long as such annex is provided separately from the 
        unclassified report.
    (b) Department of State Strategy.--
            (1) Strategy required.--The Secretary of State (in 
        coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 
        Defense, and the heads of the elements of the intelligence 
        community) shall develop a strategy to engage with European and 
        Asian allies and partners of the United States regarding 
        technologies which are used, or may be used, by Iran in the 
        design, development, production, or operational employment of 
        unmanned aircraft systems (including the microelectronics 
        listed in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of subsection (a)(1)), 
        to prevent the export of such technologies to Iran by such 
        allies and partners.
            (2) Elements.--The strategy under paragraph (1) shall 
        include, at a minimum, the following elements:
                    (A) A process for the Secretary of State (in 
                consultation with the relevant Secretaries and heads 
                specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively identify 
                foreign manufacturers of the technologies referred to 
                in such paragraph.
                    (B) A process for the Secretary of State to engage 
                with any ally or partner of the United States regarding 
                technologies which have been incorporated into an 
                unmanned aircraft system produced by Iran, for the 
                purpose of synchronizing the export control regime of 
                such ally or partner with the United States export 
                controls developed by the Secretary of Commerce 
                pursuant to the strategy under subsection (a) with 
                respect to such technology.
            (3) Submission.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit 
        to the appropriate congressional committees the strategy under 
        paragraph (1).
            (4) Form.--The report required by subsection (b)(1) shall 
        be submitted in unclassified form, but portions of the report 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (2) may contain a classified 
        annex, so long as such annex is provided separately from the 
        unclassified report.
    (c) Requirement for Secretary of Defense To Develop Range of 
Options.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense (in 
        coordination with the Secretary of State and the heads of the 
        elements of the intelligence community) shall develop a range 
        of options that may be employed by the Armed Forces of the 
        United States to counter or otherwise deny Iran the ability to 
        acquire technologies used, or that may be used, in the design, 
        development, production, or operational employment of unmanned 
        aircraft systems by Iran, including the following technologies:
                    (A) Microcontrollers.
                    (B) Voltage regulators.
                    (C) Digital signal controllers.
                    (D) GPS modules.
                    (E) Microprocessors.
                    (F) Circuit board components.
                    (G) Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.
                    (H) Computer numerical control machines.
            (2) Briefing.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall provide 
        to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the 
        options developed under paragraph (1).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
                    (A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Armed Services, the Committee on Ways and Means, and 
                the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
                House of Representatives.
                    (B) The Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Finance, 
                and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 
                the Senate.
            (2) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence 
        community'' has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the 
        National Security Act of 1957 (50 U.S.C. 3003).
            (3) Unmanned aircraft; unmanned aircraft system.--The terms 
        ``unmanned aircraft'' and ``unmanned aircraft system'' have the 
        meanings given those terms in section 130i of title 10, United 
        States Code.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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