TITLE IV—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 401. SUSPENSION OF SANCTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President may suspend in 
whole or in part the imposition of sanctions otherwise re-
quired under this Act or any amendment made by this Act 
for periods not to exceed 180 days if the President deter-
mines that the following criteria have been met in Syria: 
(1) The air space over Syria is no longer being 
utilized by the Government of Syria or the Govern-
ment of the Russian Federation to target civilian 
populations through the use of incendiary devices, in-
cluding barrel bombs, chemical weapons, and conven-
tional arms, including air-delivered missiles and ex-
plosives. 
(2) Areas besieged by the Government of Syria, 
the Government of the Russian Federation, the Gov-
ernment of Iran, or a foreign person described in sec-
tion 102(a)(2)(A)(ii) are no longer cut off from inter-
national aid and have regular access to humanitarian 
assistance, freedom of travel, and medical care. 
(3) The Government of Syria is releasing all po-
litical prisoners forcibly held within the prison sys-
tem of the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the Govern-
ment of Syria is allowing full access to the same fa-
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cilities for investigations by appropriate inter-
national human rights organizations. 
(4) The forces of the Government of Syria, the 
Government of the Russian Federation, the Govern-
ment of Iran, and any foreign person described in 
section 102(a)(2)(A)(ii) are no longer engaged in de-
liberate targeting of medical facilities, schools, resi-
dential areas, and community gathering places, in-
cluding markets, in violation of international norms. 
(5) The Government of Syria is— 
(A) taking steps to verifiably fulfill its com-
mitments under the Convention on the Prohibi-
tion of the Development, Production, Stockpiling 
and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their De-
struction, done at Geneva September 3, 1992, 
and entered into force April 29, 1997 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Chemical Weapons Convention’’), 
and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nu-
clear Weapons, done at Washington, London, 
and Moscow July 1, 1968, and entered into force 
March 5, 1970 (21 UST 483); and 
(B) making tangible progress toward becom-
ing a signatory to the Convention on the Prohi-
bition of the Development, Production and Stock-
piling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin 
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Weapons and on their Destruction, done at 
Washington, London, and Moscow April 10, 
1972, and entered into force March 26, 1975 (26 
UST 583). 
(6) The Government of Syria is permitting the 
safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Syrians dis-
placed by the conflict. 
(7) The Government of Syria is taking verifiable 
steps to establish meaningful accountability for per-
petrators of war crimes in Syria and justice for vic-
tims of war crimes committed by the Assad regime, 
including by participation in a credible and inde-
pendent truth and reconciliation process. 
(b) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 days 
after the President makes a determination described in sub-
section (a), the President shall provide a briefing to the ap-
propriate congressional committees on the determination 
and the suspension of sanctions pursuant to the determina-
tion. 
(c) REIMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.—Any sanctions sus-
pended under subsection (a) shall be reimposed if the Presi-
dent determines that the criteria described in that sub-
section are no longer being met. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to limit the authority of the President 
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to terminate the application of sanctions under section 102 
with respect to a person that no longer engages in activities 
described in subsection (a)(2) of that section. 
(e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres-
sional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Com-
mittee on Financial Services, the Committee on Ways 
and Means, and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. 
SEC. 402. WAIVERS AND EXEMPTIONS. 
(a) EXEMPTIONS.—The following activities and trans-
actions shall be exempt from sanctions authorized under 
this Act or any amendment made by this Act: 
(1) Any activity subject to the reporting require-
ments under title V of the National Security Act of 
1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.), or to any authorized 
intelligence activities of the United States. 
(2) Any transaction necessary to comply with 
United States obligations under— 
(A) the Agreement regarding the Head-
quarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake 
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Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force 
November 21, 1947, between the United Nations 
and the United States; 
(B) the Convention on Consular Relations, 
done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered into 
force March 19, 1967; or 
(C) any other international agreement to 
which the United States is a party. 
(b) WAIVER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may, for peri-
ods not to exceed 180 days, waive the application of 
any provision of this Act with respect to a foreign 
person if the President certifies to the appropriate 
congressional committees that such a waiver is in the 
national security interests of the United States. 
(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after the 
issuance of a waiver under paragraph (1), and every 
180 days thereafter while the waiver remains in ef-
fect, the President shall brief the appropriate congres-
sional committees on the reasons for the waiver. 
(c) HUMANITARIAN WAIVER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may waive, for 
renewable periods not to exceed 2 years, the applica-
tion of any provision of this Act with respect to a 
nongovernmental organization providing humani-
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tarian assistance not covered by the authorization de-
scribed in section 305 if the President certifies to the 
appropriate congressional committees that such a 
waiver is important to address a humanitarian need 
and is consistent with the national security interests 
of the United States. 
(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after the 
issuance of a waiver under paragraph (1), and every 
180 days thereafter while the waiver remains in ef-
fect, the President shall brief the appropriate congres-
sional committees on the reasons for the waiver. 
(d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres-
sional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Com-
mittee on Financial Services, the Committee on Ways 
and Means, and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. 
SEC. 403. IMPLEMENTATION AND REGULATORY AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) IMPLEMENTATION
AUTHORITY.—The President 
may exercise all authorities provided to the President under 
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sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) for purposes 
of carrying out this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act. 
(b) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The President shall, 
not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, promulgate regulations as necessary for the imple-
mentation of this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act. 
SEC. 404. COST LIMITATION. 
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
requirements of this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise authorized. 
SEC. 405. AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any reports required to be sub-
mitted to the appropriate congressional committees under 
this Act or any amendment made by this Act that are sub-
ject to a deadline for submission consisting of the same unit 
of time may be consolidated into a single report that is sub-
mitted to the appropriate congressional committees pursu-
ant to such deadline. The consolidated reports shall contain 
all information required under this Act or any amendment 
made by this Act, in addition to all other elements man-
dated by previous law. 
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(b) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres-
sional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
of the Senate. 
SEC. 406. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the au-
thority of the President pursuant to the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) 
or any other provision of law. 
SEC. 407. PROHIBITION ON CONSTRUCTION OF PROVISIONS 
OF THIS ACT AS AN AUTHORIZATION FOR USE 
OF MILITARY FORCE. 
Nothing in this Act may be construed as an authoriza-
tion for use of military force. 
SEC. 408. SUNSET. 
This Act shall cease to be effective on the date that is 
5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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Calendar No. 107 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 31 
AN ACT 
To require certain additional actions in connection 
with the national emergency with respect to 
Syria, and for other purposes. 
JUNE 3, 2019 
Reported with an amendment 
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