(1) the term ‘‘archaeological or ethnological ma-
terial of Syria’’ means cultural property of Syria and 
other items of archaeological, historical, cultural, 
rare scientific, or religious importance unlawfully re-
moved from Syria on or after March 15, 2011; and 
(2) the term ‘‘State Party’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 302 of the Convention on 
Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
2601). 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect and Preserve 
International Cultural Property Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the President should 
establish an interagency coordinating committee to coordi-
nate and advance the efforts of the executive branch to pro-
tect and preserve international cultural property at risk 
from political instability, armed conflict, or natural or 
other disasters. Such committee should— 
(1) be chaired by a Department of State em-
ployee of Assistant Secretary rank or higher, concur-
rent with that employee’s other duties; 
(2) include representatives of the Smithsonian 
Institution and Federal agencies with responsibility 
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for the preservation and protection of international 
cultural property; 
(3) consult with governmental and nongovern-
mental organizations, including the United States 
Committee of the Blue Shield, museums, educational 
institutions, and research institutions on efforts to 
protect and preserve international cultural property; 
(4) coordinate and advance core United States 
interests in— 
(A) protecting and preserving international 
cultural property; 
(B) preventing and disrupting looting and 
illegal trade and trafficking in international cul-
tural property, particularly exchanges that pro-
vide revenue to terrorist and criminal organiza-
tions; 
(C) protecting sites of cultural and archae-
ological significance; and 
(D) providing for the lawful exchange of 
international cultural property. 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY PROTECTION FOR SYRIAN CULTURAL 
PROPERTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall exercise the au-
thority of the President under section 304 of the Convention 
on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2603) 
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to impose import restrictions set forth in section 307 of that 
Act (19 U.S.C. 2606) with respect to any archaeological or 
ethnological material of Syria— 
(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act; 
(2) without regard to whether Syria is a State 
Party (as defined in section 302 of that Act (19 
U.S.C. 2601)); and 
(3) notwithstanding— 
(A) the requirement of subsection (b) of sec-
tion 304 of that Act (19 U.S.C. 2603(b)) that an 
emergency condition (as defined in subsection (a) 
of that section) applies; and 
(B) the limitations under subsection (c) of 
that section. 
(b) ANNUAL DETERMINATION REGARDING CERTIFI-
CATION.— 
(1) DETERMINATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, not 
less often than annually, determine whether at 
least 1 of the conditions specified in subpara-
graph (B) is met, and shall notify the appro-
priate congressional committees of such deter-
mination. 
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(B) CONDITIONS.—The conditions referred 
to in subparagraph (A) are the following: 
(i) The Government of Syria is in-
capable, at the time a determination under 
such subparagraph is made, of fulfilling the 
requirements to request an agreement under 
section 303 of the Convention on Cultural 
Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
2602). 
(ii) It would be against the United 
States national interest to enter into such 
an agreement. 
(2) TERMINATION OF RESTRICTIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the import restrictions re-
ferred to in subsection (a) shall terminate on the 
date that is 5 years after the date on which the 
President determines that neither of the condi-
tions specified in paragraph (1)(B) are met. 
(B) REQUEST FOR TERMINATION.—If Syria 
requests to enter into an agreement with the 
United States pursuant to section 303 of the 
Convention on Cultural Property Implementa-
tion Act (19 U.S.C. 2602) on or after the date 
on which the President determines that neither of 
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the conditions specified in paragraph (1)(B) are 
met, the import restrictions referred to in sub-
section (a) shall terminate on the earlier of— 
(i) the date that is 3 years after the 
date on which Syria makes such a request; 
or 
(ii) the date on which the United 
States and Syria enter into such an agree-
ment. 
(c) WAIVER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may waive the 
import restrictions referred to in subsection (a) for 
specified archaeological and ethnological material of 
Syria if the President certifies to the appropriate con-
gressional committees that the conditions described in 
paragraph (2) are met. 
(2) CONDITIONS.—The conditions referred to in 
paragraph (1) are the following: 
(A)(i) The owner or lawful custodian of the 
specified archaeological or ethnological material 
of Syria has requested that such material be tem-
porarily located in the United States for protec-
tion purposes; or 
(ii) if no owner or lawful custodian can 
reasonably be identified, the President deter-
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mines that, for purposes of protecting and pre-
serving such material, the material should be 
temporarily located in the United States. 
(B) Such material shall be returned to the 
owner or lawful custodian when requested by 
such owner or lawful custodian. 
(C) There is no credible evidence that grant-
ing a waiver under this subsection will con-
tribute to illegal trafficking in archaeological or 
ethnological material of Syria or financing of 
criminal or terrorist activities. 
(3) ACTION.—If the President grants a waiver 
under this subsection, the specified archaeological or 
ethnological material of Syria that is the subject of 
such waiver shall be placed in the temporary custody 
of the United States Government or in the temporary 
custody of a cultural or educational institution with-
in the United States for the purpose of protection, res-
toration, conservation, study, or exhibition, without 
profit. 
(4) IMMUNITY
FROM
SEIZURE.—Any archae-
ological or ethnological material that enters the 
United States pursuant to a waiver granted under 
this section shall have immunity from seizure under 
Public Law 89–259 (22 U.S.C. 2459). All provisions 
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of Public Law 89–259 shall apply to such material 
as if immunity from seizure had been granted under 
that Public Law. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit-
tees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Finance of the Senate; 
and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives. 
(2) ARCHAEOLOGICAL OR ETHNOLOGICAL MATE-
RIAL OF SYRIA.—The term ‘‘archaeological or ethno-
logical material of Syria’’ means cultural property 
(as defined in section 302 of the Convention on Cul-
tural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2601)) 
that is unlawfully removed from Syria on or after 
March 15, 2011. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter for the next 6 years, 
the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the efforts of the executive branch, 
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during the 12-month period preceding the submission of the 
report, to protect and preserve international cultural prop-
erty, including— 
(1) whether an interagency coordinating com-
mittee as described in section 2 has been established 
and, if such a committee has been established, a de-
scription of the activities undertaken by such com-
mittee, including a list of the entities participating in 
such activities; 
(2) a description of measures undertaken pursu-
ant to relevant statutes, including— 
(A) actions to implement and enforce sec-
tion 3 of this Act and section 3002 of the Emer-
gency Protection for Iraqi Cultural Antiquities 
Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–429; 118 Stat. 
2599), including measures to dismantle inter-
national networks that traffic illegally in cul-
tural property; 
(B) a description of any requests for a 
waiver under section 3(c) of this Act and, for 
each such request, whether a waiver was granted; 
(C) a list of the statutes and regulations 
employed in criminal, civil, and civil forfeiture 
actions to prevent illegal trade and trafficking in 
cultural property; and 
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(D) actions undertaken to ensure the con-
sistent and effective application of law in cases 
relating to illegal trade and trafficking in cul-
tural property; and 
(3) actions undertaken in fulfillment of inter-
national agreements on cultural property protection, 
including the Convention for the Protection of Cul-
tural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, done 
at The Hague May 14, 1954. 
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Calendar No. 360 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1493 
AN ACT 
To protect and preserve international cultural prop-
erty at risk due to political instability, armed 
conflict, or natural or other disasters, and for 
other purposes. 
FEBRUARY 2, 2016 
Reported with an amendment 
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