I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7708 
To authorize the imposition of sanctions on certain foreign persons that 
have threatened the national security, foreign policy, public health, or 
economic health or financial stability of the United States, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 21, 2020 
Mr. MCCARTHY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, 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 on certain foreign 
persons that have threatened the national security, for-
eign policy, public health, or economic health or financial 
stability of the United States, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defend COVID Re-
search from Hackers Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON 
CERTAIN FOREIGN PERSONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
impose sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect 
to any foreign person determined by the President— 
(1) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to 
have engaged in, directly or indirectly, activities, in-
cluding cyber-enabled activities, originating from, or 
directed by foreign persons that are reasonably likely 
to result in, or have materially contributed to, a sig-
nificant threat to the national security, foreign pol-
icy, public health, or economic health or financial 
stability of the United States and that have the pur-
pose or effect of— 
(A) harming, or otherwise significantly 
compromising the provision of services by a 
computer or network of computers that support 
one or more entities in a critical infrastructure 
sector; 
(B) significantly compromising the provi-
sion of services by one or more entities in a 
critical infrastructure sector; 
(C) causing a significant disruption to the 
availability of a computer or network of com-
puters; or 
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(D) causing a significant misappropriation 
of funds or economic resources, trade secrets, 
personal identifiers, intellectual property, or fi-
nancial information for commercial or competi-
tive advantage or private financial gain; 
(2) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to 
have engaged in, or to have knowingly materially 
benefitted from, the receipt or use for commercial or 
competitive advantage or private financial gain, of 
funds or economic resources, trade secrets, personal 
identifiers, intellectual property, or financial infor-
mation misappropriated through cyber-enabled ac-
tivities and with respect to which such actions are 
reasonably likely to result in, or have materially con-
tributed to, a significant threat to the national secu-
rity, foreign policy, public health, or economic health 
or financial stability of the United States; 
(3) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or 
provided financial, material, or technological support 
for, or goods or services in support of— 
(A) any activity described in paragraphs 
(1) and (2); or 
(B) any person whose property or interests 
in property are blocked pursuant to this section; 
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