I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4884 
To deter foreign interference in United States elections, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 25, 2018 
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. SCHNEIDER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in ad-
dition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judici-
ary, and Financial 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 deter foreign interference in United States elections, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Red-
lines Act of 2018’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—DETERMINATION OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN 
UNITED STATES ELECTIONS 
Sec. 101. Determination of foreign interference in United States elections. 
TITLE II—DETERRING INTERFERENCE IN UNITED STATES 
ELECTIONS BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
Sec. 201. Imposition of sanctions. 
Sec. 202. Sense of Congress on coordination with European Union. 
TITLE III—DETERRING INTERFERENCE IN UNITED STATES 
ELECTIONS BY OTHER FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS 
Sec. 301. Briefing on interference in United States elections. 
Sec. 302. Sense of Congress on deterrence strategies for interference in United 
States elections by China, Iran, North Korea, and other foreign 
governments of concern. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ACCOUNT; CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNT; PAY-
ABLE-THROUGH
ACCOUNT.—The terms ‘‘account’’, 
‘‘correspondent account’’, and ‘‘payable-through ac-
count’’ have the meanings given those terms in sec-
tion 5318A of title 31, United States Code. 
(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Foreign 
Relations, the Committee on Finance, the Se-
lect Committee on Intelligence, and the Com-
mittee on Rules and Administration of the Sen-
ate; and 
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(B) the Committee on Financial Services, 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, the Permanent Se-
lect Committee on Intelligence, and the Com-
mittee on House Administration of the House 
of Representatives. 
(3) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES
AND
LEADERSHIP.—The term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees and leadership’’ means— 
(A) the appropriate congressional commit-
tees; 
(B) the majority leader and minority lead-
er of the Senate; and 
(C) the Speaker, the majority leader, and 
the minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(4) ELECTION
AND
CAMPAIGN
INFRASTRUC-
TURE.—The term ‘‘election and campaign infra-
structure’’ means information and communications 
technology and systems used by or on behalf of— 
(A) the Federal Government or a State or 
local government in managing the election proc-
ess, including voter registration databases, vot-
ing machines, voting tabulation equipment, 
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equipment for the secure transmission of elec-
tion results, and other systems; or 
(B) a principal campaign committee or na-
tional committee (as those terms are defined in 
section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101)) with respect to 
strategy or tactics affecting the conduct of a 
political campaign, including electronic commu-
nications, and the information stored on, proc-
essed by, or transiting such technology and sys-
tems. 
(5) INTERFERENCE IN UNITED STATES ELEC-
TIONS.—The term ‘‘interference’’, with respect to a 
United States election, means any of the following 
actions of the government of a foreign country, or 
any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of 
such a government, undertaken with the intent to 
influence the election: 
(A) Obtaining unauthorized access to elec-
tion and campaign infrastructure or related sys-
tems or data and releasing such data or modi-
fying such infrastructure, systems, or data. 
(B) Blocking or degrading otherwise legiti-
mate and authorized access to election and 
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campaign infrastructure or related systems or 
data. 
(C) Contributions or expenditures for ad-
vertising, including on the internet. 
(D) Using social or traditional media to 
spread significant amounts of false information 
to individuals in the United States. 
(6) KNOWINGLY.—The term ‘‘knowingly’’, with 
respect to conduct, a circumstance, or a result, 
means that a person has actual knowledge, or should 
have known, of the conduct, the circumstance, or the 
result. 
(7) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means an in-
dividual or entity. 
(8) PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION
CYCLE.—The 
term ‘‘presidential election cycle’’ means the period 
beginning on the day after the date of the most re-
cent election for the office of President of the United 
States and ending on the date of the next election 
for that office. 
(9) UNITED
STATES
ELECTION.—The term 
‘‘United States election’’ means any United States 
Federal election. 
(10) UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The term 
‘‘United States person’’ means— 
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(A) a United States citizen or an alien law-
fully admitted for permanent residence to the 
United States; or 
(B) 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. 
TITLE 
I—DETERMINATION 
OF 
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN 
UNITED STATES ELECTIONS 
SEC. 101. DETERMINATION OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN 
UNITED STATES ELECTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after a 
United States election, the Director of National Intel-
ligence, in consultation with the Director of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, the Director of the National Se-
curity Agency, and the Director of the Central Intelligence 
Agency, shall— 
(1) determine whether or not the government of 
a foreign country, or any person acting as an agent 
of or on behalf of that government, knowingly en-
gaged in interference in the election; and 
(2) submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees and leadership a report on that deter-
mination, including an identification of the govern-
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ment or person that interfered in the election if the 
Director determines that interference did occur. 
(b) ADDITIONAL REPORTING.—If the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence determines and reports under sub-
section (a) that neither the government of a foreign coun-
try nor any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of 
that government knowingly engaged in interference in a 
United States election, and the Director subsequently de-
termines that that government, or such a person, did en-
gage in such interference, the Director shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees and leadership a re-
port on the subsequent determination not later than 30 
days after making that determination. 
(c) FORM OF REPORT.—Each report required by sub-
section (a) or (b) shall be submitted in unclassified form 
but may include a classified annex. 
TITLE 
II—DETERRING 
INTER-
FERENCE IN UNITED STATES 
ELECTIONS BY THE RUSSIAN 
FEDERATION 
SEC. 201. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—If the Director of National Intel-
ligence determines under section 101 that the Government 
of the Russian Federation, or any person acting as an 
agent of or on behalf of that government, knowingly en-
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gaged in interference in a United States election, the 
President shall, not later than 10 days after such deter-
mination is made, impose the following sanctions: 
(1) BLOCKING THE ASSETS OF CERTAIN STATE- 
OWNED RUSSIAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND RE-
STRICTING ACCOUNTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall impose one or more of the fol-
lowing sanctions on three or more entities speci-
fied in subparagraph (B): 
(i) Pursuant to the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), blocking and prohib-
iting all transactions in all property and 
interests in property of the entity if such 
property and interests in property are in 
the United States, come within the United 
States, or are or come within the posses-
sion or control of a United States person. 
(ii) Prohibiting, or imposing strict 
conditions on, the opening or maintaining 
in the United States of a correspondent ac-
count or payable-through account by the 
entity. 
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(B) ENTITIES
SPECIFIED.—The entities 
specified in this subparagraph are the following: 
(i) Sberbank. 
(ii) VTB Bank. 
(iii) Gazprombank. 
(iv) Vnesheconombank. 
(v) Bank of Moscow. 
(vi) Rosselkhozbank. 
(2) BLOCKING THE ASSETS OF CERTAIN RUS-
SIAN ENERGY COMPANIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall, pursuant to the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all trans-
actions in all property and interests in property 
of two or more of the entities specified in sub-
paragraph (B) 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. 
(B) ENTITIES
SPECIFIED.—The entities 
specified in this subparagraph are the following: 
(i) Gazprom. 
(ii) Rosneft. 
(iii) Lukoil. 
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(3) BLOCKING
THE
ASSETS
OF
ENTITIES
IN 
RUSSIAN DEFENSE AND INTELLIGENCE SECTORS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall, pursuant to the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all trans-
actions in all property and interests in property 
of any entity described in subparagraph (B) 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. 
(B) ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—An entity de-
scribed in this subparagraph is— 
(i) an entity that the President has 
determined under section 231 of the Coun-
tering Russian Influence in Europe and 
Eurasia Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 9525) en-
gages in a significant transaction with a 
person that is part of, or operates for or 
on behalf of, the defense or intelligence 
sectors of the Government of the Russian 
Federation; or 
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(ii) an entity in which an entity de-
scribed in clause (i) has an ownership in-
terest of 50 percent or more. 
(4) BLOCKING THE ASSETS OF CERTAIN RUS-
SIAN STATE-OWNED ENTITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall, pursuant to the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all trans-
actions in all property and interests in property 
of any entity described in subparagraph (B) in 
which the Government of the Russian Federa-
tion has an ownership interest of 25 percent or 
more if such property and interests in property 
are in the United States, come within the 
United States, or are or come within the pos-
session or control of a United States person. 
(B) ENTITIES
DESCRIBED.—The entities 
described in this subparagraph are the fol-
lowing: 
(i) Any entity in the railway or metals 
and mining sector of the economy of the 
Russian Federation. 
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(ii) Any aerospace company or air car-
rier, including any subsidiary of such a 
company or carrier. 
(5) BLOCKING THE ASSETS OF ENTITIES AC-
QUIRED BY RUSSIAN STATE-OWNED ENTITIES.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall, pursuant to the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all trans-
actions in all property and interests in property of 
any entity in which an entity owned 50 percent or 
more in the aggregate by the Government of the 
Russian Federation acquires, on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, an ownership interest of 
20 percent or more 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. 
(6) PROHIBITION ON TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING 
CERTAIN
RUSSIAN
DEBT.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall, pursuant to such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, prohibit all transactions 
within the United States or by a United States per-
son, in— 
(A) sovereign debt of the Government of 
the Russian Federation issued on or after the 
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date of the enactment of this Act, including 
governmental bonds; and 
(B) debt of any entity owned or controlled 
by the Russian Federation issued on or after 
such date of enactment, including bonds. 
(7) BLOCKING THE ASSETS OF SENIOR POLIT-
ICAL
FIGURES
AND
OLIGARCHS
AND
EXCLUSION 
FROM THE UNITED STATES.—The President shall 
impose with respect to any senior foreign political 
figure or oligarch in the Russian Federation de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1) of section 241 of the 
Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eur-
asia Act of 2017 (title II of Public Law 115–44; 131 
Stat. 922) and identified in the report required by 
that section the following sanctions: 
(A) Pursuant to the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.), the President shall block and prohibit all 
transactions in all property and interests in 
property of the individual 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. 
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(B) The President shall deny a visa to, and 
exclude from the United States, the individual, 
and revoke in accordance with section 221(i) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1201(i)) any visa or other documentation of the 
individual. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter, the President shall submit to the 
committees specified in paragraph (2) a report— 
(A) identifying the 6 largest financial insti-
tutions owned or controlled by the Government 
of the Russian Federation, determined by esti-
mated net assets; 
(B) identifying the 3 largest energy compa-
nies in the Russian Federation, in terms of esti-
mated net assets; and 
(C) recommending entities that should be 
subject to sanctions pursuant to paragraphs (1) 
and (2) of subsection (a), as appropriate. 
(2) COMMITTEES SPECIFIED.—The committees 
specified in this paragraph are— 
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(A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs and the Committee on For-
eign Relations of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Financial Services 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives. 
(c) EXCEPTIONS.— 
(1) 
EXCEPTION
FOR
IMPORTATION
OF 
GOODS.—The requirement to impose sanctions under 
subsection (a) shall not include the authority to im-
pose sanctions with respect to the importation of 
goods (as defined in section 16 of the Export Ad-
ministration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 4618) (as con-
tinued in effect pursuant to the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.))). 
(2) COMPLIANCE WITH UNITED NATIONS HEAD-
QUARTERS AGREEMENT.—Subsection (a)(7)(B) shall 
not apply with respect to the admission of an alien 
to the United States if such admission is necessary 
to comply with United States obligations under the 
Agreement between the United Nations and the 
United States of America regarding the Head-
quarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Suc-
cess June 26, 1947, and entered into force Novem-
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ber 21, 1947, under the Convention on Consular Re-
lations, done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered 
into force March 19, 1967, or under other inter-
national agreements. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION; PENALTIES.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may ex-
ercise all authorities provided under sections 203 
and 205 of the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out 
this section. 
(2) PENALTIES.—A person that violates, at-
tempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a 
violation of this section or any regulation, license, or 
order issued to carry out this section shall be subject 
to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) 
of section 206 of the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same ex-
tent as a person that commits an unlawful act de-
scribed in subsection (a) of that section. 
(e) SUSPENSION.—The President may suspend sanc-
tions imposed under subsection (a) on or after the date 
on which the Director of National Intelligence, in con-
sultation with the Director of the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation, the Director of the National Security Agency, 
and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sub-
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mits to the appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership a certification that the Government of the Rus-
sian Federation has not engaged in interference in United 
States elections for at least 2 presidential election cycles. 
(f) TERMINATION.—The President may terminate 
sanctions imposed under subsection (a) on or after the 
date on which the Director of National Intelligence, in 
consultation with the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, the Director of the National Security Agen-
cy, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, 
submits to the appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership a certification that— 
(1) the Government of the Russian Federation 
has not engaged in interference in United States 
elections for at least 2 presidential election cycles; 
and 
(2) the President has received reliable assur-
ances that the Government of the Russian Federa-
tion will not engage in such interference in the fu-
ture. 
SEC. 202. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON COORDINATION WITH 
EUROPEAN UNION. 
It is the sense of Congress that the United States 
should— 
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(1) work in concert with the European Union 
and member countries of the European Union to 
deter interference by the Government of the Russian 
Federation in elections; and 
(2) coordinate with the European Union and 
member countries of the European Union to enact 
legislation similar to this Act. 
TITLE 
III—DETERRING 
INTER-
FERENCE IN UNITED STATES 
ELECTIONS BY OTHER FOR-
EIGN GOVERNMENTS 
SEC. 301. BRIEFING ON INTERFERENCE IN UNITED STATES 
ELECTIONS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Presi-
dent, or a designee of the President, shall brief the appro-
priate congressional committees and leadership on any 
government of a foreign country, or person acting as an 
agent of or on behalf of that government, that is deter-
mined by the President as having engaged in or being like-
ly to engage in interference in a United States election. 
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SEC. 302. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DETERRENCE STRATE-
GIES FOR INTERFERENCE IN UNITED STATES 
ELECTIONS BY CHINA, IRAN, NORTH KOREA, 
AND OTHER FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS OF 
CONCERN. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President should submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership a report that includes a strategy of the 
President to deter interference in a United States 
election by the Government of the People’s Republic 
of China, the Government of Iran, the Government 
of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and 
any other foreign government determined by the 
President as having engaged in or being likely to en-
gage in interference in a United States election, in-
cluding any person acting as an agent of or on be-
half of such a government; and 
(2) the report described in paragraph (1) 
should include— 
(A) proposed sanctions if that government 
engages in such interference and any authori-
ties the President may require from Congress to 
impose such sanctions; 
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