SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assad Regime Anti- 
Normalization Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO THE CAESAR SYRIA CIVILIAN 
PROTECTION ACT. 
(a) CAESAR SYRIA CIVILIAN PROTECTION ACT.— 
Section 7412 of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act 
of 2019 (title LXXIV of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2020; 22 U.S.C. 8791 note) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘the 
President shall impose’’ and all that follows 
through the end of the paragraph and inserting 
‘‘the President—’’ 
‘‘(A) shall impose the sanctions described 
in subsection (b) with respect to a foreign per-
son that the President determines— 
‘‘(i) knowingly engages, on or after 
such date of enactment, in an activity de-
scribed in paragraph (2); 
‘‘(ii) is an adult family member of a 
foreign person described in clause (i), un-
less the President determines there is clear 
and convincing evidence that such adult 
family member has disassociated them-
selves from the foreign person described in 
such clause and has no history of helping 
such foreign person conceal assets; or 
‘‘(iii) is owned or controlled by a for-
eign person described in clause (i) or (ii); 
and 
‘‘(B) may impose the sanctions described 
in subsection (b) with respect to a foreign per-
son that the President determines knowingly 
provides, on or after such date of enactment, 
significant financial, material, or technological 
support to a foreign person engaging in an ac-
tivity described in any of subparagraphs (B) 
through (H) of paragraph (2);’’. 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) by amending clause (i) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(i) the Government of Syria (includ-
ing any entity owned or controlled by the 
Government of Syria), a senior political 
figure of the Government of Syria, a mem-
ber of the People’s Assembly of Syria, or 
a senior foreign political figure (as such 
term is defined in section 101.605 of title
31, Code of Federal Regulations) of the 
Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party of Syria, in-
cluding any such senior foreign political 
figure who is— 
‘‘(I) a member of the Central 
Command, Central Committee, or Au-
diting and Inspection Committee of 
such Party; or 
‘‘(II) a leader of a local branch of 
such Party;’’; 
(II) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘; 
or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(III) in clause (iii), by striking 
the semicolon and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
(IV) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new clause: 
‘‘(iv) Syria Arab Airlines, Cham 
Wings, or any foreign person owned or 
controlled by Syria Arab Airlines or Cham 
Wings;’’; 
(ii) by amending subparagraph (C) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(C) knowingly sells or provides aircraft or 
spare aircraft parts—
‘‘(i) to the Government of Syria; or 
‘‘(ii) for or on behalf of the Govern-
ment of Syria to any foreign person oper-
ating in an area directly or indirectly con-
trolled by the Government of Syria or for-
eign forces associated with the Government 
of Syria;’’; 
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘; or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(iv) in subparagraph (E)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘construction or 
engineering services’’ and inserting 
‘‘construction, engineering, or com-
mercial financial services’’; and 
(II) by striking the closing period 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(v) by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(F) purposefully engages in or directs— 
‘‘(i) the diversion of goods (including 
agricultural commodities, food, medicine, 
and medical devices), or any international 
humanitarian assistance, intended for the 
people of Syria; or
‘‘(ii) the dealing in proceeds from the 
sale or resale of such diverted goods or 
international humanitarian assistance, as 
the case may be; 
‘‘(G) knowingly, directly or indirectly, en-
gages in or attempts to engage in, the seizure, 
confiscation, theft, or expropriation for personal 
gain or political purposes of property, including 
real property, in Syria or owned by a citizen of 
Syria; 
‘‘(H) knowingly, directly or indirectly, en-
gages in or attempts to engage in a transaction 
or transactions for or with such seized, con-
fiscated, stolen, or expropriated property de-
scribed in subparagraph (G); or 
‘‘(I) knowingly provides significant finan-
cial, material, or technological support to a for-
eign person engaging in an activity described in 
subparagraph (A).’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(4) TRANSACTION DEFINED.—For purposes of 
the 
determination 
required 
by 
subparagraph 
(a)(2)(A), the term ‘transaction’ includes in-kind 
transactions.
‘‘(5) ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS.—In this sec-
tion: 
‘‘(A) 
COMMERCIAL
FINANCIAL
SERV-
ICES.—The term ‘commercial financial services’ 
means any transaction between the Government 
of Syria and a foreign bank or foreign financial 
institution operating in an area under the con-
trol of the Government of Syria that has a valu-
ation of more than $5,000,000. 
‘‘(B) FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.—The term 
‘financial institution’ means a financial institu-
tion specified in any of subparagraphs (A) 
through (K), (M), (N), (P), (R), (T), (Y), or 
(Z) of section 5312(a)(2) of title 31, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(6) SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTION CLARIFIED.— 
In this section, the term ‘significant transaction’ in-
cludes any natural gas, electricity, or other energy- 
related transaction.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) CONGRESSIONAL REQUESTS.—Not later than 
120 days after receiving a request from the chairman and 
ranking member of one of the appropriate congressional 
committees with respect to whether a foreign person know-
Development’’ meets the criteria for the imposi-
tion of sanctions— 
(i) under section 7412(a) of the Cae-
sar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, 
as amended by subsection (a); 
(ii) under Executive Order No. 13894 
(84 Fed. Reg. 55851; relating to blocking 
property and suspending entry of certain 
persons contributing to the situation in 
Syria); or 
(iii) by nature of being owned or con-
trolled by a person designated under any 
executive order or regulation administered 
by the Office of Foreign Assets Control; 
and 
(B) submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees each such determination, in-
cluding a justification for the determination. 
(2) FORM.—The determination under para-
graph (1)(B) shall be submitted in unclassified form, 
but the justification specified in such paragraph may 
be included in a classified annex. The unclassified 
determination shall be made available on a publicly 
available website of the Federal government.
(3) SANCTIONS RELATING TO IMPORTATION OF 
GOODS
UNCHANGED.—Paragraph (1) may not be 
construed to create any new authorities or require-
ments to impose sanctions on the importation of 
goods. 
(4) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Com-
mittee on Financial Services of the House of 
Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Com-
mittee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
of the Senate. 
(d) FINDINGS ON APPLICABILITY WITH RESPECT TO 
SYRIAN ARAB AIRLINES, CHAM WINGS AIRLINES, AND 
RELATED ENTITIES.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 2013, the President identified Syrian 
Arab Airlines as a blocked instrumentality or con-
trolled entity of the Government of Syria and con-
currently sanctioned Syrian Arab Airlines pursuant 
to Executive Order No. 13224 for acting for or on
behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps- 
Qods Force of Iran. 
(2) In 2016, the President sanctioned Syria- 
based Cham Wings Airlines pursuant to Executive 
Order No. 13582 for having materially assisted, 
sponsored, or provided financial, material, or techno-
logical support for, or goods or services in support 
of, the Government of Syria and Syrian Arab Air-
lines. 
(3) Section 7412(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the Caesar 
Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 
8791 note) mandates the application of sanctions 
against any foreign person that ‘‘knowingly provides 
significant financial, material, or technological sup-
port to, or knowingly engages in a significant trans-
action with * * * a foreign person subject to sanc-
tions pursuant to the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) with re-
spect to Syria or any other provision of law that im-
poses sanctions with respect to Syria,’’, which ap-
plies to airport service providers outside of Syria. 
(e) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this Act, or 
the application of such provision to any person or cir-
cumstance, is found to be unconstitutional, the remainder
of this Act, or the application of that provision to other 
persons or circumstances, shall not be affected. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF RECOGNITION OF ASSAD REGIME. 
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 
United States— 
(1) not to recognize or normalize relations with 
any Government of Syria that is led by Bashar al- 
Assad due to the Assad regime’s ongoing crimes 
against the Syrian people, including failure to meet 
the criteria outlined in section 7431(a) of the Caesar 
Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019; 
(2) to actively oppose recognition or normaliza-
tion of relations by other governments with any Gov-
ernment of Syria that is led by Bashar Al-Assad, in-
cluding by fully implementing the mandatory pri-
mary and secondary sanctions in the Caesar Syria 
Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and Executive Order 
No. 13894; and 
(3) to use the full range of authorities, includ-
ing those provided under the Caesar Syria Civilian 
Protection Act of 2019 and Executive Order No. 
13894, to deter reconstruction activities in areas 
under the control of Bashar al-Assad. 
(b) PROHIBITION.—In accordance with subsection 
(a), no Federal official or employee may take any action,
and no Federal funds may be made available, to recognize 
or otherwise imply, in any manner, United States recogni-
tion of Bashar al-Assad or any Government in Syria that 
is led by Bashar al-Assad. 
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY STRATEGY TO COUNTER NORMAL-
IZATION WITH ASSAD REGIME. 
(a) REPORT AND STRATEGY REQUIRED.— 
(1) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of State 
(in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, 
the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Admin-
istration, and the heads of other appropriate Federal 
departments and agencies) shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report and 
strategy to describe and counter actions taken or 
planned by foreign governments to normalize, en-
gage with, or upgrade political, diplomatic, or eco-
nomic ties with the regime led by Bashar al-Assad 
in Syria (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Assad 
regime’’). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The elements of the report 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) a description of violations of inter-
national law and human rights abuses com-
mitted by Bashar al-Assad, the Government of 
the Russian Federation, or the Government of 
Iran and progress towards justice and account-
ability for the Syrian people; 
(B) a full list of diplomatic meetings at the 
Ambassador level or above, between the Syrian 
regime and any representative of the Govern-
ments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, 
Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, 
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, 
Morocco, Libya, or Lebanon, respectively; 
(C) a list including an identification of— 
(i) any single covered transaction ex-
ceeding $500,000; and 
(ii) any combination of covered trans-
actions by the same source that, in aggre-
gate, exceed $500,000 and occur within a 
single year; 
(D) for each identified single transaction 
or aggregate transactions, as the case may be, 
included in the list described in subparagraph 
(C), a determination of whether such trans-
action subjects any of the parties to the trans-
action to sanctions under the Caesar Syria Ci-
vilian Protection Act of 2019, as amended by 
section 2; 
(E) a description of the steps the United 
States is taking to actively deter recognition or 
normalization of relations by other governments 
with the Assad regime, including specific diplo-
matic engagements and use of economic sanc-
tions authorized by statutes or implemented 
through Executive orders, including— 
(i) the Caesar Syria Civilian Protec-
tion Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 8791 note); 
(ii) the Syria Accountability and Leb-
anese Sovereignty Restoration Act (22 
U.S.C. 2151 note); 
(iii) the Comprehensive Iran Sanc-
tions, Accountability, and Divestment Act 
of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.); 
(iv) Executive Order No. 13894 (84 
Fed. Reg. 55851; relating to blocking 
property and suspending entry of certain 
persons contributing to the situation in 
Syria); 
(v) the Global Magnitsky Human 
Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 
10101 et seq.);
(vi) the Countering America’s Adver-
saries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 
9401 et seq.); and 
(vii) the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin 
Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.); 
and 
(F) an assessment of how recognition or 
normalization of relations by other governments 
with the Assad regime impacts the national se-
curity of the United States, prospects for imple-
mentation of the United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 2254, prospects for justice 
and accountability for war crimes in Syria, and 
the benefits derived by the Government of the 
Russian Federation or the Government of Iran. 
(b) SCOPE.—The initial report required by subsection 
(a) shall address the period beginning on January 1, 2021, 
and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
each subsequent report shall address the one-year period 
following the conclusion of the scope of the prior report. 
(c) FORM.—Each report under subsection (a) shall 
be submitted in an unclassified form, but may contain a 
classified annex. The unclassified section of such a report 
shall be made publicly available on a website of the United 
States Federal Government.
(d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Fi-
nancial Services, the Committee on Appropriations, 
and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Com-
mittee on Appropriations, and the Select Committee 
on Intelligence of the Senate. 
(e) COVERED TRANSACTION DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered transaction’’ means a transaction, 
including an investment, grant, contract, or donation (in-
cluding a loan or other extension of credit)— 
(1) by a foreign person located in Turkey, the 
United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, 
Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tu-
nisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, or Lebanon; to 
(2) a recipient in any area of Syria held by the 
Assad regime.
SEC. 5. REPORTS ON MANIPULATION OF UNITED NATIONS 
BY ASSAD REGIME IN SYRIA. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the 
Secretary of State, shall submit to the Committee on For-
eign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the 
manipulation of the United Nations by the regime led by 
Bashar al-Assad in Syria (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘Assad regime’’), including— 
(1) a description of conditions, both explicit and 
implicit, set by the Assad regime with respect to 
United Nations operations in Syria including with 
respect to implementing partners, hiring practices, 
allocation of grants and contracts, and procurement 
of goods and services; 
(2) a description of the extent to which the 
United Nations has rejected or otherwise opposed 
any of the conditions described in paragraph (1); 
(3) an identification of officials or employees of 
the United Nations (including funds, programs and 
specialized agencies of the United Nations) with ties 
to the Assad regime, including family ties, or per-
sons designated for sanctions by United Nations 
donor countries;
(4) a full account of access restrictions imposed 
by the Assad regime and the overall impact on the 
ability of the United Nations to deliver international 
assistance to target beneficiaries in areas outside re-
gime control; 
(5) a description of ways in which United Na-
tions aid improperly benefits the Assad regime and 
its associates in defiance of basic humanitarian prin-
ciples; 
(6) a description of the due diligence mecha-
nisms and vetting procedures in place to ensure enti-
ties contracted by the United Nations to ensure 
goods, supplies, or services provided to Syria do not 
have links to the Assad regime, known human rights 
abusers, or persons designated for sanctions by 
United Nations donor countries; 
(7) an identification of entities affiliated with 
the Assad regime, including the Syria Trust for De-
velopment and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, for-
eign government ministries, and private corporations 
owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the 
Assad regime, that have received United Nations 
funding, contracts, or grants or have otherwise en-
tered into a formalized partnership with the United 
Nations;
(8) an assessment of how the Assad regime sets 
arbitrary or punitive exchange rates to extract fund-
ing from the United Nations, as well as the total 
amount extracted by such means; 
(9) an assessment of the degree to which the 
various forms of manipulation described in this sec-
tion has resulted in compromises of the humani-
tarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impar-
tiality, and independence of the United Nations; and 
(10) a strategy to reduce the ability of the 
Assad regime to manipulate or otherwise influence 
the United Nations and other aid operations in 
Syria and ensure United States and international 
aid is delivered in a neutral and impartial manner 
consistent with basic humanitarian principles. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 14, 
2024. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3202 
AN ACT 
To prohibit any official action to recognize or nor-
malize relations with any Government of Syria 
that is led by Bashar al-Assad, and for other 
purposes.