IB 
Union Calendar No. 593 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2285 
[Report No. 114–380, Parts I and II] 
To improve enforcement against trafficking in cultural property and prevent 
stolen or illicit cultural property from financing terrorist and criminal 
networks, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 13, 2015 
Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, and Mr. ENGEL) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security and the Judici-
ary, 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 
DECEMBER 15, 2016 
Reported from the Committee on Homeland Security with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 
Additional sponsors: Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. 
ROYCE, Mr. KATKO, Mr. BARLETTA, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. BRENDAN F. 
BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. BARR, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. THOMPSON
of Mississippi, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. 
FITZPATRICK, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 
Reported from the Committee on Ways and Means with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in boldface roman] 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 
The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of 
the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 13, 2015] 
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A BILL 
To improve enforcement against trafficking in cultural prop-
erty and prevent stolen or illicit cultural property from 
financing terrorist and criminal networks, and for other 
purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Prevent Trafficking in 
Cultural Property Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘cultural property’’ includes 
property covered under— 
(1) Article 1 of the Hague Convention for the 
Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of 
Armed Conflict, adopted at the Hague on May 14, 
1954 (Treaty 13 Doc. 106–1(A)); or 
(2) Article 1 of the Convention on the Means of 
Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Ex-
port, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Prop-
erty, adopted by the United Nations Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organization (‘‘UNESCO’’) 
on November 14, 1970. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to— 
(1) ensure the components of the Department of 
Homeland Security enhance and unify efforts to— 
(A) interdict, detain, seize, and investigate 
cultural property illegally imported into the 
United States; 
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(B) disrupt and dismantle smuggling and 
trafficking networks and transnational criminal 
organizations engaged in, conspiring to engage 
in, or facilitating illegal trade in cultural prop-
erty, including stolen antiquities used to finance 
terrorism; and 
(C) support Offices of United States Attor-
neys in prosecuting persons engaged in, con-
spiring to engage in, or facilitating illegal trade 
in cultural property; and 
(2) protect cultural property pursuant to its ob-
ligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the 
Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of 
Armed Conflict, the 1970 UNESCO Convention on 
the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit 
Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cul-
tural Property, and the Convention on Cultural Prop-
erty Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2601–2613). 
SEC. 4. ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY. 
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion and the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement shall— 
(1) designate a principal coordinator within 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immi-
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gration and Customs Enforcement, respectively, to di-
rect, manage, coordinate, and update their respective 
policies and procedures, as well as conduct inter-
agency communications, regarding illegally imported 
cultural property; 
(2) update existing directives, regulations, rules, 
and memoranda of understanding of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, respectively, and, if necessary, 
devise additional directives, regulations, rules, and 
memoranda of understanding, relating to policies and 
procedures on the illegal importation of cultural 
property in order to— 
(A) reflect changes in cultural property law, 
including changes and updates to relevant trea-
ties, bilateral agreements, statutes, regulations, 
and case law that occurred subsequent to Cus-
toms Directive No. 5230–015, ‘‘Customs Direc-
tive on Detention and Seizure of Cultural Prop-
erty’’, dated April 18, 1991; 
(B) emphasize investigating, and providing 
support for investigations and prosecutions, of 
persons engaged in, conspiring to engage in, or 
facilitating the illegal importation of cultural 
property, including smugglers, dealers, buyers, 
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money launderers, and any other appropriate 
parties; and 
(C) provide for communication and coordi-
nation between relevant U.S. Customs and Bor-
der Protection and U.S. Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement offices, respectively, in inves-
tigating and supporting prosecutions of persons 
engaged in, conspiring to engage in, or facili-
tating the illegal importation of cultural prop-
erty; and 
(3) ensure relevant personnel within U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement, respectively, receive suffi-
cient training in— 
(A) relevant cultural property laws; 
(B) the identification of cultural property 
that is at greatest risk of looting and trafficking; 
and 
(C) methods of interdiction and investiga-
tive techniques specifically related to illegal trade 
in cultural property. 
SEC. 5. ROLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that 
the heads of all components of the Department of Homeland 
Security involved in cultural property protection activities 
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are authorized to enter into agreements or memoranda of 
understanding with the Smithsonian Institution to tempo-
rarily engage personnel from the Smithsonian Institution 
for the purposes of furthering such cultural property protec-
tion activities. 
SEC. 6. REPORT. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act and three years thereafter, the Commissioner of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Commissioner 
of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall joint-
ly submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs and the Committee on Finance of the 
Senate a report on— 
(1) the progress of the implementation of this 
Act; and 
(2) other actions to enhance and unify efforts to 
interdict, detain, seize, and investigate cultural prop-
erty illegally imported into the United States, and in-
vestigate, disrupt, and dismantle smuggling and traf-
ficking networks engaged in, conspiring to engage in, 
or facilitating the illegal importation of cultural 
property. 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prevent 
Trafficking in Cultural Property Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘cultural property’’ 
includes property covered under— 
(1) Article 1 of the Hague Convention 
for the Protection of Cultural Property in 
the Event of Armed Conflict, adopted at 
the Hague on May 14, 1954 (Treaty 13 
Doc. 106–1(A)); or 
(2) Article 1 of the Convention on the 
Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the 
Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of 
Ownership of Cultural Property, adopted 
by the United Nations Educational, Sci-
entific 
and 
Cultural 
Organization 
(‘‘UNESCO’’) on November 14, 1970. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States 
to— 
(1) ensure the components of the De-
partment of Homeland Security enhance 
and unify efforts to— 
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(A) interdict, detain, seize, and in-
vestigate cultural property illegally 
imported into the United States; 
(B) disrupt and dismantle smug-
gling and trafficking networks and 
transnational criminal organizations 
engaged in, conspiring to engage in, 
or facilitating illegal trade in cultural 
property, including stolen antiquities 
used to finance terrorism; and 
(C) support Offices of United 
States Attorneys in prosecuting per-
sons engaged in, conspiring to engage 
in, or facilitating illegal trade in cul-
tural property; and 
(2) protect cultural property pursu-
ant to its obligations under the 1954 
Hague Convention for the Protection of 
Cultural Property in the Event of Armed 
Conflict, the 1970 UNESCO Convention 
on the Means of Prohibiting and Pre-
venting the Illicit Import, Export, and 
Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Prop-
erty, and the Convention on Cultural 
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Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
2601–2613). 
SEC. 4. ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY. 
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection and the Director of U.S. Im-
migration and Customs Enforcement shall— 
(1) designate a principal coordinator 
within U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion and U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement, respectively, to direct, man-
age, coordinate, and update their respec-
tive policies and procedures, as well as 
conduct interagency communications, re-
garding illegally imported cultural prop-
erty; 
(2) update existing directives, regula-
tions, rules, and memoranda of under-
standing of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection and U.S. Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement, respectively, and, if 
necessary, devise additional directives, 
regulations, rules, and memoranda of un-
derstanding, relating to policies and pro-
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cedures on the illegal importation of cul-
tural property in order to— 
(A) reflect changes in cultural 
property law, including changes and 
updates to relevant treaties, bilateral 
agreements, statutes, regulations, and 
case law that occurred subsequent to 
Customs Directive No. 5230–015, ‘‘Cus-
toms Directive on Detention and Sei-
zure of Cultural Property’’, dated 
April 18, 1991; 
(B) emphasize investigating, and 
providing support for investigations 
and prosecutions, of persons engaged 
in, conspiring to engage in, or facili-
tating the illegal importation of cul-
tural property, including smugglers, 
dealers, buyers, money launderers, 
and any other appropriate parties; 
and 
(C) provide for communication 
and coordination between relevant 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
and U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement offices, respectively, in 
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randa of understanding with the Smithsonian 
Institution to temporarily engage personnel 
from the Smithsonian Institution for the pur-
poses of furthering such cultural property 
protection activities. 
SEC. 6. REPORT. 
Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and three years 
thereafter, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection and the Commissioner 
of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment shall jointly submit to the Committee on 
Ways and Means and the Committee on Home-
land Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Finance and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate a report on— 
(1) the progress of the implementa-
tion of this Act; and 
(2) other actions to enhance and 
unify efforts to interdict, detain, seize, 
and investigate cultural property ille-
gally imported into the United States, 
and investigate, disrupt, and dismantle 
smuggling and trafficking networks en-
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gaged in, conspiring to engage in, or fa-
cilitating the illegal importation of cul-
tural property. 
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Union Calendar No. 593 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2285 
[Report No. 114–380, Parts I and II] 
A BILL 
To improve enforcement against trafficking in cul-
tural property and prevent stolen or illicit cul-
tural property from financing terrorist and crimi-
nal networks, and for other purposes. 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 
Reported from the Committee on Ways and Means with 
an amendment 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 
The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed 
to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
the Union and ordered to be printed 
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