H. R. 5515—403 
(2) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of State, after 
consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and the appro-
priate congressional committees, and taking into account the 
findings of the transitional justice study required under sub-
section (b), is authorized to provide assistance to support the 
creation and operation of transitional justice mechanisms, 
including a potential hybrid tribunal, to prosecute individuals 
suspected of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, 
or genocide in Syria beginning in March 2011. 
(3) BRIEFING.—The Secretary of State shall provide 
detailed, biannual briefings to the appropriate congressional 
committees describing the assistance provided to entities 
described in paragraph (1). 
(d) STATE DEPARTMENT REWARDS FOR JUSTICE PROGRAM.—Sec-
tion 36(b)(10) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708(b)(10)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(including 
war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide committed in 
Syria beginning in March 2011)’’ after ‘‘genocide’’. 
(e) INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON 
THE
SYRIAN
ARAB
REPUBLIC.—The Secretary of State, acting 
through the United States Permanent Representative to the United 
Nations, should use the voice, vote, and influence of the United 
States at the United Nations to advocate that the United Nations 
Human Rights Council, while the United States remains a member, 
annually extend the mandate of the Independent International 
Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic until the 
Commission has completed its investigation of all alleged violations 
of international human rights laws beginning in March 2011 in 
the Syrian Arab Republic. 
(f) EFFECT OF SECTION.—Nothing in this section shall be con-
strued to violate the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act of 
2002 (22 U.S.C. 7421 et seq.). 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations; the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and the Committee on the 
Judiciary of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
on Armed Services, and the Committee on the Judiciary 
of the House of Representatives. 
(2) GENOCIDE.—The term ‘‘genocide’’ means any offense 
described in section 1091(a) of title 18, United States Code. 
(3) HYBRID TRIBUNAL.—The term ‘‘hybrid tribunal’’ means 
a temporary criminal tribunal that involves a combination of 
domestic and international lawyers, judges, and other profes-
sionals to prosecute individuals suspected of committing war 
crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide. 
(4) TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE.—The term ‘‘transitional justice’’ 
means the range of judicial, nonjudicial, formal, informal, 
retributive, and restorative measures employed by countries 
transitioning out of armed conflict or repressive regimes— 
(A) to redress legacies of atrocities; and 
(B) to promote long-term, sustainable peace. 
(5) WAR CRIME.—The term ‘‘war crime’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 2441(c) of title 18, United States 
Code.
H. R. 5515—404 
SEC. 1233. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO 
COUNTER THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA. 
(a) EXTENSION.—Subsection (a) of section 1236 of the Carl 
Levin and Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113–291; 128 Stat. 3558), 
as most recently amended by section 1222 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91; 131 
Stat. 1651), is further amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 2019’’ 
and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2020’’. 
(b) FUNDING.—Subsection (g) of such section 1236, as most 
recently so amended, is further amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘for the Department of Defense for Overseas 
Contingency Operations for fiscal year 2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘for the Department of Defense for Overseas Contingency Oper-
ations for fiscal year 2019’’; and 
(2) 
by 
striking 
‘‘$1,269,000,000’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$850,000,000’’. 
(c) LIMITATION OF USE OF FISCAL YEAR 2019 FUNDS.—Of the 
amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2019 by 
this Act for activities under the authority in section 1236 of the 
Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, as amended by this section, 
not more than $450,000,000 may be obligated or expended for 
such activities until the date on which the Secretary of Defense 
has submitted to the congressional defense committees each of 
the following: 
(1) The report on the United States strategy in Iraq 
required by the joint explanatory statement of the committee 
of the conference accompanying Conference Report 115–404. 
(2) A report setting forth the following: 
(A) An explanation of the purpose of a continuing 
United States military presence in Iraq, including— 
(i) an explanation of the national security objec-
tives of the United States with respect to Iraq; 
(ii) a detailed description of— 
(I) the size of a continuing United States mili-
tary presence in Iraq; and 
(II) the roles and missions associated with a 
continuing United States military presence in Iraq; 
and 
(iii) a delineation of the responsibilities in connec-
tion with a continuing United States military presence 
in Iraq of— 
(I) the Combined Joint Task Force Operation 
Inherent Resolve (or a successor task force); 
(II) the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq; 
and 
(III) other United States embassy-based mili-
tary personnel. 
(B) An identification of the specific units of the Iraqi 
Security Forces to receive training and equipment or other 
support in fiscal year 2019. 
(C) A plan for ensuring that any vehicles and equip-
ment provided to the Iraqi Security Forces pursuant to 
that authority are maintained in subsequent fiscal years 
using funds of Iraq.
H. R. 5515—405 
(D) An estimate, by fiscal year, of the funding antici-
pated to be required for support of the Iraqi Security Forces 
pursuant to that authority during the five fiscal years 
beginning with fiscal year 2020. 
(E) A detailed plan for the obligation and expenditure 
of the funds requested for fiscal year 2019 for the Depart-
ment of Defense for Operational Sustainment of the Iraqi 
Security Forces. 
(F) A plan for the transition to the Government of 
Iraq 
of 
responsibility 
for 
funding 
for 
Operational 
Sustainment of the Iraqi Security Forces for fiscal years 
after fiscal year 2019. 
(G) A description of any actions carried out under 
this paragraph. 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq 
have made, and continue to make, significant contributions 
to the United States-led campaign to degrade, dismantle, and 
ultimately defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) 
in Iraq; 
(2) a lasting defeat of ISIS is critical to maintaining a 
stable and tolerant Iraq in which all faiths, sects, and 
ethnicities are afforded equal protection and full integration 
into the Government and society of Iraq; and 
(3) in support of counter-ISIS operations and in conjunction 
with the Central Government of Iraq, the United States should 
continue to provide operational sustainment, as appropriate, 
to the Ministry of Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Region 
of Iraq so that the Peshmerga forces can more effectively 
partner with the Iraqi Security Forces, the United States, and 
other international Coalition members to consolidate gains, hold 
territory, and protect infrastructure from ISIS and its affiliates 
in an effort to deal a lasting defeat to ISIS and prevent its 
reemergence in Iraq. 
(e) QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees and leadership of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate a progress report under section 
1236 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, which shall 
be provided in unclassified form with a classified annex if 
necessary. Such progress report shall, based on the most recent 
quarterly information, include an assessment of the following: 
(A) The extent to which any forces associated with 
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been incor-
porated into the Iraqi Security Forces. 
(B) Any instances in which forces associated with Iran’s 
Revolutionary Guard Corps have acquired United States- 
provided equipment and training. 
(C) The extent to which United States-provided equip-
ment is controlled by unauthorized units, determined by 
vetting required in subsection (e) of section 1236 of the 
Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, or is not 
accounted for by the Government of Iraq, including a list 
of major end items provided to the Government of Iraq
H. R. 5515—406 
that are controlled by unauthorized forces or unaccounted 
for. 
(D) Actions taken by the Government of Iraq to 
repossess 
United 
States-provided 
equipment 
from 
unauthorized forces. 
(E) The means by which the United States Armed 
Forces shares operational information with the Iraqi Secu-
rity Forces and a description of any known instances in 
which any forces associated with Iran’s Revolutionary 
Guard Corps have gained unauthorized access to such oper-
ational information. 
(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the congressional defense committees; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives. 
SEC. 1234. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF 
IRAQ. 
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise 
made available by this Act for assistance to the Government of 
Iraq may be obligated or expended by the United States to provide 
assistance to any group that is, or that is known to be affiliated 
with, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps–Quds Force or a 
state sponsor of terrorism. 
SEC. 1235. EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY TO SUP-
PORT OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE OFFICE OF 
SECURITY COOPERATION IN IRAQ. 
(a) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—Subsection (f)(1) of section 1215 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 
(10 U.S.C. 113 note) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2019’’. 
(b) AMOUNT AVAILABLE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Such section is further amended— 
(A) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2018 may 
not exceed $42,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2019 
may not exceed $45,300,000’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2019’’. 
(2) LIMITATION OF USE OF FISCAL YEAR 2019 FUNDS PENDING 
REPORTS.—Of the amount available for fiscal year 2019 for 
section 1215 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2012, as amended by this section, not more than 
an amount equal to 25 percent of such amount may be obligated 
or expended for the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq 
until 30 days after the later of— 
(A) the date on which the report on the United States 
strategy on Iraq required by the joint explanatory state-
ment of the committee of the conference accompanying 
Conference Report 115–404 is submitted to the congres-
sional defense committees; and 
(B) the date on which the report required by subsection 
(d)(1) is submitted to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress.