I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5912 
To continue in effect certain Executive orders imposing sanctions with respect 
to Iran, to prevent the waiver of certain sanctions imposed by the 
United States with respect to Iran until the Government of Iran ceases 
to attempt to assassinate United States officials, other United States 
citizens, and Iranian nationals residing in the United States, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2023 
Mr. WALTZ introduced the following bill 
OCTOBER 25, 2023 
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Commit-
tees on Financial Services, the Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, 
and Ways and Means, 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 continue in effect certain Executive orders imposing sanc-
tions with respect to Iran, to prevent the waiver of 
certain sanctions imposed by the United States with 
respect to Iran until the Government of Iran ceases 
to attempt to assassinate United States officials, other 
United States citizens, and Iranian nationals residing 
in 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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Under-
handed and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicides Act 
of 2023’’ or the ‘‘PUNISH Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations, the Com-
mittee on Appropriations, and the Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(2) COVERED
EXECUTIVE
ORDER.—The term 
‘‘covered Executive order’’ means any of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Executive Order 13871 (50 U.S.C. 
1701 note; relating to imposing sanctions with 
respect to the iron, steel, aluminum, and copper 
sectors of Iran), as in effect on May 10, 2019. 
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(B) Executive Order 13876 (50 U.S.C. 
1701 note; relating to imposing sanctions with 
respect to Iran), as in effect on June 24, 2019. 
(C) Executive Order 13902 (50 U.S.C. 
1701 note; relating to imposing sanctions with 
respect to additional sectors of Iran), as in ef-
fect on January 10, 2020. 
(D) Executive Order 13949 (50 U.S.C. 
1701 note; relating to blocking property of cer-
tain persons with respect to the conventional 
arms activities of Iran), as in effect on Sep-
tember 21, 2020. 
(3) COVERED PROVISION OF LAW.—The term 
‘‘covered provision of law’’ means any of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) This Act. 
(B) Each covered Executive order. 
(C) The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Pub-
lic Law 104–172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note). 
(D) The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 
Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 
U.S.C. 8501 et seq.). 
(E) Section 1245 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (22 
U.S.C. 8513a). 
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(F) The Iran Threat Reduction and Syria 
Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et 
seq.). 
(G) The Iran Freedom and Counter-Pro-
liferation Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8801 et seq.). 
(H) Title I of the Countering America’s 
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 
9401 et seq.). 
(I) The International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq). 
(4) GOVERNMENT OF IRAN.—The term ‘‘Gov-
ernment of Iran’’ includes— 
(A) any agency or instrumentality of the 
Government of Iran; and 
(B) any person owned or controlled by that 
Government. 
SEC. 3. CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF CERTAIN EXECUTIVE 
ORDERS IMPOSING SANCTIONS WITH RE-
SPECT TO IRAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each covered Executive order 
shall remain in effect and continue to apply, and may not 
be modified, until the termination date described in section 
10. 
(b) CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF SANCTIONS DES-
IGNATIONS.—With respect to each person designated for 
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the imposition of sanctions pursuant to a covered Execu-
tive order before the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the designation of the person, and sanctions applicable to 
the person pursuant to the designation, shall remain in 
effect and continue to apply, and may not be modified, 
until the termination date described in section 10. 
(c) PUBLICATION.—In publishing this Act in slip 
form and in the United States Statutes at Large pursuant 
to section 112 of title 1, United States Code, the Archivist 
of the United States shall include at the end an appendix 
setting forth the text of each covered Executive order. 
SEC. 4. CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF NATIONAL EMER-
GENCIES DECLARED WITH RESPECT TO IRAN. 
(a) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
subsection 
(a)(2) or (d) of section 202 of the National Emergencies 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1622), the national emergencies specified 
in subsection (b) shall remain in effect and continue to 
apply, and may not be modified, until the termination date 
described in section 10. 
(b) NATIONAL EMERGENCIES SPECIFIED.—The na-
tional emergencies specified in this subsection are the fol-
lowing national emergencies declared with respect to Iran: 
(1) The national emergency declared by Execu-
tive Order 12170 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
blocking Iranian Government property) and most re-
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cently continued by the Notice of the President 
issued November 8, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 68,013). 
(2) The national emergency declared by Execu-
tive Order 12957 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
prohibiting certain transactions with respect to the 
development of Iranian petroleum resources) and 
most recently continued by the Notice of the Presi-
dent issued March 10, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 15,595). 
SEC. 5. CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF SANCTIONS WITH RE-
SPECT TO THE CENTRAL BANK OF IRAN, THE 
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND OF IRAN, 
THE ETEMAD TEJARTE PARS COMPANY, THE 
NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL COMPANY, AND THE 
NATIONAL 
IRANIAN 
TANKER 
COMPANY 
UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 13224. 
With respect to each Iranian person designated on 
January 1, 2021, for the imposition of sanctions under 
Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
blocking property and prohibiting transactions with per-
sons who commit, threaten to commit, or support ter-
rorism), as in effect on September 9, 2019, the designa-
tion of the person, and sanctions applicable to the person 
pursuant to the designation, shall remain in effect and 
continue to apply, and may not be modified, until the ter-
mination date described in section 10. 
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SEC. 6. CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF FOREIGN TER-
RORIST 
ORGANIZATION 
DESIGNATION 
OF 
THE 
ISLAMIC 
REVOLUTIONARY 
GUARD 
CORPS. 
The designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard 
Corps as a foreign terrorist organization under section 
219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1189), and sanctions applicable to the Islamic Revolu-
tionary Guard Corps pursuant to that designation, shall 
remain in effect and continue to apply, and may not be 
modified, until the termination date described in section 
10. 
SEC. 7. PROHIBITION ON SANCTIONS RELIEF FOR IRANIAN 
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING WITH 
RESPECT TO PETROLEUM PURCHASES FROM 
IRAN. 
Section 1245(d) of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8513a(d)) is 
amended by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY.—The Presi-
dent may not exercise the authority under paragraph 
(5) to waive the imposition of sanctions under para-
graph (1), or issue any license to authorize the pur-
chase of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran, 
unless the determination set forth in the most recent 
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report submitted under subsection (a) of section 9 of 
the Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian 
Supported Homicides Act of 2023 was a determina-
tion that the Government of Iran has not engaged 
in any of activities described in subsection (b) of 
that section during the 5-year period preceding sub-
mission of the report.’’. 
SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON WAIVER, SUSPENSION, OR REDUC-
TION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO IRAN. 
The President may not waive, suspend, reduce, pro-
vide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanc-
tions imposed pursuant to any covered provision of law 
unless, in addition to the requirements for a waiver under 
that provision of law, the determination set forth in the 
most recent report submitted under subsection (a) of sec-
tion 9 was a determination that the Government of Iran 
has not engaged in any of activities described in subsection 
(b) of that section during the 5-year period preceding sub-
mission of the report. 
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SEC. 9. DETERMINATION ON THE CESSATION OF IRANIAN- 
SPONSORED 
ASSASSINATIONS 
OR 
AT-
TEMPTED 
ASSASSINATIONS 
OF 
UNITED 
STATES CITIZENS AND IRANIAN RESIDENTS 
OF THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) DETERMINATION REQUIRED.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Director of 
National Intelligence, and the Secretary of the Treasury, 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report setting forth a determination of whether the Gov-
ernment of Iran or any foreign person (including any for-
eign financial institution) has directly or indirectly or-
dered, controlled, directed, or otherwise supported (includ-
ing through the use of Iranian agents or affiliates of the 
Government of Iran, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Kata’ib 
Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any other entity 
determined to be such an agent or affiliate) any of the 
activities described in subsection (b) during the 5-year pe-
riod preceding submission of the report. 
(b) ACTIVITIES
DESCRIBED.—The activities de-
scribed in this subsection are— 
(1) the murder, attempted murder, assault, or 
other use or threat to use violence against— 
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(A) any current or former official of the 
Government of the United States, wherever lo-
cated; 
(B) any United States citizen or alien law-
fully admitted for permanent residence in the 
United States, wherever located; or 
(C) any Iranian national residing in the 
United States; or 
(2) the politically motivated intimidation, abuse, 
extortion, or detention or trial— 
(A) in Iran, of a United States citizen or 
alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
in the United States; or 
(B) outside of Iran, of an Iranian national 
or resident or individual of Iranian origin. 
SEC. 10. TERMINATION DATE. 
The termination date described in this section is the 
date that is 30 days after the date on which the President 
submits to Congress the certification described in section 
401(a) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Account-
ability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8551(a)). 
Æ 
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