I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5797 
To provide for the designation of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor 
of terrorism. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 21, 2025 
Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself and Mr. KEATING) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To provide for the designation of the Russian Federation 
as a state sponsor of terrorism. 
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 ‘‘Designating the Rus-
sian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Russian Federation’s aggression in 
Ukraine has targeted innocent civilians, including 
children. 
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(2) The Government of Ukraine estimates that 
at least 648 Ukrainian children have been killed and 
at least 2,047 Ukrainian children have been wound-
ed since the start of President Vladimir Putin’s in-
vasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 
(3) The Government of Ukraine estimates that 
the Russian Federation has kidnapped, deported, or 
displaced at least 19,546 Ukrainian children to the 
Russian Federation, Russian-occupied territories, 
and other locations since the invasion of Ukraine in 
February 2022 and continues to practice such illegal 
and inhumane actions. 
(4) The Russian Federation has kidnapped, de-
ported, or displaced Ukrainian children as young as 
a few months to 17 years of age according to reli-
able reports. 
(5) President Putin’s regime seeks the ‘‘Rus-
sification’’ of Ukrainian children through kidnap-
ping, deportation, or displacement to destroy their 
Ukrainian identity. 
(6) Many of these Ukrainian children are forced 
into ‘‘re-education’’ camps or youth paramilitary or-
ganizations in the Russian Federation and other lo-
cations, with the intent of training them for future 
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deployment as service members in the Russian 
Armed Forces. 
(7) In November 2024, the United Kingdom 
stated that the Government of the Russian Federa-
tion 
seeks 
to 
accomplish 
‘‘Russification’’ 
by 
‘‘expos[ing] Ukrainian children to a curriculum that 
rewrites Russian and Ukrainian history, glorifies 
Russian military actions, promotes allegiance to 
Russia, and in some cases involves military train-
ing’’. 
(8) Ukraine has made efforts to repatriate 
these kidnapped and deported children, including 
during the peace talks that occurred in Istanbul, 
Turkey in June 2025, where Ukraine presented the 
Russian delegation with a list of 339 names of kid-
napped children to return home. 
(9) In response to the proposal put forth by 
Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, the Russian delegation, 
led by Vladimir Medinsky, stated that these children 
were ‘‘rescued’’ by Russian soldiers and dismissed 
the request. 
(10) United States law authorizes the designa-
tion of countries as state sponsors of terrorism if 
they have repeatedly provided support for acts of 
international terrorism. 
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(11) Section 2331(1) of title 18, United States 
Code, defines international terrorism as activities 
that— 
‘‘(A) involve violent acts or acts dangerous 
to human life that are a violation of the crimi-
nal laws of the United States or of any State, 
or that would be a criminal violation if com-
mitted within the jurisdiction of the United 
States or of any State; 
‘‘(B) appear to be intended— 
‘‘(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian 
population; 
‘‘(ii) to influence the policy of a gov-
ernment by intimidation or coercion; or 
‘‘(iii) to affect the conduct of a gov-
ernment by mass destruction, assassina-
tion, or kidnapping; and 
‘‘(C) occur primarily outside the territorial 
jurisdiction of the United States, or transcend 
national boundaries in terms of the means by 
which they are accomplished, the persons they 
appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the 
locale in which their perpetrators operate or 
seek asylum;’’. 
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(12) At the direction of President Putin, the 
Government of the Russian Federation has pro-
moted, and continues to promote, these acts of inter-
national terrorism, including the kidnapping of 
Ukrainian children, which would constitute a crimi-
nal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of 
the United States. 
(13) During the 117th Congress, the Senate 
unanimously adopted— 
(A) Senate Resolution 623, which called 
for the Secretary of State to designate the Rus-
sian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism; 
and 
(B) Senate Resolution 546, which con-
demned the actions of the Russian Federation, 
President Putin, members of the Russian Secu-
rity Council, the Russian Armed Forces, and 
Russian military commanders for committing 
atrocities and alleged war crimes against the 
people of Ukraine. 
(14) The United States continues to have a 
range of tools available to hold the Russian Federa-
tion accountable for these egregious actions. 
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SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AS A 
STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM. 
(a) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 60 days after 
the effective date of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
submit a report to Congress that certifies whether— 
(1) the Ukrainian children who were kidnapped, 
deported, or forcibly removed from Ukrainian terri-
tory or temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory 
since the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine 
in February 2022 have been reunited with their 
families or guardians in a secure environment; and 
(2) the process of full reintegration of such chil-
dren into Ukrainian society is underway. 
(b) DESIGNATION.—If the Secretary of State cannot 
certify the actions described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsections (a) have occurred, the Secretary shall imme-
diately designate the Russian Federation as a state spon-
sor of terrorism pursuant to— 
(1) section 1754(c) of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (50 U.S.C. 
4813(c)); 
(2) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2780); 
(3) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371); and 
(4) any other relevant provision of law. 
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SEC. 4. RESCISSION OF THE DESIGNATION OF THE RUS-
SIAN FEDERATION AS A STATE SPONSOR OF 
TERRORISM. 
The Secretary of State may rescind the designation 
required under section 3(b) on or after the date that is 
45 days after the date on which the Secretary certifies 
to Congress, pursuant to the provision of law under which 
such designation was made, that— 
(1) the Government of the Russian Federa-
tion— 
(A) has not provided support for inter-
national terrorism during the preceding 3- 
month period; and 
(B) has provided assurances that such gov-
ernment will not support acts of international 
terrorism in the future; 
(2) all of the children kidnapped, deported, or 
forcibly transferred from Ukrainian territory or tem-
porarily occupied Ukrainian territory since the Rus-
sian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine in February 
2022 have been reunited with their families and 
guardians in a secure environment; and 
(3) the process of full reintegration of such chil-
dren into Ukrainian society is underway. 
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SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 day 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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