I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8411 
To establish prohibitions with respect to vessels loaded or previously held 
at ports, harbors, or marine terminals in certain Western Hemisphere 
countries and with respect to which land owned, held, or controlled 
directly or indirectly by United States persons that is necessary to 
access the ports, harbors, marine terminals, or relevant port infrastruc-
ture has been nationalized, forcibly limited, or expropriated by the gov-
ernments of such countries, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2024 
Mr. PFLUGER (for himself, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. CARL, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. 
CARBAJAL, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, Mr. MAST, Mr. PALMER, Mr. 
VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, and Mr. STRONG) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in 
addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent 
Select), and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish prohibitions with respect to vessels loaded or 
previously held at ports, harbors, or marine terminals 
in certain Western Hemisphere countries and with re-
spect to which land owned, held, or controlled directly 
or indirectly by United States persons that is necessary 
to access the ports, harbors, marine terminals, or rel-
evant port infrastructure has been nationalized, forcibly 
limited, or expropriated by the governments of such 
countries, 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 ‘‘Defending American 
Property Abroad Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF PROHIBITED PROPERTY. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall— 
(1) designate all prohibited property, as defined 
in section 5 of this Act; and 
(2) provide a list of all prohibited property des-
ignated pursuant to paragraph (1) to— 
(A) the necessary agencies and officials 
within the Department of Homeland Security 
and the Department of State for the implemen-
tation of section 3 of this Act; and 
(B) the appropriate congressional commit-
tees. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITIONS ON THE USE OF DESIGNATED PROP-
ERTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For fiscal year 2024 and each fis-
cal year thereafter, none of the funds appropriated or oth-
erwise made available to the Department of Homeland Se-
curity or the Department of State may be used to allow 
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a vessel loaded or previously held at a port, harbor, or 
marine terminal that is designated by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security as a prohibited property under section 
2(1) of this Act to— 
(1) import into the United States any good, 
ware, article, merchandise, or other freight; 
(2) release into the United States any good, 
ware, article, merchandise, or other freight; 
(3) dock any passenger vessel in the United 
States; 
(4) release into the United States any pas-
sengers from a passenger vessel; or 
(5) dry dock, complete repair work, refurbish, 
victual, refuel, or conduct any other servicing or 
maintenance-related activities. 
(b) PROHIBITION ON GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES OR 
SALARIES.—For fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year 
thereafter, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise 
made available to the Department of Homeland Security 
or the Department of State shall be available for any activ-
ity or for paying the salary of any Government employee 
in the case in which funding the activity or paying the 
salary to a Government employee would result in a deter-
mination, regulation, or policy that would limit or impede 
the enforcement of subsection (a) of this section. 
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SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and each year thereafter— 
(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report on— 
(A) the number of prohibited property des-
ignations made by the Secretary under section 
2(1) of this Act; 
(B) the number of freight vessels that were 
prevented from importing or releasing any 
goods, wares, articles, merchandise, or other 
freight into the United States under the prohi-
bition in section 3 of this Act; 
(C) the number of passenger vessels that 
were prevented from docking or releasing pas-
sengers into the United States under the prohi-
bition in section 3 of this Act; and 
(D) the number of vessels that were pre-
vented from dry docking, completing repair 
work, refurbishing, victualling, refueling, or 
conducting any other servicing or maintenance- 
related activities; 
(2) the United States Trade Representative 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on— 
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(A) the number of foreign trade partner 
governments that have— 
(i) nationalized, forcibly limited, or ex-
propriated land owned, held, or controlled 
directly or indirectly by a United States 
person that is necessary to access a port, 
harbor, marine terminal, or relevant port 
infrastructure; 
(ii) repudiated or nullified any con-
tract, permit, concession, easement, or 
similar authorization with a United States 
person related to land necessary to access 
a port, harbor, marine terminal, or rel-
evant port infrastructure; and 
(iii) taken any other action which has 
the effect of seizing ownership or control of 
the land owned, held, or controlled directly 
or indirectly by a United States person 
that is necessary to access a port, harbor, 
marine terminal, or relevant port infra-
structure; and 
(B) the impact of the actions described in 
subparagraph (A) on the existing trade rela-
tionship between the United States and any 
such foreign trade partner; 
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(B) the impact of the actions described in 
subparagraph (A) on the economic assessment 
of the investment climate of any such foreign 
trade partner. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) in the House of Representatives— 
(i) the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity; 
(ii) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; 
(iii) the Committee on Ways and 
Means; and 
(iv) the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence; and 
(B) in the Senate— 
(i) the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs; 
(ii) the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions; 
(iii) the Committee on Finance; and 
(iv) the Committee on Intelligence. 
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(2) FOREIGN
TRADE
PARTNER.—The term 
‘‘foreign trade partner’’ means a Western Hemi-
sphere country that is party to an active free trade 
agreement with the United States; 
(3) PASSENGER VESSEL.—The term ‘‘passenger 
vessel’’ means a vessel that— 
(A) is authorized to carry at least 250 pas-
sengers; 
(B) has onboard sleeping facilities for each 
passenger; 
(C) is on a voyage that embarks or dis-
embarks passengers; and 
(D) is not engaged in a coastwise voyage; 
(4) PROHIBITED PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘pro-
hibited property’’ means any ports, marine termi-
nals, or harbors that— 
(A) are located within the territory of a 
foreign trade partner; 
(B) are only accessible by land that is 
owned, held, or controlled directly or indirectly 
by a United States person; and 
(C) the departments, agencies, or officials 
of such trade partner have on or after January 
1, 2024— 
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(i) nationalized, forcibly limited, or ex-
propriated the land owned, held, or con-
trolled directly or indirectly by a United 
States person that is necessary to access 
the port, harbor, marine terminal, or rel-
evant port infrastructure; 
(ii) repudiated or nullified any con-
tract, permit, concession, easement, or 
similar authorization with a United States 
person related to the land necessary to ac-
cess the port, harbor, marine terminal, or 
relevant port infrastructure; or 
(iii) taken any other action which has 
the effect of seizing ownership or control of 
the land owned, held, or controlled directly 
or indirectly by a United States person 
that is necessary to access the port, har-
bor, marine terminal, or relevant port in-
frastructure; 
(5) RELEVANT PORT INFRASTRUCTURE.—The 
term ‘‘relevant port infrastructure’’ means— 
(A) conveyors and other equipment used to 
load or unload freight or passenger vessels; 
(B) roads and pathways used to load or 
unload freight or passenger vessels; 
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(C) docks and piers used to load or unload 
freight or passenger vessels; 
(D) moorings, dolphins, or other structures 
used for anchoring freight or passenger vessels; 
(E) silos, domes, or other structures used 
for the storage of any good, ware, article, mer-
chandise, or other freight; and 
(F) offices, facilities, and other buildings 
used for the administration and security of the 
port or harbor; and 
(6) 
UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The 
term 
‘‘United States person’’ means a United States cit-
izen or corporation, partnership, or association at 
least 50 percent beneficially owned by United States 
citizens. 
Æ 
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