likely to conclude in an agreement, the Presi-
dent may suspend, as appropriate, in whole or 
in part, the imposition of sanctions otherwise 
required under this Act or any amendment 
made by this Act for a period not to exceed 120 
days if the President submits to the appropriate 
congressional committees in writing a deter-
mination and certification that— 
(i) in the case in which the negotia-
tions are likely to conclude in an agree-
ment— 
(I) the Government of Syria, the 
Syrian High Negotiations Committee 
or its successor, and appropriate 
international parties are participating 
in direct, face-to-face negotiations; 
and 
(II) the suspension of sanctions 
under this Act or any amendment 
made by this Act is essential to the 
advancement of such negotiations; and 
(ii) the Government of Syria has dem-
onstrated a commitment to a significant 
and substantial reduction in attacks on 
and violence against the Syrian people by
the Government of Syria and associated 
forces. 
(B) RENEWAL OF SUSPENSION OF SANC-
TIONS.—The President may renew a suspension 
of sanctions under subparagraph (A) for addi-
tional periods not to exceed 120 days if, for 
each such additional period, the President sub-
mits to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees in writing a determination and certification 
that— 
(i) the conditions described in clauses 
(i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A) are con-
tinuing to be met; 
(ii) the renewal of the suspension of 
sanctions is essential to implementing an 
agreement described in subparagraph (A) 
or making progress toward concluding an 
agreement described in subparagraph (A); 
(iii) the Government of Syria and as-
sociated forces have ceased attacks against 
Syrian civilians; and 
(iv) the Government of Syria has pub-
lically committed to negotiations for a 
transitional government in Syria and con-
tinues to demonstrate that commitment
through sustained engagement in talks and 
substantive and verifiable progress towards 
the implementation of such an agreement. 
(3) BRIEFING
AND
REIMPOSITION
OF
SANC-
TIONS.— 
(A) BRIEFING.—Not later than 30 days 
after the President submits to the appropriate 
congressional committees a determination and 
certification in the case of a renewal of suspen-
sion of sanctions under paragraph (2)(B), and 
every 30 days thereafter, the President shall 
provide a briefing to the appropriate congres-
sional committees on the status and frequency 
of negotiations described in paragraph (2). 
(B) RE-IMPOSITION
OF
SANCTIONS.—If 
the President provides a briefing to the appro-
priate congressional committees under subpara-
graph (A) with respect to which the President 
indicates a lapse in negotiations described in 
paragraph (2) for a period that equals or ex-
ceeds 90 days, the sanctions that were sus-
pended under paragraph (2)(B) shall be re-im-
posed and any further suspension of such sanc-
tions is prohibited.
(4) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Financial Services, the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and the Committee 
on the Judiciary of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs, and the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the Senate. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR 
DETERMINING
A
TRANSITIONAL
GOVERNMENT
IN 
SYRIA.—It is the sense of Congress that a transitional 
government in Syria is a government that— 
(1) is taking verifiable steps to release all polit-
ical prisoners and provided full access to Syrian 
prisons for investigations by appropriate inter-
national human rights organizations; 
(2) is taking verifiable steps to remove former 
senior Syrian Government officials who are complicit 
in the conception, implementation, or cover up of 
war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human 
rights abuses from government positions and any
person subject to sanctions under any provision of 
law; 
(3) is in the process of organizing free and fair 
elections for a new government— 
(A) to be held in a timely manner and 
scheduled while the suspension of sanctions or 
the renewal of the suspension of sanctions 
under this section is in effect; and 
(B) to be conducted under the supervision 
of internationally recognized observers; 
(4) is making tangible progress toward estab-
lishing an independent judiciary; 
(5) is demonstrating respect for and compliance 
with internationally recognized human rights and 
basic freedoms as specified in the Universal Declara-
tion of Human Rights; 
(6) is taking steps to verifiably fulfill its com-
mitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention 
and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear 
Weapons and is making tangible progress toward be-
coming a signatory to Convention on the Prohibition 
of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of 
Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and 
on their Destruction, entered into force March 26,
1975, and adhering to the Missile Technology Con-
trol Regime and other control lists, as necessary; 
(7) has halted the development and deployment 
of ballistic and cruise missiles; and 
(8) is taking verifiable steps to remove from po-
sitions of authority within the intelligence and secu-
rity services as well as the military those who were 
in a position of authority or responsibility during the 
conflict and who under the authority of their posi-
tion were implicated in or implicit in the torture, 
extrajudicial killing, or execution of civilians, to in-
clude those who were involved in decisionmaking or 
execution of plans to use chemical weapons. 
SEC. 402. WAIVERS AND EXEMPTIONS. 
(a) EXEMPTIONS.—The following activities and 
transactions shall be exempt from sanctions authorized 
under this Act: 
(1) Any activity subject to the reporting re-
quirements under title V of the National Security 
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.), or to any au-
thorized intelligence activities of the United States. 
(2) Any transaction necessary to comply with 
United States obligations under— 
(A) the Agreement between the United Na-
tions and the United States of America regard-
ing the Headquarters of the United Nations, 
signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and en-
tered into force November 21, 1947; or 
(B) the Convention on Consular Relations, 
done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered 
into force March 19, 1967. 
(b) HUMANITARIAN AND DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE 
WAIVER.— 
(1) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the 
policy of the United States to fully utilize the waiver 
authority under this subsection to ensure that ade-
quate humanitarian relief or support for democracy 
promotion is provided to the Syrian people. 
(2) WAIVER.—Except as provided in paragraph 
(5), the President may waive, on a case-by-case 
basis, for a period not to exceed 120 days, and re-
newable for additional periods not to exceed 120 
days, the application of sanctions authorized under 
this Act with respect to a person if the President 
submits to the appropriate congressional committees 
a written determination that the waiver is necessary 
for purposes of providing humanitarian assistance or 
support for democracy promotion to the people of 
Syria.
(3) CONTENT OF WRITTEN DETERMINATION.— 
A written determination submitted under paragraph 
(1) with respect to a waiver shall include a descrip-
tion of all notification and accountability controls 
that have been employed in order to ensure that the 
activities covered by the waiver are humanitarian as-
sistance or support for democracy promotion and do 
not entail any activities in Syria or dealings with the 
Government of Syria not reasonably related to hu-
manitarian assistance or support for democracy pro-
motion. 
(4) CLARIFICATION OF PERMITTED ACTIVITIES 
UNDER
WAIVER.—The President may not impose 
sanctions authorized under this Act against a hu-
manitarian organization for— 
(A) engaging in a financial transaction re-
lating to humanitarian assistance or for human-
itarian purposes pursuant to a waiver issued 
under paragraph (1); 
(B) transporting goods or services that are 
necessary to carry out operations relating to 
humanitarian assistance or humanitarian pur-
poses pursuant to such a waiver; or 
(C) having incidental contact, in the course 
of providing humanitarian assistance or aid for
humanitarian purposes pursuant to such a 
waiver, with individuals who are under the con-
trol of a foreign person subject to sanctions 
under this Act or any amendment made by this 
Act unless the organization or its officers, mem-
bers, representatives or employees have engaged 
in (or the President knows or has reasonable 
ground to believe is engaged in or is likely to 
engage 
in) 
conduct 
described 
in 
section 
212(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI) of the Immigration and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1182(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI)). 
(5) EXCEPTION TO WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The 
President may not exercise the waiver authority 
under paragraph (2) with respect to a foreign person 
who has (or whose officers, members, representatives 
or employees have) engaged in (or the President 
knows or has reasonable ground to believe is en-
gaged in or is likely to engage in) conduct described 
in section 212(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI) of the Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1182(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI)). 
(c) WAIVER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may, on a 
case-by-case basis and for periods not to exceed 120
days, waive the application of sanctions under this 
Act with respect to a foreign person if the President 
certifies to the appropriate congressional committees 
that such waiver is vital to the national security in-
terests of the United States. 
(2) CONSULTATION.— 
(A) BEFORE WAIVER ISSUED.—Not later 
than 5 days before the issuance of a waiver 
under paragraph (1) is to take effect, the Presi-
dent shall notify and brief the appropriate con-
gressional committees on the status of the for-
eign person involvement in activities described 
in this Act. 
(B) AFTER
WAIVER
ISSUED.—Not later 
than 90 days after the issuance of a waiver 
under paragraph (1), and every 120 days there-
after if the waiver remains in effect, the Presi-
dent shall brief the appropriate congressional 
committees on the status of the foreign person’s 
involvement in activities described in this Act. 
(3) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Financial Services, the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and the Committee
on the Judiciary of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs, and the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the Senate. 
(d) CODIFICATION OF CERTAIN SERVICES IN SUP-
PORT OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS’ ACTIVI-
TIES AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), section 542.516 of title 31, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations (relating to certain services in sup-
port of nongovernmental organizations’ activities au-
thorized), as in effect on the day before the date of 
the enactment of this Act, shall— 
(A) remain in effect on and after such date 
of enactment; and 
(B) in the case of a nongovernmental orga-
nization that is authorized to export or reexport 
services to Syria under such section on the day 
before such date of enactment, shall apply to 
such organization on and after such date of en-
actment to the same extent and in the same 
manner as such section applied to such organi-
zation on the day before such date of enact-
ment. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—Section 542.516 of title 31, 
Code of Federal Regulations, as codified under para-
graph (1), shall not apply with respect to a foreign 
person who has (or whose officers, members, rep-
resentatives or employees have) engaged in (or the 
President knows or has reasonable ground to believe 
is engaged in or is likely to engage in) conduct de-
scribed in section 212(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI) of the Immi-
gration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1182(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI)). 
TITLE 
V—REGULATORY 
AU-
THORITY, COST LIMITATION, 
AND SUNSET 
SEC. 501. REGULATORY AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
promulgate regulations as necessary for the implementa-
tion of this Act and the amendments made by this Act. 
(b) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—Not less than 10 
days before the promulgation of regulations under sub-
section (a), the President shall notify and provide to the 
appropriate congressional committees the proposed regula-
tions and the provisions of this Act and the amendments 
made by this Act that the regulations are implementing. 
(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs of the Senate. 
SEC. 502. COST LIMITATION. 
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
requirements of this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using 
amounts otherwise authorized. 
SEC. 503. SUNSET. 
This Act shall cease to be effective beginning on De-
cember 31, 2021. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 15, 
2016. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5732 
AN ACT 
To halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian peo-
ple, encourage a negotiated political settlement, 
and hold Syrian human rights abusers account-
able for their crimes.