I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7701 
To require the imposition of sanctions with respect to any foreign person 
that knowingly participates in the construction, maintenance, or repair 
of a tunnel or bridge that connects the Russian mainland with the 
Crimean peninsula. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 15, 2024 
Mr. MEEKS (for himself and Mr. WILSON of South Carolina) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To require the imposition of sanctions with respect to any 
foreign person that knowingly participates in the con-
struction, maintenance, or repair of a tunnel or bridge 
that connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean 
peninsula. 
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 ‘‘No Russian Tunnel 
to Crimea Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In February and March 2014, the Russian 
Federation invaded the Crimean peninsula and an-
nexed Crimea, international recognized as Ukrainian 
territory. 
(2) Following its annexation of Crimea, the 
Russian Federation constructed the Kerch Strait 
Bridge to connect the Russian mainland with the 
Crimean peninsula. 
(3) On February 24, 2022, the Government of 
the Russian Federation, led by Vladimir Putin, 
launched an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of 
Ukraine. 
(4) The Russian Federation has used Crimea as 
an integral part of its full scale invasion of Ukraine, 
including to house Russian troops, store ammunition 
and weapons, and host the Black Sea Fleet. 
(5) In October 2023, it was publicly reported 
that Russian and Chinese business officials met and 
exchanged emails to discuss building a tunnel from 
the Russian mainland to illegally occupied Crimea. 
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose sanc-
tions described in subsection (b) with respect to any for-
eign person that knowingly participates in the construc-
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tion, maintenance, or repair of a tunnel or bridge that con-
nects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula. 
(b) SANCTIONS
DESCRIBED.—The sanctions de-
scribed in this subsection are the following: 
(1) ASSET BLOCKING.—Notwithstanding the re-
quirements of section 202 of the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), 
the President may exercise of all powers granted to 
the President by that Act to the extent necessary to 
block and prohibit all transactions in all property 
and interests in property of the foreign person if 
such property and interests in property are in the 
United States, come within the United States, or are 
or come within the possession or control of a United 
States person. 
(2) VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An alien who the Sec-
retary of State or the Secretary of Homeland 
Security (or a designee of one of such Secre-
taries) knows, or has reason to believe, is de-
scribed in subsection (a) is— 
(i) inadmissible to the United States; 
(ii) ineligible for a visa or other docu-
mentation to enter the United States; and 
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(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 
or paroled into the United States or to re-
ceive any other benefit under the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 
seq.). 
(B) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The issuing con-
sular officer, the Secretary of State, or the 
Secretary of Homeland Security (or a des-
ignee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in 
accordance with section 221(i) of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry 
documentation issued to an alien described 
in subparagraph (A) regardless of when 
the visa or other entry documentation is 
issued. 
(ii) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A rev-
ocation under clause (i)— 
(I) shall take effect immediately; 
and 
(II) shall automatically cancel 
any other valid visa or entry docu-
mentation that is in the alien’s pos-
session. 
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(c) EXCEPTIONS.— 
(1) EXCEPTION
TO
COMPLY
WITH
INTER-
NATIONAL
OBLIGATIONS.—Sanctions under sub-
section (b)(2) shall not apply with respect to the ad-
mission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien 
into the United States is necessary to permit the 
United States to comply with the Agreement regard-
ing the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed 
at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into 
force November 21, 1947, between the United Na-
tions and the United States, or other applicable 
international obligations. 
(2) EXCEPTION RELATING TO THE PROVISION 
OF
HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE.—Sanctions under 
this section may not be imposed with respect to 
transactions or the facilitation of transactions for— 
(A) the sale of agricultural commodities, 
food, medicine, or medical devices; 
(B) the provision of humanitarian assist-
ance; 
(C) financial transactions relating to hu-
manitarian assistance; or 
(D) transporting goods or services that are 
necessary to carry out operations relating to 
humanitarian assistance. 
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(3) EXCEPTION FOR INTELLIGENCE, LAW EN-
FORCEMENT, 
AND
NATIONAL
SECURITY
ACTIVI-
TIES.—Sanctions under this section shall not apply 
to any authorized intelligence, law enforcement, or 
national security activities of the United States. 
(d) CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.—In any judicial re-
view of a determination made under this section, if the 
determination was based on classified information (as de-
fined in section 1(a) of the Classified Information Proce-
dures Act) such information may be submitted to the re-
viewing court ex parte and in camera. This subsection does 
not confer or imply any right to judicial review. 
(e) IMPLEMENTATION; PENALTIES.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may ex-
ercise all authorities provided to the President under 
sections 203 and 205 of the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 
1704) to carry out this section. 
(2) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in 
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the Inter-
national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates, 
attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a 
violation of regulations promulgated to carry out 
this section to the same extent that such penalties 
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apply to a person that commits an unlawful act de-
scribed in section 206(a) of that Act. 
(f) WAIVER.—The President may waive the applica-
tion of sanctions imposed with respect to a foreign person 
under this section if the President certifies to the appro-
priate congressional committees not later than 15 days be-
fore such waiver is to take effect that the waiver is impor-
tant to the national security interests of the United States. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate; 
(2) the term ‘‘foreign person’’ means an indi-
vidual or entity that is not a United States person; 
and 
(3) the term ‘‘United States person’’ means— 
(A) a United States citizen; 
(B) a permanent resident alien of the 
United States; 
(C) an entity organized under the laws of 
the United States or of any jurisdiction within 
the United States, including a foreign branch of 
such an entity; or 
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(D) a person in the United States. 
Æ 
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