I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6533 
To expose and deter unlawful and subversive foreign interference in elections 
for Federal office, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 20, 2016 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. 
SIRES, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. HIGGINS, Ms. BASS, Mr. KEATING, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. BERA, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. MENG, Ms. 
FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. KELLY 
of Illinois, and Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Serv-
ices, 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 expose and deter unlawful and subversive foreign inter-
ference in elections for Federal office, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘Protect American De-
mocracy Act of 2016’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMITTED; ALIEN.—The terms ‘‘admitted’’ 
and ‘‘alien’’ have the meanings given such terms in 
section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1101). 
(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) in the House of Representatives— 
(i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; 
(ii) the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity; 
(iii) the Committee on Financial Serv-
ices; 
(iv) the Committee on the Judiciary; 
and 
(v) the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence; and 
(B) in the Senate— 
(i) the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions; 
(ii) the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity and Governmental Affairs; 
(iii) the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs; 
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(iv) the Committee on the Judiciary; 
and 
(v) the Select Committee on Intel-
ligence. 
(3) FINANCIAL
INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘fi-
nancial institution’’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 5312 of title 31, United States Code. 
(4) FOREIGN PERSON.—The term ‘‘foreign per-
son’’ means— 
(A) a natural person who is not a United 
States person under paragraph (5)(A); or 
(B) a foreign entity or foreign government. 
(5) 
UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The 
term 
‘‘United States person’’ means— 
(A) a United States citizen or an alien law-
fully admitted for permanent residence to the 
United States; or 
(B) 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. 
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SEC. 3. IDENTIFICATION OF FOREIGN PERSONS RESPON-
SIBLE FOR ACTIONS TO UNLAWFULLY AC-
CESS, DISRUPT, INFLUENCE, OR IN ANY WAY 
ALTER INFORMATION OR INFORMATION SYS-
TEMS RELATED TO UNITED STATES POLIT-
ICAL PARTIES OR ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL 
OFFICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a list of each foreign person that the Secretary deter-
mines— 
(1) was, at any time since January 1, 2015, in-
volved in actions to unlawfully access, disrupt, influ-
ence, or in any way alter information or information 
systems related to United States political parties, 
candidates in elections for Federal office, or the ad-
ministration of elections for Federal office; or 
(2) acted as an agent of or on behalf of such 
a foreign person in a matter relating to an activity 
described in paragraph (1). 
(b) UPDATES.—The Secretary of State shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees an update of 
the list required under subsection (a) as new information 
becomes available. 
(c) FORM.— 
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(d) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may 
waive the application of subsection (a) or (b) in the 
case of an alien if— 
(A) the Secretary determines that such a 
waiver— 
(i) is necessary to permit the United 
States to comply with the Agreement be-
tween the United Nations and the United 
States of America regarding the Head-
quarters of the United Nations, signed 
June 26, 1947, and entered into force No-
vember 21, 1947, or other applicable inter-
national obligations of the United States; 
or 
(ii) is in the national security interests 
of the United States; and 
(B) prior to granting such a waiver, the 
Secretary provides to the appropriate congres-
sional committees notice of, and a justification 
for, such waiver. 
(2) TIMING FOR CERTAIN WAIVERS.—Notifica-
tion under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) shall 
be made not later than 15 days prior to granting a 
waiver under such paragraph if the Secretary of 
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State grants such waiver in the national security in-
terests of the United States in accordance with sub-
paragraph (A)(ii) of such paragraph. 
(e) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 
State shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to 
carry out this section. 
SEC. 5. FINANCIAL MEASURES. 
(a) FREEZING OF ASSETS.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
President, 
acting 
through the Secretary of the Treasury, shall exercise 
all powers granted by the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (ex-
cept that the requirements of section 202 of such 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701) shall not apply) to the extent 
necessary to freeze and prohibit all transactions in 
all property and interests in property of a foreign 
person that is on the list required under section 3(a) 
of this Act if such property or interests in property 
are in the United States, come within the United 
States, or are or come within the possession or con-
trol of a United States person. 
(2) APPLICABILITY TO FOREIGN ENTITIES AND 
FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS.—Paragraph 
(1) 
shall 
apply to aliens who are officials of, working or act-
ing on behalf of, or otherwise associated with a for-
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eign entity or foreign government that is a foreign 
person included on the list required under section 
3(a) if such aliens are determined by the President, 
acting through the Secretary of the Treasury, to 
have authorized or otherwise knowingly furthered 
the actions described in such section 3(a). 
(b) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS.— 
The Secretary of the Treasury may waive the application 
of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that such a 
waiver is in the national security interests of the United 
States. Not less than 15 days prior to granting such a 
waiver, the Secretary shall provide to the appropriate con-
gressional committees notice of, and a justification for, 
such waiver. 
(c) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(1) PENALTIES.—A foreign person that vio-
lates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or 
causes a violation of this section or any regulation, 
license, or order issued to carry out this section shall 
be subject to the penalties specified in subsections 
(b) and (c) of section 206 of the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) 
to the same extent as a person that commits an un-
lawful act described in subsection (a) of such sec-
tion. 
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(2) APPLICABILITY TO FOREIGN ENTITIES AND 
FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS.—Paragraph 
(1) 
shall 
apply to aliens who are officials of, working or act-
ing on behalf of, or otherwise associated with a for-
eign entity or foreign government that is a foreign 
person included on the list required under section 
3(a) if such aliens are determined by the President, 
acting through the Secretary of the Treasury, to 
have authorized or otherwise knowingly furthered 
the actions described in such section 3(a). 
(3) REQUIREMENTS FOR FINANCIAL INSTITU-
TIONS.—Not later than 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the President, acting 
through the Secretary of the Treasury, shall pre-
scribe or amend regulations as needed to require 
each financial institution that is a United States 
person and has within its possession or control as-
sets that are property or interests in property of a 
foreign person that is on the list required under sec-
tion 3(a) if such property or interests in property 
are in the United States, come within the United 
States, or come within the possession or control of 
a United States person to certify to the Secretary 
that, to the best of the knowledge of such financial 
institution, such financial institution has frozen all 
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assets within the possession or control of such finan-
cial institution that are required to be frozen pursu-
ant to subsection (a). 
(d) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The President, act-
ing through the Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue such 
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry 
out this section. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in con-
sultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agen-
cies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees a report on the actions taken to carry out this Act, 
including— 
(1) a description of each foreign person on the 
list required under section 3(a); 
(2) the dates on which such foreign persons 
were added to such list; and 
(3) a description of the actions described in 
such section that were undertaken by each such for-
eign person. 
(b) TIMING.—The Secretary of State shall submit the 
first report required under this section not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act. The Sec-
retary shall submit subsequent reports under this section 
not later than 60 days after the date of each regularly 
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