I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7218 
To expedite the provision of humanitarian assistance, including life-saving 
medical care, to the people of North Korea, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2020 
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan (for himself, Ms. PRESSLEY, and Ms. OMAR) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To expedite the provision of humanitarian assistance, includ-
ing life-saving medical care, to the people of North 
Korea, 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 ‘‘Enhancing North 
Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Providing humanitarian assistance, includ-
ing to countries subject to sanctions imposed by the 
United States, is an expression of American values 
that furthers United States interests around the 
world and is consistent with international humani-
tarian law. 
(2) As of February 2020, roughly 10,100,000 
people in North Korea are in urgent need of food as-
sistance and roughly 10,400,000 need nutrition sup-
port and improved access to basic services, including 
health care, water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. 
(3) More than 40 percent of people in North 
Korea are undernourished, and 1 in 5 children in 
the country under the age of 5 is stunted in growth. 
(4) More than 1⁄3 of household drinking water 
in North Korea is contaminated. 
(5) Independent experts have identified severe 
deficiencies in North Korea’s public health infra-
structure, trained medical personnel, ability to com-
municate important safety information, and commit-
ment to addressing those deficiencies. 
(6) North Korea has one of the highest burdens 
of tuberculosis in the world and humanitarian assist-
ance is critical for countering the spread of deadly 
infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, 
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Hepatitis B, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (com-
monly known as ‘‘COVID–19’’). 
(7) North Korea cannot reliably maintain 
stocks of drugs to treat diseases such as tuberculosis 
and HIV/AIDS, posing the risk of interrupted treat-
ments, which can lead to treatment failures and de-
velopment of resistance to multiple therapies, mak-
ing treatment significantly more difficult and costly. 
(8) The spread of COVID–19 in North Korea 
would likely have devastating consequences for the 
people of that country who are especially vulnerable 
to a pandemic because of deficiencies in public 
health infrastructure. 
(9) While the Government of North Korea has 
not reported any cases of COVID–19 in the country, 
the extent and results of testing are unknown, and 
government officials have not historically been open 
or transparent about humanitarian emergencies fac-
ing the people of North Korea. 
(10) Responses to the COVID–19 crisis, includ-
ing border closings and quarantines that may extend 
through the planting season, have impeded inter-
national efforts that would otherwise be providing 
life-saving support to the people of North Korea. 
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Korea, adding further delays to humanitarian ac-
cess. 
(14) The 1718 Sanctions Committee issued the 
document entitled ‘‘Implementation Assistance No-
tice No. 7’’ on August 6, 2018, to clarify the process 
for granting requests for humanitarian exemptions 
by the United Nations and to reaffirm that sanc-
tions are not intended to have adverse humanitarian 
consequences for civilians in North Korea. 
(15) United States Government travel restric-
tions impede the access of United States employees 
of humanitarian organizations inside North Korea 
and can complicate the monitoring and evaluation 
procedures that nongovernmental organizations have 
used to ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable 
populations. 
(16) Humanitarian exceptions in comprehensive 
sanctions programs, such as the exceptions under 
section 510.512 of the North Korea Sanctions Regu-
lations, are not effective unless the persons who pro-
vide assistance along with their financial institu-
tions, suppliers, shippers, and other entities can 
make practical use of the exceptions. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
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(1) national governments and multilateral au-
thorities must take action to mitigate documented 
delays and ensure that sanctions imposed with re-
spect to North Korea do not hinder efforts to pro-
vide humanitarian relief, including life-saving med-
ical care, to the people of North Korea; 
(2) the Department of the Treasury should pro-
vide timely and meaningful responses to requests for 
specific licenses given that humanitarian organiza-
tions typically have a limited time to execute 
projects that must be approved by multiple United 
States Government agencies and foreign govern-
ments; 
(3) because humanitarian assistance is unlikely 
to enable large-scale sanctions evasion and revenue 
generation, sanctions enforcement should focus on 
ongoing North Korean activities, including ship-to- 
ship transfers of coal and other goods, cyberattacks, 
and the use of forced labor abroad, all highlighted 
in reports issued by the United Nations Panel of Ex-
perts on North Korea and other authoritative 
sources; and 
(4) financial institutions should recognize and 
consider the reputational and practical costs of im-
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peding legitimate efforts to deliver life-saving aid to 
North Korea. 
SEC. 4. ENHANCING EXEMPTIONS FROM UNITED STATES 
SANCTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Treas-
ury, acting through the Director of the Office of Foreign 
Assets Control, shall take one or more of the following 
actions: 
(1) Modify the humanitarian exception under 
section 510.512 of the North Korea Sanctions Regu-
lations to cover, in addition to the food and medicine 
already exempted, goods and other items that are 
not subject to the Export Administration Regula-
tions and that support humanitarian projects to 
meet basic human needs in North Korea so that no 
specific license is required for such items. 
(2)(A) Modify the North Korea Sanctions Reg-
ulations to exempt from a requirement for a specific 
license a published list of nonsensitive items, in addi-
tion to the food and medicine already covered by sec-
tion 510.512 of the North Korea Sanctions Regula-
tions, used in humanitarian operations in North 
Korea in furtherance of the purposes set forth in 
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section 4 of the North Korean Human Rights Act 
of 2004 (22 U.S.C. 7802); 
(B) ensure that the list reflects the relevant 
recommendations included in the final report, pub-
lished on March 5, 2019, of the Panel of Experts es-
tablished pursuant to United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 1874 (2009); and 
(C) review and republish the list, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of State and the Adminis-
trator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, every 180 days and in response to re-
quests by nongovernmental organizations that have 
previously engaged in authorized humanitarian ac-
tivities in North Korea. 
(3) Modify the North Korea Sanctions Regula-
tions so that— 
(A) a specific license from the Office of 
Foreign Assets Control of the Department of 
the Treasury is not required for partnerships 
and partnership agreements between non-
governmental organizations and persons owned 
or controlled by the Government of North 
Korea that are necessary for nongovernmental 
organizations to provide otherwise authorized 
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services related to humanitarian activity in 
North Korea; and 
(B) a specific license is still required for 
any partnerships and partnership agreements 
with persons on the list of specially designated 
nationals and blocked persons maintained by 
the Office of Foreign Assets Control. 
(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall provide to the appropriate congressional 
committees a briefing— 
(1) for each action described in subsection (a), 
describing whether the action was taken and pro-
viding a justification for the decision to take or not 
take the action; and 
(2) detailing the benefits and risks associated 
with establishing a category of recognized non-
governmental organizations that would be exempt 
from requirements for specific licenses related to 
dealings with the Government of North Korea or 
persons on the list of specially designated nationals 
and blocked persons maintained by the Office of 
Foreign Assets Control for purposes of transactions 
involving goods other than food or medicine to sup-
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