I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4681 
To limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria 
or associated forces, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 19, 2017 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. ROYCE of California, 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 
Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Gov-
ernment of Syria or associated forces, 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 ‘‘No Assistance for 
Assad Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Six years into the conflict in Syria, over 11 
million Syrians have been displaced from their 
homes and over 400,000 civilians have been killed. 
(2) Since the conflict in Syria began, the 
United States has provided more than $7.4 billion to 
meet humanitarian needs of the Syrian people, mak-
ing the United States the world’s single largest 
donor to the Syrian humanitarian response. 
(3) As the Syrian regime continues the use 
cluster munitions to carry out indiscriminate attacks 
against civilians, the United States has played an es-
sential role in clearing unexploded ordnance in 
Syria, as civilians seek to return home to areas liber-
ated from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 
(4) It is estimated that the reconstruction of 
Syria could cost between $200 and $350 billion. 
(5) According to the 2016 Transparency Inter-
national Corruption Index, Syria is among the most 
corrupt countries in the world. 
(6) Reconstruction funds can be expected to be 
siphoned off to the regime of Syrian President 
Bashar al-Assad, given the rampant corruption. 
(7) In October 2015, a visiting Russian delega-
tion to Syria announced that Russian firms would 
lead in the effort to rebuild Syria, and Syrian Presi-
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dent Bashar al-Assad reportedly said, ‘‘Syria is 
ready to provide Russian companies with all the con-
tracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars.’’. 
(8) In August 2017, the Government of the 
People’s Republic of China hosted a trade fair in 
Syria, and a Chinese-Arab business group an-
nounced a $2,000,000,000 commitment from the 
Chinese government to fund the construction of in-
dustrial parks in Syria. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States that United 
States assistance made available for early recovery, recon-
struction, or stabilization in Syria should be used in a 
democratic Syria or in areas of Syria not controlled by 
the Government of Syria led by Bashar al-Assad or associ-
ated forces. 
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OF SYRIA 
CONTROLLED 
BY 
THE 
GOVERNMENT 
OF 
SYRIA OR ASSOCIATED FORCES. 
(a) LIMITATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub-
section (d), amounts authorized to be appropriated 
for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022 for 
assistance described in paragraph (2) may be pro-
vided under any other provision of law, directly or 
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indirectly, for any area of Syria controlled by the 
Government of Syria or associated forces only dur-
ing a period for which a certification described in 
subsection (b) is in effect. 
(2) ASSISTANCE
DESCRIBED.—Assistance re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) is the following: 
(A) Assistance to enable disaster-affected 
populations to transition from dependence upon 
emergency assistance to early recovery and self- 
reliance, including the restoration of basic serv-
ices, livelihoods, shelter, and security, and the 
reintegration of displaced populations. 
(B) Assistance to carry out stabilization 
activities for the relevant area. 
(C) Assistance to carry out reconstruction 
activities for the relevant area. 
(b) CERTIFICATION.—A certification described in this 
subsection is a certification submitted by the President to 
the appropriate congressional committees that contains a 
determination of the President that the Government of 
Syria— 
(1) has ceased any attacks against civilians and 
civilian infrastructure as such, including attacks 
against medical facilities and personnel, and any in-
discriminate use of weapons, including through shell-
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volved in decision making or execution of plans to 
use chemical weapons; 
(10) is making verifiable progress of reforming 
the Syrian military and security services so as to 
minimize the Government of Syria’s reliance on Iran 
and Iranian proxy forces to act on behalf or in sup-
port of Syria; and 
(11) is in the process of organizing the safe, 
unfettered and voluntary return of Syrian refugees 
and internally displaced persons to their homes so 
that Syrians may return without fear of retribution 
by the Government of Syria or associated forces. 
(c) RECERTIFICATIONS.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date on which the President submits to the ap-
propriate congressional committees an initial certification 
under subsection (b), and every 90 days thereafter 
through September 30, 2022— 
(1) the President shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a recertification that 
the conditions described in subsection (b) are con-
tinuing to be met; or 
(2) if the President is unable to make such a 
recertification, the President shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report that 
contains— 
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(A) the reasons for which the President is 
unable to make such a recertification; and 
(B) a certification that no funds will be ob-
ligated or expended to provide assistance de-
scribed in subsection (a) in contravention of 
subsection (a). 
(d) EXCEPTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The limitation on assistance 
under subsection (a) shall not apply with respect 
to— 
(A) assistance for projects to be adminis-
tered by local organizations that reflect the 
aims, needs, and priorities of local communities 
in Syria; and 
(B) assistance for projects to meet human-
itarian needs, including demining and needs for 
food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment, 
education, and clothing. 
(2) REPORT.—The President shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees an annual 
report on each project with respect to which this 
subsection applies during the preceding calendar 
year, including— 
(A) a description of the project; 
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(B) a description of how United States 
funds with respect to the project were used; 
(C) the geographic location or locations of 
the project; and 
(D) an identification of the implementing 
partner and a list of senior officials of the im-
plementing partner. 
(3) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that, to the extent practicable, the United 
States should only fund projects described in this 
subsection with respect to which the Government of 
Syria, any official of the Government of Syria, and 
any immediate family member of an official of the 
Government of Syria do not have a financial or ma-
terial interest and are not affiliated with the imple-
menting partner of the project. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives; and 
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(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate. 
(2) ASSOCIATED FORCES.—The term ‘‘associ-
ated forces’’ includes forces of the Government of 
the Russian Federation, the Government of the Is-
lamic Republic of Iran, Iranian-backed proxy mili-
tias, and Hezbollah. 
(3) DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.—The term ‘‘di-
rectly or indirectly’’ includes assistance to multilat-
eral institutions and international governmental or-
ganizations, such as the United Nations and related 
agencies, the International Monetary Fund, and the 
World Bank. 
SEC. 5. REPORT ON DELIVERY OF UNITED STATES HUMANI-
TARIAN ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on delivery of United 
States humanitarian assistance to Syria. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired by subsection (a) shall include the following: 
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(1) A description of the challenges of access to 
areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria 
or associated forces for purposes of providing United 
States humanitarian assistance, including assistance 
funded through multilateral institutions and inter-
national governmental organizations. 
(2) A description of where such United States 
humanitarian assistance has been able to be deliv-
ered in such areas. 
(3) A description of where such United States 
humanitarian assistance has been denied access in 
such areas. 
(4) A description of how the United States Gov-
ernment is working to improve access to such areas. 
(5) A description of the roles and responsibil-
ities of United States allies and partners and other 
countries in the region in ensuring access to such 
areas. 
(6) A description of how such United States hu-
manitarian assistance and implementing partners of 
such assistance are monitored and evaluated. 
(7) A description of the major challenges that 
the United States faces in monitoring such United 
States humanitarian assistance and how the United 
States is working to overcome such challenges. 
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(8) A description of the strategy of the United 
States to deliver humanitarian assistance to areas of 
Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or asso-
ciated forces and in which the Government of Syria 
or associated forces is impeding access to such 
areas. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’ and ‘‘associated forces’’ 
have the meanings given such terms in section 4(f). 
Æ 
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