Hizballah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2021
Bill: S.1637 | Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Hizballah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2021
This bill establishes measures to deter money laundering by Hizballah in Lebanon.
Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must prohibit or place conditions on the opening or maintaining of certain correspondent or payable-through accounts by the Central Bank of Syria if Treasury determines that certain jurisdictions in Lebanon are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
Further, the President must sanction certain senior foreign political figures or foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hizballah.

To impose certain measures with respect to Hizballah-dominated areas in 
    Lebanon and to impose sanctions with respect to senior foreign 
           political figures in Lebanon supporting Hizballah.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hizballah Money Laundering 
Prevention Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. MEASURES WITH RESPECT TO HIZBALLAH-DOMINATED AREAS IN LEBANON.

    (a) Determination Regarding Jurisdictions of Lebanon.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        determine, under section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, 
        whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that any of the 
        jurisdictions of Lebanon described in paragraph (2) are 
        jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
            (2) Jurisdictions described.--The jurisdictions of Lebanon 
        described in this paragraph are the following:
                    (A) The Nabatieh Governorate.
                    (B) The Haret Hreik municipality in the Baabda 
                district in the Dahieh suburbs south of Beirut.
                    (C) The Chiyah municipality in the Baabda district 
                in the western suburbs of Beirut.
                    (D) The Hadeth Beirut municipality in the Baabda 
                district in the suburbs of Beirut.
                    (E) The Hermel district in the Baalbek-Hermel 
                Governorate.
                    (F) The Baalbek and Temnin el-Foka municipalities 
                in the Baalbe-Hermel Governorate.
                    (G) The Tyre district in the South Governorate.
    (b) Prohibitions or Conditions on Opening or Maintaining Certain 
Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts.--If the Secretary of the 
Treasury determines under subsection (a) that reasonable grounds exist 
for concluding that any jurisdiction described in that subsection (a) 
is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern, the Secretary, 
in consultation with the Federal functional regulators (as defined in 
section 509 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6809)), shall 
impose the special measures described in section 5318A(b)(5) of title 
31, United States Code, with respect to the Central Bank of Syria.
    (c) Report Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after making a 
        determination under subsection (a) with respect to whether a 
        jurisdiction is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering 
        concern, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the 
        reasons for the determination.
            (2) Form.--A report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
        annex.
            (3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
                Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
                Representatives.

SEC. 3. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SENIOR FOREIGN POLITICAL FIGURES IN 
              LEBANON SUPPORTING HIZBALLAH.

    (a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described 
in section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 
Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 
note) with respect to each individual on the list required by 
subsection (b).
    (b) List.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a list of individuals who 
        are senior foreign political figures in Lebanon that the 
        President determines--
                    (A) have knowingly provided material support to or 
                engaged in a significant transaction with Hizballah; or
                    (B) meet the criteria for the imposition of 
                sanctions under--
                            (i) the Hizballah International Financing 
                        Prevention Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-102; 50 
                        U.S.C. 1701 note); or
                            (ii) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and 
                        Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of 
                        Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
            (2) Form.--The list required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
        annex.
    (c) Exception to Comply With United Nations Headquarters Agreement; 
Enforcement.--Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global 
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note) apply 
with respect to the imposition of sanctions under this section to the 
same extent as such subsections apply with respect to the imposition of 
sanctions under such section 1263.
    (d) Waiver.--The President may waive the imposition of sanctions 
under subsection (a) with respect to an individual if the President--
            (1) determines that such a waiver is in the national 
        interests of the United States; and
            (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees 
        notice of, and a justification for, the waiver.
    (e) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such 
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this 
section.
    (f) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
            (1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose 
        sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or 
        requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
            (2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good'' 
        means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, 
        supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test 
        equipment, and excluding technical data.
    (g) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Financial Services of the House of Representatives.
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