Iranian Arms Transfer Prevention Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.857 | Sponsor: Rep. Bacon, Don (R-NE)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Iranian Arms Transfer Prevention Act of 2021
This bill requires the President to impose certain property- and visa-blocking sanctions on persons determined to be involved in arms transfers to or from Iran.
Specifically, the State Department must submit a biannual report listing each person that it determines is knowingly engaged in any activity contributing to (1) the supply, sale, or transfer to or from Iran of arms or related material; or (2) the proliferation of arms or related material by Iran or by paramilitary organizations supported by Iran.
The President must impose sanctions on each foreign person listed in the most recent State Department report and on each foreign person the President determines engages in specified activities (e.g., providing Iran with technical training, financial resources or services, advice, or assistance related to the supply, sale, transfer, manufacture, or use of arms and related material).

To impose sanctions on certain persons contributing to the 
         proliferation of arms of Iran, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Iranian Arms Transfer Prevention Act 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to counter Iran's malign 
influence in the Middle East, including transfers from Iran of 
destabilizing conventional weapons and acquisition of arms and related 
materiel by Iran.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Transfers to and from Iran of arms or related materiel 
        or military equipment represent a continuing threat to regional 
        and international security, as evidenced by Iran's continued 
        military support that fuels ongoing conflict in Syria, Lebanon, 
        Iraq, and Yemen.
            (2) Iran benefits from engaging in the conventional arms 
        trade by strengthening its relationships with other outlier 
        regimes, lessening its international isolation, and deriving 
        revenue that it uses to support terror groups and fund malign 
        activities.
            (3) Chinese and Russian arms transfers to Iran are a threat 
        to the national security of the United States and to its allies 
        and partners in the region, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the 
        United Arab Emirates, and others.
            (4) The arms embargo imposed on Iran by the United Nations 
        Security Council found in United National Security Council 
        Resolutions 1747 and 1929 was terminated by the Joint 
        Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the 
        Iran nuclear deal, which ended the long-standing prohibition on 
        arms transfers to and from Iran in October 2020 as part of UN 
        Security Council Resolution 2231.
            (5) In response to the expiration of the United Nations 
        arms embargo, the United States imposed sanctions on 
        international arms transfers to and from Iran in Executive 
        Order 13949 (85 Fed. Reg. 60043) issued on September 21, 2020.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON LIST OF ENTITIES INVOLVED IN ARMS TRANSFERS TO IRAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the enactment of this 
Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of the State, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Treasury, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes a list of 
each individual and entity the Secretary determines is knowingly 
engaged in--
            (1) any activity that materially contributes to the supply, 
        sale, or transfer, directly or indirectly, to or from Iran or 
        for the use in or benefit of Iran, of arms or related materiel, 
        including spare parts; or
            (2) any activity that materially contributes to, or poses a 
        risk of materially contributing to, the proliferation of arms 
        or related materiel or items intended for military end-uses or 
        military end-users, including any efforts to manufacture, 
        acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer, or use such 
        items, by--
                    (A) the Government of Iran (including persons owned 
                or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of the 
                Government of Iran); or
                    (B) paramilitary organizations financially or 
                militarily supported by the Government of Iran.
    (b) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted 
in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.

SEC. 5. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO LISTED PERSONS.

    (a) Imposition of Sanctions.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning on the date that is 60 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President 
        shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (b) with 
        respect to--
                    (A) each foreign person listed in the most recent 
                report submitted in accordance with section 4, except 
                as provided in subsection (d); and
                    (B) each foreign person the President determines, 
                on or after such date of enactment, engages in an 
                activity described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Activity described.--An activity described in this 
        paragraph is any of the following, with respect to a foreign 
        person:
                    (A) Any activity that materially contributes to the 
                supply, sale, or transfer, directly or indirectly, to 
                or from Iran, or for the use in or benefit of Iran, of 
                arms or related materiel, including spare parts.
                    (B) The provision to the Government of Iran any 
                technical training, financial resources or services, 
                advice, other services, or assistance related to the 
                supply, sale, transfer, manufacture, maintenance, or 
                use of arms and related materiel described in 
                subparagraph (A).
                    (C) Any activity that materially contributes to, or 
                poses a risk of materially contributing to, the 
                proliferation of arms or related materiel or items 
                intended for military end-uses or military end-users, 
                including any efforts to manufacture, acquire, possess, 
                develop, transport, transfer, or use such items, by the 
                Government of Iran (including persons owned or 
                controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of the 
                Government of Iran) or paramilitary organizations 
                financially or militarily supported by the Government 
                of Iran.
                    (D) Materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing 
                financial, material, or technological support for, or 
                goods or services to or in support of, any person whose 
                property and interests in property are blocked pursuant 
                to this Act.
                    (E) Making any contribution or provision of funds, 
                goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any 
                person whose property and interests in property are 
                blocked pursuant to this Act.
                    (F) Receiving any contribution or provision of 
                funds, goods, or services from any such person whose 
                property and interests in property are blocked pursuant 
                to this Act.
                    (G) Being owned or controlled by, or acting or 
                purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or 
                indirectly, any person whose property and interests in 
                property are blocked pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Sanctions Described.--
            (1) In general.--The sanctions described in this subsection 
        are the following:
                    (A) Blocking of property.--The President shall 
                exercise all of the powers granted to the President 
                under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
                (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to 
                block and prohibit all transactions in 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.
                    (B) Aliens ineligible for visas, admission, or 
                parole.--
                            (i) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien 
                        who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of 
                        Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such 
                        Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, 
                        has knowingly engaged in any activity described 
                        in subsection (a)(2) is--
                                    (I) inadmissible to the United 
                                States;
                                    (II) ineligible to receive a visa 
                                or other documentation to enter the 
                                United States; and
                                    (III) otherwise ineligible to be 
                                admitted or paroled into the United 
                                States or to receive any other benefit 
                                under the Immigration and Nationality 
                                Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
                            (ii) Current visas revoked.--
                                    (I) In general.--The issuing 
                                consular officer, the Secretary of 
                                State, or the Secretary of Homeland 
                                Security (or a designee of one of such 
                                Secretaries) shall, in accordance with 
                                section 221(i) of the Immigration and 
                                Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), 
                                revoke any visa or other entry 
                                documentation issued to an alien 
                                described in clause (i) regardless of 
                                when the visa or other entry 
                                documentation is issued.
                                    (II) Effect of revocation.--A 
                                revocation under subclause (I) shall 
                                take effect immediately and shall 
                                automatically cancel any other valid 
                                visa or entry documentation that is in 
                                the alien's possession.
            (2) Exceptions.--
                    (A) UN headquarters agreement.--Sanctions under 
                paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to an 
                alien if admitting or paroling the alien into the 
                United States is necessary to permit the United States 
                to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters 
                of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 
                1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between 
                the United Nations and the United States, or other 
                applicable international obligations.
                    (B) Prior transfer directive.--Sanctions under 
                paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to 
                property and interests in property of the Government of 
                Iran that were blocked pursuant to Executive Order 
                12170 of November 14, 1979 (Blocking Iranian Government 
                Property), and thereafter made subject to the transfer 
                directives set forth in Executive Order 12281 of 
                January 19, 1981 (Direction to Transfer Certain Iranian 
                Government Assets), and any implementing regulations 
                with respect to such Executive Order 12281.
                    (C) Humanitarian exception.--Sanctions under 
                paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to any 
                person for conducting or facilitating a transaction for 
                the provision (including any sale) of agricultural 
                commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices to 
                Iran.
    (c) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections (b) and 
(c) of section 206 of the International 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 or the sanctions imposed pursuant 
to this section to the same extent that such penalties apply to a 
person that commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that 
Act.
    (d) Termination.--
            (1) In general.--Sanctions may be terminated or may be 
        waived with respect to a foreign person described in subsection 
        (a)(1)(A) if the President certifies to the appropriate 
        congressional committees, subsequent to the submission of the 
        applicable list pursuant to section 4(a), that the person is no 
        longer engaged in activities described in paragraph (1) of such 
        section.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
                Senate.
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