Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1699 | Sponsor: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. (R-TX)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2021
This bill restricts the President's authority to unilaterally undertake certain actions with respect to Iran and increases congressional oversight of those actions.
Specifically, the President must report to Congress before terminating or waiving sanctions related to Iran or taking a licensing action that significantly alters U.S. foreign policy with respect to Iran.
Each report must (1) describe the proposed action and its rationale, and (2) indicate whether or not the action is intended to significantly alter foreign policy concerning Iran. If the intention is to alter that policy, the report must provide additional information about the policy objectives and anticipated effects of the action.
After the President submits a report, the bill provides Congress with a 30-day period to review it; this period is extended to 60 days for reports submitted between July 10 and September 7. During this period, Congress may enact a joint resolution approving or disapproving the action.
During the review period, the President may not take the action unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval; if Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval, the bill prohibits the President from taking the action.
The bill also outlines procedures for the introduction and consideration of these types of joint resolutions.

To provide for congressional review of actions to terminate or waive 
                sanctions imposed with respect to Iran.

    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 ``Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF CERTAIN ACTIONS RELATING TO SANCTIONS 
              IMPOSED WITH RESPECT TO IRAN.

    (a) Submission to Congress of Proposed Action.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, before taking any action described in paragraph (2), the 
        President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
        committees and leadership a report that describes the proposed 
        action and the reasons for that action.
            (2) Actions described.--
                    (A) In general.--An action described in this 
                paragraph is--
                            (i) an action to terminate the application 
                        of any sanctions described in subparagraph (B);
                            (ii) with respect to sanctions described in 
                        subparagraph (B) imposed by the President with 
                        respect to a person, an action to waive the 
                        application of those sanctions with respect to 
                        that person; or
                            (iii) a licensing action that significantly 
                        alters United States foreign policy with 
                        respect to Iran.
                    (B) Sanctions described.--The sanctions described 
                in this subparagraph are sanctions with respect to Iran 
                provided for under--
                            (i) the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public 
                        Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note);
                            (ii) the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 
                        Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 
                        U.S.C. 8501 et seq.);
                            (iii) section 1245 of the National Defense 
                        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (22 
                        U.S.C. 8513a);
                            (iv) the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria 
                        Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et 
                        seq.);
                            (v) the Iran Freedom and Counter-
                        Proliferation Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8801 et 
                        seq.);
                            (vi) the International Emergency Economic 
                        Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 note); or
                            (vii) any other statute or Executive order 
                        that requires or authorizes the imposition of 
                        sanctions with respect to Iran.
            (3) Description of type of action.--Each report submitted 
        under paragraph (1) with respect to an action described in 
        paragraph (2) shall include a description of whether the 
        action--
                    (A) is not intended to significantly alter United 
                States foreign policy with respect to Iran; or
                    (B) is intended to significantly alter United 
                States foreign policy with respect to Iran.
            (4) Inclusion of additional matter.--
                    (A) In general.--Each report submitted under 
                paragraph (1) that relates to an action that is 
                intended to significantly alter United States foreign 
                policy with respect to Iran shall include a description 
                of--
                            (i) the significant alteration to United 
                        States foreign policy with respect to Iran;
                            (ii) the anticipated effect of the action 
                        on the national security interests of the 
                        United States; and
                            (iii) the policy objectives for which the 
                        sanctions affected by the action were initially 
                        imposed.
                    (B) Requests from banking and financial services 
                committees.--The Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
                Urban Affairs of the Senate or the Committee on 
                Financial Services of the House of Representatives may 
                request the submission to the Committee of the matter 
                described in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) 
                with respect to a report submitted under paragraph (1) 
                that relates to an action that is not intended to 
                significantly alter United States foreign policy with 
                respect to Iran.
            (5) Confidentiality of proprietary information.--
        Proprietary information that can be associated with a 
        particular person with respect to an action described in 
        paragraph (2) may be included in a report submitted under 
        paragraph (1) only if the appropriate congressional committees 
        and leadership provide assurances of confidentiality, unless 
        that person otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.
            (6) Rule of construction.--Paragraph (2)(A)(iii) shall not 
        be construed to require the submission of a report under 
        paragraph (1) with respect to the routine issuance of a license 
        that does not significantly alter United States foreign policy 
        with respect to Iran.
    (b) Period for Review by Congress.--
            (1) In general.--During the period of 30 calendar days 
        beginning on the date on which the President submits a report 
        under subsection (a)(1)--
                    (A) in the case of a report that relates to an 
                action that is not intended to significantly alter 
                United States foreign policy with respect to Iran, the 
                Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
                Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the 
                House of Representatives should, as appropriate, hold 
                hearings and briefings and otherwise obtain information 
                in order to fully review the report; and
                    (B) in the case of a report that relates to an 
                action that is intended to significantly alter United 
                States foreign policy with respect to Iran, the 
                Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
                Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
                Representatives should, as appropriate, hold hearings 
                and briefings and otherwise obtain information in order 
                to fully review the report.
            (2) Exception.--The period for congressional review under 
        paragraph (1) of a report required to be submitted under 
        subsection (a)(1) shall be 60 calendar days if the report is 
        submitted on or after July 10 and on or before September 7 in 
        any calendar year.
            (3) Limitation on actions during initial congressional 
        review period.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
        during the period for congressional review provided for under 
        paragraph (1) of a report submitted under subsection (a)(1) 
        proposing an action described in subsection (a)(2), including 
        any additional period for such review as applicable under the 
        exception provided in paragraph (2), the President may not take 
        that action unless a joint resolution of approval with respect 
        to that action is enacted in accordance with subsection (c).
            (4) Limitation on actions during presidential consideration 
        of a joint resolution of disapproval.--Notwithstanding any 
        other provision of law, if a joint resolution of disapproval 
        relating to a report submitted under subsection (a)(1) 
        proposing an action described in subsection (a)(2) passes both 
        Houses of Congress in accordance with subsection (c), the 
        President may not take that action for a period of 12 calendar 
        days after the date of passage of the joint resolution of 
        disapproval.
            (5) Limitation on actions during congressional 
        reconsideration of a joint resolution of disapproval.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a joint 
        resolution of disapproval relating to a report submitted under 
        subsection (a)(1) proposing an action described in subsection 
        (a)(2) passes both Houses of Congress in accordance with 
        subsection (c), and the President vetoes the joint resolution, 
        the President may not take that action for a period of 10 
        calendar days after the date of the President's veto.
            (6) Effect of enactment of a joint resolution of 
        disapproval.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a 
        joint resolution of disapproval relating to a report submitted 
        under subsection (a)(1) proposing an action described in 
        subsection (a)(2) is enacted in accordance with subsection (c), 
        the President may not take that action.
    (c) Joint Resolutions of Disapproval or Approval.--
            (1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    (A) Joint resolution of approval.--The term ``joint 
                resolution of approval'' means only a joint resolution 
                of either House of Congress--
                            (i) the title of which is as follows: ``A 
                        joint resolution approving the President's 
                        proposal to take an action relating to the 
                        application of certain sanctions with respect 
                        to Iran.''; and
                            (ii) the sole matter after the resolving 
                        clause of which is the following: ``Congress 
                        approves of the action relating to the 
                        application of sanctions imposed with respect 
                        to Iran proposed by the President in the report 
                        submitted to Congress under section 2(a)(1) of 
                        the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2021 on 
                        _______ relating to ________.'', with the first 
                        blank space being filled with the appropriate 
                        date and the second blank space being filled 
                        with a short description of the proposed 
                        action.
                    (B) Joint resolution of disapproval.--The term 
                ``joint resolution of disapproval'' means only a joint 
                resolution of either House of Congress--
                            (i) the title of which is as follows: ``A 
                        joint resolution disapproving the President's 
                        proposal to take an action relating to the 
                        application of certain sanctions with respect 
                        to Iran.''; and
                            (ii) the sole matter after the resolving 
                        clause of which is the following: ``Congress 
                        disapproves of the action relating to the 
                        application of sanctions imposed with respect 
                        to Iran proposed by the President in the report 
                        submitted to Congress under section 2(a)(1) of 
                        the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2021 on 
                        _______ relating to ________.'', with the first 
                        blank space being filled with the appropriate 
                        date and the second blank space being filled 
                        with a short description of the proposed 
                        action.
            (2) Introduction.--During the period of 30 calendar days 
        provided for under subsection (b)(1), including any additional 
        period as applicable under the exception provided in subsection 
        (b)(2), a joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of 
        disapproval may be introduced--
                    (A) in the House of Representatives, by the 
                majority leader or the minority leader; and
                    (B) in the Senate, by the majority leader (or the 
                majority leader's designee) or the minority leader (or 
                the minority leader's designee).
            (3) Floor consideration in house of representatives.--If a 
        committee of the House of Representatives to which a joint 
        resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval has 
        been referred has not reported the joint resolution within 10 
        calendar days after the date of referral, that committee shall 
        be discharged from further consideration of the joint 
        resolution.
            (4) Consideration in the senate.--
                    (A) Committee referral.--A joint resolution of 
                approval or joint resolution of disapproval introduced 
                in the Senate shall be--
                            (i) referred to the Committee on Banking, 
                        Housing, and Urban Affairs if the joint 
                        resolution relates to a report under subsection 
                        (a)(3)(A) that relates to an action that is not 
                        intended to significantly alter United States 
                        foreign policy with respect to Iran; and
                            (ii) referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                        Relations if the joint resolution relates to a 
                        report under subsection (a)(3)(B) that relates 
                        to an action that is intended to significantly 
                        alter United States foreign policy with respect 
                        to Iran.
                    (B) Reporting and discharge.--If the committee to 
                which a joint resolution of approval or joint 
                resolution of disapproval was referred has not reported 
                the joint resolution within 10 calendar days after the 
                date of referral of the joint resolution, that 
                committee shall be discharged from further 
                consideration of the joint resolution and the joint 
                resolution shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.
                    (C) Proceeding to consideration.--Notwithstanding 
                Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in 
                order at any time after the Committee on Banking, 
                Housing, and Urban Affairs or the Committee on Foreign 
                Relations, as the case may be, reports a joint 
                resolution of approval or joint resolution of 
                disapproval to the Senate or has been discharged from 
                consideration of such a joint resolution (even though a 
                previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed 
                to) to move to proceed to the consideration of the 
                joint resolution, and all points of order against the 
                joint resolution (and against consideration of the 
                joint resolution) are waived. The motion to proceed is 
                not debatable. The motion is not subject to a motion to 
                postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the 
                motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in 
                order.
                    (D) Rulings of the chair on procedure.--Appeals 
                from the decisions of the Chair relating to the 
                application of the rules of the Senate, as the case may 
                be, to the procedure relating to a joint resolution of 
                approval or joint resolution of disapproval shall be 
                decided without debate.
                    (E) Consideration of veto messages.--Debate in the 
                Senate of any veto message with respect to a joint 
                resolution of approval or joint resolution of 
                disapproval, including all debatable motions and 
                appeals in connection with the joint resolution, shall 
                be limited to 10 hours, to be equally divided between, 
                and controlled by, the majority leader and the minority 
                leader or their designees.
            (5) Rules relating to senate and house of 
        representatives.--
                    (A) Treatment of senate joint resolution in 
                house.--In the House of Representatives, the following 
                procedures shall apply to a joint resolution of 
                approval or a joint resolution of disapproval received 
                from the Senate (unless the House has already passed a 
                joint resolution relating to the same proposed action):
                            (i) The joint resolution shall be referred 
                        to the appropriate committees.
                            (ii) If a committee to which a joint 
                        resolution has been referred has not reported 
                        the joint resolution within 2 calendar days 
                        after the date of referral, that committee 
                        shall be discharged from further consideration 
                        of the joint resolution.
                            (iii) Beginning on the third legislative 
                        day after each committee to which a joint 
                        resolution has been referred reports the joint 
                        resolution to the House or has been discharged 
                        from further consideration thereof, it shall be 
                        in order to move to proceed to consider the 
                        joint resolution in the House. All points of 
                        order against the motion are waived. Such a 
                        motion shall not be in order after the House 
                        has disposed of a motion to proceed on the 
                        joint resolution. The previous question shall 
                        be considered as ordered on the motion to its 
                        adoption without intervening motion. The motion 
                        shall not be debatable. A motion to reconsider 
                        the vote by which the motion is disposed of 
                        shall not be in order.
                            (iv) The joint resolution shall be 
                        considered as read. All points of order against 
                        the joint resolution and against its 
                        consideration are waived. The previous question 
                        shall be considered as ordered on the joint 
                        resolution to final passage without intervening 
                        motion except 2 hours of debate equally divided 
                        and controlled by the sponsor of the joint 
                        resolution (or a designee) and an opponent. A 
                        motion to reconsider the vote on passage of the 
                        joint resolution shall not be in order.
                    (B) Treatment of house joint resolution in 
                senate.--
                            (i) Receipt before passage.--If, before the 
                        passage by the Senate of a joint resolution of 
                        approval or joint resolution of disapproval, 
                        the Senate receives an identical joint 
                        resolution from the House of Representatives, 
                        the following procedures shall apply:
                                    (I) That joint resolution shall not 
                                be referred to a committee.
                                    (II) With respect to that joint 
                                resolution--
                                            (aa) the procedure in the 
                                        Senate shall be the same as if 
                                        no joint resolution had been 
                                        received from the House of 
                                        Representatives; but
                                            (bb) the vote on passage 
                                        shall be on the joint 
                                        resolution from the House of 
                                        Representatives.
                            (ii) Receipt after passage.--If, following 
                        passage of a joint resolution of approval or 
                        joint resolution of disapproval in the Senate, 
                        the Senate receives an identical joint 
                        resolution from the House of Representatives, 
                        that joint resolution shall be placed on the 
                        appropriate Senate calendar.
                            (iii) No companion measure.--If a joint 
                        resolution of approval or a joint resolution of 
                        disapproval is received from the House, and no 
                        companion joint resolution has been introduced 
                        in the Senate, the Senate procedures under this 
                        subsection shall apply to the House joint 
                        resolution.
                    (C) Application to revenue measures.--The 
                provisions of this paragraph shall not apply in the 
                House of Representatives to a joint resolution of 
                approval or joint resolution of disapproval that is a 
                revenue measure.
            (6) Rules of house of representatives and senate.--This 
        subsection is enacted by Congress--
                    (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
                Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, 
                and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each 
                House, respectively, and supersedes other rules only to 
                the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and
                    (B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
                right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
                relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
                in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the 
                case of any other rule of that House.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees and Leadership Defined.--
In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 
        the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the majority and 
        minority leaders of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on 
        Foreign Affairs, and the Speaker, the majority leader, and the 
        minority leader of the House of Representatives.
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