PUPPETS Act of 2022
Bill: S.3739 | Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco (R-FL)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Preventing Usurpation of Power and Privileges by Extralegal Territories' Sedition Act of 2022 or the PUPPETS Act of 2022
This bill designates specified entities as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorist organizations. The bill also prohibits the Department of Defense from taking any action that implies recognition of the sovereignty of such entities over territory or airspace claimed by the governments of Ukraine, Moldova, or Georgia.
Entities subject to this bill include any entities holding themselves out to be the governments of any region of Ukraine that was not elected through elections in 2019 or 2020, the Pridnestrovian Moldovian Republic, the Republic of South Ossetia, or the Republic of Abkhazia.

To designate certain unelected entities claiming to be governments as 
   foreign terrorist organizations, to impose certain measures with 
    respect to countries that support such entities, 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 ``Preventing Usurpation of Power and 
Privileges by Extralegal Territories' Sedition Act of 2022'' or the 
``PUPPETS Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS OF UNELECTED 
              ENTITIES CLAIMING TO BE GOVERNMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Each entity described in subsection (b) is 
designated as--
            (1) a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 
        219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); and
            (2) a specially designated global terrorist organization 
        under Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
        blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who 
        commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism), as amended 
        before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Entities Described.--An entity described in this subsection is 
an entity holding itself out to be the Government of--
            (1) the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's 
        Republic, or any other region of Ukraine, that was not elected 
        through the presidential or parliamentary elections in 2019 or 
        local elections in 2020;
            (2) the Pridnestrovian Moldovian Republic;
            (3) the Republic of South Ossetia; or
            (4) the Republic of Abkhazia.

SEC. 3. NON-RECOGNITION OF SOVEREIGNTY BY UNELECTED ENTITIES CLAIMING 
              TO BE GOVERNMENTS.

    (a) United States Armed Forces.--The Secretary of Defense may not 
take any action, including any movement of aircraft or vessels that 
implies recognition of the sovereignty of any entity described in 
section 2(b) over territory or airspace claimed by the Government of 
Ukraine, Moldova, or Georgia.
    (b) United States Flagged Vessels.--No vessel that is issued a 
certificate of documentation under chapter 121 of title 46, United 
States Code, may take any action that implies recognition of the 
sovereignty of any entity described in section 2(b) over territory or 
airspace claimed by the Government of Ukraine, Moldova, or Georgia.
    (c) United States Aircraft.--No aircraft operated by an air carrier 
that holds an air carrier certificate issued under chapter 411 of title 
49, United States Code, may take any action that implies recognition of 
the sovereignty of any entity described in section 2(b) over territory 
or airspace claimed by the Government of Ukraine, Moldova, or Georgia.

SEC. 4. MEASURES WITH RESPECT TO COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORT UNELECTED 
              ENTITIES CLAIMING TO BE GOVERNMENTS.

    (a) Identification of Countries That Assist Unelected Entities 
Claiming To Be Governments.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report 
        identifying each country the government of which the Secretary 
        determines, after February 23, 2022--
                    (A) recognizes the sovereignty of an entity 
                described in section 2(b) over territory or airspace 
                claimed by the Government of Ukraine, Moldova, or 
                Georgia; or
                    (B) provides material assistance or support to such 
                an entity.
            (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex if the Secretary determines it is necessary for the 
        national security interests of the United States to do so.
            (3) Public availability.--The Secretary shall publish the 
        unclassified part of the report required by paragraph (1) on a 
        publicly available website of the Department of State.
    (b) Prohibition on Foreign Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2) or 
        (3), no amounts may be obligated or expended to provide foreign 
        assistance to the government of any country identified in a 
        report required by subsection (a).
            (2) Exception.--This subsection shall not apply with 
        respect to Ukraine, Taiwan, humanitarian assistance, disaster 
        assistance, emergency food assistance, or the Peace Corps.
            (3) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of 
        paragraph (1) with respect to the government of a country if 
        the President determines that the waiver is in the national 
        interests of the United States.
    (c) Designation as State Sponsors of Terrorism.--
            (1) In general.--The government of each country identified 
        in a report required by subsection (a) shall be designated as a 
        state sponsor of terrorism.
            (2) State sponsor of terrorism defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``state sponsor of terrorism'' means a 
        country the government of which the Secretary of State has 
        determined has repeatedly provided support for acts of 
        international terrorism, for purposes of--
                    (A) section 1754(c)(1)(A)(i) of the Export Control 
                Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c)(1)(A)(i));
                    (B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
                1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371);
                    (C) section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control Act 
                (22 U.S.C. 2780(d)); or
                    (D) any other provision of law.

SEC. 5. TERMINATION.

    The requirements of this Act terminate on December 31, 2023.
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