Title: Houthis and Iran Sanctions Accountability Act of 2017
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Houthis and Iran Sanctions Accountability Act of 2017
This bill continues certain sanctions blocking the property of persons threatening the peace or stability of Yemen.
The President shall:

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4603 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4603

To provide for the continuation in effect of sanctions with respect to 
                     Yemen, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 7, 2017

   Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Chabot, Mr. 
   McCaul, and Mr. Donovan) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the continuation in effect of sanctions with respect to 
                     Yemen, 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 ``Houthis and Iran Sanctions 
Accountability Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On April 2015, the United Nations Security Council 
        adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 by 14 
        affirmative votes to none against, with one abstention (by the 
        Russian Federation), imposing sanctions on individuals 
        undermining the stability of Yemen, and demanded that the 
        Houthis withdraw from all areas seized during the latest 
        conflict, relinquish arms seized from military and security 
        institutions, cease all actions falling exclusively within the 
        authority of the legitimate Government of Yemen, and fully 
        implement previous Security Council resolutions.
            (2) On May 16, 2012, the Obama administration issued 
        Executive Order 13611 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
        Blocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security, 
        or Stability of Yemen), imposing sanctions on persons that 
        ``have engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the 
        peace, security, or stability of Yemen, such as acts that 
        obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 
        2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition 
        to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in 
        Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen''.
            (3) On November 10, 2014, the Obama administration 
        designated the leadership of the Iranian-supported Houthi 
        insurgent group, and their ally former Yemeni President Ali 
        Abdullah Saleh, for imposition of sanctions under Executive 
        Order 13611.
            (4) Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has transferred 
        increasingly sophisticated weapons systems to the Houthis, who 
        have in turn shot missiles into Saudi Arabia from positions in 
        northern Yemen, including a missile in November 2017 that 
        targeted Riyadh International Airport. In response, Ambassador 
        Nikki Haley called on ``the United Nations and international 
        partners to take necessary action to hold the Iranian regime 
        accountable for these violations''.
            (5) In addition to weapons, Iran is reportedly providing 
        Afghan and Shi'ite Arab specialists, including Hizballah, to 
        train Houthi units and act as logistical advisers.
            (6) The Iranian-supported Houthis have attacked coalition 
        or coalition-affiliated maritime targets multiple times, a 
        United States Navy ship twice, and other shipping, forcing the 
        United States to respond with a combination of diplomacy and 
        calibrated military strikes against three radar facilities in 
        Houthi-controlled territory.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It shall be the policy of the United States to condemn Iranian 
activities in Yemen in violation of United Nations Security Council 
Resolution 2216 (2015), and call on all responsible countries to take 
appropriate and necessary measures against the Government of Iran, 
including the interdiction of Iranian weapons to the Houthis, and the 
bilateral and multilateral application of sanctions against Iran for 
its violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216.

SEC. 4. CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO YEMEN.

    (a) In General.--United States sanctions with respect to Yemen 
provided for in Executive Order 13611 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
Blocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security, or 
Stability of Yemen), as in effect on the day before the date of the 
enactment of this Act, shall remain in effect.
    (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to limit the authority of the President pursuant to the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).

SEC. 5. DETERMINATIONS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN IRANIAN PERSONS.

    (a) Determinations.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall, not later than 45 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, determine 
        whether the Iranian persons listed in paragraph (2) are 
        responsible for engaging in activities described in section 1 
        of Executive Order 13611 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
        Blocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security, 
        or Stability of Yemen).
            (2) Iranian persons listed.--The Iranian persons listed in 
        this paragraph are the following:
                    (A) Members of the Supreme National Security 
                Council.
                    (B) The Minister of Intelligence and Security.
                    (C) The Commander of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard 
                Corps.
                    (D) The Commander of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard 
                Corps, Qods Force.
                    (E) The Minister of Defense.
                    (F) Minister of Foreign Affairs.
                    (G) Any other Iranian person that the President 
                determines is appropriate.
            (3) Report.--
                    (A) In general.--The President shall submit to the 
                appropriate congressional committees a report that 
                contains--
                            (i) the determinations made under paragraph 
                        (1) together with the reasons for those 
                        determinations; and
                            (ii) an identification of the Iranian 
                        persons that the President determines are 
                        responsible for engaging in activities 
                        described in section 1(c) of Executive Order 
                        13611.
                    (B) Form.--A report submitted under subparagraph 
                (A) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 
                contain a classified annex.
    (b) Imposition of Sanctions.--The President shall impose the 
sanctions described in section 1 of Executive Order 13611 with respect 
to each Iranian person identified in the report submitted to the 
appropriate congressional committees under subsection (a)(3).
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Financial 
                Services of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Finance, and the Committee on Banking, 
                Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
            (2) Entity.--The term ``entity''--
                    (A) means a partnership, association, corporation, 
                or other organization, group, or subgroup; and
                    (B) includes a governmental entity.

SEC. 6. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN FOREIGN PERSONS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on and after the date that is 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose 
the sanctions described in subsection (c) on a person described in 
subsection (b).
    (b) Persons Described.--A person described in this subsection is a 
foreign person that the President determines knowingly provides 
significant financial, material, or technological support for--
            (1) Ansar Allah in Yemen;
            (2) a person designated pursuant to an applicable Executive 
        order;
            (3) a person that the President determines is in violation 
        of an applicable United Nations Security Council resolution;
            (4) an Iranian person identified in the report submitted to 
        the appropriate congressional committees under section 5(a)(3); 
        or
            (5) a foreign person owned or controlled by a foreign 
        person described in paragraphs (1) through (4).
    (c) Imposition of Sanctions.--The sanctions to be imposed on a 
person described in subsection (b) are the following:
            (1) In general.--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 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.
            (2) Aliens ineligible for visas, admission, or parole.--
                    (A) In general.--An alien who the Secretary of 
                State or the Secretary of Homeland Security determines 
                is a foreign person described in subsection (b) 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.).
                    (B) Current visas revoked.--
                            (i) In general.--Any visa or other 
                        documentation issued to an alien who is a 
                        foreign person described in subsection (b), 
                        regardless of when such visa or other 
                        documentation was issued, shall be revoked and 
                        such alien shall be denied admission to the 
                        United States.
                            (ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation 
                        under clause (i)--
                                    (I) shall take effect immediately; 
                                and
                                    (II) shall automatically cancel any 
                                other valid visa or documentation that 
                                is in the possession of the alien who 
                                is the subject of such revocation.
            (3) Exception to comply with united nations headquarters 
        agreement.--Sanctions under paragraph (2) shall not apply to an 
        alien if admitting 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.
            (4) 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 knowingly violates, attempts to violate, conspires to 
        violate, or causes a violation of regulations promulgated under 
        subsection (f) to carry out paragraph (1) of this subsection to 
        the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that 
        commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of such 
        Act.
    (d) Implementation Authority.--The President may exercise all 
authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) 
for purposes of carrying out this Act.
    (e) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall, not later than 120 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate 
regulations as necessary for the implementation of this Act.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Admitted; alien.--The terms ``admitted'' and ``alien'' 
        have meanings given those terms in section 101 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
            (2) Applicable executive order.--The term ``applicable 
        Executive order'' means--
                    (A) Executive Order 13611 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; 
                relating to Blocking Property of Persons Threatening 
                the Peace, Security, or Stability of Yemen); or
                    (B) any Executive order adopted on or after the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, to the extent that 
                such Executive order authorizes the imposition of 
                sanctions on persons for conduct with respect to Yemen.
            (3) Applicable united nations security council 
        resolution.--The term ``applicable United Nations Security 
        Council resolution'' means--
                    (A) United Nations Security Council Resolution 
                2216; or
                    (B) any United Nations Security Council resolution 
                adopted on or after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act that authorizes the imposition of sanctions on 
                persons for conduct with respect to Yemen.
            (4) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Ways and Means, the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
                the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and 
                the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
            (5) Entity.--The term ``entity''--
                    (A) means a partnership, association, corporation, 
                or other organization, group, or subgroup; and
                    (B) includes a governmental entity.
            (6) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means--
                    (A) an individual who is not a United States person 
                or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
                into the United States; or
                    (B) a corporation, partnership, or other entity 
                which is not a United States person.
            (7) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual or 
        entity.
            (8) United states person.--The term ``United States 
        person'' means a United States citizen, permanent resident 
        alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States 
        (including foreign branches), or a person in the United States.

SEC. 7. REPORT ON IRANIAN ACTIVITIES IN YEMEN.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for a period not to exceed 5 
years, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on Iranian activities in Yemen.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a) 
shall include a description of the following:
            (1) Iran's support for certain Yemeni militias or political 
        parties, including weapons, financing, training, and other 
        forms of material support including media and communications 
        support.
            (2) A list of referrals to the relevant United Nations 
        Security Council sanctions committees by the United States 
        Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
    (c) Form.--The President may submit the report required by 
subsection (a) in classified form if the President determines that it 
is necessary for the national security interests of the United States 
to do so.
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the 
        Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on 
        Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
                                 <all>