Title: A resolution requesting information on Saudi Arabia's human rights practices in Yemen pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution directs the Department of State to transmit to the Senate a statement including (1) information on alleged Saudi Arabian human rights violations in Yemen; (2) a description of U.S. government steps to promote human rights as part of Saudi Arabia's activities in Yemen; (3) an assessment of whether security assistance to Saudi Arabia should be continued; and (4) other specified information related to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Israel.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 243 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 243

  Requesting information on Saudi Arabia's human rights practices in 
  Yemen pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
                                 1961.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2019

  Mr. Murphy (for himself, Mr. Young, Ms. Collins, and Mrs. Shaheen) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Requesting information on Saudi Arabia's human rights practices in 
  Yemen pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
                                 1961.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SAUDI ARABIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS 
              PRACTICES IN YEMEN.

    (a) Statement Required.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
the adoption of this resolution, the Secretary of State shall, pursuant 
to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2304(c)), transmit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a 
statement, prepared with the assistance of the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the 
Legal Adviser, with respect to Saudi Arabia.
    (b) Elements.--The statement submitted under subsection (a) shall 
include the following elements:
            (1) All available credible information concerning alleged 
        violations of internationally recognized human rights by the 
        Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or members of the Saudi-led coalition 
        in Yemen, including the denial of the right to life in the 
        context of the armed conflict in Yemen caused by indiscriminate 
        or disproportionate operations.
            (2) A description of the steps the United States Government 
        has taken--
                    (A) to promote respect for and observance of human 
                rights as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 
                activities in Yemen and discourage any practices that 
                are inimical to internationally recognized human 
                rights; and
                    (B) to publicly or privately call attention to, and 
                disassociate the United States and any security 
                assistance provided for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
                from, such practices.
            (3) An assessment, notwithstanding any such practices, 
        whether extraordinary circumstances exist that necessitate a 
        continuation of security assistance for the Kingdom of Saudi 
        Arabia, and, if so, a description of the circumstances and the 
        extent to which the assistance should be continued (subject to 
        such conditions as Congress may impose under section 502B of 
        the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304)).
            (4) Other information, including--
                    (A) an assessment from the Secretary of State of 
                the likelihood that United States security assistance, 
                as defined in section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance 
                Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d)), will be used in Yemen;
                    (B) a description of the violations of the Arms 
                Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) (AECA), as 
                noted in the Secretary of State's certification to 
                Congress pursuant to section 1290 of the John S. McCain 
                National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 
                (Public Law 115-232), including--
                            (i) whether the violation resulted from the 
                        re-transfer of United States defense articles 
                        or services without prior authorization or the 
                        use of defense articles or services against 
                        anything other than legitimate military 
                        targets; and
                            (ii) what services or articles were used in 
                        violation of AECA, and an explanation for why 
                        the President has not submitted the required 
                        certification under section 3 of AECA (22 
                        U.S.C. 2753) for continued export of defense 
                        articles and services to countries that have 
                        violated AECA;
                    (C) a description and assessment of the actions the 
                United States Government would take to ensure end use 
                monitoring protocols for all weapons sold or 
                transferred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for use in 
                Yemen;
                    (D) an assessment of any impact or adverse effect 
                to Israel's qualitative military edge of security 
                assistance provided by the United States or other 
                countries; and
                    (E) a description of actions the United States 
                Government is taking to address allegations of 
                detention, torture, or forced disappearances of United 
                States citizens by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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