Title: Hezbollah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2020
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Hezbollah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2020
This bill establishes measures to deter money laundering by Hezbollah in Lebanon and Latin America.
Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must prohibit or place conditions on the opening or maintaining of certain correspondent or payable-through accounts by the Central Bank of Syria if Treasury determines that certain jurisdictions in Lebanon or areas in Latin America are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
Further, the President must sanction certain senior foreign political figures or foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hezbollah.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8445 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8445

To impose certain measures with respect to Hezbollah-dominated areas in 
   Lebanon and Latin America and to impose sanctions with respect to 
   senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and 
                    Nicaragua supporting Hezbollah.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 30, 2020

Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Perry, Mr. 
 Yoho, Mr. Burchett, Mr. Walker, Mr. Steube, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, 
  Mr. Bacon, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Gosar, Mrs. Lesko, and Mr. 
 McClintock) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the 
  Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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 impose certain measures with respect to Hezbollah-dominated areas in 
   Lebanon and Latin America and to impose sanctions with respect to 
   senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and 
                    Nicaragua supporting Hezbollah.

    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 ``Hezbollah Money Laundering 
Prevention Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. MEASURES WITH RESPECT TO HEZBOLLAH-DOMINATED AREAS IN LEBANON 
              AND LATIN AMERICA.

    (a) Determination Regarding Jurisdictions of Lebanon.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        determine, under section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, 
        whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that any of the 
        jurisdictions of Lebanon described in paragraph (2) are 
        jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
            (2) Jurisdictions described.--The jurisdictions of Lebanon 
        described in this paragraph are the following:
                    (A) The Nabatieh Governorate.
                    (B) The Haret Hreik municipality in the Baabda 
                district in the Dahieh suburbs south of Beirut.
                    (C) The Chiyah municipality in the Baabda district 
                in the western suburbs of Beirut.
                    (D) The Hadeth Beirut municipality in the Baabda 
                district in the suburbs of Beirut.
                    (E) The Hermel district in the Baalbek-Hermel 
                Governorate.
                    (F) The Baalbek and Temnin el-Foka municipalities 
                in the Baalbe-Hermel Governorate.
                    (G) The Tyre district in the South Governorate.
    (b) Determination Regarding the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Tri-
Border Areas.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine, under 
section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, whether reasonable 
grounds exist for concluding that the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay tri-
border areas, are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.
    (c) Prohibitions or Conditions on Opening or Maintaining Certain 
Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts.--If the Secretary of the 
Treasury determines under subsection (a) or (b) that reasonable grounds 
exist for concluding that any jurisdiction described in subsection (a) 
or (b) is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern, the 
Secretary, in consultation with the Federal functional regulators (as 
defined in section 509 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (15 U.S.C. 6809)), 
shall impose the special measures described in section 5318A(b)(5) of 
title 31, United States Code, with respect to the Central Bank of 
Syria.
    (d) Report Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after making a 
        determination under subsection (a) and (b) with respect to 
        whether a jurisdiction is a jurisdiction of primary money 
        laundering concern, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit 
        to the appropriate congressional committees a report that 
        includes the reasons for the determination.
            (2) Form.--A report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
            (3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--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.

SEC. 3. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SENIOR FOREIGN POLITICAL FIGURES IN 
              LEBANON, VENEZUELA, CUBA, AND NICARAGUA SUPPORTING 
              HEZBOLLAH.

    (a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described 
in subsection (c) with respect to each individual on the list required 
by subsection (b).
    (b) List.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a list of individuals who 
        are senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, 
        Cuba, and Nicaragua that the President determines have 
        knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a 
        significant transaction with Hezbollah or meet the criteria for 
        sanctions under the Hezbollah International Financing 
        Prevention Act, the Hezbollah International Financing Amendment 
        Act, or the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability 
        Act.
            (2) Additional requirement.--The President shall include 
        Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon's General 
        Directorate of General Security, on the list required by this 
        subsection.
            (3) Form.--The list required by this subsection shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
        annex.
    (c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this 
subsection with respect to an individual are the sanctions described in 
section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act 
(subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
    (d) Exception To Comply With United Nations Headquarters Agreement; 
Enforcement.--Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global 
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note) apply 
with respect to the imposition of sanctions under this section to the 
same extent as such subsections apply with respect to the imposition of 
sanctions under such section 1263.
    (e) Waiver.--The President may waive the imposition of sanctions 
under subsection (c) with respect to an individual if the President--
            (1) determines that such a waiver is in the national 
        interests of the United States; and
            (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees 
        notice of, and a justification for, the waiver.
    (f) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such 
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this 
section.
    (g) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
            (1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose 
        sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or 
        requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
            (2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good'' 
        means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, 
        supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test 
        equipment, and excluding technical data.
    (h) 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. 4. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN PERSONS SUPPORTING HEZBOLLAH 
              IN LATIN AMERICA.

    (a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described 
in subsection (c) with respect to each foreign person on the list 
required by subsection (b).
    (b) List.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a list of foreign persons 
        that the President determines have knowingly directly or 
        indirectly engaged in significant transactions with or provided 
        material support to Hezbollah in Mexico, Venezuela, Paraguay, 
        Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Cuba, Bolivia, or any other country 
        in Latin America.
            (2) Form.--The list required by this subsection shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
        annex.
    (c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this 
subsection with respect to a foreign person are the sanctions described 
in section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 
Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 
note).
    (d) Exception To Comply With United Nations Headquarters Agreement; 
Enforcement.--Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global 
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act apply with respect to the 
imposition of sanctions under this section to the same extent as such 
subsections apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under 
such section 1263.
    (e) Waiver.--The President may waive the imposition of sanctions 
with respect to a foreign person under this section if the President--
            (1) determines that such a waiver is in the national 
        interests of the United States; and
            (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees 
        notice of, and a justification for, the waiver.
    (f) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such 
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this 
section.
    (g) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
            (1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose 
        sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or 
        requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
            (2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good'' 
        means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, 
        supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test 
        equipment, and excluding technical data.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this section, 
        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.
            (2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 1262 of the Global Magnitsky 
        Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
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