Title: Iranian Proxies Terrorist Sanctions Act of 2019
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Iranian Proxies Terrorist Sanctions Act of 2019
This bill directs the President to impose sanctions on As-Saib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba, two Iraqi paramilitary groups affiliated with Iran. The sanctions relate to blocking property and transactions and also apply to foreign individuals serving as the groups' officials, agents, and affiliates.
The President shall submit detailed explanations as to whether sanctions should be imposed on various individuals identified in the bill.
The Department of State shall annually publish a list of groups that receive logistical, military, or financial support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or under the IRGC's influence.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 361 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 361

 To impose terrorism-related sanctions with respect to As-Saib Ahl Al-
      Haq and Harakat Hizballah Al-Nujaba, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2019

Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Chabot, and 
 Mr. Suozzi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To impose terrorism-related sanctions with respect to As-Saib Ahl Al-
      Haq and Harakat Hizballah Al-Nujaba, 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 ``Iranian Proxies Terrorist Sanctions 
Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) As-Saib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) is an Iraqi paramilitary group 
        founded in 2006. Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba (Nujaba) is an 
        affiliated faction of AAH and the United States-designated 
        foreign terrorist organization Kata'ib Hizballah that was 
        formed in 2013.
            (2) AAH and Nujaba are provided training, funding, and arms 
        by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), IRGC-
        Quds Force, and mentored by Lebanese Hizballah. AAH leader, 
        Qais Khazali, has pledged allegiance to Iran's Supreme Leader 
        Ali Khamenei.
            (3) AAH conducted numerous attacks against the United 
        States and coalition forces in Iraq between its inception in 
        2006 and the United States withdrawal in December 2011. This 
        includes the January 20, 2007, attack on the Karbala Provincial 
        Headquarters that resulted in the killing of CPT Brian S. 
        Freeman, 1LT Jacob N. Fritz, SPC Jonathan B. Chism, PFC Shawn 
        P. Falter, and PFC Jonathon M. Millican--four of whom were 
        abducted and later executed.
            (4) AAH and Nujaba deploy forces to Syria to fight on 
        behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime, including participating 
        in the 2016 siege of Aleppo where the United Nations High 
        Commissioner for Human Rights alleges pro-government Iraqi 
        militia groups executed dozens of civilians.
            (5) In 2015, Human Rights Watch alleged AAH participated in 
        forced evictions, kidnappings, and extrajudicial killings of 
        Sunni and Kurdish civilians in areas liberated from the Islamic 
        State.
            (6) Nujaba is led by Akram al-Kabi, who was designated by 
        the Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13438 for 
        threatening the peace and stability of Iraq. According to the 
        United States Government, Kabi participated in multiple mortar 
        and rocket attacks on the International Zone, or Green Zone, in 
        Baghdad in early 2008. Kabi and other Nujaba commanders have 
        claimed they follow orders from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali 
        Khamenei and declared in March 2016 support for Lebanese 
        Hizballah.
            (7) In 2017, a Nujaba spokesman declared that it had formed 
        a unit tasked to ``liberate'' the Golan Heights from Israeli 
        control and reports indicate the group is playing a key role in 
        securing a land route between Iran and Lebanon to provide 
        military aid to Lebanese Hezbollah.

SEC. 3. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the 
sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to As-Saib Ahl al-
Haq (AAH), Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba (Nujaba), and foreign persons 
that are officials, agents, or affiliates of AAH or Nujaba.
    (b) Determination With Respect to Certain Individuals.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall submit to the 
        Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
        determination, including a detailed justification, on whether 
        any of the individuals described in paragraph (2) meets the 
        criteria for the application of sanctions described in 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Individuals described.--The individuals described in 
        this paragraph are the following:
                    (A) Qais al-Khazali.
                    (B) Laith al-Khazali.
                    (C) Akram Abbas al-Kaabi.
                    (D) Shibl al-Zaydi.
                    (E) Kazim al-Ta'i.
                    (F) Hamid al-Jazairi.
                    (G) Ali al-Yasiri.
    (c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this 
subsection are sanctions applicable with respect to a foreign person 
pursuant to 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).

SEC. 4. WATCHLISTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall annually establish, 
maintain, and publish a global list of armed groups, militias, or proxy 
forces receiving logistical, military, or financial assistance from the 
IRGC or over which the IRGC exerts any form of control or influence.
    (b) Publication.--The lists required under subsection (a) shall be 
published as part of the Department of State's Annual Country Reports 
on Terrorism, beginning with the first such Country Reports published 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Form.--If the Secretary of State determines that such is 
appropriate, the Secretary may, not later than 30 days after 
publication of the annual Country Reports on Terrorism referred to in 
subsection (b), submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
a classified annex.
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