Iran, North Korea, and Syria Sanctions Consolidation Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1048
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2011-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Afghanistan
Arms control and nonproliferation
Asia
Australia
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Business ethics
Business records
Congressional oversight
Corporate finance and management
Department of the Treasury
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Europe
European Union
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign and international banking
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Human rights
Infrastructure development
International exchange and broadcasting
International monetary system and foreign exchange
International organizations and cooperation
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Iran
Iraq
Lebanon
Licensing and registrations
Marine and inland water transportation
Middle East
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Motor fuels
Navigation, waterways, harbors
North Korea
Nuclear weapons
Oceania
Oil and gas
Protest and dissent
Public-private cooperation
Railroads
Roads and highways
Sanctions
Securities
South Korea
Syria
Technology transfer and commercialization
Terrorism
Trade restrictions
U.S. and foreign investments
United Nations
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-23
text: 
Iran, North Korea, and Syria Sanctions Consolidation Act of 2011- States that it is U.S. policy to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. 
 
Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that knowingly participates in a joint venture with respect to the development of petroleum resources outside of Iran: (1) in which Iran is a substantial partner or investor, or (2) through which Iran could receive technological knowledge or equipment that could contribute to its ability to develop petroleum resources in Iran.
 
Includes certain infrastructure construction whose primary use is to support the transportation of refined petroleum products in the definition of &quot;goods, services, technology, information, or support.&quot;
 
Requires the President to respond within 60 days to a congressional request regarding a person's engagement in a sanctionable activity.
 
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require securities issuers to disclose in their mandatory annual or quarterly reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether they or their affiliates have: (1) engaged in certain activities relating to Iran, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (2) knowingly engaged in specified activities, or knowingly violated certain regulations prescribed under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010; (3) knowingly conducted any transaction or dealing with a person whose property and interests in property are blocked by certain Executive Orders; or (4) knowingly conducted a transaction or dealing with any person listed in the Iranian Transactions Regulations.
 
Specifies the contents of mandatory disclosures.
 
Requires the President to: (1) initiate an investigation into the possible imposition of sanctions when the SEC receives a report that an issuer or its affiliate has engaged in the cited activities, and (2) determine within 180 days of initiating an investigation whether sanctions should be imposed on the issuer or the affiliate concerned.
 
Requires promulgation regulations within 90 days after enactment of this Act governing financial institutions maintaining accounts for foreign financial institutions.
 
Urges the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to expand multilateral sanctions against Iran.
 
Directs the President to report to Congress on: (1) the Central Bank of Iran's involvement in Iran's development of weapons of mass destruction and support of terrorism, and (2) entities and countries providing refined petroleum products to Iran.
 
Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress listing all foreign investors in Iran's energy sector.
 
Directs the President to: (1) identify each foreign person or foreign entity for which there is a reasonable basis for determining that the person or entity is an agent, front, instrumentality, official, or affiliate of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or is an IRGC representative; and (2) apply specified property sanctions to such person or entity. Gives priority to investigations of specified sensitive transactions.
 
Sets forth mandatory and discretionary measures to be taken against a foreign person or entity that provides material support to the IRGC. 
 
Directs the President to impose specified sanctions against a person that provides shipping or refining services with respect to the exportation of petroleum, oil, or liquified natural gas to be refined or otherwise processed outside of Iran if: (1) the IRGC or any of its affiliates were involved in the development, extraction, production, transportation, or sale of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas in Iran, and the fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $1 million or more; or (2) during a 12-month period, the aggregate fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $5 million or more. Exempts certain underwriters and insurance providers from such provisions.
 
 
Requires the President: (1) upon receipt of credible information that a person may have transferred to Iran goods or technologies, or provided post-transfer services, that may be used to commit human rights abuses to investigate and determine within 180 days whether the person engaged in such activity; (2) submit a list of such persons to Congress every 180 days or as new information becomes available; and (3) freeze the assets of a listed person.
 
Amends the Iran Freedom Support Act to: (1) extend the President's authority to provide financial and political assistance to support democracy in Iran through December 31, 2016; and (2) expand the forms of such assistance. 
 
Requires the President to appoint a Special Representative on Human Rights and Democracy in the Islamic republic of Iran within the Department of State.
 
Requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to promote Internet freedom and access to information in Iran.
 
Amends the the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act to include in the scope of such Act a person that: (1) acquired materials mined or extracted within North Korea's territory or control; or (2) provided shipping services for the transportation of goods to or from Iran, North Korea, or Syria relating to such countries' weapons of mass destruction programs, support for acts of international terrorism, or human rights abuses. Excludes from such provisions shipping services for emergency or humanitarian purposes.
 
Prohibits a vessel from knowingly landing at a U.S. port to load or unload cargo or engage in trade if the vessel entered a port in Iran, North Korea, or Syria during the 180-day period preceding the vessel's U.S. port arrival. Provides for enhanced vessel inspections.
 
Directs: (1) the President to publish a list of each individual who is a senior government official of Iran (including the IRGC), North Korea, or Syria, or a close associate of such individual; and (2) the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to not grant an identified individual immigration status in, or admit the individual to, the United States.
 
Requires a domestic or a foreign financial institution operating in the United States to report to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding any transactions with financial institutions, whose property or interests are blocked due to involvement with Iran, North Korea, or Syria, in activities supportive of international terrorism or weapons of mass destruction proliferation. Prohibits such an institution from continuing to operate in the United States if it: (1) continues to engage in transactions with such sanctioned institutions, or (2) fails to report or submits a false report.
 
Directs the President to apply specified property, financial, or export sanctions against a person providing to, or acquiring from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria any good or technology that is used, or is likely to be used, for military applications.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-10-13
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-332.
action_date: 2011-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2011-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate