Syria Stabilization Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-856
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2013-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arms control and nonproliferation
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Europe
European Union
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign property
Human rights
International organizations and cooperation
Israel
Jordan
Middle East
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Oil and gas
Public contracts and procurement
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Rule of law and government transparency
Sanctions
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Syria
Technology transfer and commercialization
Terrorism
Trade restrictions
Turkey
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-06
text: 
Syria Stabilization Act of 2013 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance to the people of Syria in carrying out the provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act.
 
Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress regarding a U.S. government strategy to ensure that the people of Syria are made aware of the U.S. assistance provided to Syrians, both inside Syria and those seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
 
Authorizes the President to establish a Syria Transition Fund to provide support in the early period of a potentially chaotic Syrian transition to: (1) enable an effective political transition; and (2) provide for initiatives to improve the security of the United States, U.S. partners and allies, and the people of Syria. 
 
Includes among Fund-supported activities: (1) basic services, (2) security sector support, (3) transitional justice and conflict resolution, (4) democracy promotion, (5) economic restructuring, (6) historical preservation, and (7) collection of evidence of human rights abuses. 
 
Authorizes FY2013-FY2015 appropriations for the Fund and the use of certain of such funds for nonproliferation purposes.
 
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress annually (for the duration of the Fund) regarding U.S. efforts to assist Syria's political transition, with a specific focus on Fund-supported efforts.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should begin a phased removal of sanctions on a post-Assad Syria if the new government supports human rights, rejects terrorism, and cooperates with international nonproliferation efforts.
 
Authorizes the President to impose specified sanctions on any person that knowingly participated in or facilitated a significant transaction related to the sale or transfer of defense articles or defense services to the Assad regime, including any successor entity comprised principally of loyalists to Bashar al-Assad.
 
Directs the President to impose at least five such sanctions on each person that knowingly participated in or facilitated a significant transaction related to the sale or transfer of petroleum or petroleum products to the Assad regime, including any successor entity comprised principally of loyalists to Bashar al-Assad, that directly contribute to the capability of the Assad regime, or any such successor entity, to continue its aggression against the people of Syria. 
 
Specifies such sanctions as prohibitions on: (1) Export-Import Bank assistance, (2) procurement of goods or services, (3) arms exports, (4) dual-use exports, (5) property transactions, (6) imports, and (7) U.S. admissions.
 
Prohibits the imposition of sanctions on any person for conducting or facilitating a transaction to meet humanitarian and basic human needs of the people of Syria.
 
Authorizes the President to waive sanction provisions if vital to U.S. national security interests. 
 
Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including defense articles, defense services, and training to members of the Syrian Supreme Military Council, units of the Free Syrian Army, and other Syrian entities opposed to the Assad government. Terminates such authority on October 1, 2018. 
 
Directs the President to notify Congress not later than 15 days before obligating funds or making commitments for such assistance.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2013-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate