No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

Bill: 114-hr-5940
Sponsor: Rep. Pompeo, Mike [R-KS-4]
Introduced: 2016-09-06 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Appropriations
Congressional oversight
Crime victims
Detention of persons
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Foreign property
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government liability
Iran
Legislative rules and procedure
Licensing and registrations
Middle East
Sanctions
Terrorism
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: 

No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

 
This bill prohibits the President from paying final judgments, awards, or compromise settlements to Iran using specified Department of Treasury funds (specified funds) until the President certifies that: (1) Iran has returned any money from such funds paid to it by the United States after January 1, 2016, (2) Iran has satisfied all outstanding judgments against it awarded to U.S. plaintiffs by U.S. courts, and (3) individuals taken hostage and held for 444 days following the U.S. Embassy seizure in Iran on November 4, 1979, have been compensated from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
 
The President must certify before providing or authorizing payment of any funds to Iran that: (1) the funds will not be used to support international terrorism, and (2) Iran or Iran-supported groups are not unjustly detaining U.S. citizens.
 
The President, within 60 days after enactment of this bill, shall impose property transaction and U.S. entry sanctions against any Iranian person: 
 
 
 involved in the kidnapping or unjust detention of a U.S. citizen on or after March 9, 2007;
 
 that engages, or attempts to engage, in an activity or transaction that materially contributes to such kidnapping or unjust detentions; and 
 
 owned or controlled by such a person, acting on behalf of such a person, or providing support for such a person.
 
 
The Director of National Intelligence shall report within 60 days on whether funds paid to Iran by the United States after January 1, 2016, have been used by Iran to support international terrorism. 
 
The President and U.S. government officers shall not: 
 
 
make a payment to a government or person to secure the release of unjustly detained U.S. citizens (a payment to assist arrested U.S. citizens is excluded from such prohibition), or
 
use specified funds to make any payment to a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism (a specific payment or a specific payee is excluded from such prohibition if Congress has passed a joint resolution waiving the application of such prohibition).



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-09-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
action_date: 2016-09-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2016-09-06
text: Introduced in House