Iran and Hizballah Western Hemisphere Prevention Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-3118
Sponsor: Rep. Duncan, Jeff [R-SC-3]
Introduced: 2017-06-29 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Caribbean area
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Foreign and international banking
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Immigration status and procedures
International organizations and cooperation
Iran
Latin America
Middle East
Organized crime
Sanctions
Terrorism
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: 

Iran and Hizballah Western Hemisphere Prevention Act of 2017

 
This bill declares it to be U.S. policy to prevent further penetration of Iran and Hizballah into the Western Hemisphere and to prioritize diplomatic efforts to engage countries in the hemisphere to disrupt and degrade Hizballah's illicit networks operating in the region.
 
The Department of State shall submit a strategy to prevent hostile activities by Iran and disrupt and degrade Hizballah's illicit networks in the hemisphere.
 
The President shall instruct the State Department to prioritize U.S. diplomatic engagement with countries in the hemisphere in order to increase cooperation and build the capacity of the governments of those countries to prevent such activities and disrupt and degrade such networks. 
 
The bill amends the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 to require the President to instruct: 
 
 
 the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) to work to secure OAS support for a resolution that would declare Hizballah to be a terrorist organization and address such illicit networks; and 
 
the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to work in securing a report on compliance by participating states with OSCE Decision Number 1063, the Consolidated Framework for the Fight Against Terrorism, with regard to Hizballah; and 
 
U.S. diplomats to work with international forums to identify government entities in Latin America and the Caribbean that support individuals affiliated with Hizballah in the hemisphere. 
 
 
The State Department must provide to the relevant congressional committees annual briefings that review its efforts to implement such strategy and U.S. bilateral and multilateral engagement with respect to Hizballah in the hemisphere. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-09-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
action_date: 2017-09-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa.
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, 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: 2017-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, 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: 2017-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, 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: 2017-06-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Introduced in House