Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-1595
Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]
Introduced: 2017-07-20 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Foreign and international banking
Foreign property
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government information and archives
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
International organizations and cooperation
Iran
Judicial review and appeals
Lebanon
Middle East
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Organized crime
Political parties and affiliation
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Sanctions
Smuggling and trafficking
Syria
Terrorism
Visas and passports
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-20
text: 

Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 to impose specified sanctions on: (1) foreign persons that knowingly assist in or provide support for fund raising or recruitment activities for Hizballah; (2) agencies of foreign governments that provide Hizballah with financial support, arms, or other assistance; and (3) Hizballah by reason of its narcotics trafficking and significant transnational criminal activities. 
 
The bill prescribes reporting requirements or reporting modifications with respect to: (1) foreign persons that knowingly assist or provide significant financial, material, or technological support for foreign persons assisting Hizballah; (2) financial institutions that are owned or organized under the laws of state sponsors of terrorism; (3) Hizballah's racketeering activities; (4) combating illicit tobacco trafficking networks used by Hizballah and other foreign terrorist organizations to finance their operations; (5) the estimated net worth of senior Hizballah officials and how their funds were acquired and used; and (6) revenue from Hizbollah's global logistics networks and legal measures available to target such networks.

action_date: 2018-10-25
text: 

Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018

 
This bill imposes sanctions and reporting requirements with respect to activities associated with Hezbollah.
 
The President shall impose sanctions on (1) any foreign individual or entity that knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support for certain Hezbollah-affiliated groups; and (2) foreign individuals or entities engaged in fundraising or recruitment activities for Hezbollah. 
 
The sanctions shall include blocking property transactions, barring of entry into the United States, and revoking granted visas.
 
The President shall also impose property-blocking sanctions on (1) any agent or foreign state instrumentality that has knowingly supported or participated in combat operations with Hezbollah or provided significant financial support, arms, or related materiel to Hezbollah; and (2) affiliated networks of Hezbollah, including those affiliated through the commission of significant transnational criminal activities.
 
The President may waive sanctions required under this bill if it is in the U.S. national interest to do so.
 
The President shall instruct the Secretary of State to increase efforts to strengthen the capacity of foreign governments to prevent hostile activity by Iran and disrupt Hezbollah's illicit activities. Such efforts include diplomatic efforts to persuade governments to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and to help governments develop legislation and financial investigative capacity. 
 
The President is authorized to require financial institutions in the United States to establish enhanced due diligence policies in relation to correspondent or payable through accounts for foreign financial institutions. 
 
The bill imposes and modifies various reporting requirements related to Hezbollah, including reports to Congress on (1) certain foreign financial institutions that process various transactions related to Hezbollah, (2) racketeering activities involving Hezbollah and its affiliates, (3) Hezbollah's fundraising and international operational capabilities and information such as which countries consent to such activities within their borders, (4) the estimated net worth of senior Hezbollah members and their sources of income, and (5) members of the Lebanese Parliament who identify as Hezbollah members and the significant conduct of such individuals.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-10-25
text: Became Public Law No: 115-272.
action_date: 2018-10-25
text: Became Public Law No: 115-272.
action_date: 2018-10-25
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2018-10-25
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2018-10-23
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2018-10-23
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2018-10-12
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2018-10-11
text: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1595 by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2018-10-11
text: Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1595 by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2018-10-11
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6880)
action_date: 2018-09-28
text: Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
action_date: 2018-09-25
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2018-09-25
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H8872-8876)
action_date: 2018-09-25
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H8872-8876)
action_date: 2018-09-25
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1595.
action_date: 2018-09-25
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8872-8878)
action_date: 2018-09-25
text: Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2017-10-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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: 2017-10-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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: 2017-10-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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: 2017-10-10
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2017-10-10
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2017-10-10
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2017-10-05
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6375)
action_date: 2017-10-05
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S6375)
action_date: 2017-10-05
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
action_date: 2017-10-05
text: Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2017-10-05
text: Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2017-07-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2017-07-20
text: Introduced in Senate

Enacted as: number: 115-272