Hezbollah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8445
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]
Introduced: 2020-09-30
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Argentina

Bank accounts, deposits, capital

Banking and financial institutions regulation

Bolivia

Brazil

Caribbean area

Congressional oversight

Cuba

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Financial services and investments

Foreign and international banking

Foreign property

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Human rights

Latin America

Lebanon

Mexico

Middle East

Militias and paramilitary groups

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Political parties and affiliation

Sanctions

Terrorism

Venezuela
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-30
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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-09-30
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Hezbollah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes measures to deter money laundering by Hezbollah in Lebanon and Latin America.</p> <p>Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must prohibit or place conditions on the opening or maintaining of certain correspondent or payable-through accounts by the Central Bank of Syria if Treasury determines that certain jurisdictions in Lebanon or areas in Latin America are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern.</p> <p>Further, the President must sanction certain senior foreign political figures or foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hezbollah.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8445 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 30, 2020 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mrs. Wagner , Mr. Perry , Mr. Yoho , Mr. Burchett , Mr. Walker , Mr. Steube , Mr. Kelly of Mississippi , Mr. Bacon , Mr. Higgins of Louisiana , Mr. Gosar , Mrs. Lesko , and Mr. McClintock ) introduced the following bill; which was 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 A BILL To impose certain measures with respect to Hezbollah-dominated areas in Lebanon and Latin America and to impose sanctions with respect to senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua supporting Hezbollah.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Hezbollah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2020 . 2. Measures with respect to Hezbollah-dominated areas in Lebanon and Latin America (a) Determination regarding jurisdictions of Lebanon (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine, under section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that any of the jurisdictions of Lebanon described in paragraph (2) are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern. (2) Jurisdictions described The jurisdictions of Lebanon described in this paragraph are the following: (A) The Nabatieh Governorate. (B) The Haret Hreik municipality in the Baabda district in the Dahieh suburbs south of Beirut. (C) The Chiyah municipality in the Baabda district in the western suburbs of Beirut. (D) The Hadeth Beirut municipality in the Baabda district in the suburbs of Beirut. (E) The Hermel district in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. (F) The Baalbek and Temnin el-Foka municipalities in the Baalbe-Hermel Governorate. (G) The Tyre district in the South Governorate. (b) Determination regarding the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay tri-Border areas Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine, under section 5318A of title 31, United States Code, whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay tri-border areas, are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern. (c) Prohibitions or conditions on opening or maintaining certain correspondent or payable-Through accounts If the Secretary of the Treasury determines under subsection (a) or (b) that reasonable grounds exist for concluding that any jurisdiction described in subsection (a) or (b) is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern, the Secretary, in consultation with the Federal functional regulators (as defined in section 509 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 6809 )), shall impose the special measures described in section 5318A(b)(5) of title 31, United States Code, with respect to the Central Bank of Syria. (d) Report required (1) In general Not later than 90 days after making a determination under subsection (a) and (b) with respect to whether a jurisdiction is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the reasons for the determination. (2) Form A report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. (3) Appropriate congressional committees defined In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. 3. Sanctions with respect to senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua supporting Hezbollah (a) In general The President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to each individual on the list required by subsection (b). (b) List (1) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of individuals who are senior foreign political figures in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hezbollah or meet the criteria for sanctions under the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act, the Hezbollah International Financing Amendment Act, or the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability Act. (2) Additional requirement The President shall include Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security, on the list required by this subsection. (3) Form The list required by this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (c) Sanctions described The sanctions described in this subsection with respect to an individual are the sanctions described in section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328 ; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note). (d) Exception To comply with United Nations Headquarters Agreement; Enforcement Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2656 note) apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under this section to the same extent as such subsections apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under such section 1263. (e) Waiver The President may waive the imposition of sanctions under subsection (c) with respect to an individual if the President— (1) determines that such a waiver is in the national interests of the United States; and (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees notice of, and a justification for, the waiver. (f) Regulatory Authority The President shall issue such regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this section. (g) Exception relating to importation of goods (1) In general The authorities and requirements to impose sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods. (2) Good defined In this subsection, the term good means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data. (h) Appropriate congressional committees defined In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. 4. Sanctions with respect to foreign persons supporting Hezbollah in Latin America (a) In general The President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to each foreign person on the list required by subsection (b). (b) List (1) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly directly or indirectly engaged in significant transactions with or provided material support to Hezbollah in Mexico, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Cuba, Bolivia, or any other country in Latin America. (2) Form The list required by this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (c) Sanctions described The sanctions described in this subsection with respect to a foreign person are the sanctions described in section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328 ; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note). (d) Exception To comply with United Nations Headquarters Agreement; Enforcement Subsections (e) and (f) of section 1263 of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under this section to the same extent as such subsections apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions under such section 1263. (e) Waiver The President may waive the imposition of sanctions with respect to a foreign person under this section if the President— (1) determines that such a waiver is in the national interests of the United States; and (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees notice of, and a justification for, the waiver. (f) Regulatory authority The President shall issue such regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry out this section. (g) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods (1) In general The authorities and requirements to impose sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods. (2) Good defined In this subsection, the term good means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. (2) Foreign person The term foreign person has the meaning given the term in section 1262 of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).