Russian Property Theft and Occupation Act of 2022

Bill: 117-hr-8459
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]
Introduced: 2022-07-21
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2022-11-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-07-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Russian Property Theft and Occupation Act of 2022</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This bill requires the President to impose sanctions on foreign persons, acting under direct or indirect control of the Russian government, who seize, steal, or confiscate property in Ukraine for political or personal gain. The sanctions include blocking of the individual's U.S. property and ineligibility for U.S. visas, admission, or parole.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8459 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 21, 2022 Mr. Barr (for himself and Ms. Dean ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs , and in addition to the Committee on 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 A BILL To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons that engage in certain transactions with Ukrainian property.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Russian Property Theft and Occupation Act of 2022 . 2. Sanctions with respect to foreign persons that engage in certain transactions with Ukrainian property (a) Imposition of sanctions (1) In general On and after the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to a foreign person if the President determines that the foreign person, on or after such date of enactment, knowingly engages in an activity described in paragraph (2). (2) Activities described A foreign person— (A) under the direct or indirect control of, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, or attempted to engage in, the seizure, confiscation, theft, expropriation, or appropriation of property for personal gain or political purposes in Ukraine; (B) that knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support to, or knowingly engages in a transaction with, a foreign person described in subparagraph (A); or (C) that is a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of an entity the President determines operates in illegally occupied areas in Ukraine. (b) Sanctions described (1) In general The sanctions to be imposed with respect to a foreign person described in subsection (a) are the following: (A) Blocking of property The President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. ) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property of the foreign person if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person. (B) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole (i) Visas, admission, or parole An alien described in subsection (a) is— (I) inadmissible to the United States; (II) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to enter the United States; and (III) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the United States or to receive any other benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq. ). (ii) Current visas revoked (I) In general An alien described in subsection (a) is subject to revocation of any visa or other entry documentation regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is or was issued. (II) Immediate effect A revocation under subclause (I) shall— (aa) take effect immediately; and (bb) automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien’s possession. (2) Penalties The penalties provided for in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1705 ) shall apply to a person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of regulations promulgated to carry out paragraph (1)(A) to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that Act. (3) Exceptions Sanctions under paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to an alien if admitting or paroling the alien into the United States is necessary— (A) to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States, or other applicable international obligations; or (B) to carry out or assist law enforcement activity in the United States. (c) Report required Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that identifies, for the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the date of the report, foreign persons that have engaged in the activity described in paragraphs (2)(A), (2)(B), and (2)(C) of subsection (a). (d) Congressional requests Not later than 30 days after receiving a request from the chairman or ranking member of the appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether a person meets the criteria of a person described in subsection (a) the President shall— (1) determine if the person meets such criteria; and (2) submit a classified or unclassified report to such chairman or ranking member, as the case may be, that submitted the request with respect to that determination that includes a statement of whether or not the President imposed or intends to impose sanctions with respect to such person. (e) National security waiver The President may waive the application of sanctions under this section with respect to a foreign person if the President— (1) determines that the waiver is in the national security interests of the United States; and (2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the waiver and the reasons for the waiver. (f) Appropriate congressional committees defined In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives.