Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act
PL 114-151 (H.R.1493), enacted 05/09/2016

130 STAT. 369 
PUBLIC LAW 114–151—MAY 9, 2016 
Public Law 114–151 
114th Congress 
An Act 
To protect and preserve international cultural property at risk due to political 
instability, armed conflict, or natural or other disasters, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect and Preserve Inter-
national Cultural Property Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the President should establish 
an interagency coordinating committee to coordinate the efforts 
of the executive branch to protect and preserve international cul-
tural property at risk from political instability, armed conflict, 
or natural or other disasters. Such committee should— 
(1) be chaired by a Department of State employee of Assist-
ant Secretary rank or higher, concurrent with that employee’s 
other duties; 
(2) include representatives of the Smithsonian Institution 
and Federal agencies with responsibility for the preservation 
and protection of international cultural property; 
(3) consult with governmental and nongovernmental 
organizations, including the United States Committee of the 
Blue Shield, museums, educational institutions, and research 
institutions, and participants in the international art and cul-
tural property market on efforts to protect and preserve inter-
national cultural property; 
(4) coordinate core United States interests in— 
(A) protecting and preserving international cultural 
property; 
(B) preventing and disrupting looting and illegal trade 
and trafficking in international cultural property, particu-
larly exchanges that provide revenue to terrorist and 
criminal organizations; 
(C) protecting sites of cultural and archaeological 
significance; and 
(D) providing for the lawful exchange of international 
cultural property. 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY PROTECTION FOR SYRIAN CULTURAL PROPERTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall exercise the authority 
of the President under section 304 of the Convention on Cultural 
Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2603) to impose import 
restrictions set forth in section 307 of that Act (19 U.S.C. 2606) 
President. 
Protect and 
Preserve 
International 
Cultural 
Property Act. 
19 USC 2601 
note. 
May 9, 2016 
[H.R. 1493] 
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130 STAT. 370 
PUBLIC LAW 114–151—MAY 9, 2016 
with respect to any archaeological or ethnological material of 
Syria— 
(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act; 
(2) without regard to whether Syria is a State Party (as 
defined in section 302 of that Act (19 U.S.C. 2601)); and 
(3) notwithstanding— 
(A) the requirement of subsection (b) of section 304 
of that Act (19 U.S.C. 2603(b)) that an emergency condition 
(as defined in subsection (a) of that section) applies; and 
(B) the limitations under subsection (c) of that section. 
(b) ANNUAL DETERMINATION REGARDING CERTIFICATION.— 
(1) DETERMINATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, not less often 
than annually, determine whether at least 1 of the condi-
tions specified in subparagraph (B) is met, and shall notify 
the appropriate congressional committees of such deter-
mination. 
(B) 
CONDITIONS.—The 
conditions 
referred 
to 
in 
subparagraph (A) are the following: 
(i) The Government of Syria is incapable, at the 
time a determination under such subparagraph is 
made, of fulfilling the requirements to request an 
agreement under section 303 of the Convention on 
Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
2602), including the requirements under subsection 
(a)(3) of that section. 
(ii) It would be against the United States national 
interest to enter into such an agreement. 
(2) TERMINATION OF RESTRICTIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), the import restrictions referred to in subsection (a) 
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date 
on which the President determines that neither of the 
conditions specified in paragraph (1)(B) are met. 
(B) REQUEST FOR TERMINATION.—If Syria requests to 
enter into an agreement with the United States pursuant 
to section 303 of the Convention on Cultural Property 
Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2602) on or after the date 
on which the President determines that neither of the 
conditions specified in paragraph (1)(B) are met, the import 
restrictions referred to in subsection (a) shall terminate 
on the earlier of— 
(i) the date that is 3 years after the date on which 
Syria makes such a request; or 
(ii) the date on which the United States and Syria 
enter into such an agreement. 
(c) WAIVER.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The President may waive the import 
restrictions referred to in subsection (a) for specified archae-
ological and ethnological material of Syria if the President 
certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the 
conditions described in paragraph (2) are met. 
(2) CONDITIONS.—The conditions referred to in paragraph 
(1) are the following: 
(A)(i) The owner or lawful custodian of the specified 
archaeological or ethnological material of Syria has 
Certification. 
Determination. 
Notification. 
Deadline. 
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130 STAT. 371 
PUBLIC LAW 114–151—MAY 9, 2016 
requested that such material be temporarily located in 
the United States for protection purposes; or 
(ii) if no owner or lawful custodian can reasonably 
be identified, the President determines that, for purposes 
of protecting and preserving such material, the material 
should be temporarily located in the United States. 
(B) Such material shall be returned to the owner or 
lawful custodian when requested by such owner or lawful 
custodian. 
(C) There is no credible evidence that granting a waiver 
under this subsection will contribute to illegal trafficking 
in archaeological or ethnological material of Syria or 
financing of criminal or terrorist activities. 
(3) ACTION.—If the President grants a waiver under this 
subsection, the specified archaeological or ethnological material 
of Syria that is the subject of such waiver shall be placed 
in the temporary custody of the United States Government 
or in the temporary custody of a cultural or educational institu-
tion within the United States for the purpose of protection, 
restoration, conservation, study, or exhibition, without profit. 
(4) IMMUNITY FROM SEIZURE.—Any archaeological or ethno-
logical material that enters the United States pursuant to 
a waiver granted under this section shall have immunity from 
seizure under Public Law 89–259 (22 U.S.C. 2459). All provi-
sions of Public Law 89–259 shall apply to such material as 
if immunity from seizure had been granted under that Public 
Law. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Com-
mittee on Finance of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. 
(2) ARCHAEOLOGICAL
OR
ETHNOLOGICAL
MATERIAL
OF 
SYRIA.—The term ‘‘archaeological or ethnological material of 
Syria’’ means cultural property (as defined in section 302 of 
the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 
U.S.C. 2601)) that is unlawfully removed from Syria on or 
after March 15, 2011. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter for the next 6 years, the President 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
on the efforts of the executive branch, during the 12-month period 
preceding the submission of the report, to protect and preserve 
international cultural property, including— 
(1) whether an interagency coordinating committee as 
described in section 2 has been established and, if such a 
committee has been established, a description of the activities 
undertaken by such committee, including a list of the entities 
participating in such activities; 
(2) a description of measures undertaken pursuant to rel-
evant statutes, including— 
(A) actions to implement and enforce section 3 of this 
Act and section 3002 of the Emergency Protection for Iraqi 
President. 
Time period. 
Applicability. 
Determination. 
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130 STAT. 372 
PUBLIC LAW 114–151—MAY 9, 2016 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1493: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 161 (2015): June 1, considered and passed House. 
Vol. 162 (2016): Apr. 13, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Apr. 26, House concurred in Senate amendment. 
Cultural Antiquities Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–429; 118 
Stat. 2599), including measures to dismantle international 
networks that traffic illegally in cultural property; 
(B) a description of any requests for a waiver under 
section 3(c) of this Act and, for each such request, whether 
a waiver was granted; 
(C) a list of the statutes and regulations employed 
in criminal, civil, and civil forfeiture actions to prevent 
illegal trade and trafficking in cultural property; 
(D) actions undertaken to ensure the consistent and 
effective application of law in cases relating to illegal trade 
and trafficking in cultural property; and 
(E) actions undertaken to promote the legitimate 
commercial and non-commercial exchange and movement 
of cultural property; and 
(3) actions undertaken in fulfillment of international agree-
ments on cultural property protection, including the Convention 
for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed 
Conflict, done at The Hague May 14, 1954. 
Approved May 9, 2016. 
List. 
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