Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012
PL 112-283 (S.2318), enacted 01/15/2013

126 STAT. 2492 
PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 
Public Law 112–283 
112th Congress 
An Act 
To authorize the Secretary of State to pay a reward to combat transnational orga-
nized crime and for information concerning foreign nationals wanted by inter-
national criminal tribunals, 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 ‘‘Department of State Rewards 
Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The Department of State’s existing rewards programs 
permit the payment of reward for information leading to the 
arrest or conviction of— 
(A) individuals who have committed, or attempted or 
conspired to commit, certain acts of international terrorism; 
(B) individuals who have committed, or attempted or 
conspired to commit, certain narcotics-related offenses; and 
(C) individuals who have been indicted by certain inter-
national criminal tribunals. 
(2) The Department of State considers the rewards program 
to be ‘‘one of the most valuable assets the U.S. Government 
has in the fight against international terrorism’’. Since the 
program’s inception in 1984, the United States Government 
has rewarded over 60 people who provided actionable informa-
tion that, according to the Department of State, prevented 
international terrorist attacks or helped convict individuals 
involved in terrorist attacks. 
(3) The program has been credited with providing informa-
tion in several high-profile cases, including the arrest of Ramzi 
Yousef, who was convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World 
Trade Center, the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein, who 
United States military forces located and killed in Iraq after 
receiving information about their locations, and the arrests 
or deaths of several members of the Abu Sayyaf group, believed 
to be responsible for the kidnappings and deaths of United 
States citizens and Filipinos in the Philippines. 
(b) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
the rewards program of the Department of State should be expanded 
in order to— 
Department of 
State Rewards 
Program Update 
and Technical 
Corrections Act 
of 2012. 
22 USC 2651 
note. 
22 USC 2708 
note. 
Jan. 15, 2013 
[S. 2318] 
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126 STAT. 2493 
PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 
(1) address the growing threat to important United States 
interests from transnational criminal activity, such as intellec-
tual property rights piracy, money laundering, trafficking in 
persons, arms trafficking, and cybercrime; and 
(2) target other individuals indicted by international, 
hybrid, or mixed tribunals for genocide, war crimes, or crimes 
against humanity. 
SEC. 3. ENHANCED REWARDS AUTHORITY. 
Section 36 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ‘‘serious violations 
of international humanitarian law, transnational organized 
crime,’’ after ‘‘international narcotics trafficking,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘Attorney General’’ and inserting ‘‘heads of other relevant 
departments or agencies’’; 
(B) in paragraphs (4) and (5), by striking ‘‘paragraph 
(1), (2), or (3)’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘para-
graph (1), (2), (3), (8), or (9)’’; 
(C) in paragraph (6)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘or transnational organized crime 
group’’ after ‘‘terrorist organization’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(D) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
striking ‘‘, including the use by the organization of 
illicit narcotics production or international narcotics 
trafficking’’ and inserting ‘‘or transnational organized 
crime group, including the use by such organization 
or group of illicit narcotics production or international 
narcotics trafficking’’; 
(ii) 
in 
subparagraph 
(A), 
by 
inserting 
‘‘or 
transnational organized crime’’ after ‘‘international ter-
rorism’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘or transnational organized 
crime group’’ after ‘‘terrorist organization’’; and 
(II) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting a semicolon; and 
(E) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(8) the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual 
for participating in, primarily outside the United States, 
transnational organized crime; 
‘‘(9) the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual 
conspiring to participate in or attempting to participate in 
transnational organized crime; or 
‘‘(10) the arrest or conviction in any country, or the transfer 
to or conviction by an international criminal tribunal (including 
a hybrid or mixed tribunal), of any foreign national accused 
of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, as defined 
under the statute of such tribunal.’’; 
(3) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) ADVANCE NOTIFICATION FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL 
TRIBUNAL
REWARDS.—Not less than 15 days before publicly 
Deadline. 
Reports. 
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126 STAT. 2494 
PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 
announcing that a reward may be offered for a particular 
foreign national accused of war crimes, crimes against 
humanity, or genocide, the Secretary of State shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a report, which 
may be submitted in classified form if necessary, setting forth 
the reasons why the arrest or conviction of such foreign national 
is in the national interests of the United States.’’; and 
(4) in subsection (k)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as para-
graphs (7) and (8), respectively; and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(5) 
TRANSNATIONAL
ORGANIZED
CRIME.—The 
term 
‘transnational organized crime’ means— 
‘‘(A) racketeering activity (as such term is defined in 
section 1961 of title 18, United States Code) that involves 
at least one jurisdiction outside the United States; or 
‘‘(B) any other criminal offense punishable by a term 
of imprisonment of at least four years under Federal, State, 
or local law that involves at least one jurisdiction outside 
the United States and that is intended to obtain, directly 
or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit. 
‘‘(6) TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME GROUP.—The term 
‘transnational organized crime group’ means a group of persons 
that includes one or more citizens of a foreign country, exists 
for a period of time, and acts in concert with the aim of 
engaging in transnational organized crime.’’. 
SEC. 4. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 
Section 36(e)(1) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act 
of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708) is amended by striking ‘‘The Secretary 
shall authorize a reward of $50,000,000 for the capture or death 
or information leading to the capture or death of Osama bin Laden.’’. 
SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act 
shall be construed as authorizing the use of activity precluded 
under the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act of 2002 (title 
II of Public Law 107–206; 22 U.S.C. 7421 et seq.). 
SEC. 6. FUNDING. 
The Secretary of State shall use amounts appropriated or other-
wise made available to the Emergencies in the Diplomatic and 
Consular Services account of the Department of State to pay 
rewards authorized pursuant to this Act and to carry out other 
22 USC 2708 
note. 
22 USC 2708 
note. 
Definition. 
Definition. 
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126 STAT. 2495 
PUBLIC LAW 112–283—JAN. 15, 2013 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2318: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–232 (Comm. on Foreign Relations). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 158 (2012): Dec. 19, considered and passed Senate. 
Dec. 30, considered in House. 
Vol. 158 (2013): Jan. 1, considered and passed House. 
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2013): 
Jan. 15, Presidential statement. 
activities related to such rewards authorized under section 36 of 
the State Department Basic Authorities Act (22 U.S.C. 2708). 
Approved January 15, 2013. 
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