Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires sanctions on the Iranian and Russian governments and requires the President of the United States to receive congressional approval before waiving certain sanctions.

Highlights:

• Requires the President of the United States to impose sanctions with respect to any individual or entity determined to knowingly engage in activities which materially contribute to Iran’s ballistic missile program or any other program in Iran for developing, deploying, or maintaining systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction (Sec. 4).

• Requires the President to impose sanctions with respect to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or any individual who is an agent, official, or affiliate of the IRGC (Sec. 5).

• Requires the President to impose sanctions with respect to any individual or entity determined to knowingly (Sec. 7):

• Engage in any activity contributing to the supply, sale, or transfer directly or indirectly to or from Iran, or for the use in or benefit of Iran, of any battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles, or missile systems, or related material; or

• Provide to Iran any technical training, financial resources or services, advice, other services or assistance related to the supply, sale, transfer, manufacture, or use of arms.

• Specifies that the President is not required to impose such sanctions under this section if the President provides Congress with certification that (Sec. 7):

• The activity is in the national security interest of the United States;

• Iran is no longer a significant threat to the national security of the United States and its allies; and

• The Iranian government has ceased providing operational and financial support for acts of international terrorism.

• Requires the Secretary of State to annually submit to Congress a list of individuals or entities determined to be responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against individuals in Iran who seek to (Sec. 6):

• Expose illegal activity carried out by Iranian government officials; or

• Obtain, exercise, defend, or promote such human rights.

• Requires the President to impose sanctions with respect to any individual determined to be knowingly engaged in “significant activities undermining cybersecurity” against any entity, including a democratic institution or government, on behalf of the Russian government (Sec. 224).

• Defines “significant activities undermining cybersecurity” as (Sec. 224):

• Significant efforts to deny access or degrade, disrupt or destroy an information and communications system or network, or to exfiltrate, degrade, corrupt, destroy, or release information from such a system or network without authorization;

• Significant destructive malware attacks; and

• Significant denial of service activities.

• Authorizes the waiver of such sanctions only if the President submits to Congress (Sec. 224):

• A written determination that the waiver is in the vital national security interest of the United States or will further the enforcement of this act; and

• A certification that the Russian government has made significant efforts to reduce the number and intensity of cyber intrusions.

• Requires the President to impose sanctions with respect to a foreign individual or entity if the President determines that such individual or entity is responsible for, complicit in, or responsible for ordering,controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses in any territory forcibly occupied or otherwise controlled by the Russian government (Sec. 228).

• Authorizes the waiver of such sanctions only if the President submits to Congress (Sec. 228):

• A written determination that the waiver is in the vital national security interest of the United States or will further the enforcement of this act; and

• A certification that the Russian government has made efforts to reduce serious human rights abuses in such a territory.

• Requires the President to impose sanctions with respect to any official of the Russian government, or a close associate or family member of such an official, who is determined to be responsible for, or complicit in, acts of significant corruption in the Russian Federation or elsewhere (Sec. 227).

• Authorizes the waiver of such sanctions only if the President submits to Congress (Sec. 227):

• A written determination that the waiver is in the vital national security interest of the United States or will further the enforcement of this act; and

• A certification that the Russian government is taking steps to implement the Minsk agreement to address the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.

• Requires the President to impose sanctions upon a foreign individual or entity who has knowingly provided Syria with significant financial, material, or technological support that contributes materially to the ability of Syria’s government to acquire significant defense articles or information, or to acquire or develop weapons including but not limited to (Sec. 234):

• Chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons or related technologies;

• Ballistic or cruise missile capabilities; or

• Destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons.

• Authorizes the President to waive such sanctions if the waiver is determined to be in the national security interest of the United States (Sec. 234).

• Requires the President to impose sanctions upon certain foreign financial institutions (Sec. 226).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text