Signed by President Donald Trump

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill to provide counter aggression measures to the governments of Iran, Russia, and North Korea.

Highlights:

• Authorizes UN Security Council sanctions on individuals who knowingly furnish or purchase certain metals, aviation equipment, or fuel supplies to or from the North Korean government (Title III, Sec. 311).

• Authorizes UN Security Council sanctions on individuals who knowingly registers or insures a North Korean government-owned vessel, or who knowingly manages or facilitates any correspondence with a North Korean financial institution (Title III, Secs. 311 & 312).

• Authorizes UN Security Council sanctions on individuals who knowingly purchase or otherwise support North Korean fishing and agricultural production, or North Korea’s transportation, mining, energy, or commercial industries (Title III, Sec. 311).

• Prohibits vessels or cargo owned by, or on behalf of, the North Korean government or any of its affiliates found in non-compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions from any port or jurisdiction of the United States, unless otherwise approved by the Secretary of State, or unless such a prohibition would jeopardize U.S. national security or the safety of innocent passengers aboard the vessel or cargo transport (Title III, Sec. 315).

• Exempts individuals, vessels, or entities entering North Korean territory exclusively for the purpose of food, medicine, or humanitarian efforts from certain sanctions, inspections, and restrictions that are otherwise imposed on other individuals, vessels, and entities (Title III, Sec. 314).

• Authorizes sanctions on individuals, corporations, or entities that knowingly employ the forced labor of North Korean persons, and prohibits any goods or merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured from the labor of North Korean persons from entering the United States, unless such goods are proven by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to have not been produced by convict, forced, or indentured labor, and unless all necessary labor is proven to meet international standards (Title III, Sec. 321).

• Requires the President to submit an annual report assessing the extent to which North Korea and Iran are cooperating with respect to their nuclear and ballistic missile development, their chemical or biological weapons development, and their conventional weapons programs (Title III, Sec. 316).

• Requires the President to submit multiple reports assessing the degree to which foreign states are observing certain sanctions on North Korea, detailing compliance on (Title III, Secs. 314-317):

• Shipment transfers and inspections of certain vessels and cargo;

• Diplomatic efforts, including an assessment on the expulsion of certain North Korean nationals, diplomats, or representatives complicit in certain acts; and

• Iran’s specific actions regarding UN Security Council-enforced resolutions on the North Korean government and its institutions.

• Requires the President to provide a biannual briefing to Congress that lists each person or foreign government that directly provides or indirectly enables a secure financial communication, such as wire transfers, within or between any North Korean banks or bank affiliates (Title III, Sec. 318).

• Requires the President to submit a report that details acceptable grounds for certain North Korean insurance, banking, and commerce institutions, and certain North Korean imports, exports, and economic development (Title III, Sec. 311).

• Requires the Secretary of State to submit a report that addresses the compliance of foreign countries and jurisdictions in curtailing arms trade and arms trafficking (Title III, Sec. 313).

• Specifies that the Secretary of State may, at their discretion, pay a reward to any individual informant that (Title III, Sec. 323):

• Identifies or locates a person who, directed by a foreign government, aides or directly contributes to a violation of this bill; or

• Disrupts the financial means for any person who, directed by a foreign government, aides or directly contributes to a violation of this bill.

• Requires the Secretary of State to submit a report that determines whether or not North Korea meets the criteria to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism (Title III, Sec. 324).

• Prohibits additional funds from being used to carry out the provisions of this bill (Title III, Sec. 334).

• 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

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill to provide counter aggression measures to the governments of Iran, Russia, and North Korea.

Highlights:

• Authorizes UN Security Council sanctions on individuals who knowingly furnish or purchase certain metals, aviation equipment, or fuel supplies to or from the North Korean government (Title III, Sec. 311).

• Authorizes UN Security Council sanctions on individuals who knowingly registers or insures a North Korean government-owned vessel, or who knowingly manages or facilitates any correspondence with a North Korean financial institution (Title III, Secs. 311 & 312).

• Authorizes UN Security Council sanctions on individuals who knowingly purchase or otherwise support North Korean fishing and agricultural production, or North Korea’s transportation, mining, energy, or commercial industries (Title III, Sec. 311).

• Prohibits vessels or cargo owned by, or on behalf of, the North Korean government or any of its affiliates found in non-compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions from any port or jurisdiction of the United States, unless otherwise approved by the Secretary of State, or unless such a prohibition would jeopardize U.S. national security or the safety of innocent passengers aboard the vessel or cargo transport (Title III, Sec. 315).

• Exempts individuals, vessels, or entities entering North Korean territory exclusively for the purpose of food, medicine, or humanitarian efforts from certain sanctions, inspections, and restrictions that are otherwise imposed on other individuals, vessels, and entities (Title III, Sec. 314).

• Authorizes sanctions on individuals, corporations, or entities that knowingly employ the forced labor of North Korean persons, and prohibits any goods or merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured from the labor of North Korean persons from entering the United States, unless such goods are proven by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to have not been produced by convict, forced, or indentured labor, and unless all necessary labor is proven to meet international standards (Title III, Sec. 321).

• Requires the President to submit an annual report assessing the extent to which North Korea and Iran are cooperating with respect to their nuclear and ballistic missile development, their chemical or biological weapons development, and their conventional weapons programs (Title III, Sec. 316).

• Requires the President to submit multiple reports assessing the degree to which foreign states are observing certain sanctions on North Korea, detailing compliance on (Title III, Secs. 314-317):

• Shipment transfers and inspections of certain vessels and cargo;

• Diplomatic efforts, including an assessment on the expulsion of certain North Korean nationals, diplomats, or representatives complicit in certain acts; and

• Iran’s specific actions regarding UN Security Council-enforced resolutions on the North Korean government and its institutions.

• Requires the President to provide a biannual briefing to Congress that lists each person or foreign government that directly provides or indirectly enables a secure financial communication, such as wire transfers, within or between any North Korean banks or bank affiliates (Title III, Sec. 318).

• Requires the President to submit a report that details acceptable grounds for certain North Korean insurance, banking, and commerce institutions, and certain North Korean imports, exports, and economic development (Title III, Sec. 311).

• Requires the Secretary of State to submit a report that addresses the compliance of foreign countries and jurisdictions in curtailing arms trade and arms trafficking (Title III, Sec. 313).

• Specifies that the Secretary of State may, at their discretion, pay a reward to any individual informant that (Title III, Sec. 323):

• Identifies or locates a person who, directed by a foreign government, aides or directly contributes to a violation of this bill; or

• Disrupts the financial means for any person who, directed by a foreign government, aides or directly contributes to a violation of this bill.

• Requires the Secretary of State to submit a report that determines whether or not North Korea meets the criteria to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism (Title III, Sec. 324).

• Prohibits additional funds from being used to carry out the provisions of this bill (Title III, Sec. 334).

• 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