Accountability for Terrorist Perpetrators of October 7th Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2346 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2346

   To require the imposition of sanctions on the Popular Resistance
   Committees and other associated entities, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 2025

 Mr. Sherman (for himself, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Schneider, Mr. McCaul, Ms.
   McBride, and Mr. Lawler) 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 require the imposition of sanctions on the Popular Resistance
   Committees and other associated entities, 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 ``Accountability for Terrorist
Perpetrators of October 7th Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPOSITION OF TERRORISM SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE POPULAR
              RESISTANCE COMMITTEES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since its founding in 2000 during the second intifada,
        the Popular Resistance Committees (referred to as the ``PRC'')
        has regularly carried out terror attacks against Israelis,
        Americans, and Palestinians.
            (2) The PRC's ranks include former operatives from Hamas,
        Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the
        Liberation of Palestine, all of which are designated by the
        United States as foreign terrorist organizations.
            (3) The PRC carried out an attack in 2003 on a United
        States diplomatic convoy that injured a diplomat and killed 3
        security guards from the United States. The PRC has also
        carried out the 2004 murder of a pregnant Israeli woman and her
        4 daughters, aged 11, 9, 7 and 2, and the executions of
        Palestinians, including the former Palestinian Authority Gaza
        security chief.
            (4) The PRC has been the third-largest terror group in the
        Gaza strip, after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, since as
        early as 2011.
            (5) On October 7, 2023, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad,
        and the Popular Resistance Committees terrorists launched a
        massive, unprovoked war on Israel by air, land, and sea,
        including firing thousands of rockets, resulting in the deaths
        of 1,200 innocent Israelis, Americans, and others, the
        abduction of 250 hostages, and widespread torture and sexual
        violence.
            (6) On October 7, 2023, the PRC issued a statement claiming
        responsibility for participating in the terrorist attack
        against Israel alongside Hamas and their affiliates, including
        the kidnap of IDF soldiers, and posted photos of items taken
        from soldiers killed and captured by the group as evidence.
            (7) On October 8, 2023, the PRC issued a statement claiming
        responsibility for dispatching kamikaze drones during the
        attack on Israel.
    (b) In General.--On and after the date that is 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the measures
described in subsection (d) with respect to--
            (1) the Popular Resistance Committees;
            (2) any foreign person that is an official, agent, or
        affiliate of a foreign person described in paragraph (1);
            (3) any foreign person that is owned or controlled by a
        foreign person described in paragraph (1) or (2); and
            (4) any current or future armed organization the President
        determines is operating under the umbrella of the Popular
        Resistance Committees or any other person described in this
        subsection.
    (c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
            (1) In general.--The sanctions described in this subsection
        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 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) Aliens inadmissable for visas, admission, or
                parole.--
                            (i) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien
                        who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of
                        Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such
                        Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe,
                        is described in subsection (b) 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.--The issuing
                                consular officer, the Secretary of
                                State, or the Secretary of Homeland
                                Security (or a designee of one of such
                                Secretaries) shall, in accordance with
                                section 221(i) of the Immigration and
                                Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)),
                                revoke any visa or other entry
                                documentation issued to an alien
                                described in clause (i) regardless of
                                when the visa or other entry
                                documentation is issued.
                                    (II) Effect of revocation.--A
                                revocation under subclause (I) shall
                                take effect immediately and shall
                                automatically cancel any other valid
                                visa or entry documentation that is in
                                the alien's possession.
            (2) Exceptions.--
                    (A) United nations headquarters agreement.--The
                sanctions described in paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply
                with respect to an alien if admitting or paroling the
                alien into the United States is necessary 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.
                    (B) Exception for intelligence, law enforcement,
                and national security activities.--Sanctions under
                paragraph (1) shall not apply to any authorized
                intelligence, law enforcement, or national security
                activities of the United States.
    (d) 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 this section,
regulations promulgated to carry out this section, or the sanctions
imposed pursuant to this section to the same extent that such penalties
apply to a person that commits an unlawful act described in section
206(a) of that Act.
    (e) Implementation Authority.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704)
for purposes of carrying out this section.
    (f) Waiver.--The President may, for one or more periods of not more
than 180 days each, waive the application of sanctions or restrictions
imposed with respect to a foreign person under this section if the
President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees, not
later than 15 days before such waiver takes effect, that the waiver is
vital to the national security interests of the United States.
    (g) Termination.--Sanctions under this section may be terminated
with respect to any foreign person if the President certifies to the
appropriate congressional committees that--
            (1) such foreign person is no longer engaging in acts of
        terrorism, as such term is defined for purposes of Executive
        Order No. 13224 (relating to blocking property and prohibiting
        transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or
        support terrorism); or
            (2) with respect to a foreign person that is an entity,
        such entity has disbanded.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON THE DESIGNATION OF THE LION'S DEN AND THE POPULAR
              RESISTANCE COMMITTEES AS SPECIALLY DESIGNATED GLOBAL
              TERRORISTS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since its founding in 2022, Lion's Den has carried out
        a number of terror attacks including over 61 shooting attacks
        against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
            (2) The group's ranks include former operatives from Hamas,
        Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the
        Liberation of Palestine, all of which are designated foreign
        terrorist organizations (FTO).
            (3) Lion's Den receives funds from designated FTOs Hamas
        and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
    (b) Initial Report.--
            (1) Report required.--Not later than 90 days after the date
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
        submit to the appropriate committees of Congress--
                    (A) a detailed report on whether--
                            (i) the Lion's Den meets the criteria for
                        designation as a Specially Designated Global
                        Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224
                        (relating to blocking property and prohibiting
                        transactions with persons who commit, threaten
                        to commit, or support terrorism) and the
                        criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist
                        organization as set forth in section 219 of the
                        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
                        1189); and
                            (ii) the Popular Resistance Committees meet
                        as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist
                        pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224; and
                    (B) if the Secretary reaches a negative
                determination with respect to any of the entities
                listed in subparagraph (A), a detailed justification as
                to which criteria have not been met.
            (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
        annex.
    (c) Ongoing Determinations Required.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter,
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report that--
            (1) identifies each new entity operating under the umbrella
        of the Popular Resistance Committees or any successor of the
        Popular Resistance Committees;
            (2) includes a determination whether each such entity meets
        the criteria--
                    (A) for designation as a Specially Designated
                Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224
                (relating to blocking property and prohibiting
                transactions with persons who commit, threaten to
                commit, or support terrorism);
                    (B) for designation as a foreign terrorist
                organization as set forth in section 219 of the
                Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); or
                    (C) for the imposition of sanctions under section 2
                of this Act; and
            (3) if the Secretary reaches a negative determination
        pursuant to any subparagraph of paragraph (2) with respect to
        any of the entities identified pursuant to paragraph (1), a
        detailed justification as to which criteria for such
        designation or imposition have not been met.

SEC. 4. APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
        the Judiciary of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
        the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
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