Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom, and Accountability Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3900 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3900

 To promote human rights, internet freedom and accountability in Iran,
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 24, 2026

  Mr. McCormick (for himself and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To promote human rights, internet freedom and accountability in Iran,
                        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 ``Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom,
and Accountability Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) For nearly five decades, the people of Iran have
        endured brutal repression under the Government of the Islamic
        Republic of Iran, a regime that denies basic human rights,
        silences dissidents, and responds to peaceful protest with
        violence.
            (2) The people of Iran have repeatedly and courageously
        taken to the streets to demand economic opportunity, human
        rights, dignity, and freedom.
            (3) During the 2026 protests, the Government of the Islamic
        Republic of Iran responded with brutality by reportedly killing
        tens of thousands of people and wounding thousands more,
        arresting tens of thousands, and restricting internet access
        and telephone lines.
            (4) The people of Iran are protesting the Iranian regime's
        economic mismanagement, corruption, internal suppression, and
        unjust executions.
            (5) Access to free expression, open information, and
        uncensored communication are fundamental human rights and
        critical to the survival of the Iranian protestors.
            (6) Thanks in part to United States-funded efforts to
        support human rights and open internet access, the Iranian
        people are consistently found to be one of the most pro-
        American populations in the Middle East.
            (7) The inspiring 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests
        demanded an end to the Islamic Republic and its violence,
        particularly against Iranian women and ethnic minorities.
            (8) The barbaric so-called ``morality police'' and other
        arms of state suppression have a lengthy history of repressing
        the Iranian people's fundamental freedoms.
            (9) The Iranian regime has engaged in systematic efforts to
        intimidate, harass, detain, and harm political dissidents,
        activists, and journalists both within Iran and beyond its
        borders.
            (10) The people of Iran deserve the right to dignity,
        democracy, and self-determination and to be free from the
        brutality of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It shall be the policy of the United
States--
            (1) to recognize the right of the Iranian people to freely
        determine, through free and fair elections, the future
        leadership of their country;
            (2) to facilitate the immediate expansion of unrestricted
        internet access and civilian lines of communication across
        Iran;
            (3) to support the internationally recognized human rights
        of Iranians and United States programs to assist Iranian civil
        society, including in their credible documentation, reporting,
        and accountability efforts of abuses in Iran;
            (4) to fully enforce sanctions against regime violators of
        internationally recognized human rights and their family
        members, including any family members and associates in the
        United States that continue to directly or indirectly provide
        support to the regime; and
            (5) to work in coordination with its allies to consider
        appropriate measures to deter further lethal violence against
        protesters.

SEC. 3. IMPROVED COORDINATION OF EFFORTS TO PROMOTE INTERNET FREEDOM IN
              IRAN.

    (a) Duties of the Secretary of State.--The Secretary of State shall
be the Federal official with the primary responsibility for--
            (1) promoting widespread internet freedom in Iran and
        expanding access to information for Iranian citizens;
            (2) coordinating all efforts carried out by Federal
        departments and agencies that relate to digital freedom
        initiatives in Iran; and
            (3) serving as the principal official responsible for
        updating and carrying out the strategy required under section
        414 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of
        2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754).
    (b) Updates to Comprehensive Strategy To Promote Internet Freedom
and Access to Information in Iran.--
            (1) Updates.--Section 414 of the Iran Threat Reduction and
        Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``Not later than'' and inserting
                ``(A) Initial Strategy.--Not later than'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (11) and (12) as
                paragraphs (14) and (15), respectively;
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following
                new paragraphs:
            ``(11) evaluate the use of virtual private networks and
        direct-to-cell satellite technologies by civil society and
        internationally recognized human rights activists in Iran and
        develop strategies for increasing the accessibility of such
        networks and technologies;
            ``(12) work with the Department of the Treasury and the
        Department of Commerce to ensure enforcement of sanctions does
        not impede companies providing to Iranian civilians the
        technology and other tools necessary to access the open
        internet;
            ``(13) assess the ability of the Iranian regime to cut off
        all access to the internet and develop a strategy to circumvent
        internet blackouts for Iranian civil society;''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end of the following new
                subsection:
    ``(b) Updates.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of
other Federal departments and agencies as appropriate, shall review the
strategy under subsection (a) on an ongoing basis and update the
strategy as appropriate, taking into account the results of such
review.''.
            (2) Submission of first updates.--
                    (A) Submission.--Not later than 120 days after the
                date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
                State shall--
                            (i) review and update the strategy pursuant
                        to section 414(b) of the Iran Threat Reduction
                        and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C.
                        8754), as added by paragraph (1); and
                            (ii) submit such updated strategy to the
                        Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate
                        and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
                        House of Representatives.
                    (B) Form.--The strategy under subparagraph (A)
                shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may
                include a classified annex.

SEC. 4. INTERNET FREEDOM AND CENSORSHIP CIRCUMVENTION.

    (a) Internet Freedom Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
        the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of State, in
        consultation with the Federal Communications Commission and the
        Department of the Treasury, shall prepare and submit to the
        Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee
        on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report
        that updates and supplements the report required under section
        5124 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
        2025 (Public Law 118-159).
            (2) Additional matters to be included.--Updates to the
        strategy required in section 5124 of the National Defense
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (22 U.S.C. 8754a) shall
        also include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the feasibility of using
                direct-to-cell wireless communications technologies to
                expand internet access for the people of Iran,
                including technical, regulatory, and security
                considerations.
                    (B) An analysis of how drone-based platforms,
                signal-jamming technologies, and related
                countermeasures could impact the feasibility, security,
                economics, and resilience of such direct-to-cell
                wireless communications.
                    (C) A survey of terrestrial and non-terrestrial
                telecommunications service providers currently active
                in Iran, including--
                            (i) whether such providers are state-owned
                        or state-controlled;
                            (ii) the extent of foreign participation or
                        investment in such providers;
                            (iii) the implications of such ownership
                        and control for communications freedom and
                        censorship; and
                            (iv) any other relevant information to
                        assess the opportunities and risks associated
                        with terrestrial and non-terrestrial
                        communications technologies in Iran.
            (3) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
        annex.
    (b) Extension and Increase of Authorization for Iran Internet
Freedom Grant Program.--Section 5124(b)(5)(A) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (22 U.S.C. 8754a(b)(5)(A)) is
amended by inserting ``and not less than $20,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2027 through 2030'' after ``$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2025 and 2026''.
    (c) Development of Internet Access Technologies.--
            (1) In general.--The Department of State, in coordination
        with the Department of Defense, the United States Agency for
        Global Media, and other relevant Federal departments and
        agencies, shall form a joint working group (referred to as the
        ``Working Group'') to support the development of low-cost,
        easily scalable, and rapidly deployable technologies to counter
        internet shutdowns or limitations on network access abroad,
        particularly those imposed by adversary countries, to enable
        populations to overcome such restrictions.
            (2) Objectives.--In carrying out the responsibilities under
        subsection (a), the Working Group shall prioritize the
        following objectives:
                    (A) Identifying and supporting the development of
                technologies capable of overcoming internet blackouts
                and network disruptions imposed by an adversary country
                and facilitating internet and network access,
                including--
                            (i) low-earth orbit satellite internet
                        infrastructure;
                            (ii) mesh networking solutions; and
                            (iii) portable and deployable communication
                        systems.
                    (B) Virtual private networks (commonly known as
                ``VPNs''), including--
                            (i) collaborating with industry, academia,
                        and relevant stakeholders to accelerate the
                        research, development, and deployment of such
                        technologies;
                            (ii) conducting pilot programs and field
                        experiments to test the effectiveness and
                        scalability of developed solutions in real-
                        world settings; and
                            (iii) providing technical assistance and
                        resources to partner organizations,
                        governments, and nongovernmental entities
                        engaged in efforts to expand internet access.
                    (C) Identifying and evaluating off-the-shelf
                technologies that could be rapidly procured and
                deployed to address internet access challenges in
                targeted regions.
            (3) Collaboration with the federal acquisition institute.--
        The Working Group shall collaborate with the Federal
        Acquisition Institute to leverage expertise in acquisition
        processes and practices related to carrying out the objectives
        under paragraph (2) with the aim of--
                    (A) integrating best practices in defense
                acquisition into the research, development, and
                deployment processes of technologies developed by the
                Working Group to facilitate internet access;
                    (B) ensuring that technologies developed by the
                Working Group align with acquisition priorities and
                strategies of the Department of State and the
                Department of Defense;
                    (C) providing training and educational
                opportunities for the Working Group on acquisition
                principles, regulations, and procedures, with a focus
                on technology development for countering censorship and
                related restrictions;
                    (D) fostering dialogue and exchange of knowledge
                between acquisition professionals and innovation
                specialists to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency
                of defense technology acquisition related to internet
                access technologies; and
                    (E) collaborating on the development of acquisition
                strategies that prioritize the rapid acquisition and
                deployment of technologies aimed at countering
                censorship and restrictions on internet access.
            (4) Reporting.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
        with the Secretary of Defense and the United States Agency for
        Global Media, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
        committees an annual report detailing the progress, challenges,
        and outcomes of the efforts undertaken pursuant to this
        section.
            (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is hereby
        authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for
        each fiscal year 2027 through 2030 to carry out the activities
        described in this subsection.
            (6) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
        subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
                on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on
                Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
                on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations
                of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 5. IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS
              VIOLATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after receiving a written
request from the chairman or ranking member of any of the appropriate
congressional committees regarding whether a foreign person has engaged
in the conduct described in subsection (b), the President shall--
            (1) determine whether the foreign person has engaged in
        such conduct; and
            (2) submit to such chairman or ranking minority member a
        written justification detailing whether the President imposed
        the sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to such
        person.
    (b) Conduct Described.--The conduct described in this subsection is
knowingly providing material support for the Iranian regime's abuses of
internationally recognized human rights, censorship, or repression of
the Iranian people, including--
            (1) selling, supplying, or transferring censorship
        technology, surveillance tools, or internet shutdown
        capabilities;
            (2) any conduct sanctionable under part 562 of title 31,
        Code of Federal Regulations (Iranian Human Rights Abuses
        Sanctions Regulations); or
            (3) any conduct sanctionable under the Global Magnitsky
        Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.).
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
        Armed Services, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
        Armed Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on
        Intelligence of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 6. STRATEGY ON IRAN BROADCASTING AND HUMAN RIGHTS ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Strategy Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
        coordination with the Chief Executive Officer of the United
        States Agency for Global Media, shall submit to the appropriate
        congressional committees a strategy to expand and enhance
        United States and international broadcasting efforts and United
        States programs to support the protection and promotion of
        internationally recognized human rights in Iran.
            (2) Elements of the strategy.--The strategy required under
        subsection (a) shall include--
                    (A) a comprehensive review and assessment of
                current United States Government and international
                broadcasting efforts targeted at Iran, including Voice
                of America Persian Service, Radio Farda, and other
                relevant programs, including their reach,
                effectiveness, and vulnerabilities to Iranian regime
                censorship, as well as United States Government efforts
                to support internationally recognized human rights and
                democratic civil society, including efforts to assist
                in the credible documentation of abuses of
                internationally recognized human rights;
                    (B) specific plans and initiatives to ensure the
                Iranian people have reliable access to accurate,
                uncensored, and unbiased news coverage, including
                through satellite broadcasting, digital circumvention
                tools, shortwave radio, and emerging technologies;
                    (C) programs to support independent Iranian
                journalists, media outlets, and citizen journalists,
                including grants for equipment, training, secure
                communication platforms, and capacity-building for
                Persian and other local language media;
                    (D) programs to support and train Iranian civil
                society;
                    (E) coordination mechanisms with international
                partners, the private sector, and diaspora communities
                to amplify credible independent media;
                    (F) annual performance metrics and benchmarks for
                audience reach, content impact, and program outcomes;
                and
                    (G) a multi-year budget and resource requirements
                plan to implement the strategy.
            (3) Form.--The strategy required in subsection (a) shall be
        transmitted in an unclassified form and may contain a
        classified annex.
    (b) GAO Report on Near East Regional Democracy (NERD)
Expenditures.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
        United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional
        committees a report examining Federal expenditures under the
        Near East Regional Democracy (NERD) account over fiscal years
        2024 and 2025.
            (2) Matters included.--The report shall include--
                    (A) a detailed accounting of all NERD funds
                obligated and expended for Iran-related programs,
                including broadcasting, media support, civil society
                assistance, and human rights initiatives;
                    (B) an assessment of the processes used for grant
                allocation, contractor oversight, vetting of
                recipients, and measuring program outcomes;
                    (C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of such
                programs in advancing United States policy objectives,
                including expanding information access and supporting
                independent media within Iran; and
                    (D) recommendations for improving transparency,
                accountability, and impact measurement.
    (c) Form.--The strategy and the GAO report required under this
section shall each be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
        Armed Services, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the
        Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
        Armed Services, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,
        and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
        Representatives.

SEC. 7. CYBERSECURITY CAPACITY FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN IRAN.

    (a) Training and Tools.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish
programs--
            (1) to deliver remote or in-person cybersecurity training
        to journalists, defenders of internationally recognized human
        rights, and civil-society actors in Iran;
            (2) to furnish vetted open-source or commercially available
        digital-safety tools, including VPN services and end-to-end
        encrypted messaging applications; and
            (3) to provide multilingual educational materials that warn
        Iranian users about regime-controlled applications and phishing
        campaigns.
    (b) Reporting and Evaluation.--
            (1) Quarterly metrics.--The Secretary of State shall track
        and, on a quarterly basis, make available to the Committee on
        Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign
        Affairs of the House of Representatives aggregate metrics on
        the number of trainees, incident-response cases, and unique
        users of supported digital safety tools.
            (2) Independent evaluation.--Not later than 3 years after
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General
        of the United States shall submit to the appropriate
        congressional committees an evaluation of the effectiveness of
        the program carried out under this section.
    (c) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section may be construed to
supersede or limit existing authority under section 404 of the Iran
Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754) or
any other provision of law related to internet freedom programming in
Iran.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to
be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
2027 through 2030 to carry out the activities described in this
section.

SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed as authorizing the use of
military force.
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