HR 4303 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To enhance United States sanctions against Iran by targeting Iranian governmental officials, prohibiting Federal procurement contracts with persons that provide censorship or surveillance technology to the Government of Iran, providing humanitarian and people-to-people assistance to the Iranian people, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

December 14, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. ELLISON (for himself and Mr. DELAHUNT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and Financial Services, 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 concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To enhance United States sanctions against Iran by targeting Iranian governmental officials, prohibiting Federal procurement contracts with persons that provide censorship or surveillance technology to the Government of Iran, providing humanitarian and people-to-people assistance to the Iranian people, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Stand with the Iranian People Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS; STATEMENT OF POLICY.

(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The Government of Iran has engaged in a brutal crackdown on the Iranian people in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election of June 12, 2009, stifling freedom of speech, press, and assembly and violating fundamental human rights.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) On June 23, 2009, President Obama denounced the crackdown on the Iranian people, saying ‘The United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not at all interfering in Iran’s affairs. But we must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) On June 19, 2009, the House of Representatives adopted H. Res. 560 by a vote of 405-1, ‘expressing support for all Iranian citizens who struggle for freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and the protection of the rule of law’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Iran’s security forces, particularly the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij volunteer militia, have been largely responsible for the violence and brutality committed against the Iranian people in the recent unrest.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) Thousands of Iranian protesters have been arrested and detained for taking part in public demonstrations, with many being raped and tortured to extract false confessions to be used against them and others as part of government-run ‘show trials’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) On June 20, 2009, twenty-six year old Neda Agha Soltan was shot and killed by a member of the Basij militia, symbolizing for Iranians and people all over the world the government’s brutal crackdown against peaceful demonstrators.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Sense of the Congress- It is the sense of Congress that the United States--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) respects the sovereignty, proud history, and rich culture of the Iranian people;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) respects the universal values of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to assemble;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) respects and admires the Iranian people as they take steps to peacefully express their voices, opinions, and aspirations;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) deplores and condemns the use of coerced confessions and ‘show trials’ as tools of political repression in Iran;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) urges the Government of Iran to intensify its cooperation on the case of Robert Levinson with the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran and to share the results of its investigation into the disappearance of Robert Levinson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) recognizes the importance of diplomacy with Iran in order to advance the national security interests of the United States, but such diplomacy should not be construed as official recognition of the declared results from the June 12, 2009, Iranian presidential election.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Statement of Policy- It should be the policy of the United States to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) work to ensure that sanctions are clearly targeted at the Government of Iran and individuals within the Government of Iran, rather than the Iranian society as a whole, in order to avoid creating hardship and inflicting harm on the Iranian people;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) encourage United States allies to freeze bank accounts held or controlled by Iranian Government officials who have carried out human rights abuses against the people of Iran;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) encourage United States allies to deny entrance visas for non-official business to Iranian Government officials who have carried out human rights abuses against the people of Iran;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) work in the United Nations Security Council to impose multilateral political and financial sanctions against Iranian Governmental officials, including officials of the IRGC and Basij militia, who have carried out human rights abuses against the people of Iran;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) work within the United Nations to focus international attention on and investigate human rights abuses in Iran, and to secure the release of prisoners of conscience;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) apply targeted political and financial sanctions against a foreign person or foreign entity that provides illicit support to the IRGC and Basij militia;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) encourage cooperation between United States and Iranian nongovernmental organizations, particularly with regard to facilitating people-to-people exchanges; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) expedite admission to the United States of any national of Iran who is under threat of severe penalty as a result of participating in or reporting on pro-democracy activities inside Iran, and should encourage other governments to accept such Iranian refugees for resettlement, provided applicants have not engaged in or provided support for acts of terrorism and satisfy all criteria for acquiring refugee status.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. IMPOSING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AGAINST IRAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS.

(a) In General- The Secretary of State shall deny the issuance of a visa and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall deny admission to the United States to any official of the Government of Iran who is credibly alleged to have ordered, acquiesced to, or participated in human rights abuses against the people of IranCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Waiver- The ban described in subparagraph (a) may be waived if the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that such a waiver is in the national interests of the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS WITH PERSONS OR ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE CENSORSHIP OR SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN.

(a) Prohibition- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the head of an executive agency may not enter into or renew a contract for the procurement of goods or services with a person or entity that provides censorship or surveillance technology to the Government of Iran.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Waiver Provision- The Secretary concerned may waive the application of the prohibition under subsection (a) with respect to a person or entity if the Secretary certifies to Congress that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Definitions- In this section--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) the term ‘censorship or surveillance technology’ means hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, or any other technology that the President determines is designed to provide a substantial capability--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) to restrict the free flow of information; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict speech;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) the term ‘executive agency’ has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) the term ‘Government of Iran’ means any agency or instrumentality of the Government of Iran, including any entity that is controlled by the Government of Iran.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Effective Date-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), this section shall apply to contracts entered into on or after the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) EXCEPTION- With respect to a renewal of a contract, this section shall apply to a contract renewed on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF UNITED STATES NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS’ ACTIVITIES IN IRAN FOR THE PROVISION OF HUMANITARIAN AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE ASSISTANCE.

(a) Authorization- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the establishment and carrying out of operations in Iran for the direct provision of humanitarian and people-to-people assistance described in subsection (b) by any organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may not be prohibited or otherwise restricted.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Assistance Described- The humanitarian and people-to-people assistance referred to in subsection (a) is assistance to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) promote adequate and reliable nutrition;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) advance child survival and maternal health;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) improve access to safe water, sanitation, and shelter;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) prepare for and respond to natural disasters;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) improve access to basic health care;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) prevent and treat drug addiction;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) strengthen education and literacy;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) promote equal rights for women and minorities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) support human rights and representative governance;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) foster international and religious understanding and tolerance; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(11) facilitate international people-to-people exchanges.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Exception- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to an organization described in subsection (a) if such organization provides services or conducts transactions with any organization or entity that appears on the Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals List.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Notification and Waiver- The Secretary of the Treasury may require organizations authorized under subsection (a) to notify the Department of the Treasury up to 14 days in advance of commencing operations in Iran. The Secretary of the Treasury may waive the application of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that it is in the national security interests of the United States to do so.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Effective Date- This section shall apply with respect to the establishment and carrying out of operations described in subsection (a) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink