,i #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #gfbb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #bj1 #bjbf,mr4 ,lawler 7for himself and ,mr4 ,sherman7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to support human rights and internet freedom in ,iran and hold the ,iranian regime accountable for the repression of the ,iranian people4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,iran ,human ,rights1 ,internet ,freedom1 and ,accountability ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,findings and statement of policy 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,for nearly #e decades1 the people of ,iran have endured brutal repression under the ,islamic ,republic1 a regime that denies basic human rights1 silences dissidents1 and responds to peaceful protest with violence4 7#b7 ,the people of ,iran have courageously taking to the streets to demand economic opportunity1 human rights1 dignity1 and freedom4 7#c7 ,the ,islamic ,republic has responded to the ongoing protests with brutality by reportedly killing over #cj1jjj people and wounding thousands more1 arresting approximate #dj1jjj1 and restricting internet access and telephone lines4 7#d7 ,the people of ,iran are in part protesting the ,islamic regime's economic mismanagement1 corruption1 internal suppression1 and unjust executions4 7#e7 ,access to free expression1 open information1 and uncensored communication are fundamental human rights4 7#f7 ,the inspiring #bjbb ,women1 ,life1 ,freedom protests demanded an end to the ,islamic ,republic and its violence1 including against ,iranian women and ethnic minorities4 7#g7 ,the barbaric so-called morality police and other arms of state suppression have a lengthy history of repressing the ,iranian people's fundamental freedoms1 including the freedom to assemble1 the freedom of religion1 women's rights1 and ,,lgbtq rights4 7#h7 ,the ,islamic regime has engaged in systematic efforts to intimidate1 harass1 detain1 and harm political dissidents1 activists1 and journalists both within ,iran and beyond its borders4 7#i7 ,the people of ,iran deserve the right to dignity1 democracy1 and self-determination and to be free from the brutality of the ,islamic ,republic4 7b7 ,statement of policy ,it shall be the policy of the ,united ,states to-- 7#a7 recognize the right of the ,iranian people to freely determine1 through free and fair elections1 the nature of their political regime2 7#b7 facilitate the immediate expansion of unrestricted internet access and civilian lines of communication across ,iran2 7#c7 fully enforce sanctions against regime human rights violators and their family members1 including any family members and associates in the ,united ,states that continue to directly or indirectly provide support to the regime2 and 7#d7 work in coordination with its allies to consider and implement all necessary and appropriate measures to deter further lethal violence against protesters4 #c4 ,internet freedom and censorship circumvention 7a7 ,internet freedom report 7#a7 ,in general ,section #eabd of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjbe 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #hged;a7 is amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a77#b71 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking subparagraph 7,a7 and inserting paragraph 7#a72 and 7,b7 by adding at the end of subsection 7a77#b7 the following new subparagraphs3 7,h7 ,an assessment of the feasibility of using direct-to-cell wireless communications technologies to expand internet access for the people of ,iran1 including technical1 regulatory1 and security considerations4 7,i7 ,an analysis of how drone-based platforms1 signal jamming technologies1 and related countermeasures could impact the feasibility1 security1 economics1 and resilience of such direct-to-cell wireless communications4 7,j7 ,a survey of terrestrial and non-terrestrial telecommunications service providers currently active in ,iran1 including-- 7i7 whether such providers are ,state-owned or ,state-controlled2 7ii7 the extent of foreign participation or investment in such providers2 7iii7 the implications of such ownership and control for communications freedom and censorship2 and 7iv7 any other relevant information to assess the opportunities and risks associated with terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications technologies in ,iran4 4 7#b7 ,first update required ,not later than #abj days after the date of the enactment of the ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,federal ,communications ,commission and the ,department of the ,treasury1 shall prepare and submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a periodic update described in paragraph 7#d7 of section #eabd7;a7 of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjbe 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #hged;a7 for the strategy required by that section1 that includes the new matter added by the amendments made by paragraph 7#a7 of this ,act4 7b7 ,extension and increase of authorization for ,iran ,internet ,freedom ,grant ,program ,section #eabd of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjbe 7,public ,law #aah-ei71 as amended by subsection 7a71 is further amended in subsection 7b77#e77;,a71 by inserting and #cj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbg through #bjcj after #bjbf4 7c7 ,development of internet access technologies by the ,defense ,innovation ,unit 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,defense ,innovation ,unit 7referred to in this section as the ,unit7 shall support the development of low-cost1 easily scalable1 and rapidly deployable technologies to counter internet shutdowns or limitations on network in ,iran to enable the ,iranian population to overcome such restrictions4 7#b7 ,objectives ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,unit shall prioritize the following objectives3 7,a7 ,identifying and supporting the development of technologies capable of overcoming internet blackouts and network disruptions imposed by ,iran and facilitating internet and network access1 including-- 7i7 low-,earth orbit satellite internet infrastructure2 7ii7 mesh networking solutions2 and 7iii7 portable and deployable communication systems4 7,b7 ,virtual private networks4 7,c7 ,collaborating with industry1 academia1 and relevant stakeholders to accelerate the research1 development1 and deployment of such technologies4 7,d7 ,conducting pilot programs and field experiments to test the effectiveness and scalability of technologies the development of which the ,unit supported under this subsection in real-world settings4 7,e7 ,providing technical assistance and resources to partner organizations1 governments1 and non-governmental entities engaged in efforts to expand internet access4 7,f7 ,identifying and evaluating commercially available off-the-shelf items 7as defined in section #ajd of title #da1 ,united ,states ,code7 that could be rapidly procured and deployed to address internet access challenges in targeted regions4 7#c7 ,collaboration with ,defense ,acquisition ,university ,the ,unit shall collaborate with the ,defense ,acquisition ,university regarding the acquisition processes and practices related to carrying out the objectives under paragraph 7#b7 for the purposes of-- 7,a7 integrating best practices in defense acquisition into the research1 development1 and deployment processes of technologies the development of which the ,unit supports under this subsection to facilitate internet access2 7,b7 ensuring that technologies the development of which the ,unit supports under this subsection align with the priorities and strategies of the ,department of ,defense for acquisition2 7,c7 providing training and educational opportunities for ,unit personnel on acquisition principles1 regulations1 and procedures1 with a focus on technology development for countering censorship and related restrictions2 7,d7 fostering dialogue and the exchange of knowledge between acquisition professionals and innovation specialists to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the acquisition of defense technology related to internet access technologies2 and 7,e7 the ,unit and the ,defense ,acquisition ,university collaborating on the development of acquisition strategies that prioritize the rapid acquisition and deployment of technologies aimed at countering censorship and restrictions on accessing the internet4 7#d7 ,reporting ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,director of the ,unit shall submit to the ,secretary of ,defense and the congressional defense committees 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code7 a report detailing the progress1 challenges1 and outcomes of the efforts undertaken pursuant to this subsection4 7#e7 ,funding ,there is authorized to be appropriated #b1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbg through #bjcj to carry out the activities described in this subsection4 #d4 ,stop corrupt ,iranian oligarchs and entities 7a7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 in consultation with the ,director of ,national ,intelligence and the ,secretary of ,state1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed report on the following3 7,a7 ,senior foreign political figures and oligarchs in ,iran1 including the following3 7i7 ,an identification of the most significant senior foreign political figures and oligarchs in ,iran1 as determined by the closeness to the ,government of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran of each such figure and oligarch1 and the estimated net worth of each such figure and oligarch4 7ii7 ,an assessment of the relationship between the individuals identified under clause 7i7 and ,president ,masoud ,pezeshkian or other members of the ruling elite of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran4 7iii7 ,an identification of any indices of corruption with respect to such individuals4 7iv7 ,known sources of income of such individuals and their family members 7including spouses1 children1 parents1 and siblings71 including relevant beneficial ownership information4 7v7 ,an identification of the non-,iranian business affiliations of such individuals4 7,b7 ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities1 including an assessment of the following3 7i7 ,the emergence of ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities and their role in the economy of ,iran4 7ii7 ,the leadership structures and beneficial ownership of such entities4 7iii7 ,an identification of the non-,iranian business affiliations of such entities4 7,c7 ,information relating to the exposure of key economic sectors of the ,united ,states1 including1 at minimum1 the banking1 securities1 insurance1 and real estate sectors1 to ,islamic ,republic of ,iran politically affiliated persons1 ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities1 and other ,islamic ,republic of ,iran state-owned enterprises4 7,d7 ,information relating to the likely effects of imposing debt and equity restrictions on ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities1 as well as the anticipated effects of adding ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities to the list of ,specially ,designated ,nationals maintained by the ,office of ,foreign ,assets ,control of the ,department of the ,treasury4 7,e7 ,information relating to the potential impacts of imposing sanctions or debt and equity restrictions in addition to any such sanctions or restrictions in existence as of the date of the enactment of this ,act on ,islamic ,republic of ,iran oligarchs1 ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities1 or ,islamic ,republic of ,iran state-owned enterprises1 including impacts on such oligarchs1 entities1 and enterprises and on the economy of ,iran1 as well as on the economies of the ,united ,states and ,united ,states allies4 7#b7 ,form ,the report required under paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form and may contain a classified annex4 7#c7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7i7 the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7ii7 the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 and the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate4 7,b7 ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities ,the term ,islamic ,republic of ,iran parastatal entities means entities-- 7i7 in which the ownership interest of the ,government of the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran is at least #be percent2 and 7ii7 that had #bjbd revenues of approximately #b1jjj1jjj1jjj or more4 7,c7 ,senior foreign political figure ,the term senior foreign political figure has the meaning given such term in section #ajaj4fje of title #ca1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling74 7b7 ,iran kleptocracy initiative ,section #caj of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7m7 ,iran kleptocracy initiative 7#a7 ,establishment ,there is established within ,fin,c,e,n the ,iran ,kleptocracy ,initiative 7hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the ,initiative71 to investigate1 expose1 disrupt1 and prosecute corruption1 money laundering1 and racketeering activities by ,islamic ,republic of ,iran government officials1 their family members1 associates1 and proxies4 7#b7 ,director ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall appoint a ,director to serve as the head of the ,initiative4 7#c7 ,responsibilities ,the ,initiative shall-- 7,a7 identify1 trace1 and catalog assets 7including real property1 financial accounts1 luxury goods1 and investments7 held by or attributable to ,islamic ,republic of ,iran government officials and their proxies1 including those concealed through nominees1 shell companies1 family members1 or third-country intermediaries2 7,b7 coordinate with the ,department of ,state1 and allied governments to freeze1 forfeit1 seize1 and1 where appropriate and legally permissible1 repurpose illicitly acquired assets for the benefit of the ,iranian people or victims of corruption2 7,c7 develop and publish unclassified findings1 reports1 and public designations regarding corrupt practices within the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran regime1 including case studies of asset concealment and sanctions evasion 7consistent with national security and operational requirements72 7,d7 coordinate with ,federal1 ,state1 and international law enforcement agencies1 including through joint task forces1 to facilitate civil and criminal prosecutions1 asset recoveries1 and extraditions under applicable ,united ,states laws1 including chapters #df1 #ie1 and #if of title #ah and sanctions statutes2 and 7,e7 establish protocols for rewarding credible information leading to successful investigations1 asset forfeitures1 or prosecutions1 in coordination with existing rewards programs4 7#d7 ,interagency coordination 7,a7 ,director ,the ,director shall serve as the primary point of contact for coordination with relevant ,federal agencies and the heads of appropriate ,federal law enforcement agencies and international partners4 7,b7 ,interagency meetings ,the ,director shall convene regular interagency meetings and share non-classified threat intelligence on ,islamic ,republic of ,iran kleptocracy networks4 7#e7 ,report 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this subsection1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the activities of the ,initiative4 7,b7 ,elements ,each report required by subparagraph 7,a7 shall include-- 7i7 a summary of investigations initiated1 ongoing1 and concluded1 including the number of indictments1 convictions1 and asset forfeitures attributable to the ,initiative2 7ii7 an accounting of assets identified1 frozen1 seized1 or repatriated1 including estimated values2 7iii7 challenges encountered and recommendations for legislative or administrative improvements2 and 7iv7 metrics on international cooperation and public impact4 7,c7 ,form ,each report shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may include a classified annex4 7#f7 ,appropriate congressional committees defined ,in this subsection1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 and the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate4 7#g7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the authority of any ,federal agency to investigate or prosecute corruption or racketeering activities under other provisions of law4 4 #e4 ,congressional nomination authority 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #abj days after receiving a written request from the chairman or ranking minority member of any of the appropriate congressional committees regarding whether a foreign person has engaged in the conduct described in subsection 7b71 the ,president shall-- 7#a7 determine whether the foreign person has engaged in such conduct2 and 7#b7 submit to such chairman or ranking minority member a written justification detailing whether the ,president has imposed1 or intends to impose1 sanctions pursuant to the regulations described in subsection 7b77#b7 with respect to such person4 7b7 ,conduct described ,the conduct described in this subsection is knowingly providing material support for the ,islamic ,republic of ,iran regime's human rights abuses1 censorship1 or repression of the ,iranian people1 including-- 7#a7 selling1 supplying1 or transferring censorship technology1 surveillance tools1 or internet shutdown capabilities2 or 7#b7 any conduct sanctionable under part #efb of title #ca1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7relating to ,iranian ,human ,rights ,abuses ,sanctions ,regulations74 7c7 ,appropriate congressional committees defined ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate4 #f4 ,sense of ,congress on ,iran broadcasting and human rights assistance ,it is the sense of ,congress that ,united ,states policy should-- 7#a7 promote and provide ,united ,states ,government and international broadcasting efforts targeted at providing the people of ,iran with truthful reporting to counter ,islamic ,republic of ,iran regime censorship2 7#b7 support independent ,iranian journalists1 media outlets1 and citizen journalists1 including grants for equipment1 training1 secure communication platforms1 relocation assistance for those at risk1 and capacity-building for ,persian-language media2 7#c7 coordinate mechanisms with international partners1 the private sector1 and diaspora communities to amplify credible independent media2 and 7#d7 produce annual performance metrics and benchmarks for audience reach1 content impact1 and program outcomes4