[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1998 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1998
To require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons
engaged in piracy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2025
Mr. Jackson of Illinois 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 with respect to foreign persons
engaged in piracy, 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 ``Sanction Sea Pirates Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 2011, there were 212 attempted attacks against
vessels off of the Somali coast, more than 1,000 crew were held
hostage, and 35 seafarers were killed.
(2) Over the past decade through the beginning of 2023,
rates of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean subsided.
(3) Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red
Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Hamas terrorist attack against
Israel on October 7th have impacted global shipping markets.
(4) There has been a surge in Somali pirate attacks,
beginning in the fall of 2023 and lasting into 2024, that has
coincided with and taken advantage of Houthi aggression.
(5) On March 12, 2024, Somali pirates hijacked a
Bangladeshi-flagged ship and took its crew hostage.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States Government should seek to stop piracy
all around the world, including off the Somali Coast and in the
Gulf of Aden;
(2) high seas pirates, and the criminal networks and
enterprises with whom they are affiliated, should be sanctioned
upon identification; and
(3) the United States should seek to work with allies and
partners around the globe to combat piracy around the globe and
to curb the surge in piracy off of the coast of Somalia and in
the Gulf of Aden.
SEC. 4. SANCTIONS.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose sanctions described in
subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person the President
determines knowingly engages in piracy.
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Asset blocking.--Notwithstanding the requirements of
section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise of all powers
granted to the President by that Act to the extent necessary to
block and prohibit all transactions in all property and
interests in property of the foreign 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.
(2) Visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) In general.--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 (a) is--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible for 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.).
(B) 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
subparagraph (A) regardless of when the visa or
other entry documentation is issued.
(ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation
under clause (i)--
(I) shall take effect immediately;
and
(II) shall automatically cancel any
other valid visa or entry documentation
that is in the alien's possession.
(c) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception to comply with international obligations.--
Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect
to the admission of 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.
(2) Exception relating to the provision of humanitarian
assistance.--Sanctions under this section may not be imposed
with respect to transactions or the facilitation of
transactions for--
(A) the sale of agricultural commodities, food,
medicine, or medical devices;
(B) the provision of humanitarian assistance;
(C) financial transactions relating to humanitarian
assistance; or
(D) transporting goods or services that are
necessary to carry out operations relating to
humanitarian assistance.
(3) Exception for intelligence, law enforcement, and
national security activities.--Sanctions under this section
shall not apply to any authorized intelligence, law
enforcement, or national security activities of the United
States.
(d) Classified Information.--In any judicial review of a
determination made under this section, if the determination was based
on classified information (as defined in section 1(a) of the Classified
Information Procedures Act) such information may be submitted to the
reviewing court ex parte and in camera. This subsection may not be
construed to confer or imply any right to judicial review.
(e) Implementation; Penalties.--
(1) Implementation.--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) to carry out this section.
(2) 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 regulations promulgated to carry out 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.
(f) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions
imposed with respect to a foreign person under this section if the
President certifies to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate
not later than 15 days before such waiver is to take effect that the
waiver is crucial to the national security interests of the United
States.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means an
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(2) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen;
(B) a permanent resident alien of the United
States; or
(C) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or of any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
(3) Piracy.--The term ``piracy'' means any act in violation
of one or more provisions of chapter 81 of title 18, United
States Code.
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