[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2622 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2622
To provide for the imposition of sanctions with respect to North
Korea's support for Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2025
Mr. Connolly (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Goldman of
New York, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Turner of Ohio, Mr. Keating,
Ms. Titus, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Amo, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Quigley, and Mr.
Gottheimer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the
Judiciary, Ways and Means, Financial Services, and Oversight and
Government Reform, 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 provide for the imposition of sanctions with respect to North
Korea's support for Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
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 ``Russia-North Korea Cooperation
Sanctions Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On February 24, 2022, the Government of the Russian
Federation, led by Vladimir Putin, launched an unprovoked,
full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
(2) On September 13, 2023, the Supreme Leader of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Kim Jong
Un, met with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin to
discuss the transfer or sale of conventional arms to Russia to
be used in invasion of Ukraine's sovereign territory in
exchange for economic assistance and support for North Korea's
space, nuclear, and missile programs.
(3) Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia will be his first known
travel outside North Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic and
subsequent lockdown of North Korea in early 2020.
(4) North Korea maintains an arsenal of artillery shells,
rockets, and other conventional military equipment that it may
provide to Russia.
(5) If Russia or Russian State-backed entities are
acquiring arms and related materiel from North Korea, such
actions would violate United Nations Security Council
resolutions, which were supported by Russia to prohibit North
Korea from exporting such items.
(6) On August 16, 2023, the Department of the Treasury
imposed sanctions on three entities tied to a sanctions evasion
network attempting to support arms deals between Russia and
North Korea.
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose sanctions described in
subsection (b) with respect to the following:
(1) Any foreign person that is responsible for or
facilitates the transfer or sale of arms or material support
from North Korea to be used in Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
(2) Any foreign person that knowingly, directly or
indirectly, imports, exports, or reexports to, into, or from
North Korea any goods services or technology for weapons that
may be used by Russian forces or their proxies in Russia's
illegal war in Ukraine.
(3) Any foreign financial institution that knowingly
facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant
financial services for a foreign person described in paragraph
(1) or (2).
(4) Any foreign person that engages in a significant
transaction related to the transfer or sale of arms or material
support with a foreign person described in paragraph (1) or (2)
or foreign financial institution described in paragraph (3).
(5) Any foreign person assisting in the logistical supply
and movement of North Korean arms or material support to be
used in Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Blocking of property.--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) 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.
(d) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions
imposed with respect to a foreign person or foreign financial
institution under this section if the President certifies to the
appropriate congressional committees not later than 15 days before such
waiver is to take effect that the waiver is vital to the national
security interests of the United States.
(e) Exception for Humanitarian Assistance.--An internationally
recognized humanitarian organization shall not be subject to sanctions
under this section with respect to--
(1) engaging in a financial transaction relating to
humanitarian assistance or for humanitarian purposes pursuant
to a waiver issued under subsection (d);
(2) transporting goods or services that are necessary to
carry out operations relating to humanitarian assistance or
humanitarian purposes pursuant to such a waiver issued under
subsection (d); or
(3) having merely incidental contact, in the course of
providing humanitarian assistance or aid for humanitarian
purposes pursuant to a waiver issued under subsection (d) with
individuals who are under the control of a foreign person
subject to sanctions under this section.
SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS AND POLICY ENHANCEMENT ACT
OF 2016.
The North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 is
amended as follows:
(1) In section 401(a) (22 U.S.C. 9251(a))--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) halting material support (as such term is defined in
section 6 of the Russia-North Korea Cooperation Sanctions Act)
for Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.''.
(2) In section 402(2) (22 U.S.C. 9252(2))--
(A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in subparagraph (E)(ii), by striking the period
at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) halting material support (as such term is
defined in section 6 of the Russia-North Korea
Cooperation Sanctions Act) for Russia's illegal war in
Ukraine.''.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the President
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
describes significant activities by the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea to support the Russian Federation and its proxies in Russia's
illegal war in Ukraine.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by this section
shall include the following:
(1) The identity and nationality of foreign persons and
foreign financial institutions that are subject to sanctions
under section 3.
(2) A description of the conduct engaged in by such persons
and institutions.
(3) An assessment of the extent to which a foreign
government has provided material support to the Government of
North Korea or any person acting for or on behalf of that
Government to conduct significant activities to materially
support Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
(4) A United States strategy to counter North Korea's
efforts to conduct significant activities to support Russia's
war in Ukraine, that includes efforts to engage foreign
governments to halt the capability of the Government of North
Korea and persons acting for or on behalf of that Government to
conduct significant activities supporting Russia's illegal war
in Ukraine.
(c) Form.--The report required by this section shall be submitted
in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(2) Foreign financial institution.--The term ``foreign
financial institution''--
(A) has the meaning given that term in section
1010.605 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations; and
(B) includes a foreign central bank.
(3) Material support.--The term ``material support'' has
the meaning given the term ``material support or resources'' in
section 2339A of title 18, United States Code.
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