[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8704 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8704
To impose sanctions with respect to any foreign person that violates or
knowingly undermines the Washington Accords.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 7, 2026
Mr. Olszewski 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 impose sanctions with respect to any foreign person that violates or
knowingly undermines the Washington Accords.
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 ``Sanctioning Threats and Aggression
to Bolster Lasting Enforcement and Disrupt Regional Conflict Act''
or``STABLE DRC Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Rwandan Defense Forces have provided sustained
military support for the March 23rd Movement's (M23) ongoing
revolt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's North and
South Kivu provinces.
(2) The armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo continue to support the Democratic Forces for the
Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group whose founders took
part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
(3) Both the FDLR and M23 have committed numerous war
crimes and human rights abuses. This includes forcibly
recruiting children into their ranks and engaging in ethnic
cleansing, rape, and summary executions.
(4) The June 2025 Peace Agreement between the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Rwanda (in this Act referred to as
the ``Washington Accords'') stipulates that each party will
respect the other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as
well as refrain from engaging in hostile acts that threaten the
peace and security of the other signatory state.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It shall be the policy of the United States Government--
(1) to recognize the independence, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and Rwanda;
(2) to regard the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic
of the Congo as a direct threat to regional peace and
stability, as well as to United States strategic interests in
Central Africa; and
(3) to use sanctions as a tool to support the Washington
Accords and to fully end the conflict between the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, M23, and Rwanda.
SEC. 4. SANCTIONS.
(a) Authorization.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of this
Act, the President is authorized to impose the sanctions described in
subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person that violates or
knowingly undermines the Washington Accords.
(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) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) Visas, admission, or parole.--In the case of an
alien subject to sanctions pursuant to subsection (a),
the alien is--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible to receive 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 visa or other entry
documentation of an alien described in
subparagraph (A) shall be revoked, regardless
of when such visa or other entry documentation
was issued.
(ii) Immediate effect.--A revocation under
clause (i) shall--
(I) take effect in accordance with
section 221(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)); and
(II) 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) Sanctions Program.--
(1) In general.--The President shall establish or direct
the establishment of a program to carry out the authority under
this section.
(2) Existing authorities.--The President is authorized to
impose sanctions under this section with respect to any foreign
person described in subsection (a) that is also subject to
sanctions under any other provision of law.
(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 who commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a)
of that Act.
(f) Sunset.--The authority to impose sanctions under this section
shall terminate on the date that is seven years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(g) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) 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) the term ``foreign person'' means an individual or
entity that is not a United States person; and
(3) the term ``United States person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen;
(B) a permanent resident alien of the United
States;
(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;
or
(D) a person in the United States.
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