H.R. 1998

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1998 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1998

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 24, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to theCommittee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

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.

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; and
(2) 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) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--
(1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose 
sanctions authorized under this section shall not include the 
authority or requirement to impose sanctions on the importation 
of goods.
(2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good'' 
means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, 
supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test 
equipment, and excluding technical data.
(h) 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.

Passed the House of Representatives June 23, 2025.

Attest:

KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

Clerk.