H.R. 6422 Text - Introduced in House - 117th Congress (2021-2022)

117th CONGRESS
2d Session

H. R. 6422

To impose sanctions with respect to the Russian Federation, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 19, 2022

Mr. Banks (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Waltz, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Steube, Mr. Duncan, Mrs. Harshbarger, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Mann, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Gooden of Texas, Mr. LaTurner, Mr. Cawthorn, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Fallon, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Meuser, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Pfluger, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Bentz, Mr. Keller, Mr. Moore of Utah, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr. Issa, Mr. Owens, Mrs. McClain, Mr. Babin, Mr. Hern, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, and Mr. Wenstrup) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, 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 the Russian Federation, 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 “Putin Accountability Act”.

SEC. 2. Reports on, and authorization of imposition of sanctions with respect to, the provision of specialized financial messaging services to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

(a) Reports required.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains—

(A) a list of all persons that the Secretary has identified that directly provide specialized financial messaging services to, or enable or facilitate direct or indirect access to such messaging services for, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation; and

(B) a detailed assessment of the status of efforts by the Secretary to end the direct provision of such messaging services to, and the enabling or facilitation of direct or indirect access to such messaging services for, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

(2) ENABLING OR FACILITATION OF ACCESS TO SPECIALIZED FINANCIAL MESSAGING SERVICES THROUGH INTERMEDIARY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.—For purposes of paragraph (1) and subsection (b), enabling or facilitating direct or indirect access to specialized financial messaging services for the Central Bank of Russia includes doing so by serving as an intermediary financial institution with access to such messaging services.

(3) FORM OF REPORT.—A report submitted under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.

(b) Requirement of imposition of sanctions.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), if, on or after the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, a person knowingly and directly provides specialized financial messaging services to, or knowingly enable or facilitate direct or indirect access to such messaging services for, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the President shall impose sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to the person.

(2) EXCEPTION.—The President may not impose sanctions pursuant to paragraph (1) with respect to a person for directly providing specialized financial messaging services to, or enabling or facilitating direct or indirect access to such messaging services for, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation if—

(A) the person is subject to a sanctions regime under its governing foreign law that requires it to eliminate the knowing provision of such messaging services to, and the knowing enabling and facilitation of direct or indirect access to such messaging services for the Central Bank of Russia; and

(B) the President determines that the person has, pursuant to that sanctions regime, terminated the knowing provision of such messaging services to, and the knowing enabling and facilitation of direct or indirect access to such messaging services for, the Central Bank of Russia.

(1) IN GENERAL.—The sanctions described in this subsection are the following:

(A) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to block and prohibit all transactions in 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.

(B) ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—

(i) VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—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, has knowingly engaged in any activity described in subsection (b)(1) 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.).

(ii) 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 clause (i) regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is issued.

(II) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A revocation under subclause (I) shall take effect immediately and shall automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien’s possession.

(2) EXCEPTIONS.—

(A) UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT.—The sanctions described under paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to 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.

(B) EXCEPTION FOR INTELLIGENCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND NATIONAL SECURITY ACTIVITIES.—Sanctions under paragraph (1) shall not apply to any authorized intelligence, law enforcement, or national security activities of the United States.

(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the authorities and requirements to impose sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or a requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.

(ii) GOOD DEFINED.—In this subparagraph, 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.

(d) 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 or the sanctions imposed pursuant to 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.

(e) Implementation authority.—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) for purposes of carrying out this section.

(f) Regulatory authority.—The President shall, not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate regulations as necessary for the implementation of this section.

(g) Waiver.—The President shall have the authority to waive the sanctions required by subsection (b) for renewable periods of 30 days if the President provides a written certification to the appropriate congressional committees, which shall also be made publicly available on a website maintained by the Federal Government, that the Russian Federation has ended its annexation of Crimea and has withdrawn all military forces from eastern Ukraine.

(h) Sunset.—The President’s authority to issue waivers or licenses with respect to sanctions required by subsection (b) or pursuant to sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) with regard to prohibitions required by subsection (b) shall cease to apply beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. Designation of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism and designation of the Russian-supported armed forces in the Donbas Region of Ukraine as foreign terrorist organizations.

(a) Designation of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall designate the Russian Federation as a country the government of which has repeatedly provided support for international terrorism (commonly referred to as a “state sponsor of terrorism”).

(2) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report describing the Russian Federation’s support, sponsorship, cooperation, military coordination with, or significant transactions with the Russian Imperial Movement, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Forces (IRGC–QF).

(3) FORM.—The report required by paragraph (2) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if appropriate.

(b) Determination on the designation of the Russian-Supported armed forces in the Donbas Region of Ukraine as foreign terrorist organizations.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a determination to the appropriate congressional committees that indicates whether armed entities that are physically present in the Donbas region of Ukraine and are controlled or aided by the Russian Federation, or armed entities that are associated or controlled by the “Donetsk People’s Republic” or the “Lugansk People’s Republic”, meet the criteria to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189).

(2) FORM.—The determination required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if appropriate.

SEC. 4. Prohibition on United States persons from purchasing, selling, or otherwise dealing in Russian sovereign debt.

(a) Prohibition.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall issue regulations to prohibit United States persons from purchasing, selling, or otherwise dealing in Russian sovereign debt that is issued or executed on or after the date that is 60 days after such date of enactment.

(b) Russian sovereign debt defined.—In this section, the term “Russian sovereign debt” means—

(1) bonds issued by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Russian National Wealth Fund, the Russian Federal Treasury, or agents, instrumentalities, or affiliates of such institutions, regardless of the currency in which they are denominated and with a maturity of more than 14 days;

(2) foreign exchange swap agreements with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Russian National Wealth Fund, or the Russian Federal Treasury, regardless of the currency in which they are denominated and with a duration of more than 14 days; and

(3) any other financial instrument, the maturity or duration of which is more than 14 days, that the President determines represents the sovereign debt of Russia.

(c) Requirement To publish guidance.—The President shall publish guidance on the implementation of the regulations issued pursuant to subsection (a) concurrently with the publication of such regulations.

SEC. 5. Imposition of sanctions related to Nord Stream 2.

(a) Imposition of sanctions.—Not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose sanctions under subsection (b)(1) with respect to—

(1) any entity responsible for planning, construction, maintenance, technical assistance, engineering assistance, financing, or operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline or a successor entity; and

(2) any other corporate officer of or principal shareholder with a controlling interest in an entity described in paragraph (1).

(b) Sanctions described.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The sanctions described in this subsection are the following:

(A) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in 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.

(B) ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—

(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.).

(ii) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.—

(2) EXCEPTIONS.—

(c) 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 or the sanctions imposed pursuant to 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) Implementation authority.—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) for purposes of carrying out this section.

(e) Regulatory authority.—The President shall, not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate regulations as necessary for the implementation of this section.

(f) Repeal of national interest waiver under protecting europe’s energy security act of 2019.—Section 7503 of the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019 (title LXXV of Public Law 116–92; 22 U.S.C. 9526 note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)(1)(C), by striking “subsection (i)” and inserting “subsection (h)”;

(2) by striking subsection (f);

(3) by redesignating subsections (g) through (k) as subsections (f) through (j), respectively; and

(4) in subsection (i), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by striking “subsection (h)” and inserting “subsection (g)”.

SEC. 6. Report on personal wealth of Vladimir Putin and his family members.

(a) In general.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the estimated net worth and known sources of income of Vladimir Putin and his family members, as well as of Alina Kabaeva, including assets, investments, other business interests, and relevant beneficial ownership information.

(b) Form.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, and may not include a classified annex.

(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.—The report required by subsection (a) shall be made available on a publicly available internet website of the Federal Government.

SEC. 7. Determination relating to imposition of sanctions against certain Russian persons and former Russian officials.

(a) Determination with respect to imposition of sanctions.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a determination, including a detailed justification, of whether any person listed in subsection (b) meets the criteria for the imposition of sanctions pursuant to section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656).

(b) Persons listed.—The persons listed in this subsection, which include Russian persons and current and former Russian officials, are the following:

(1) Roman Abramovich, businessman.

(2) Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank.

(3) Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank.

(4) Dmitry Patrushev, Minister of Agriculture.

(5) Igor Shuvalov, Chairman of the State Development Corporation VEB.

(6) Alisher Usmanov, businessman.

(7) Oleg Deripaska, businessman.

(8) Alexei Miller, Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom.

(9) Igor Sechin, Chairman of the Management Board of Rosneft.

(10) Gennady Timchenko, businessman.

(11) Nikolai Tokarev, Chairman of Transneft.

(12) Andrey Vorobyev, Governor of the Moscow Region XIII.

(13) Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health.

(14) Vladimir Solovyev, media personality.

(15) Alexander Bastrykin, Head of the Investigative Committee.

(16) Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB).

(17) Konstantin Ernst, Chief Executive Officer 25 of Channel One TV station.

(18) Victor Gavrilov, Head of the Department of Transport of the Economic Security Service.

(19) Dmitry Ivanov, Head of Chelyabinsk FSB.

(20) Alexander Kalashnikov, Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN).

(21) Sergei Kirienko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration.

(22) Elena Morozova, Judge of Khimki District Court.

(23) Denis Popov, Chief Prosecutor of Moscow.

(24) Margarita Simonyan, Editor-in-Chief of RT.

(25) Igor Yanchuk, Head of the Khimki Police Department.

(26) Victor Zolotov, Director of the National Guard.

(27) Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg.

(28) Yuri Chaika, former Prosecutor General.

(29) Andrei Kartapolov, Deputy Defense Minister.

(30) Pavel Krasheninnikov, Parliamentarian and former Justice Minister.

(31) Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Russia.

(32) Ella Pamfilova, Head of Central Electoral 2 Commission.

(33) Dmitry Peskov, Presidential Press Secretary.

(34) Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow.

(35) Anton Vaino, Head of the Presidential Administration.

SEC. 8. Imposition of sanctions on kleptocrats and senior political figures of the Russian Federation.

(a) In general.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to—

(1) any person in the Russian Federation involved in kleptocracy and participating or aiding or assisting in the Government of the Russian Federation’s subversive activity against the United States democratic institutions and interests, or any person within the Government of the Russian Federation involved in furthering the Russian Federation’s subversive activity against the United States democratic institutions and interests;

(2) any person, or network of persons, involved in assisting the Government of the Russian Federation’s campaign of disinformation against the United States; and

(3) any person who is an adult family member, including a spouse or adult child, of a person who has engaged in an activity described in paragraph (1) or (2).

(b) Sanctions described.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The sanctions described in this subsection are the following:

(A) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in 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.

(B) ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—

(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.).

(ii) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.—

(2) EXCEPTIONS.—

(e) Regulatory authority.—The President shall, not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate regulations as necessary for the implementation of this section.

(f) Determination required.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall issue a determination, including a detailed justification, as to whether any of the persons described in paragraph (2) meet the criteria for the imposition of sanctions pursuant to—

(A) this section;

(B) section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656);

(C) Executive Order No. 13660 (79 Fed. Reg. 13493; relating to blocking property of certain persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine); or

(D) Executive Order No. 13661 (79 Fed. Reg. 15535; relating to blocking property of additional persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine), Executive Order No. 13662 (79 Fed. Reg. 16169; relating to blocking property of additional persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine).

(2) PERSONS DESCRIBED.—The persons described in this paragraph are the following:

(A) Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation.

(B) Each member of the cabinet of the Russian Federation.

(D) Iskander Makhmudov and Andrey Bokarev, principals of Transmashholding and other companies.

(E) Dmitry Rybolovlev, former principal of Uralkali and currently an owner of the Monaco football club and multiple other assets in the West.

(F) Mikhail Gutseriev, who runs oil and potash businesses for the benefit of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenka.

(G) Ruben Vardanyan, former principal of Troika Dialog and sponsor of Skolkovo school.

(H) Alexander Vinokurov, son-in-law of Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, and principal of Marathon Group.

SEC. 9. Imposition of sanctions on state development corporations in the Russian Federation.

(a) In general.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to—

(1) any entity that is a state development corporation in the Russian Federation; and

(2) any official of an entity described in paragraph (1).

(b) Sanctions described.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The sanctions described in this subsection are the following:

(A) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property of the entity 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.

(B) ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—

(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.).

(ii) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.—

(2) EXCEPTIONS.—

(A) UN HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT.—The sanctions described under paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply with respect to 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.

(e) Regulatory authority.—The President shall, not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate regulations as necessary for the implementation of this section.

(f) Determination required.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall issue a determination, including a detailed justification, as to whether Vnesheconombank (VEB), a state development corporation in the Russian Federation, or any official of VEB meets the criteria for the imposition of sanctions pursuant to this section.

SEC. 10. Funding limitation on cyber dialogue with the Russian Federation.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds may be obligated or expended on a cyber dialogue with the Russian Federation until the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that cyber attacks from Russian entities and individuals against the United States have ceased.

SEC. 11. Funding limitation on arms control negotiations or the strategic stability dialogue with the Russian Federation.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds may be obligated or expended on arms control negotiations or on Strategic Stability dialogue with the Russian Federation until the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the Russian Federation has completely, fully, and verifiably withdrawn all forces, including proxy forces, from Ukraine and has reversed its illegal annexation of Crimea.

SEC. 12. Appropriate congressional committees defined.

In this Act, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.