What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of State (the federal official in charge of foreign relations) to review whether certain Iranian officials are eligible to enter the United States. If these officials currently hold visas, the Secretary of State must revoke those visas.
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Who It Affects
- The Secretary of State
- Certain Iranian officials and their immediate family members who hold U.S. visas or have applied for visas
- The United Nations (in limited cases involving transit to UN headquarters)
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Key Provisions
- The Secretary of State must complete a review within 180 days to determine if covered individuals are ineligible for entry under existing laws (Sec. 2(a))
- If the Secretary determines a covered individual holding a visa is ineligible for entry, the Secretary must revoke that visa (Sec. 2(b))
- Covered individuals include officers or employees of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, members of Iran's armed forces (except those drafted), law enforcement officials, government officials across multiple branches, employees of the Supreme Leader's office, and their immediate family members (Sec. 2(c))
- The Secretary of State may allow visas for people traveling to and from the United Nations headquarters in New York (Sec. 2(d))
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What Changes
If enacted, the Secretary of State would be required to review Iranian officials' visa eligibility based on their positions in Iran's government and military. Currently held visas for ineligible individuals would be canceled.
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Important Definitions
The bill defines "covered individual" as a person who on the date the bill becomes law has a U.S. visa or has applied for one and falls into specific categories related to Iranian government and military service (Sec. 2(c)).
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 869
To direct the Secretary of State to review whether certain Iranian officials
are eligible for entry into the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 8, 2023
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. GOTTHEIMER,
and Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of State to review whether certain
Iranian officials are eligible for entry into the United
States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Revoking Entry Grant-
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ed to Iranian Mullahs and Elites Act of 2023’’ or the
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‘‘REGIME Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 869 IH
SEC. 2. REVIEW OF ELIGIBILITY FOR ENTRY INTO THE
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UNITED STATES OF CERTAIN IRANIAN OFFI-
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CIALS.
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(a) REVIEW.—Not later than 180 days after the date
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of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall con-
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duct a review to determine whether any covered individual
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is ineligible for entry into the United States pursuant to
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section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Oper-
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ations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2022
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(division K of Public Law 117–103; 8 U.S.C. 1182 note)
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or pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran
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Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010
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(22 U.S.C. 8514).
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(b) REVOCATION OF VISA.—If the Secretary of State
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determines, pursuant to the review conducted under sub-
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section (a), that a covered individual who is in possession
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of a visa is ineligible for entry into the United States, the
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Secretary shall revoke such visa.
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(c) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—In this section, the term
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‘‘covered individual’’ means an individual who, on the date
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of enactment of this Act, has a visa authorizing the indi-
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vidual to be admitted to the United States or has sub-
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mitted an application for such a visa, and is—
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(1) an officer or employee of the Islamic Revo-
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lutionary Guard Corps or any subunit thereof (in-
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cluding Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Head-
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•HR 869 IH
quarter and any other entity controlled by the Is-
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lamic Revolutionary Guard Corps);
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(2) an officer of any other branch of the Ira-
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nian armed forces (except in the case of compulsory
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service);
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(3) an officer or employee of the Iranian law
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enforcement forces;
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(4) a former or current member, officer, or em-
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ployee of the Iranian executive, judicial, or legislative
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branch, including the Assembly of Experts, the
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Guardian Council, the Expediency and Discernment
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Council, the Supreme National Security Council, and
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the Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution;
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(5) a former or current officer or employee of
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an entity controlled by the Office of the Supreme
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Leader; or
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(6) an immediate family member of any indi-
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vidual described in paragraphs (1) through (5).
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(d) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may waive the
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application of subsection (b) to a covered alien who is
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seeking a visa or who is in possession of a visa for the
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purpose of coming to the United States in transit to and
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from the headquarters district of the United Nations in
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•HR 869 IH
accordance with the provisions of the Headquarters Agree-
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ment.
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Æ
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