What This Bill Does
This bill requires the government to get special permission (called a license) before allowing advanced new technologies to be sent to certain Iranian individuals and organizations that support groups the U.S. has punished with sanctions (penalties that restrict their access to money and trade). The bill targets technologies that could help Iran's military or nuclear programs.
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Who It Affects
- The Secretary of Commerce (a cabinet official who oversees business and trade)
- Any American business or person who wants to export, reexport, or transfer emerging and foundational technologies (new or basic advanced technologies) to Iranian entities
- Iranian individuals and organizations on government sanction lists
- Four congressional committees that oversee banking, housing, foreign relations, financial services and foreign affairs
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Key Provisions
- Beginning 120 days after the law passes, companies and people must get a license from the Secretary of Commerce before sending emerging and foundational technologies to Iranian persons and organizations that are under U.S. sanctions (Sec. 2(a))
- The license requirement applies to Iranian persons who appear on government sanction lists AND provide support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's armed forces, Iran's nuclear program, designated terrorist organizations, or groups fighting U.S. allies (Sec. 2(b))
- The Secretary of Commerce must report to Congress within 30 days after issuing any license, explaining why the license was approved and providing details about the Iranian person receiving the technology (Sec. 2(c))
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, American companies and individuals would be blocked from sending certain advanced technologies to specific Iranian organizations unless they first receive written approval from the government. Previously, these transactions did not require such licenses.
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Important Definitions
- **Export:** Sending goods or technology out of the United States
- **Reexport:** Sending goods or technology that came from the United States to a different country
- **In-country transfer:** Moving goods or technology within a country's borders
- **Iranian person:** Anyone who is a citizen of Iran or any organization created under Iranian law
- **SDN List:** The government's list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Treasury Department
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Effective Date
120 days after the bill becomes law (Not specified in bill text)
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 450
To strengthen export controls for emerging and foundational technologies
that bolster the destabilizing activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 15, 2023
Mr. LANKFORD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To strengthen export controls for emerging and foundational
technologies that bolster the destabilizing activities of
the Islamic Republic of Iran, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sanctioning Transfers
4
and Outbound Products to Iran Act of 2023’’ or the
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‘‘STOP Iran Act of 2023’’.
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•S 450 IS
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR LICENSES FOR EXPORTS OF
1
EMERGING
AND
FOUNDATIONAL
TECH-
2
NOLOGIES TO IRANIAN ENTITIES SUBJECT
3
TO SANCTIONS IMPOSED BY THE UNITED
4
STATES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—On and after the date that is 120
6
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
7
retary of Commerce shall require, pursuant to subsection
8
(b) of section 1753 of the Export Control Reform Act of
9
2018 (50 U.S.C. 4817), a license for the export, reexport,
10
or in-country transfer of emerging and foundational tech-
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nologies identified pursuant to subsection (a) of that sec-
12
tion to any Iranian person described in subsection (b).
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(b) IRANIAN PERSONS DESCRIBED.—
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—An Iranian person is de-
15
scribed in this subsection if the Iranian person—
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(A) is—
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(i) on a list specified in paragraph
18
(2); or
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(ii) otherwise subject to sanctions im-
20
posed by the United States pursuant to the
21
International Emergency Economic Powers
22
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or any other
23
provision of law; and
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(B) provides material, tactical, operational,
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developmental, or financial support to—
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•S 450 IS
(i) the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
1
Corps;
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(ii) any agency or instrumentality of
3
the Armed Forces of Iran;
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(iii) any agency or instrumentality re-
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lated to the nuclear program of Iran;
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(iv) any organization designated as a
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foreign terrorist organization under section
8
219 of the Immigration and Nationality
9
Act (8 U.S.C. 1189), including Hamas,
10
Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-
11
Qa’ida, and al-Shabaab; or
12
(v) any entity engaged in hostilities
13
with a country that is a partner or ally of
14
the United States, including the Houthis
15
and Shia militias in Iraq.
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(2) LISTS SPECIFIED.—A list specified in this
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paragraph is any of the following lists maintained by
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the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Depart-
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ment of the Treasury:
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(A) The SDN List.
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(B) The List of Foreign Financial Institu-
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tions Subject to Correspondent Account or Pay-
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able-Through Account Sanctions.
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•S 450 IS
(C) The Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions
1
List.
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(c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 days
3
after issuing a license under subsection (a) for the export,
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reexport, or in-country transfer of emerging and
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foundational technologies to an Iranian person described
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in subsection (b), the Secretary of Commerce shall submit
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to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
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includes—
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(1) a list of Iranian persons described in sub-
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section (b);
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(2) the rationale for issuing the license, includ-
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ing any findings or evidence relating to support de-
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scribed in subsection (b)(1)(B) provided by the Ira-
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nian person; and
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(3) an explanation of why the Iranian person
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was not subject to export controls under section
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1753(b) of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018
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(50 U.S.C. 4817(b)) before the date that is 120
19
days after date of the enactment of this Act that ad-
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dresses any partial or inconclusive evidence that the
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person provided support described in subsection
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(b)(1)(B).
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(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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•S 450 IS
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
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TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
2
mittees’’ means—
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(A) the Committee on Banking, Housing,
4
and Urban Affairs and the Committee on For-
5
eign Relations of the Senate; and
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(B) the Committee on Financial Services
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and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
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House of Representatives.
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(2) EXPORT; IN-COUNTRY
TRANSFER; REEX-
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PORT.—The terms ‘‘export’’, ‘‘in-country transfer’’,
11
and ‘‘reexport’’ have the meanings given those terms
12
in section 1742 of the Export Control Reform Act
13
of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801).
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(3) IRANIAN PERSON.—The term ‘‘Iranian per-
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son’’ means—
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(A) an individual who is a citizen or na-
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tional of Iran; and
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(B) an entity organized under the laws of
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Iran or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of
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the Government of Iran.
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(4) SDN LIST.—The term ‘‘SDN list’’ means
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the list of specially designated nationals and blocked
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•S 450 IS
persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets
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Control of the Department of the Treasury.
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Æ
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