What This Bill Does
This bill requires the federal government to develop strategies to stop technologies from being sent to Iran that could be used to make unmanned aircraft systems (drones). The bill also asks the military to create options to prevent Iran from getting these technologies. The stated reason is that Iran has been supplying unmanned aircraft to Russia, which uses them in attacks on Ukraine.
Who It Affects
United States companies that make or sell microelectronics and technology components. European and Asian countries that are allies of the United States. The Departments of Commerce, State, and Defense. The intelligence community agencies. Congress.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Commerce must create a strategy to prevent U.S. persons from exporting technologies used in unmanned aircraft systems to Iran, including specific microelectronics like microcontrollers, voltage regulators, digital signal controllers, GPS modules, microprocessors, and circuit board components (Sec. 4(a)(1)).
• The Commerce Department strategy must include a process to identify which technologies Iran uses in drones, which U.S. manufacturers make those technologies, and which third-party sellers might try to illegally get around export controls by using intermediaries (Sec. 4(a)(2)).
• The Commerce Department must engage with U.S. manufacturers to give them updated lists of third-party distributors and resellers suspected of illegally getting around sanctions (Sec. 4(a)(2)).
• The Secretary of State must develop a strategy to work with European and Asian allies to prevent them from exporting the same technologies to Iran (Sec. 4(b)(1)).
• The State Department strategy must include a process to identify foreign manufacturers of these technologies and a way to work with allies to align their export controls with U.S. controls (Sec. 4(b)(2)).
• The Secretary of Defense must develop a range of military options that could be used to stop or prevent Iran from getting access to these technologies within 30 days of the law taking effect (Sec. 4(c)(1)).
What Changes
If this law passes, the Commerce Department must create a new strategy specifically focused on preventing the export of drone-related technologies to Iran. The State Department must engage with international allies on the same issue. The Defense Department must develop military options to counter Iran's ability to get these technologies. All three departments must submit their strategies or briefings to Congress within specified timeframes. U.S. manufacturers will receive updated information about suspected illegal sellers trying to bypass sanctions.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "appropriate congressional committees" as specific committees in the House and Senate that oversee foreign affairs, defense, finance, and intelligence (Sec. 5(1)).
The bill defines "unmanned aircraft" and "unmanned aircraft system" by referencing an existing federal law (section 130i of title 10, United States Code), rather than defining them directly (Sec. 5(3)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1809
To require the development of strategies and options to prevent the export
to Iran of certain technologies related to unmanned aircraft systems,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 27, 2023
Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. PHILLIPS, and
Ms. TENNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on
Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the development of strategies and options to pre-
vent the export to Iran of certain technologies related
to unmanned aircraft systems, 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.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Block the Use of
4
Transatlantic Technology in Iranian Made Drones Act’’.
5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
6
Congress finds the following:
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•HR 1809 IH
(1) On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federa-
1
tion initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
2
(2) The Russian Federation’s war of aggression
3
against Ukraine first began in 2014.
4
(3) In response to the Russian Federation’s
5
brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the
6
United States, and allies and partners of the United
7
States, have enacted punitive sanctions against the
8
Russian Federation, further limiting the access of
9
the Russian Federation to critical technologies that
10
could support such war of aggression.
11
(4) Since February 2022, the Russian Federa-
12
tion has bombarded Ukrainian infrastructure and lo-
13
cations actively used by civilians, using both cruise
14
missiles and self-detonating unmanned aircrafts
15
packed with explosives during these waves of at-
16
tacks.
17
(5) Following these attacks, weapons used by
18
the Russian Federation have been thoroughly ana-
19
lyzed and it has been discovered that the Russian
20
Federation is increasingly using unmanned aircraft
21
systems produced and sold by Iran.
22
(6) In November 2022, it was reported that the
23
Russian Federation and Iran made a deal wherein
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•HR 1809 IH
Iran would produce hundreds of unmanned aircrafts
1
for the Russian Federation.
2
(7) Unmanned aircraft systems produced by
3
Iran and used in Ukraine by the Russian Federa-
4
tion, including unmanned aircraft downed in
5
Ukraine, were found to have been made with compo-
6
nents designed and built by United States and Euro-
7
pean companies and later transferred to Iranian en-
8
tities despite sanctions as a result of the dual use
9
properties of such components.
10
(8) The Biden Administration has established
11
an interagency task force to investigate how United
12
States and Western-made technology has been incor-
13
porated into unmanned aircraft systems produced by
14
Iran and take appropriate steps in response.
15
(9) On January 6th, 2023, the Biden Adminis-
16
tration enacted new sanctions targeting the un-
17
manned aircraft industry and missile industry of
18
Iran, designating seven individuals in leadership po-
19
sitions with Qods Aviation Industries and the Aero-
20
space Industries Organization of Iran.
21
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
22
It is the sense of Congress that—
23
(1) controlling the end use of dual use tech-
24
nology and highly ubiquitous parts thereof in the
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•HR 1809 IH
global market is difficult for manufacturers and gov-
1
ernment regulators alike;
2
(2) the United States, along with the allies and
3
partners of the United States, must continue to sup-
4
port Ukraine in the Ukrainian fight for freedom,
5
independence, and democracy; and
6
(3) the United States, along with the allies and
7
partners of the United States, must ensure that
8
technology designed or produced by United States
9
entities is not used to support the Russian Federa-
10
tion’s war of aggression against Ukraine, particu-
11
larly in the case of unmanned aircraft systems pro-
12
duced by Iran.
13
SEC. 4. STRATEGIES TO PREVENT EXPORT TO IRAN OF
14
CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO UN-
15
MANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
16
(a) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STRATEGY.—
17
(1) STRATEGY
REQUIRED.—The Secretary of
18
Commerce (in consultation with the Secretary of
19
State, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of
20
the elements of the intelligence community) shall de-
21
velop a strategy to supplement the existing sanctions
22
regime of the United States against Iran by pre-
23
venting the export to Iran by United States persons
24
regarding technologies used or that may be used in
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•HR 1809 IH
the design, development, production, or operational
1
employment of unmanned aircraft systems by Iran,
2
including the following microelectronics:
3
(A) Microcontrollers.
4
(B) Voltage regulators.
5
(C) Digital signal controllers.
6
(D) GPS modules.
7
(E) Microprocessors.
8
(F) Circuit board components.
9
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph
10
(1) shall include, at a minimum, the following ele-
11
ments:
12
(A) A process for the Secretary of Com-
13
merce (in coordination with the Secretaries and
14
heads specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively
15
identify—
16
(i) current and emerging technologies
17
used or that may be used by Iran in the
18
design, development, production, or oper-
19
ational employment of unmanned aircraft
20
systems (including critical components
21
thereof); and
22
(ii) United States manufacturers of
23
such technologies.
24
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•HR 1809 IH
(B) A process for the Secretary of Com-
1
merce (in coordination with the Secretaries and
2
heads specified in paragraph (1)) to proactively
3
identify third-party distributors and resellers of
4
the technologies specified in subparagraph
5
(A)(i) that, through the use of intermediaries
6
with no or nominal operations or assets, or
7
through other mechanisms, contrive to cir-
8
cumvent sanctions and export controls for such
9
items with respect to Iran.
10
(C) A methodology for the Secretary of
11
Commerce to proactively engage the United
12
States manufacturers identified pursuant to the
13
process under subparagraph (A)(ii), to provide
14
such manufacturers with timely updates to the
15
list of third-party distributors and resellers
16
identified pursuant to the process under sub-
17
paragraph (B).
18
(3) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 60 days after
19
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
20
of Commerce shall submit to the appropriate con-
21
gressional committees the strategy under paragraph
22
(1).
23
(4) FORM.—The report required by subsection
24
(a)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but
25
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•HR 1809 IH
portions of the report described in paragraphs (1)
1
and (2) may contain a classified annex, so long as
2
such annex is provided separately from the unclassi-
3
fied report.
4
(b) DEPARTMENT OF STATE STRATEGY.—
5
(1) STRATEGY
REQUIRED.—The Secretary of
6
State (in coordination with the Secretary of Com-
7
merce, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of
8
the elements of the intelligence community) shall de-
9
velop a strategy to engage with European and Asian
10
allies and partners of the United States regarding
11
technologies which are used, or may be used, by Iran
12
in the design, development, production, or oper-
13
ational employment of unmanned aircraft systems
14
(including the microelectronics listed in subpara-
15
graphs (A) through (F) of subsection (a)(1)), to pre-
16
vent the export of such technologies to Iran by such
17
allies and partners.
18
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph
19
(1) shall include, at a minimum, the following ele-
20
ments:
21
(A) A process for the Secretary of State
22
(in consultation with the relevant Secretaries
23
and heads specified in paragraph (1)) to
24
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•HR 1809 IH
proactively identify foreign manufacturers of
1
the technologies referred to in such paragraph.
2
(B) A process for the Secretary of State to
3
engage with any ally or partner of the United
4
States regarding technologies which have been
5
incorporated into an unmanned aircraft system
6
produced by Iran, for the purpose of synchro-
7
nizing the export control regime of such ally or
8
partner with the United States export controls
9
developed by the Secretary of Commerce pursu-
10
ant to the strategy under subsection (a) with
11
respect to such technology.
12
(3) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 60 days after
13
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
14
of State shall submit to the appropriate congres-
15
sional committees the strategy under paragraph (1).
16
(4) FORM.—The report required by subsection
17
(b)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but
18
portions of the report described in paragraphs (1)
19
and (2) may contain a classified annex, so long as
20
such annex is provided separately from the unclassi-
21
fied report.
22
(c) REQUIREMENT FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO
23
DEVELOP RANGE OF OPTIONS.—
24
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•HR 1809 IH
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after
1
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
2
of Defense (in coordination with the Secretary of
3
State and the heads of the elements of the intel-
4
ligence community) shall develop a range of options
5
that may be employed by the Armed Forces of the
6
United States to counter or otherwise deny Iran the
7
ability to acquire technologies used, or that may be
8
used, in the design, development, production, or
9
operational employment of unmanned aircraft sys-
10
tems by Iran, including the following technologies:
11
(A) Microcontrollers.
12
(B) Voltage regulators.
13
(C) Digital signal controllers.
14
(D) GPS modules.
15
(E) Microprocessors.
16
(F) Circuit board components.
17
(G) Computer Aided Design (CAD) soft-
18
ware.
19
(H) Computer numerical control machines.
20
(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 45 days after
21
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
22
of Defense shall provide to the appropriate congres-
23
sional committees a briefing on the options devel-
24
oped under paragraph (1).
25
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•HR 1809 IH
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
1
In this Act:
2
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
3
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
4
mittees’’ means the following:
5
(A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs, the
6
Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
7
on Ways and Means, and the Permanent Select
8
Committee on Intelligence of the House of Rep-
9
resentatives.
10
(B) The Committee on Foreign Relations,
11
the Committee on Armed Services, the Com-
12
mittee on Finance, and the Permanent Select
13
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
14
(2) INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY.—The term
15
‘‘intelligence community’’ has the meaning given
16
that term in section 3 of the National Security Act
17
of 1957 (50 U.S.C. 3003).
18
(3) UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT; UNMANNED
AIR-
19
CRAFT
SYSTEM.—The terms ‘‘unmanned aircraft’’
20
and ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ have the meanings
21
given those terms in section 130i of title 10, United
22
States Code.
23
Æ
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