What This Bill Does
This bill directs the President to impose financial and travel sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly engage in significant business dealings with Afghanistan's rare earth mineral sector. The bill aims to punish those involved in transactions with the rare earth mineral industry in Afghanistan.
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Who It Affects
- Foreign persons (individuals or entities from outside the U.S.) who do business with Afghanistan's rare earth mineral sector
- The President and the Secretary of State
- The Secretary of Homeland Security
- U.S. persons who may be involved in transactions with sanctioned parties
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Key Provisions
- The President must impose sanctions 180 days after the bill becomes law on foreign persons who knowingly engage in significant transactions with anyone involved in Afghanistan's rare earth mineral sector (Sec. 2(a))
- The President shall freeze all property and financial interests in the U.S. belonging to sanctioned persons (Sec. 2(d)(1))
- The Secretary of State must deny visas and the Secretary of Homeland Security must prevent entry to the U.S. for sanctioned foreign persons (Sec. 2(d)(2))
- Sanctions cannot apply to the importation of goods, which includes articles, materials, supplies and manufactured products but not technical data (Sec. 2(b))
- Violating these sanctions brings penalties under existing federal law (Sec. 2(c))
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What Changes
Starting 180 days after the bill becomes law, foreign persons doing business with Afghanistan's rare earth mineral sector will have their U.S. property frozen and be banned from entering the United States.
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Important Definitions
"Good" means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, but excluding technical data (information or knowledge).
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Effective Date
The sanctions take effect 180 days after the date the bill becomes law. The specific calendar date is not specified in the bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 690
To impose sanctions on persons engaging in transactions in Afghanistan
rare earth minerals.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. STEUBE (for himself, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, and Mr.
SELF) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary,
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 on persons engaging in transactions
in Afghanistan rare earth minerals.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
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 ‘‘Taliban Rare Earth
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Minerals Sanctions Act’’.
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SEC. 2. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON PERSONS ENGAG-
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ING IN TRANSACTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
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RARE EARTH MINERALS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—On and after the date that is 180
4
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Presi-
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dent shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (d)
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with respect to a foreign person the President determines
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knowingly, on or after such date of enactment, engages
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in a significant transaction with a person that is part of,
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or operates for or on behalf of, the rare earth mineral sec-
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tor of Afghanistan.
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(b) EXCEPTION RELATING
TO IMPORTATION
OF
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GOODS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection
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(a), the authorities and requirements to impose
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sanctions under subsection (a) shall not include the
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authority or a requirement to impose sanctions on
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the importation of goods.
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(2) GOOD
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the
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term ‘‘good’’ means any article, natural or man-
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made substance, material, supply or manufactured
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product, including inspection and test equipment,
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and excluding technical data.
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(c) PENALTIES.—A person that violates, attempts to
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violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of sub-
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section (a) or any regulation, license, or order issued to
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•HR 690 IH
carry out subsection (a) shall be subject to the penalties
1
set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the
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International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
3
U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits
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an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section.
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(d) SANCTIONS DESCRIBED.—The sanctions to be
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imposed on a foreign person described in subsection (a)
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are the following:
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(1) BLOCKING OF PROPERTY.—The President
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shall block, in accordance with the International
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Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701
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et seq.), all transactions in all property and interests
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in property of any person subject to subsection (a)
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if such property and interests in property are in the
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United States, come within the United States, or are
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or come within the possession or control of a United
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States person.
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(2) EXCLUSION
FROM
UNITED
STATES.—The
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Secretary of State shall deny a visa to, and the Sec-
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retary of Homeland Security shall exclude from the
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United States, any person subject to subsection (a)
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that is an alien.
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Æ
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