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Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015

Public Law 114-102 · H.R. 2297 · 114th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 18, 2015 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA-39)

Cosponsors (9): Rep. Eliot Engel,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 425 yea, 0 nay425–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill states that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) prevent Hizballah's global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and international activities; and (2) utilize diplomatic, legislative, and executive avenues to combat Hizballah's criminal activities in order to block that organization's ability to fund its global terrorist activities.

TITLE I--PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY HIZBALLAH TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

(Sec. 101) The President shall report to Congress on: (1) satellite, broadcast, Internet, or other providers that have knowingly entered into a contractual relationship with al-Manar TV and its affiliates; and (2) the identity of those providers that have or have not been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (relating to blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit or support terrorism).

(Sec. 102) The President shall prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly:

• facilitates a transaction or transactions for Hizballah;

• facilitates a significant transaction or transactions of a person on specified lists of specially designated nationals and blocked persons, property, and property interests for acting on behalf of or at the direction of, or being owned or controlled by, Hizballah;

• engages in money laundering to carry out such an activity; or

• facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services to carry out such an activity.

Specified penalties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act shall apply to violations of this Act.

Procedures for judicial review of classified information are set forth.

The President may waive the application of a prohibition for up to 180 days (renewable for additional 180-day periods) if in U.S. national security interests, and with congressional notification.

The President shall not be required to apply sanctions to a foreign financial institution if the President certifies to Congress that:

• such institution is no longer, or is taking significant steps towards no longer, engaging in the prohibited activity; and

• the President has received reliable assurances from the government with primary jurisdiction over the institution that the institution will not engage in such activity.

Treasury shall identify to Congress every 180 days each foreign central bank that carries out a prohibited activity, together with a detailed description of each such activity.

TITLE II--REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF HIZBALLAH

(Sec. 201) The President shall report to Congress on Hizballah's narcotics trafficking worldwide.

The President shall, within 30 days of submitting such report, brief Congress on: (1) the report, (2) procedures for designating Hizballah as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker, and (3) government-wide efforts to combat Hizballah's narcotics trafficking.

(Sec. 202) The President shall report to Congress on Hizballah's transnational criminal activities, including human trafficking.

The President shall, within 30 days of submitting such report, brief Congress on: (1) the report, (2) procedures for designating Hizballah as a significant transnational criminal organization, and (3) government-wide efforts to combat Hizballah's criminal activities.

(Sec. 203) The Department of State shall report, and provide an annual briefing, to Congress regarding actions taken through the Department's rewards program to obtain information on Hizballah's fundraising, financing, and money laundering activities.

(Sec. 204) The President shall report to Congress regarding:

• countries that support Hizballah, countries in which Hizballah maintains important portions of its global logistics networks, or in which Hizballah conducts significant fundraising, financing, or money laundering activities;

• an assessment of whether a country's government is taking adequate measures to disrupt Hizballah's networks and activities within that country, and if not, the reasons it is not taking such measures and a description of U.S. measures to encourage the improvement of such measures; and

• methods that Hizballah, or any of its agents or affiliates, utilizes to raise or transfer funds, including trade-based money laundering, the use of foreign exchange houses, and free-trade zones.

The State Department, Treasury, and other applicable federal departments and agencies shall brief Congress every 180 days on the disposition of Hizballah's assets and activities related to fundraising, financing, and money laundering.

TITLE III--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

(Sec. 301) Nothing in this Act shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities.

(Sec. 302) The President shall promulgate implementing regulations.

(Sec. 303) This Act shall cease to be in effect 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that Hizballah:

• is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization; and

• is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 425 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

425 yea0 nay8 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(184)

Republicans who voted yea(241)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 695 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 1617Related bill

    Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Dec 18, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-102.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 16, 2015Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 698).House roll call 698
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Royce moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 2297.
  10. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 698).House roll call 698
  11. Nov 18, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  12. Nov 17, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
  13. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  15. May 18, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  16. May 14, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  17. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 0 (Roll no. 227).House roll call 227
  18. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  19. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  20. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2297.
  21. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  22. FloorFloor · Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  23. May 13, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 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.
  24. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2811SenateSen. Marco RubioR-FL· offered Nov 17, 2015Agreed to

    To amend the title.

    Nov 17, 2015: Amendment SA 2811 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to

  • S.Amdt. 2810SenateSen. Marco RubioR-FL· offered Nov 17, 2015Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Nov 17, 2015: Amendment SA 2810 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.