Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act
Public Law 115-348 · H.R. 3342 · 115th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 21, 2018 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8)
Cosponsors (26): Rep. Thomas Suozzi, Rep. Ed Royce,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act
(Sec. 2) This bill states that it shall be U.S. policy to condemn the use of innocent civilians as human shields.
(Sec. 3) The President shall submit to Congress within one year, and annually thereafter, a list of:
• each foreign person that is a member of Hizballah or Hamas or is knowingly acting on behalf of Hizballah or Hamas and knowingly directs the use of civilians protected by the law of war to shield military objectives from attack, and
• each foreign person or agency or instrumentality of a foreign state that knowingly and materially directs or supports any such act.
The President shall impose U.S.-based property-blocking and visa sanctions, including revocation of existing visas, against a listed person, entity, or instrumentality.
The President is urged to submit to Congress within one year, and annually thereafter, a list of each foreign person or entity that knowingly directs the use of civilians protected by the law of war to shield military objectives from attack, excluding those foreign persons included in the most recent mandatory sanctions list.
(Sec. 5) This bill shall cease to be effective on December 31, 2023.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 3257Related bill
Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Dec 21, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-348.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 13, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 11, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Royce (CA) asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's Table and agree to the Senate amendments.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Oct 12, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Oct 11, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 26, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Oct 25, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3342.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Royce (CA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 24, 2017CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 269.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 115-367, Part I.
- Sep 28, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- Jul 20, 2017CommitteeCommittee · 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.
- 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.
Amendments
4 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4059SenateSen. Bob CorkerR-TN· offered Oct 11, 2018Agreed to
To amend the title.
Oct 11, 2018: Amendment SA 4059 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4058SenateSen. Bob CorkerR-TN· offered Oct 11, 2018Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Oct 11, 2018: Amendment SA 4058 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Other
S.Amdt. 4047SenateSen. Bob CorkerR-TN· offered Oct 5, 2018Other
To amend the title.
Oct 5, 2018: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Other
S.Amdt. 4046SenateSen. Bob CorkerR-TN· offered Oct 5, 2018Other
In the nature of a substitute.
Oct 5, 2018: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.