Terror-Free Skies Act
This bill requires the President to report to specified congressional committees every 180 days on the Iranian government's use of commercial aircraft and related services for illicit military or other activities during the past five years. Such report shall describe the extent to which:
If the President determines in such a report that any Iranian commercial airliner has used commercial aircraft for illicit military purposes on or after January 16, 2016, the President shall designate such airline as a specially designated national and blocked person.
This bill shall cease to be effective 30 days after the President certifies that the Iranian government has ceased providing support for acts of international terrorism.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 566 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 566
To require the President to report on the use by the Government of Iran
of commercial aircraft and related services for illicit military or
other activities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 13, 2017
Mr. Roskam (for himself, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Zeldin) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the President to report on the use by the Government of Iran
of commercial aircraft and related services for illicit military or
other activities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Terror-Free Skies Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Iran is designated as the world's foremost state
sponsor of terrorism and a direct threat to the national
security of the United States and United States allies.
(2) Iran, through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC), provides material and financial support to Foreign
Terrorist Organizations (FTO), including Hamas, Hezbollah, and
Kata'ib Hezbollah, as well as to the Bashar al-Assad regime in
Syria which is responsible for over 400,000 civilian deaths.
(3) Iran has systematically employed its national air
carrier, Iran Air, as well as numerous private and publically
owned Iranian and Syrian airliners, including Mahan Air, to
ferry weapons, troops, and military equipment on behalf of the
IRGC and Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics
(MODAFL) to FTOs and rogue regimes around the world.
(4) On June 23, 2011, the U.S. Department of the Treasury
designated Iran Air pursuant to Executive Order 13882 for
providing material support and services to the IRGC, including
shipping military-related equipment on behalf of the IRGC since
2006 and transporting rockets or missiles to Syria.
(5) On January 16, 2016, Iran Air was delisted as a
Specially Designated National (SDN) by the U.S. Department of
the Treasury even though Iran Air had not ceased its illicit
and sanctionable activity.
(6) Iran Air remains owned and operated by the Iranian
government and has, since January 16, 2016, flown numerous
unscheduled flights on well-known weapons supply routes between
Iran and Syria.
(7) In correspondence with U.S. Members of Congress, the
U.S. Department of the Treasury has refused to confirm that
Iran Air has ceased its illicit activity. In a November 23,
2016, letter to Rep. Peter Roskam, Thomas Patrick Maloney,
Senior Advisor in the Office of Legislative Affairs of the U.S.
Department of the Treasury wrote: ``The United States retains
the ability to designate any individual or entity that engages
in sanctionable activities under our authorities targeting
conduct outside the scope of the JCPOA, including Iran's
support for terrorism, human rights abuses, ballistic missile
program, and other destabilizing activities in the region.''.
(8) Evidence supports that despite being removed from the
Specially Designated National (SDN) on January 16, 2016, Iran
Air has since continued its illicit and sanctionable activity
in support of the IRGC, MODAFL, Hezbollah, and the Bashar al-
Assad regime since January 16, 2016.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON USE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN OF COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT
AND RELATED SERVICES FOR ILLICIT MILITARY OR OTHER
ACTIVITIES.
(a) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the President, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and
the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the Committee on
Armed Services, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Foreign Relations, and the
Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a report on use by the
Government of Iran of commercial aircraft and related services for
illicit military or other activities on or after the date that is the
beginning of the 5-year period ending on the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(b) Elements of Report.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall include a description of the extent to which--
(1) the Government of Iran has used commercial aircraft,
including aircraft of Iran Air, or related services to
transport illicit cargo to or from Iran, including military
goods, weapons, military personnel, military-related electronic
parts and mechanical equipment, or rocket or missile
components;
(2) the commercial aviation sector of Iran, including Iran
Air, has provided financial, material, or technological support
to the IRGC, MODAFL, the Bashar al Assad Regime, Hezbollah,
Hamas, Kata'ib Hezbollah, or any other FTOs or entities
designated on the SDN list; and
(3) foreign governments and persons have facilitated the
activities described in paragraph (1), including allowing the
use of airports, services, or other resources.
(c) Effect of Determination.--If, in a report submitted under this
section, the President determines that Iran Air or any other Iranian
commercial airliner has used or has been using commercial aircraft for
illicit military purposes on or after January 16, 2016, the President
shall, within 90 days of making such determination, designate such
airline as a specially designated national and blocked person on the
list maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the
Department of the Treasury.
SEC. 4. SUNSET.
This Act shall cease to be effective on the date that is 30 days
after the date on which the President certifies to Congress that the
Government of Iran has ceased providing support for acts of
international terrorism.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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