United States 117th Congress Status: Died Bipartisan · 4 R · 1 D cosponsors

HR 8958 — Ukraine Human Rights Policy Act of 2022

Last action — Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. Died in session

This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Ukraine Human Rights Policy Act of 2022 This bill provides for congressional oversight of sanctions on foreign persons associated with human rights abuses in territory controlled by Russia and requires reports on human rights abuses related to Ukraine.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

2 sections in 2 laws

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-124).

Sovereignty, integrity, democracy, and economic stability of ukraine · 22 U.S.C. ch. 96 1 section
  • § 8910 Mandatory imposition of sanctions with respect to transactions with persons responsible for human rights abuses Amends

    22 U.S.C. § 8910

    The law today

    (a) In general The President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to a foreign person if the President determines that the foreign person, based on credible information, on or after August 2, 2017— (1) is responsible for, complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses in any territory forcibly occupied or otherwise controlled by the Government of the Russian Federation; (2) materially assists, sponsors, or provides financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to, a foreign person described in paragraph (1); or (3) is owned or controlled by, or acts or purports to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a foreign person described in paragraph (1). (b) Sanctions described (1) Asset blocking The exercise of all powers granted to the President by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of a person determined by the President to be subject to subsection (a) if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person. (2) Exclusion from the United States and revocation of visa or other documentation In the case of an alien determined by the President to be subject to subsection (a), denial of a visa to, and exclusion from the United States of, the alien, and revocation in accordance with section 1201(i) of title 8, of any visa or other documentation of the alien. (c) Application of new sanctions The President may waive the initial application of sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to a person only if the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees— (1) a written determination that the waiver— (A) is in the vital national security interests of the United States; or (B) will further the enforcement of this chapter; and (2) a certification that the Government of the Russian Federation has made efforts to reduce serious human rights abuses in territory forcibly occupied or otherwise controlled by that Government. (d) Implementation; penalties (1) Implementation The President may exercise all authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out subsection (b)(1). (2) Penalties A person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of subsection (b)(1) or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry out subsection (b)(1) shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section. (e) Termination Subject to section 9511 of this title, the President may terminate the application of sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to a person if the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees— (1) a notice of and justification for the termination; and (2) a notice— (A) that— (i) the person is not engaging in the activity that was the basis for the sanctions or has taken significant verifiable steps toward stopping the activity; and (ii) the President has received reliable assurances that the person will not knowingly engage in activity subject to sanctions under subsection (a) in the future; or (B) that the President determines that insufficient basis exists for the determination by the President under subsection (a) with respect to the person.

    3 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Countering russian influence in europe and eurasia · 22 U.S.C. ch. 102 1 section
  • § 9542 Sense of Congress Amends

    22 U.S.C. § 9542

    The law today

    It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Government of the Russian Federation bears responsibility for the continuing violence in Eastern Ukraine, including the death on April 24, 2017, of Joseph Stone, a citizen of the United States working as a monitor for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; (2) the President should call on the Government of the Russian Federation— (A) to withdraw all of its forces from the territories of Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova; (B) to return control of the borders of those territories to their respective governments; and (C) to cease all efforts to undermine the popularly elected governments of those countries; (3) the Government of the Russian Federation has applied, and continues to apply, to the countries and peoples of Georgia and Ukraine, traditional uses of force, intelligence operations, and influence campaigns, which represent clear and present threats to the countries of Europe and Eurasia; (4) in response, the countries of Europe and Eurasia should redouble efforts to build resilience within their institutions, political systems, and civil societies; (5) the United States supports the institutions that the Government of the Russian Federation seeks to undermine, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union; (6) a strong North Atlantic Treaty Organization is critical to maintaining peace and security in Europe and Eurasia; (7) the United States should continue to work with the European Union as a partner against aggression by the Government of the Russian Federation, coordinating aid programs, development assistance, and other counter-Russian efforts; (8) the United States should encourage the establishment of a commission for media freedom within the Council of Europe, modeled on the Venice Commission regarding rule of law issues, that would be chartered to provide governments with expert recommendations on maintaining legal and regulatory regimes supportive of free and independent media and an informed citizenry able to distinguish between fact-based reporting, opinion, and disinformation; (9) in addition to working to strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, the United States should work with the individual countries of Europe and Eurasia— (A) to identify vulnerabilities to aggression, disinformation, corruption, and so-called hybrid warfare by the Government of the Russian Federation; (B) to establish strategic and technical plans for addressing those vulnerabilities; (C) to ensure that the financial systems of those countries are not being used to shield illicit financial activity by officials of the Government of the Russian Federation or individuals in President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle who have been enriched through corruption; (D) to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption by Russian actors; and (E) to work toward full compliance with the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (commonly referred to as the “Anti-Bribery Convention”) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; and (10) the President of the United States should use the authority of the President to impose sanctions under— (A) the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 (title IV of Public Law 112–208; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note); and (B) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).1

    3 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Also cites: 22 U.S.C. § 2151n

How this bill changes current law

8 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill enhances the existing framework for imposing sanctions related to human rights abuses specifically in Ukraine and establishes new reporting requirements and congressional oversight measures.

  • 22 U.S.C. 8910

    (d) Congressional Oversight.--(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after receiving a request from the chairman and ranking member of one of the appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether a person meets the criteria of a person described in subsection (a), the President shall--(A) determine if the person meets such criteria; and (B) submit a classified or unclassified report to such chairman and ranking member with respect to such determination that includes a statement of whether or not the President imposed or intends to impose sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to such person. (2) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this subsection, the term 'appropriate congressional committees' means--(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

    This adds a requirement for presidential reporting and congressional oversight regarding sanctions related to human rights abuses.

  • 22 U.S.C. 9542

    the Government of the Russian Federation bears responsibility for the continuing violence in Eastern Ukraine, including the death on April 24, 2017, of Joseph Stone, a citizen of the United States working as a monitor for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; → the Government of the Russian Federation bears responsibility for the continuing violence in Ukraine and imposition onto Ukrainian sovereignty;

    This updates the language to reflect an ongoing situation in Ukraine rather than a past incident.

  • 22 U.S.C. 9542

    (2) the Government of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine reflects years of disregard for territorial integrity across the European continent;

    This adds a statement recognizing the broader implications of the Russian invasion.

  • 22 U.S.C. 9542

    (3) paramilitary organizations are utilized by the Government of the Russian Federation to execute foreign policy goals, including through influence campaigns, economic coercion, and violence;

    This adds a declaration about the role of paramilitary organizations in Russian foreign policy.

  • 22 U.S.C. 9542

    (4) ongoing violence from the Government of the Russian Federation across Europe creates implications for allies and partners of the United States outside of the European continent, and a deterrence strategy therefore requires coordination and cooperation with like-minded partners across the globe;

    This emphasizes the international implications of Russian actions and the need for strategic cooperation.

  • 22 U.S.C. 9542

    (2) to identify vulnerabilities to aggression, information operations, in particular cyber warfare and military information support operations, corruption, and hybrid warfare by the Government of the Russian Federation and its proxy forces;

    This expands the scope of identified vulnerabilities to include modern forms of aggression.

  • 22 U.S.C. 2656 note

    It is the policy of the United States to consider foreign persons who are involved in the forced relocation or detention of persons in Russian filtration camps as having committed gross violations of internationally recognized human rights for purposes of imposing sanctions with respect to such persons under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note).

    This establishes a clear policy regarding those responsible for human rights abuses in Russian filtration camps.

  • 22 U.S.C. 2151n

    The Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies and civil society organizations shall include in the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 2304) information on human rights abuses in Ukraine and against individuals who reside in Ukraine who are forcibly relocated.

    This requires the inclusion of specific information regarding human rights abuses in reports on foreign assistance.

Action History

  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.

  5. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.

  6. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.

  7. Referred to the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 542 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (542)

542 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 542 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights
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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 8958 do?
Ukraine Human Rights Policy Act of 2022 This bill provides for congressional oversight of sanctions on foreign persons associated with human rights abuses in territory controlled by Russia and requires reports on human rights abuses related to Ukraine.
Who sponsors HR 8958?
HR 8958 is sponsored by Panetta, Jimmy (Democratic), Lamborn, Doug (Republican), Waltz, Michael (Republican), Wittman, Robert J. (Republican), and Fallon, Pat (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 8958?
This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 8958?
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