S. 226

119 S226 IS: No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act
 U.S. Senate
 2025-01-23
 text/xml
 EN
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 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 226  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   January 23, 2025   Mr. Sheehy  introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Foreign Relations    A BILL
To require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act  .
2.
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Appropriate congressional committees
The term  appropriate congressional committees  means—
(A)
the  Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate ;
(B)
the  Committee on Appropriations of the Senate ;
(C)
the  Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives ; and
(D)
the  Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives .
(2)
Hawala
The term  hawala  means a system of transferring money through a network of money lending brokers.
3.
Strategy to oppose financial or material support by foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban
(a)
Statement of policy
It is the policy of the United States—
(1)
to oppose the provision of financial or material support by foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban, particularly countries and organizations that receive United States-provided foreign assistance; and
(2)
to review United States-provided financial assistance to foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided financial or material support to the Taliban.
(b)
Report
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that identifies—
(1)
foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided financial or material support to the Taliban, including—
(A)
the amount of United States-provided foreign assistance each such country or organization receives, if any;
(B)
the amount of financial or material support each such country or organization has provided to the Taliban; and
(C)
a description of how the Taliban has utilized such financial or material support; and
(2)
efforts the United States has taken since August 2021 to oppose foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban, particularly foreign countries and organizations that receive United States-provided foreign assistance.
(c)
Strategy and reports
(1)
Strategy
(A)
Development
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop a strategy to discourage foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban, including by using United States-provided foreign assistance to discourage countries and organizations from providing such support to the Taliban.
(B)
Implementation
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall implement the strategy developed pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(2)
Reports
(A)
Initial report
Not later than the date of the completion of the strategy required under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that details the strategy and the plan for its implementation.
(B)
Subsequent reports
Not later than 180 days after the completion of the strategy required under paragraph (1), and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding the implementation of the strategy, including the impact of the strategy in discouraging foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban.
4.
Report on direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan
(a)
In general
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that identifies United States Government-funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan during the period beginning on August 1, 2021, and ending on the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b)
Matters To be included
The report required under subsection (a) shall, with respect to such direct cash assistance programs—
(1)
identify implementing partners and recipients;
(2)
describe method of payments;
(3)
describe how and where currency exchanges occur;
(4)
describe how hawalas are used and the oversight mechanism in place regarding use of hawalas to transfer funds; and
(5)
describe how oversight is conducted, including information on how the Department of State prevents the Taliban from accessing cash assistance under such programs.
5.
Report on status of Afghan Fund
(a)
In general
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the status of the Afghan Fund.
(b)
Matters To be included
The report required under subsection (a) shall include—
(1)
a list of Taliban members who are working at Da Afghanistan Bank or serving on the Bank’s Supreme Council; and
(2)
a description of—
(A)
the Taliban’s influence over Da Afghanistan Bank;
(B)
the Afghan Fund’s Board of Trustees, including how the Fund’s trustees were vetted and selected, and what United States agencies were involved in the vetting and selection process;
(C)
the conditions necessary for funds in the Afghan Fund to be released to Da Afghanistan Bank;
(D)
how the Afghan Fund’s Board of Trustees will decide on the type and appropriateness of the Fund’s activities, including what kind of information will inform the Board’s decisions and how the Board will collect and verify this information; and
(E)
a description of what controls have been put into place to ensure funds are not diverted to or misused by the Taliban or other actors when the Fund begins making disbursements.