H.R. 7857

119 HR 7857 IH: No Escaping Justice Act of 2026
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-03-05
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 7857  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   March 5, 2026   Ms. Wasserman Schultz  introduced the following bill; which was 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   A BILL
To impose sanctions on foreign persons the President determines to have knowingly engaged in, facilitated, or benefitted from severe forms of trafficking in persons in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking enterprise or in connection with efforts to conceal, facilitate, finance, or profit from such enterprise.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   No Escaping Justice Act of 2026  .
2.
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Appropriate congressional committees
The term  appropriate congressional committees  means—
(A)
the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and
(B)
the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
(2)
Epstein-related records
The term  Epstein-related records  means all records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of State or Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys’ Offices, that relate to the contents of paragraphs (1) through (9) of section 2(a) of the Epstein Files Transparency Act ( Public Law 119–38 ).
(3)
Foreign person
The term  foreign person  means a person that is not a United States person.
(4)
Knowingly
The term  knowingly , with respect to conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person has actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the circumstance, or the result.
(5)
Severe forms of trafficking in persons
The term  severe forms of trafficking in persons  has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 ( 22 U.S.C. 7102 ).
(6)
United States person
The term  United States person  means—
(A)
a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or
(B)
an entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such entity.
3.
Identification of sanctionable persons
(a)
In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the President shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Attorney General, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report identifying each foreign person that the President determines, based on credible information, knowingly engaged in conduct described in subsection (b).
(b)
Sanctionable conduct described
The conduct described in this subsection is any of the following, when undertaken knowingly in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking enterprise or in connection with efforts to conceal, facilitate, finance, or profit from such enterprise:
(1)
Engaging in severe forms of trafficking in persons, including sex trafficking involving a person under 18 years of age.
(2)
Aiding, abetting, commanding, inducing, financing, organizing, or otherwise facilitating severe forms of trafficking in persons or the sexual exploitation of minors.
(3)
Knowingly benefitting financially or receiving anything of value from participation in, or facilitation of, severe forms of trafficking in persons or the sexual exploitation of minors.
(4)
Obstructing, intimidating, retaliating against, threatening, or corruptly influencing a victim, witness, or law enforcement officer in connection with an investigation, prosecution, or civil action relating to conduct described in paragraphs (1) through (3).
(c)
Credible information standard
For purposes of this Act,  credible information  may include information from—
(1)
United States Government agencies, including law enforcement and intelligence components;
(2)
judicial proceedings, including indictments, judgments, plea agreements, sentencing findings, and sworn testimony;
(3)
foreign governments, international organizations, or multilateral bodies;
(4)
credible reporting by nongovernmental organizations; and
(5)
Epstein-related records, provided that the appearance of a name in such records shall not be sufficient to support a determination under subsection (a).
(d)
Form
The report required under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. The unclassified form shall be prepared in a manner that protects the privacy and safety of victims.
4.
Imposition of sanctions
(a)
Imposition
Except as provided in section 5, the President shall impose the sanctions described in subsections (b) and (c) with respect to each foreign person identified in the report required under section 3(a).
(b)
Asset blocking
 The President shall exercise all powers granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. ) to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of the foreign person 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.
(c)
Inadmissibility and visa restrictions
(1)
In general
The foreign person shall be—
(A)
inadmissible to the United States;
(B)
ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to enter the United States; and
(C)
otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the United States.
(2)
Current visas revoked
The Secretary of State shall revoke, in accordance with applicable law, any visa or other entry documentation issued to a foreign person described in subsection (a), regardless of when the visa or documentation is or was issued.
(d)
Penalties
The penalties provided for in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1705 ) shall apply to any person who violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of any prohibition of this section, or an order or regulation prescribed under this section, to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection section 206(a) of such Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1705(a) ).
5.
Waiver; exceptions; termination
(a)
Waiver
The President may waive the application of sanctions under section 4 with respect to a foreign person if the President—
(1)
determines—
(A)
that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States; or
(B)
that the sanctions would be applied with respect to any authorized intelligence, law enforcement, or national security activity of the United States; and
(2)
submits to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than 15 days before the waiver takes effect, notification of the determination and a justification for the waiver.
(b)
Exception
Sanctions under section 4(c) shall not apply to the extent necessary to comply with the Agreement between the United Nations and the United States regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, or other applicable international obligations of the United States.
(c)
Termination
(1)
In general
The President shall terminate the application of sanctions under section 4 with respect to a foreign person if the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that—
(A)
the person did not engage in the conduct for which the person was sanctioned;
(B)
the person—
(i)
has been prosecuted and sentenced appropriately for the conduct in the United States or under the jurisdiction of another country;
(ii)
has served the sentence imposed; and
(iii)
has taken verifiable steps to remediate harm to victims; or
(C)
the person—
(i)
has credibly demonstrated a significant change in behavior;
(ii)
has provided substantial cooperation to United States law enforcement or judicial authorities; and
(iii)
has taken verifiable steps to remediate harm to victims.
(2)
Petition
The President shall establish a process by which a person sanctioned under section 4 may submit a petition for the termination of such sanctions pursuant to this subsection.
6.
Briefing
Upon request, the President, acting through the heads of the applicable Federal departments or agencies, shall provide to any of the appropriate congressional committees a briefing, which may be classified, on the status of the implementation of this Act.
7.
Rule of construction
Nothing in this Act may be construed to alter, affect, or otherwise relieve the Attorney General of the obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act ( Public Law 119–38 ).