Syria Democracy Transition Act of 2012
Latest action · Mar 7, 2012 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 2, 2012
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Syria Democracy Transition Act of 2012 - States that is U.S. policy to: (1) condemn the systemic violations of human rights conducted by the Syrian authorities, and (2) assure the departure from power of President Assad and his family and facilitate a peaceful transition to a democratic and inclusive government in Syria.
Directs the President to: (1) prohibit the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent or payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that has knowingly conducted any financial transaction with the Central Bank of Syria, and (2) freeze and prohibit all property and property interest transactions of such institution if the property and property interests are in the United States or come within the possession or control of a U.S. person.
Exempts from such sanctions sales of food, medicine, or medical devices to Syria.
Applies such provisions to certain financial transactions and financial transactions for petroleum or petroleum product purchases through the Bank.
Directs the President to apply specified sanctions against a person knowingly providing specified refining, shipping, or financing services regarding the exportation of petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas for refining or processing outside of Syria if: (1) the government of Syria was involved in the development, extraction, production, transportation, or sale of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas in Syria; and (2) the fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $1 million or more, or during a 12-month period the aggregate fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $5 million or more. Exempts certain underwriters and insurance providers from such provisions.
Prohibits a vessel from knowingly landing at any seaport in the United States to load or unload cargo or engage in the trade of goods or services if the vessel entered a port in Syria during the 180-day period preceding arrival of the vessel at the U.S. seaport. Provides for enhanced vessel inspections.
Directs the President to use U.S. influence to urge the U.N. Security Council to: (1) freeze the assets of, and impose a travel ban on, all officials within President Assad's regime and all family members of Mr. Assad; (2) ban passenger flights to and from Syria; and (3) restrict the shipment and insurance of goods to or from Syria.
Directs the President to report to Congress on Syrian opposition groups and Syrian government weapons stockpiles.
Terminates sanctions upon a certification by the President to Congress that President Assad has been removed from power, a democratic transitional government is in place, and Syria has ended support for terrorist groups.
Authorizes the President, upon such certification, to establish a Syrian Stabilization Fund.
Authorizes the President to designate a private, nonprofit Syrian-American Enterprise Fund.
Directs the President to expand the role of the Department of State's Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions to assist in coordinating transition efforts in Syria.
Directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), after such certification, to review Syria's eligibility for designation as a beneficiary developing country.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the USTR, after such certification, should initiate negotiations for a U.S.-Syria trade and investment agreement.
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 7, 2012Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Mar 7, 2012Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 2, 2012Introduced in Senate
- Mar 2, 2012Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Arms control and nonproliferation
- Business investment and capital
- Chemical and biological weapons
- Congressional oversight
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Foreign aid and international relief
- Foreign and international banking
- Human rights
- Insurance industry and regulation
- International Affairs
- International organizations and cooperation
- Marine and inland water transportation
- Middle East
- Nuclear weapons
- Oil and gas
- Political movements and philosophies
- Protest and dissent
- Religion
- Sanctions
- Sex offenses
- Small business
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Syria
- Tariffs
- Terrorism
- Trade agreements and negotiations
- Trade restrictions
- Travel and tourism
- U.S. and foreign investments
- United Nations
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 7, 2012Reference Change Senate
- Mar 2, 2012Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.