No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 3315
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-05-08: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T22:52:13Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The "No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act" (H.R. 3315) aims to combat Hezbollah's terrorist activities and influence in Latin America by requiring U.S. government assessments of potential "terrorist sanctuaries" in the region and imposing visa restrictions on officials from those areas. It seeks to pressure Latin American governments to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group, disrupt its networks, and limit its operations, including money laundering and smuggling.
Key Provisions
- Findings: The bill outlines Congress's view that Iran and Hezbollah have expanded unchecked in Latin America, with limited designations of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in the region (only in Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay). It highlights support from regimes like Venezuela's and Hezbollah's ties to criminal activities.
- Sense of Congress: Urges the Secretary of State to aggressively counter Iranian proxies by demanding action from governments, using international forums like the Financial Action Task Force to "greylist" (flag for deficiencies in anti-money laundering) cooperating entities, providing legislative tools to allies, and encouraging Hezbollah designations modeled on Argentina's approach.
- Assessment of Terrorist Sanctuaries: Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of State, in coordination with intelligence, treasury, homeland security, and justice officials, must evaluate if any Latin American country, region, or jurisdiction qualifies as a "terrorist sanctuary" (defined in existing law as a place where terrorists operate freely without government interference). Factors include Hezbollah's fundraising, recruitment, safe havens, and government inaction. Results are reported to specified congressional committees.
- Visa Sanctions: The President may revoke visas and bar entry to the U.S. for officials from designated sanctuaries unless they take verifiable steps to stop the activities or the area no longer qualifies. This includes immediate revocation of existing visas and rulemaking within 180 days.
- Exceptions and Waivers: Sanctions do not apply if entry aids U.S. law enforcement or fulfills UN headquarters agreements. The President can waive for individuals (up to 180 days) or jurisdictions (up to 1 year) if vital to national security or interests, with required congressional reports justifying the decision and assessing compliance.
- Termination: Sanctions end for individuals if they stop activities, provide assurances, or if termination serves U.S. security; a 5-year sunset clause ends all sanctions under the Act.
- Defined Terms: Specifies "appropriate congressional committees" including Senate and House panels on judiciary, banking/finance, and foreign relations/affairs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Builds on the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (1988/1989) by mandating a targeted assessment of Latin American areas as terrorist sanctuaries, which was not previously required for this region or group.
- Introduces specific visa revocation authority tied to Hezbollah activities, expanding existing immigration tools under the Immigration and Nationality Act (e.g., inadmissibility and visa cancellation provisions) to focus on regional counter-terrorism without creating entirely new sanction types.
- Adds a congressional reporting and waiver process for these sanctions, enhancing oversight compared to broader existing terrorism-related visa restrictions.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Departments of State, Treasury, Homeland Security, Justice, and intelligence agencies in conducting assessments, enforcing visas, and coordinating diplomacy; requires new regulations and interagency collaboration.
- Citizens and Immigration: U.S. citizens face no direct impact, but the bill could indirectly affect travel or business ties with Latin America; foreign officials from targeted areas may be barred, potentially straining bilateral exchanges.
- International Relations: Could pressure Latin American governments to act against Hezbollah, risking tensions with non-cooperative nations like Venezuela; strengthens U.S. alliances with countries like Argentina and Colombia, but may complicate relations with Iran-aligned regimes; promotes global anti-terrorism norms through forums like the Financial Action Task Force.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. Government: Executive branch agencies (State, Treasury, etc.) for implementation; Congress for oversight and reporting.
- Latin American Governments and Officials: Especially those in potential sanctuaries (e.g., Venezuela), facing visa bans and diplomatic pressure to designate Hezbollah and combat terrorism financing.
- Hezbollah and Iran: Targeted through disruption of networks, funding, and safe havens in the Western Hemisphere.
- Allied Nations: Countries like Argentina, Colombia, and others encouraged to enhance anti-terrorism laws, potentially gaining U.S. support.
- International Organizations: Entities like the Financial Action Task Force, used for greylisting cooperative governments.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on existing immigration authority (e.g., visa revocation under 8 U.S.C. 1201(i)) but adds specificity for counter-terrorism, requiring regulations to ensure due process in waivers and terminations; the "terrorist sanctuary" definition from prior law provides a clear legal basis without needing new designations.
- Constitutional: Aligns with executive powers in foreign affairs and immigration (plenary under Article II), but congressional reporting enhances checks and balances; no direct challenges to free speech or due process, as sanctions target foreign officials.
- Political: Signals strong U.S. bipartisan concern (introduced by Republicans and Democrats) over regional security, potentially influencing foreign aid or sanctions policy; could escalate U.S.-Iran tensions and affect hemispheric diplomacy, but the 5-year sunset limits long-term commitments.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]
Recent Actions
- 2025-05-08: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.
- 2025-05-08: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.
- 2025-05-08: Introduced in House
- 2025-05-08: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- No Hezbollah In Our Hemisphere Act — issued 2025-05-08 — PDF (10 pages)