Bill Details
S.226 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-01-23 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced Date
2025-01-23
Policy Area
International Affairs
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would require the State Department to create and carry out a plan to stop foreign countries and nonprofit groups from giving money or other support to the Taliban. It also asks for several reports to Congress on who is helping the Taliban, how U.S. aid is being used to discourage that support, and how U.S.-backed cash programs in Afghanistan are monitored so the Taliban cannot access the funds. In addition, the bill would require regular updates on the Afghan Fund and on controls meant to keep its money from being diverted to the Taliban.
- The Secretary of State would have to identify countries and organizations that have given financial or material support to the Taliban, including how much U.S. foreign aid those groups receive and how the Taliban uses the support.
- The bill would require a strategy within 30 days to discourage such support, and it would need to be put into action within 60 days. Congress would then receive follow-up reports every 180 days on how well the strategy is working.
- The State Department, working with USAID, would have to report on U.S.-funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan since August 2021. That report must explain who gets the money, how payments are made, how money is exchanged, how hawala networks are used, and what safeguards are in place to keep the Taliban from getting the cash.
- The bill would also require regular reports on the Afghan Fund, including whether Taliban members are involved with Da Afghanistan Bank, how the fund is overseen, when money can be released, and what controls are in place to prevent misuse or diversion of funds.
Official Summaries
No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act
This bill requires the Department of State to develop and implement a strategy to discourage foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban, including by using U.S.-provided foreign assistance to discourage countries and organizations from providing such support to the Taliban.
The State Department must report to Congress on (1) foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided financial or material support to the Taliban and U.S. efforts to oppose such support; (2) the strategy to discourage such support and a plan for the strategy's implementation; (3) U.S.-funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan; and (4) the Afghan Fund, including Taliban influence over Da Afghanistan Bank (the Afghan central bank).
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 226 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 226
To require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by
foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act''.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
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