H.R. 7380 — IRAN Act

This section sets forth congressional findings that the Iranian government has disrupted internet connectivity, impeding communication and human rights; that tools such as satellite-based residential and direct-to-cell (DTC) communications, virtual private networks (VPNs), and embedded-SIM (eSIM) technology can mitigate such disruptions despite barriers including costs, sanctions, and surveillance; and that clarifying U.S. policy and supporting these tools will enhance internet resilience for Iranians. It expresses the sense of Congress that U.S. policy should promote deployment of DTC communications, VPNs, eSIM technology, and other secure tools to enhance open internet access in Iran and ensure sanctions and export controls do not hinder Iranian access to such tools.

This section designates the Secretary of State as the lead federal official responsible for (1) promoting widespread internet freedom in Iran and expanding access to information for Iranian citizens, (2) coordinating all federal digital-freedom initiatives related to Iran, and (3) updating and implementing the comprehensive strategy required under Section 414 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754). (As background, that strategy—originally due 90 days after August 10, 2012—requires the Secretary of State to submit to congressional committees a plan to counter Iranian government internet censorship and support information access, with 12 specified elements.) The section further amends Section 414 by (1) redesignating the existing strategy requirement as subsection (a) ("Initial strategy"), (2) inserting after paragraph (10) new paragraphs (11) through (13) to evaluate virtual private networks and direct-to-cell satellite technologies for activists, ensure sanctions enforcement does not impede civilian access to open-internet tools, and develop strategies to circumvent Iranian internet blackouts; (3) redesignating former paragraphs (11) and (12) as paragraphs (14) and (15); and (4) adding subsection (b) to require ongoing reviews and updates of the strategy, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Commerce and other agencies as appropriate. Finally, this section requires the Secretary of State to submit the first updated strategy within 120 days of enactment, in unclassified form (with a possible classified annex).

This section requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as a condition of any license, license modification, or market-access grant issued on or after enactment, to prohibit licensees from intentionally disabling, degrading, or geo-blocking satellite or direct-to-cell (DTC) coverage over Iran, except (1) as specifically required by federal law, an FCC order, or an international coordination agreement solely to prevent harmful interference; or (2) for limited periods necessary to mitigate imminent network security threats, with normal coverage restored as soon as practicable. The section further directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce and FCC, to oppose at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) any proposal compelling geographic exclusion of Iran from U.S.-licensed satellite or DTC coverage; requires the Secretary of State to submit a report to appropriate congressional committees within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter for five years describing such advocacy efforts and any instances of coverage exclusion by operators; and clarifies that it does not authorize transactions prohibited by U.S. sanctions or require licensees to market, sell, activate, or collect payment for services in Iran.

This section directs the Secretary of State, acting through the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, to establish, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment, programs to (1) deliver remote or in-person cybersecurity training to journalists, human-rights defenders, and civil-society actors in Iran; (2) furnish vetted open-source or commercially available digital-safety tools, including VPN services and end-to-end encrypted messaging applications; and (3) provide multilingual educational materials warning Iranian users about regime-controlled applications and phishing campaigns. The section further requires quarterly metrics to the appropriate congressional committees on the number of trainees, incident-response cases, and unique users of supported tools; and an independent evaluation of program effectiveness by the Comptroller General not later than three years after enactment. A savings clause specifies that the section does not supersede existing authority under section 404 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8754), which requires a strategy for internet freedom programming in Iran, or other related laws.

This section authorizes appropriations of $15 million for each of FY2027 and FY2028 to the Secretary of State to carry out sections 5 and 6 of the Act, including programs that expand access to secure VPN services for individuals in Iran. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this authorization remain available until expended.

This section establishes a rule of construction providing that nothing in the Act (1) limits the President's authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); (2) authorizes transactions prohibited under U.S. sanctions or export-control laws; or (3) requires U.S. persons to provide goods, services, or technology in violation of such laws.

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act, including (1) "appropriate congressional committees" as the specified committees in the House (Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce, Permanent Select on Intelligence, and Appropriations) and Senate (Foreign Relations, Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Select on Intelligence, and Appropriations); (2) "eSIM technology" as embedded subscriber-identity-module technology that allows a user to remotely activate cellular service on a compatible device without a physical SIM card; and (3) "VPN services" as encrypted internet connections designed to bypass a government's censorship and surveillance, enabling secure and unrestricted access to the open internet.