H.R. 8696 — Russia is a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act

This section sets forth congressional findings that the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, has promoted acts of international terrorism, including through its campaign against civilians in Chechnya, support for the Assad regime in Syria, and facilitation of violence against Ukrainian civilians since 2014. The findings detail estimates of at least 648 Ukrainian children killed and more than 2,100 wounded since February 2022, the deportation of at least 20,000 Ukrainian children, Russian use of mercenary networks such as the Wagner Group, and calls by Ukrainian and European bodies for the United States to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

This section designates the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism for purposes of section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and any other provision of law. It includes a rule of construction prohibiting sanctions on exports of agricultural products from Ukraine or humanitarian assistance in Ukraine and terminates on the earlier of the date the Secretary of State determines that the Governments of Russia and Ukraine have entered negotiations to end the conflict or 5 years after the date of enactment.

This section (1) exempts blocked or frozen assets of the Russian Federation from attachment, execution, or other judicial process in satisfaction of any judgment arising from its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, notwithstanding the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002; (2) retains executive branch authority to administer, license, vest, transfer, or dispose of such assets to advance U.S. foreign policy interests, including support for Ukraine under the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act; and (3) clarifies that it does not restrict victims of terrorism from pursuing compensation from other available legal sources.