Palm Coast Times

The United States House of Representatives has passed H.R. 5613, the Sanctions Lists Harmonization Act, introduced by Congressman Mike Waltz. The bill mandates coordination between federal agencies managing prohibited party lists whenever a new entity is added.

"Under current law, our federal agencies are not required to communicate when foreign entities are added to sanction lists, which can hamper restrictions on dangerous foreign actors," said Waltz. "For example, an entity might be denied an export license by the Department of Commerce but still be allowed to conduct banking transactions through the Department of the Treasury. This legislation ensures that our national security agencies work together, strengthening sanctions and hitting these bad actors where it counts."

Waltz emphasized the importance of closing gaps in sanctions enforcement and urged the Senate to expedite consideration of the bill. "With this bill now passed in the House, we’re taking a critical step toward closing the gaps in our sanctions enforcement. I call on the Senate to quickly take up this bill so that America can more thoroughly enforce the sanctions that we impose."

The U.S. Government maintains various sanctions lists with different jurisdiction authorities. The bill does not mandate inclusion on any list but requires agencies to inform Congress if an entity is not included after review.

The full text of H.R. 5613 can be found here.