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H.R. 1450 · House bill · 119th Congress
This bill requires the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to establish a pilot program to license eligible private sector firms to conduct nominal financial transactions as part of the firm's sanctions-related investigations.
A firm that receives a license must submit monthly reports to OFAC on activities conducted under the license.
(OFAC, within the Department of the Treasury, is one of the primary agencies responsible for enforcing economic sanctions. OFAC requires firms to take various actions, such as ensuring that they are not engaging in transactions with entities subject to U.S. sanctions. A firm may also provide voluntary self-disclosures to OFAC with information from a firm's investigation of suspicious activities.)
This Act may be cited as the “OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act”.
(a) In general.— The Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, establish a pilot program under which a private sector firm may receive a license to conduct nominal financial transactions in furtherance of the firm’s investigations.
(b) Coordination.— When establishing and carrying out the pilot program required under subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control shall coordinate with the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for the purposes of supporting activities of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Exchange, as described in section 310(d) of title 31 of the United States Code.
(c) Reporting on activities.— Each private sector firm that receives a license described under subsection (a) shall submit a detailed monthly report to the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control on the activities of the firm conducted under such license.
(d) Report to Congress.—
(1) In general.— On the date that is 1 year after the date on which the pilot program is established under this section, and annually thereafter until the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date the pilot program is terminated, the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control shall submit a report to the Committees on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Foreign Relations of the Senate containing—
(A) the number of licenses requested under the pilot program;
(B) the number of licenses granted under the pilot program; and
(C) a broad discussion of the utility of the pilot program.
(2) Classified briefing.— After submission of each report required under paragraph (1), the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control shall provide the Committees on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Foreign Relations of the Senate with a classified briefing containing—
(A) additional detail on the applicants for a license under the pilot program;
(B) identification of the firms granted a license;
(C) information on the operation of the pilot program, including how long each license lasted and the personnel needed to manage the pilot program;
(D) information gleaned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control from running the pilot program;
(E) the utility of that information;
(F) any obstacles to the operation or utility of the pilot program; and
(G) any recommendations for improving or extending the pilot program.
(e) Termination.— The pilot program established by the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date on which the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control establishes such program.