Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.)

Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act

(Sec. 2) This bill prohibits the President from removing certain foreign financial institutions, including an Iranian financial institution, from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control until the President makes two certifications to Congress, the first of which is that the institution has not knowingly facilitated a significant transaction or transactions or provided significant financial services for or on behalf of:

• Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps or any of its agents or affiliates whose property or property interests are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA),
• a foreign terrorist organization for or on behalf of a person whose property or property interests have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224, and
• a person whose property or property interests are blocked pursuant to the IEEPA in connection with Iran's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The second certification shall be that the institution no longer knowingly engages in illicit or deceptive financial transactions or other activities.

(Sec. 3) On or after July 19, 2015,the President may not remove specified foreign persons from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control until the President certifies to Congress that the person has not knowingly:

• assisted in or provided financial, material, or technological support for terrorism or a terrorist organization; and
• engaged in significant activities or transactions that have materially contributed to Iran's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery.

(Sec. 4) The President may not remove Iran's designation as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern unless the President certifies to Congress that Iran is no longer engaged in support for terrorism, pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and any illicit and deceptive financial activities.

(Sec. 5) Any rule to amend or otherwise alter a covered regulatory provision regarding sanctions on Iran shall be subject to congressional review requirements.

Applicable federal departments or agencies shall report to Congress on the operation of the licensing system under each covered regulatory provision for the preceding two-year period, including:

• the number and types of licenses applied for, and the number and types approved;
• a summary of each license approved;
• a summary of transactions conducted pursuant to a general license;
• the average amount of time from the date of filing for a license until the date of approval; and
• the extent to which the licensing procedures were effectively implemented.

(Sec. 6) The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is amended to prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that facilitates Iran's support for Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and any affiliates or successors.

(Sec. 7) Defines "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna July 14, 2015, by Iran and by China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and all related implementing materials and agreements, and transmitted by the President to Congress on July 19, 2015, pursuant to section 135(a) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov