An Act
To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons that are responsible for using civilians as human shields, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. Short title.
This Act may be cited as the “Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act”.
SEC. 2. Statement of policy.
It shall be the policy of the United States to officially and publicly condemn the use of innocent civilians as human shields.
SEC. 3. Imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons that are responsible for the use of civilians as human shields.
(a) Imposition of sanctions.—
(1) MANDATORY SANCTIONS.—The President shall impose sanctions described in subsection (d) with respect to each person on the list required under subsection (b).
(2) PERMISSIVE SANCTIONS.—The President may impose sanctions...
Notes:
[10-18-26 Update – see Executive Order Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, indefinitely waiving the implementation of all of the substantive sanctions provisions of the SRA].
1) This is one of a dozen or so sanctions related provisions of the 2024 "National Security Supplemental". Section 3 of the Strengthening Tools to Counter the Use of Human Shields Act amends the Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act such that “Palestine Islamic Jihad” is added to the scope of the sanctions provisions contemplated in the Shields Act (which is incorporated in section 594.201 of the GTSR, such that the GTSR are likely to be amended to reflect the amendments to the Shields Act).
2) Section 5 authorizes sanctions, including full blocking sanctions, on...