Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB4484

Introduced
6/5/24  

Caption

Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act

Impact

The proposed legislation aims to solidify the United States' stance against the ICC by authorizing the President to impose sanctions that could block property transactions and revoke visas for targeted foreign individuals. If enacted, these measures could significantly limit the ability of ICC officials and related persons to operate within U.S. jurisdiction. Additionally, the bill seeks to eliminate funding for the ICC, which would impact U.S. financial support for international legal institutions that the government views as undermining its sovereignty.

Summary

Senate Bill 4484, titled the ‘Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act’, proposes to impose sanctions against foreign individuals associated with the International Criminal Court (ICC) who engage in any attempts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute protected persons of the United States and its allies. The bill explicitly identifies the actions of the ICC as illegitimate concerning individuals from the United States and Israel, which are not parties to the Rome Statute. Furthermore, it condemns recent actions taken by the ICC to bring charges against Israeli officials, stating that these actions threaten U.S. interests and the security of its allies.

Contention

One notable point of contention surrounding SB4484 arises from its stipulations regarding sovereignty and international relations. Proponents argue that the ICC's investigations infringe upon U.S. sovereignty and jeopardize national security by potentially exposing military and governmental personnel to prosecution. However, opponents of the bill may contend that such sanctions could further isolate the United States from the international community and undermine collaborative efforts in global justice. The discussions regarding this bill highlight a larger debate over the balance between national interests and adherence to international law.

Companion Bills

US HB8282

Related Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act

Similar Bills

US HB23

Illegitimate Court Counteraction ActThis bill imposes sanctions against foreign persons (individuals and entities) who assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting certain individuals.The bill categorizes as protected persons (1) any U.S. individual, U.S. entity, or person in the United States, unless the United States is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and provides formal consent to ICC jurisdiction; and (2) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident of a U.S. ally that is not a state party to the Rome Statute or has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.If the ICC attempts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against the foreign persons that engaged in or materially assisted in such actions, as well as against foreign persons owned by, controlled by, or acting on behalf of such foreign persons. The President must also apply visa-blocking sanctions to the immediate family members of those sanctioned.Upon enactment, the bill rescinds all funds appropriated for the ICC and prohibits the subsequent use of appropriated funds for the ICC.

US HB8282

Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act

US HR1269

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8580) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8282) to impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.

US HB385

Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of State to address corruption in foreign governments.The State Department must annually publish a ranking of foreign countries based on their government's efforts to eliminate corruption. Corruption, for the purposes of the bill, is the unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including by bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement.The bill outlines the minimum standards that the State Department must consider when creating the ranking. These considerations include, for example, whether a country has criminalized corruption, adopted measures to prevent corruption, and complied with the United Nations Convention against Corruption and other relevant international agreements. Tier one countries meet the standards; tier two countries make some efforts to meet the standards; tier three countries make de minimis or no efforts to meet the standards.If a country is ranked in the second or third tier, the State Department must designate an anti-corruption contact at the U.S. diplomatic post in that country to promote good governance and combat corruption.The State Department must also evaluate whether there are foreign persons (individuals or entities) engaged in significant corruption in all third-tier countries for the purpose of potential imposition of sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The State Department must annually provide Congress with a list of those persons that the President has sanctioned pursuant to this evaluation, the dates sanctions were imposed, and the reasons for imposing sanctions.

US HB2024

Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025

US SB938

Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025

US HB10459

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US HB8586

TOOMAJ Act Targeting Oppressive Officers to Mitigate Abuse in the Iranian Judiciary Act