The Save the Kurds Act imposes new terrorism designations and financial sanctions on Syria to address regional security concerns. The bill requires the State Department to designate Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (al-Nusrah Front) as a foreign terrorist organization and creates a structured process—with a 90 to 120-day congressional review period—that allows Congress to block any presidential decision to remove Syria's "state sponsor of terrorism" designation through an expedited vote. The legislation also implements comprehensive sanctions against Syria's Central Bank, government-owned financial institutions, and foreign banks doing business with them, including asset freezes and visa bans on institutional leaders, with the sanctions list subject to review every 180 days and limited exceptions available at the President's discretion. Violators face significant penalties up to $250,000 in civil fines and up to 20 years in prison, with the President granted broad enforcement authority and required to issue implementing regulations within 180 days of the bill's enactment. The law automatically expires five years after enactment unless Congress votes to extend it, ensuring periodic review of its continued necessity.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.