HR 3774 United States House · 118th Congress

SHIP Act

The SHIP Act imposes sanctions on foreign entities that knowingly handle Iranian petroleum, targeting those involved in port operations, transportation, refining, or ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil. Starting 90 days after enactment, the President must block assets, deny visas, and impose penalties on individuals or companies engaging in these activities, including family members or owners of sanctioned entities. It requires annual reports tracking Iran's oil exports, revenues, and key players like shipping companies and ports. The sanctions terminate if the President certifies Iran has stopped supporting terrorism and dismantled weapons programs.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2023

Committee Review

Oct 2023

House Passage

Nov 2023

Senate Passage

President

Introduced May 31, 2023 Last action Nov 7, 2023

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 9 edits · Nov 3, 2023

MAJOR

The Engrossed version of HR 3774 (SHIP Act) makes several substantive changes: it narrows the scope of covered activities by requiring port operators to have actively facilitated vessel landings rather than merely hosting them, adds a safe harbor for those who relied on certificates of origin, adds an exception for family members who can prove disassociation, removes a broad 'material support' provision and replaces it with a narrower ownership-based test tied to a specific regulatory definition, and adds a new section explicitly excluding importation of goods from sanctions authority. These changes collectively make the bill more targeted and reduce potential overreach while maintaining its core purpose of sanctioning entities involved in Iranian petroleum trade.

ELIGIBILITY

Port operator liability narrowed: previously covered anyone who 'knowingly owns or operates a foreign port where at least 1 designated vessel has landed'; now requires the person to have 'knowingly facilitated or accommodated' the vessel's landing, meaning passive hosting is no longer enough.

New safe harbor (section 3(d)): a foreign person is not deemed to know petroleum originated from Iran if they relied on a certificate of origin or other documentation confirming non-Iranian origin, unless they knew or had reason to know the documentation was falsified.

Family member exception added: adult family members of designated persons are now exempt if the President determines there is clear and convincing evidence they disassociated from the foreign person and did not assist in concealing assets.

Ownership-based designation narrowed: previously covered anyone 'owned or controlled by' a designated person; now requires ownership as defined by 31 CFR 510.411 and only applies if the parent entity has been specifically designated for such conduct.

SCOPE

Removed the broad provision (old paragraph 7) that covered anyone who 'knowingly engages in a significant transaction with, or provides material support to or for' a designated person. This was one of the widest-reaching provisions in the original bill.

New section 5 explicitly excludes importation of goods from sanctions authority, defining 'good' broadly to include articles, substances, materials, supplies, manufactured products, and inspection/test equipment, but excluding technical data.

REQUIREMENT

Waiver standard broadened: the President may now waive sanctions if vital to 'the national interests' of the United States rather than the narrower 'national security interests.'

TECHNICAL

Added the Committee on the Judiciary to both House and Senate lists of appropriate congressional committees for notification purposes.

DEFINITION

Expanded 'petrochemicals' explicitly into the ship-to-ship transfer provision and changed 'deals in' language to 'engages in transactions involving' in two provisions, slightly broadening those specific covered activities.

Floor votes · House Nov 3, 2023

How they voted

342–69

Passed · 22 other

Total votes 433

Nov 3, 2023

D Democratic212

133 Yea 68 Nay 11

62% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican220

208 Yea 1 Nay 11

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Nov 3, 2023

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 342 - 69 (Roll no. 598).

lower

Nov 3, 2023

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 342 - 69 (Roll no. 598).

lower

Nov 1, 2023

Introduced

Mr. Lawler moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Oct 19, 2023

Introduced

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 7.

lower

Oct 19, 2023

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

May 31, 2023

Committee

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

lower

May 31, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 241 co-sponsors