{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr390-115/featured_iraq-and-syria-genocide-emergency-relief-and-accountability-act-of-2017-1543177710.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr390-115/featured_large_iraq-and-syria-genocide-emergency-relief-and-accountability-act-of-2017-1543177710.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr390-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-01-10","title_override":"Should the U.S. Provide Emergency Relief to Religious & Ethnic Minorities Targeted for Genocide by ISIS in Iraq & Syria?","summary_override":"

This bill would provide emergency relief to religious minorities in Iraq and Syria who’ve survived genocide at the hands of ISIS and ensure that the perpetrators are investigated and held accountable. It would provide support to entities that are helping genocide survivors in-country, including faith-based entities, and those that are conducting criminal investigations into genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Iraq and Syria.

The bill would create a “Priority Two” (“P-2”) designation for the region’s Christians and other genocide survivors so that they can access an overseas application interview for the U.S. refugee admissions program without a referral from the UN. Such refugee applicants would be vetted like other Iraqi or Syrian applicants, and couldn’t be admitted until they’ve cleared the vetting.

An assessment of the humanitarian vulnerabilities, needs, and triggers that force survivors to flee their homes would be required by this bill. It would also identify warning signs of violence or persecution against survivors from vulnerable religious or ethnic minority groups in Iraq or Syria.

The bill calls for the identification of gaps in U.S. law that make it more difficult to prosecute foreign perpetrators of genocide, crimes, against, humanity, or war crimes who come to the U.S. along with Americans who commit such crimes. Foreign countries would be encouraged to add identifying information about suspected perpetrators of such crimes to their security databases and screening procedures.

","official_title":"An Act to provide relief for victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes who are members of religious and ethnic minority groups in Iraq and Syria, for accountability for perpetrators of these crimes, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2017\n\n (Sec. 4) This bill states that is U.S. policy to ensure that humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery assistance for nationals and residents of Iraq or Syria, and of communities from those countries, is directed toward ethnic and minority individuals and communities with the greatest need, including those individuals and communities that are at risk of persecution or war crimes.\n\n (Sec. 5) The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance, including financial and technical assistance, to support the efforts of entities, including nongovernmental organizations with expertise in international criminal investigations and law, to address crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes in Iraq since January 2014 by:\n\n conducting criminal investigations, developing indigenous investigative and judicial skills to adjudicate cases consistent with due process and respect for...","summarized":true,"cost":8000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would cost $8 million over the 2017-2022 period.","impact":"Religious and ethnic minorities who’ve been targeted for genocide by ISIS in Iraq and Syria; and federal agencies.","argument_for":"The religious and ethnic minorities who have survived ISIS’s genocide need emergency relief from the U.S., which also needs to lead the charge to bring the war criminals who perpetrated the genocide to justice.","argument_against":"The U.S. shouldn’t be singling out particular religious or ethnic groups for emergency relief simply because they were targeted for genocide by ISIS. It also shouldn’t make an effort to bring ISIS war criminals to justice.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr390-115","bill_id":"hr390-115","formal_id":"H.R. 390","chamber":"house","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2018-10-12T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2018-10-11T00:00:00.000Z","debated_on":"2018-11-26T00:00:00.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/390","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr390enr/html/BILLS-115hr390enr.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr390-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/390/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2018-11-29","related_bill_ids":[],"progress":"Awaiting Signature","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":true,"position_count":830,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Foreign Affairs","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSFA","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on the Judiciary","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSJU","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Foreign Relations","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFR","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr390-115","details":"/api/bills/hr390-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr390-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr390-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr390-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":47,"slug":"hr390-115-iraq-and-syria-genocide-emergency-relief-and-accountability-act-of-2017","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":5192,"yea_vote_count":3396,"nay_vote_count":1782,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":true,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs"],"issue_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs","war","middle-east"],"sponsor_id":228}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"international-trade-and-affairs","name":"International Trade & Affairs","slug":"international-trade-and-affairs","description":"U.S. Congressional Legislation encompassing arms control treaties, human rights, international law, sanctions, and foreign aid. 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Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to war!","page_title":"War Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/war/black_war-1429042061.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/war/grey_war-1429042061.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/war/white_war-1429042061.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"middle-east","name":"Middle East","slug":"middle-east","description":"The decisions of the U.S. Congress regarding the Middle East are critical in maintaining peace in the region, as well as the world. 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Should the U.S. Provide Emergency Relief to Religious & Ethnic Minorities Targeted for Genocide by ISIS in Iraq & Syria?