News

During a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations business meeting, the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability (MAHSA) Act, co-led by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), was favorably reported. The bipartisan and bicameral bill now heads to the full Senate. 

• “It’s long overdue for sanctions to be imposed against top leaders of the oppressive Islamic regime, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and the President of Iran, as they continue to commit human rights violations against their own people. I urge my Senate colleagues to swiftly pass this bill.” – Senator Rubio

• “Senator Rubio and I introduced the MAHSA Act to impose sanctions on top Iranian political leadership after its brutal crackdown on protesters, who demonstrated tremendous courage in voicing their outrage toward the Iranian regime after the heinous murder of Mahsa Amini. Today, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations took an important step to hold Iranian leaders accountable for the regime’s ongoing repression, censorship, and abuse against its people.” – Senator Padilla

Specifically, this bill: 

• Requires a report to Congress regarding each foreign person described as responsible for human rights violations in Iran, the Supreme Leader, the President of Iran, and entities overseen by their offices; and 
• Mandates sanctions determinations on those identified individuals through sanctions available through various Executive Orders, including EO 13224 on terrorism, 13818 on human rights, and 13553 on Iran’s nuclear programs.

U.S. Representative Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced companion legislation in the House. 

Want more information?

• July 2023: Rubio, Padilla Introduce Bill to Impose Economic Sanctions on Iranian Regime
• June 2023: Rubio, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Establish Additional Sanctions on Iranian Regime