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S. 3285: No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

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S. 3285: No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-09-06 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2016-09-06 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

Plain summary

No Ransom Payments Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from paying final judgments, awards, or compromise settlements to Iran using specified Department of Treasury funds (specified funds) until the President certifies that: (1) Iran has returned any money from such funds paid to it by the United States after January 1, 2016, (2) Iran has satisfied all outstanding judgments against it awarded to U.S. plaintiffs by U.S. courts, and (3) individuals taken hostage and held for 444 days following the U.S. Embassy seizure in Iran on November 4, 1979, have been compensated from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. The President must certify before providing or authorizing payment of any funds to Iran that: (1) the funds will not be used to support international terrorism, and (2) Iran or Iran-supported groups are not unjustly detaining U.S. citizens. The President, within 60 days after enactment of this bill, shall impose property transaction and U.S. entry sanctions against any Iranian person: involved in the kidnapping or unjust detention of a U.S. citizen on or after March 9, 2007; that engages, or attempts to engage, in an activity or transaction that materially contributes to such kidnapping or unjust detentions; and owned or controlled by such a person, acting on behalf of such a person, or providing support for such a person. The Director of National Intelligence shall report within 60 days on whether funds paid to Iran by the United States after January 1, 2016, have been used by Iran to support international terrorism. The President and U.S. government officers shall not: make a payment to a government or person to secure the release of unjustly detained U.S. citizens (a payment to assist arrested U.S. citizens is excluded from such prohibition), or use specified funds to make any payment to a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism (a specific payment or a specific payee is excluded from such prohibition if Congress has passed a joint resolution waiving the application of such prohibition).

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

No Ransom Payments Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] · 28 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

John Cornyn (R-TX), John Barrasso (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Scott (R-SC), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), James E. Risch (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Thune (R-SD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ted Cruz (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Joint resolution
In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Sponsor and cosponsor
The sponsor is the member who introduces a bill and leads it. Cosponsors are other members who sign on to show support.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-s3285 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114