HR7311-119

What This Bill Does

The Lebanon Election Integrity and Diaspora Voting Protection Act gives the President sanctions authority over foreign persons who engage in, sponsor, materially support, or assist actions that obstruct Lebanese citizens abroad from voting under Lebanese law or otherwise obstruct Lebanon's parliamentary elections. Sanctions may include IEEPA property blocking, visa inadmissibility, visa revocation, denial of immigration benefits, and other restrictions. Violations of blocking rules are subject to IEEPA penalties. Within 60 days, the President must report to congressional committees identifying covered foreign persons, describing efforts to undermine Lebanese diaspora voting, and assessing foreign government or proxy involvement including Iran-backed entities ahead of the May 2026 elections. The President must update Congress semiannually. The authority terminates five years after enactment.

Who Benefits and How

Lebanese citizens abroad benefit because the bill creates a U.S. sanctions tool aimed at protecting their ability to vote in Lebanese parliamentary elections. Lebanese election-integrity advocates benefit from reporting on diaspora voting obstruction, foreign government involvement, and proxy activity. Congress benefits from 60-day and semiannual reports identifying obstruction actors, sanctions, election administration problems, and recommendations. State Department officials benefit from explicit authority to target election obstruction tied to Lebanon.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Foreign persons obstructing elections face blocked property, denied visas, revoked entry documentation, loss of immigration benefits, and IEEPA penalties. The President, State Department, Treasury Department, and intelligence officials must identify covered actors, make sanctions determinations, implement blocking and visa measures, and produce repeated reports. U.S. financial institutions must comply with blocking rules. Immigration officers must apply inadmissibility and revocation rules for sanctioned aliens.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes property-blocking, visa, immigration-benefit, and IEEPA sanctions against foreign persons obstructing Lebanese diaspora voting or parliamentary elections.
• Requires a 60-day report identifying obstruction actors, diaspora voting interference, and foreign government or proxy involvement.
• Requires semiannual updates on new actors, sanctions imposed, election administration progress or setbacks, and recommendations.
• Subjects violations of blocking measures to IEEPA civil and criminal penalties.
• Terminates the sanctions authority five years after enactment.