[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2978 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 246
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2978
To provide for the designation of the Russian Federation as a state
sponsor of terrorism.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 7, 2025
Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Britt, and Ms. Klobuchar)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
October 30, 2025
Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the designation of the Russian Federation as a state
sponsor of terrorism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Designating the Russian
Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) The Russian Federation's aggression in Ukraine
has targeted innocent civilians, including children.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) The Government of Ukraine estimates that at
least 648 Ukrainian children have been killed and at least
2,047 Ukrainian children have been wounded since the start of
President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February
2022.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) The Government of Ukraine estimates that the
Russian Federation has kidnapped, deported, or displaced at
least 19,546 Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation,
Russian-occupied territories, and other locations since the
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and continues to practice
such illegal and inhumane actions.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) The Russian Federation has kidnapped,
deported, or displaced Ukrainian children as young as a few
months to 17 years of age according to reliable
reports.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) President Putin's regime seeks the
``Russification'' of Ukrainian children through kidnapping,
deportation, or displacement to destroy their Ukrainian
identity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) Many of these Ukrainian children are forced
into ``re-education'' camps or youth paramilitary organizations
in the Russian Federation and other locations, with the intent
of training them for future deployment as service members in
the Russian Armed Forces.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) In November 2024, the United Kingdom stated
that the Government of the Russian Federation seeks to
accomplish ``Russification'' by ``expos[ing] Ukrainian children
to a curriculum that rewrites Russian and Ukrainian history,
glorifies Russian military actions, promotes allegiance to
Russia, and in some cases involves military
training''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) Ukraine has made efforts to repatriate these
kidnapped and deported children, including during the peace
talks that occurred in Istanbul, Turkey in June 2025, where
Ukraine presented the Russian delegation with a list of 339
names of kidnapped children to return home.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) In response to the proposal put forth by
Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, the Russian delegation, led by
Vladimir Medinsky, stated that these children were ``rescued''
by Russian soldiers and dismissed the request.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10) United States law authorizes the designation
of countries as state sponsors of terrorism if they have
repeatedly provided support for acts of international
terrorism.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (11) Section 2331(1) of title 18, United States
Code, defines international terrorism as activities that--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) involve violent acts or acts
dangerous to human life that are a violation of the
criminal laws of the United States or of any State, or
that would be a criminal violation if committed within
the jurisdiction of the United States or of any
State;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) appear to be intended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) to intimidate or coerce a
civilian population;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) to influence the policy of
a government by intimidation or coercion;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(iii) to affect the conduct of a
government by mass destruction, assassination,
or kidnapping; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) occur primarily outside the
territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or
transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by
which they are accomplished, the persons they appear
intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in
which their perpetrators operate or seek
asylum;''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (12) At the direction of President Putin, the
Government of the Russian Federation has promoted, and
continues to promote, these acts of international terrorism,
including the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, which would
constitute a criminal violation if committed within the
jurisdiction of the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (13) During the 117th Congress, the Senate
unanimously adopted--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Senate Resolution 623, which called
for the Secretary of State to designate the Russian
Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Senate Resolution 546, which condemned
the actions of the Russian Federation, President Putin,
members of the Russian Security Council, the Russian
Armed Forces, and Russian military commanders for
committing atrocities and alleged war crimes against
the people of Ukraine.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (14) The United States continues to have a range
of tools available to hold the Russian Federation accountable
for these egregious actions.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AS A STATE
SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Certification.--Not later than 60 days after the
effective date of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a
report to Congress that certifies whether--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the Ukrainian children who were kidnapped,
deported, or forcibly removed from Ukrainian territory or
temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory since the Russian
Federation's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have been
reunited with their families or guardians in a secure
environment; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) the process of full reintegration of such
children into Ukrainian society is underway.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Designation.--If the Secretary of State cannot certify
the actions described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsections (a) have
occurred, the Secretary shall immediately designate the Russian
Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism pursuant to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) section 1754(c) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (50 U.S.C.
4813(c));</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22
U.S.C. 2780);</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) any other relevant provision of law.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. RESCISSION OF THE DESIGNATION OF THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION AS A STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.</DELETED>
<DELETED> The Secretary of State may rescind the designation
required under section 3(b) on or after the date that is 45 days after
the date on which the Secretary certifies to Congress, pursuant to the
provision of law under which such designation was made, that--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the Government of the Russian Federation--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) has not provided support for
international terrorism during the preceding 3-month
period; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) has provided assurances that such
government will not support acts of international
terrorism in the future;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) all of the children kidnapped, deported, or
forcibly transferred from Ukrainian territory or temporarily
occupied Ukrainian territory since the Russian Federation's
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have been reunited with
their families and guardians in a secure environment;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) the process of full reintegration of such
children into Ukrainian society is underway.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 day after
the date of the enactment of this Act.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Designating the Russian Federation
as a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Russian Federation's aggression in Ukraine has
targeted innocent civilians, including children.
(2) The Government of Ukraine estimates that at least 648
Ukrainian children have been killed and at least 2,047
Ukrainian children have been wounded since the start of
President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February
2022.
(3) The Government of Ukraine estimates that the Russian
Federation has kidnapped, deported, or displaced at least
19,546 Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation, Russian-
occupied territories, and other locations since the invasion of
Ukraine in February 2022 and continues to practice such illegal
and inhumane actions.
(4) The Russian Federation has kidnapped, deported, or
displaced Ukrainian children as young as a few months old to 17
years of age according to reliable reports.
(5) President Putin's regime seeks the ``Russification'' of
Ukrainian children through kidnapping, deportation, or
displacement to destroy their Ukrainian identity.
(6) Many of these Ukrainian children are forced into ``re-
education'' camps or youth paramilitary organizations in the
Russian Federation and other locations, with the intent of
training them for future deployment as service members in the
Russian Armed Forces.
(7) In November 2024, the United Kingdom stated that the
Government of the Russian Federation seeks to accomplish
``Russification'' by ``expos[ing] Ukrainian children to a
curriculum that rewrites Russian and Ukrainian history,
glorifies Russian military actions, promotes allegiance to
Russia, and in some cases involves military training''.
(8) Ukraine has made efforts to repatriate these kidnapped
and deported children, including during the peace talks that
occurred in Istanbul, Turkey in June 2025, where Ukraine
presented the Russian delegation with a list of 339 names of
kidnapped children to return home.
(9) In response to the proposal put forth by Ukraine in
Istanbul, Turkey, the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir
Medinsky, stated that these children were ``rescued'' by
Russian soldiers and dismissed the request.
(10) Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the
Russian Federation, the Kremlin has intensified acts of
sabotage, assassination, and other kinetic actions against
civilian infrastructure and civilians throughout Europe to
undermine broader NATO unity and coerce European governments
into altering their policies in response to Russia's war in
Ukraine.
(11) A report by the International Centre for Counter-
Terrorism identified at least 110 kinetic incidents in Europe
between January 2022 and July 2025 that are attributable to the
Government of the Russian Federation, including a plot to place
explosive devices on civilian aircraft in 2024.
(12) In May 2025, the Independent International Commission
of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that Russian armed forces
``have committed the crimes against humanity of murder and the
war crimes of attacking civilians'', by deliberately targeting
Ukrainian civilians with drone strikes, and that these attacks
had ``the primary purpose to spread terror among the civilian
population, in violation of international humanitarian law.''.
(13) United States law authorizes the designation of
countries as state sponsors of terrorism if they have
repeatedly provided support for acts of international
terrorism.
(14) Section 2331(1) of title 18, United States Code,
defines international terrorism as activities that--
``(A) involve violent acts or acts dangerous to
human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of
the United States or of any State, or that would be a
criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction
of the United States or of any State;
``(B) appear to be intended--
``(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian
population;
``(ii) to influence the policy of a
government by intimidation or coercion; or
``(iii) to affect the conduct of a
government by mass destruction, assassination,
or kidnapping; and
``(C) occur primarily outside the territorial
jurisdiction of the United States, or transcend
national boundaries in terms of the means by which they
are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to
intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their
perpetrators operate or seek asylum;''.
(15) At the direction of President Putin, the Government of
the Russian Federation has promoted, and continues to promote,
these acts of international terrorism, including the kidnapping
of Ukrainian children, the destruction of civilian
infrastructure throughout Europe, and the assassination and
attempted assassination of civilians and political targets
throughout Europe, all of which would constitute criminal
violations if committed within the jurisdiction of the United
States.
(16) During the 117th Congress, the Senate unanimously
adopted--
(A) Senate Resolution 623, which called for the
Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation
as a state sponsor of terrorism; and
(B) Senate Resolution 546, which condemned the
actions of the Russian Federation, President Putin,
members of the Russian Security Council, the Russian
Armed Forces, and Russian military commanders for
committing atrocities and alleged war crimes against
the people of Ukraine.
(17) The United States continues to have a range of tools
available to hold the Russian Federation accountable for these
egregious actions.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AS A STATE SPONSOR OF
TERRORISM.
(a) Certification.--Not later than 60 days after the effective date
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to Congress
that certifies whether--
(1) the Ukrainian children who were kidnapped, deported, or
forcibly removed from Ukrainian territory or temporarily
occupied Ukrainian territory since the Russian Federation's
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have been reunited with
their families or guardians in a secure environment;
(2) the process of full reintegration of such children into
Ukrainian society is underway; and
(3) the Government of the Russian Federation has ceased--
(A) its attacks against European civilian
infrastructure and assassination attempts on political
targets; and
(B) all attacks on civilians and civilian
infrastructure in Ukraine.
(b) Designation.--If the Secretary of State cannot certify that all
of the actions described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection
(a) have occurred, the Secretary shall immediately designate the
Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism pursuant to--
(1) section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c));
(2) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.
2780);
(3) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2371); and
(4) any other relevant provision of law.
SEC. 4. RESCISSION OF THE DESIGNATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AS A
STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.
The Secretary of State may rescind the designation required under
section 3(b) on or after the date that is 45 days after the date on
which the Secretary certifies to Congress, pursuant to the provision of
law under which such designation was made, that--
(1) the Government of the Russian Federation--
(A) has not provided support for international
terrorism during the preceding 3-month period; and
(B) has provided assurances that such government
will not support acts of international terrorism in the
future;
(2) all of the children kidnapped, deported, or forcibly
transferred from Ukrainian territory or temporarily occupied
Ukrainian territory since the Russian Federation's invasion of
Ukraine in February 2022 have been reunited with their families
and guardians in a secure environment; and
(3) the process of full reintegration of such children into
Ukrainian society is underway.
SEC. 5. LIMITATION.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
blocked or immobilized Russian sovereign asset (as defined in section
2(6) of the REPO for Ukrainians Act (division F of Public Law 118-50
(22 U.S.C. 9521 note))) shall be subject to attachment in aid of
execution or execution of any judgment entered by a court of the United
States against the Russian Federation arising from its designation as a
state sponsor of terrorism pursuant to section 3(b).
(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to limit the rights of victims of terrorism to seek compensation from
other sources available under law.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 day after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
Calendar No. 246
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2978
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the designation of the Russian Federation as a state
sponsor of terrorism.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 30, 2025
Reported with an amendment