Iran Cyber Sanctions Act of 2016

Iran Cyber Sanctions Act of 2016

This bill requires the President to report to Congress at least every 180 days regarding significant activities undermining cybersecurity conducted by persons on behalf of or at the direction of the government of Iran (including members of paramilitary organizations such as Ansar-e-Hezbollah and Basij-e Mostaz'afin) against the United States (including U.S. persons, entities, or federal, state, or local governments). The reports must: (1) identify persons that have knowingly facilitated, participated or assisted in, engaged in, directed, or provided material support for such activities; (2) describe their conduct; (3) assess the Iranian government's or other foreign governments' direction, facilitation, or material support in such activities; and (4) provide a strategy to counter efforts by persons to conduct such activities, which shall include engaging foreign governments to halt the capabilities of such persons.

The President must include on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's specially designated nationals and blocked persons list persons who are: (1) identified in such reports; or (2) indicted by the Department of Justice in connection with such activities undermining U.S. cybersecurity. Under an exception, the President may exclude such a person from the list by submitting an explanation to Congress.

The President must use Executive Order 13694 (relating to blocking the property of certain persons engaging in significant malicious cyber-enabled activities) to impose sanctions against persons included on such list.