Designating the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act

This bill, titled the Designating the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act, would use the U.S. designation of a “state sponsor of terrorism” (SSOT) mechanism to respond to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, especially the alleged kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainian children. The core trigger is a certification task for the Secretary of State: within 60 days of enactment, the Secretary must report whether Ukrainian children who were kidnapped or forcibly removed have been reunited with families and whether full reintegration into Ukrainian society is underway. If the Secretary cannot certify these conditions, the bill requires an immediate designation of Russia as an SSOT under several existing statutes (NDAA 2019, the Arms Export Control Act, and the Foreign Assistance Act, among others). The designation can be rescinded later if certain conditions are met (no support for international terrorism in the prior 3 months, and all kidnapped children are reunified with reintegration underway). The act would take effect one day after enactment. In short, the bill creates a conditional pathway to label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, primarily to leverage sanctions and other penalties under established law, contingent on Ukraine-related humanitarian assurances about kidnapped children and reintegration progress.