SHIELD Act

This bill mandates the President to impose sanctions on any foreign person found to be employing forced labor or child labor within the cobalt mining sector of a foreign country. Congress views such exploitation as a grievous human rights abuse, with widespread reports indicating its prevalence in cobalt mining, and believes the U.S. should impose economic costs on such entities. The sanctions described include two primary measures. First, the President is authorized to block and prohibit all transactions involving the property and interests in property of the sanctioned foreign person if they are within U.S. jurisdiction or control. Second, individuals subject to sanctions will be deemed inadmissible to the United States , ineligible for visas, and any existing visas will be revoked. The bill includes specific exceptions, such as for compliance with international obligations or for transactions related to humanitarian assistance, including the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices. The President retains the authority to waive sanctions if deemed important to U.S. national security interests, provided Congress is notified. The authority to impose these sanctions will sunset seven years after the bill's enactment.