The below ICC-related bills (H.R. or S.) and resolutions (H.Res. or S.Res.) have been introduced and, in some cases acted on by either the House of Representative or the Senate. The majority of them accept the ICC as an institution and recognize the Court's activities, including arrest warrants. Many of them relate to situations (Darfur and Uganda) that are under investigation by the ICC.

House of Representatives

Passed

• H.R. 4077, 112th Congress, Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012 (February 17, 2012)
  • Related bill: S.2318
  • Public Law No. 112-283
• H.Res. 726, 110th Congress (October 29, 2007):

  "on April 27, 2007, the International Criminal Court, acting under the authority provided in Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005), issued arrest warrants for Sudan's Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Janjaweed Colonel Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Raham seeking their arrest for 51 counts including 6 counts involving rape"

• Public Law No. 103-236 (H.R. 2333), §§ 517-518, 103rd Congress, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (April 30, 1994):

  "It is the sense of the Senate that (1) the establishment of an international criminal court with jurisdiction over crimes of an international character would greatly strengthen the international rule of law; (2) such a court would thereby serve the interests of the United States and the world community; and (3) the United States delegation should make every effort to advance this proposal at the United Nations. [...] The United States Senate will not consent to the ratification of a treaty providing for United States participation in an international criminal court with jurisdiction over crimes of an international nature which permits representatives of any terrorist organization, including but not limited to the Palestine Liberation Organization, or citizens, nationals or residents of any country listed by the Secretary of State under section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 as having repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism, to sit in judgement on American citizens."

• Public Law No. 101-513 (H.R. 5114), § 599E, 101rd Congress, Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1991 (November 5, 1990):

  "It is the sense of Congress that (1) the United States should explore the need for the establishment of an International Criminal Court on a universal or regional basis to assist the international community in dealing more effectively with criminal acts defined in international conventions; and (2) the establishment of such a court or courts for the more effective prosecution of international criminals should not derogate from established standards of due process, the rights of the accused to a fair trial and the sovereignty of individual nations."

Introduced

None to date in 113th Congress.

Died

• H.Res. 687, 112th Congress, Calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to be tried before the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity (June 15, 2012):

  "the International Criminal Court is an independent body whose mission is to try individuals for crimes within its jurisdiction, including crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide"

• H.Res. 584, 112th Congress, Reaffirming the commitment of the House of Representatives to finding and capturing Joseph Kony, and for other purposes (March 13, 2012):

  "Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, and several of his top commanders have been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, enslavement, sexual enslavement, pillaging, and rape"

• H.Res 583, 112th Congress, Expressing support for robust efforts by the United States to see Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, and his top commanders brought to justice and the group's atrocities permanently ended (March 13, 2012):

  "on October 6, 2005, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Joseph Kony and his top commanders for war crimes and crimes against humanity, yet they remain at large"

• H.Res. 581, 112th Congress, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the continued deployment of United States military support personnel advising regional forces working toward the apprehension of Joseph Kony is both necessary and appropriate (March 9, 2012)
• H.R. 4169, 112th Congress, Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2012 (March 8, 2012):

  "The President shall impose on any person or government at least two of the sanctions specified in section 7 if the President determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that such person or government has failed to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against any Government of Sudan official"

• H.R. 2829, 112th Congress, United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011 (August 30, 2011)
• H.Res. 895, 112th Congress, Sudan Cessation of Support for the Lord's Resistance Army Certification Act of 2011 (March 3, 2011)
• H.R. 5351, 111th Congress, American Self-Defense Protection Act of 2010 (May 20, 2010):

  "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds made available to any department, agency, or entity of the United States Government or to any State or local government, including any court, may be used for United States participation in the International Criminal Court or its attendant activities, including any review conference or meeting of the Assembly of States Parties"

• H.Res. 542, 111th Congress, Condemning the ongoing attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) which have affected innocent civilians in Uganda,South Sudan, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and for other purposes (June 12, 2009):

  "Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, and several of his top commanders have been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, murder, enslavement, and sexual enslavement, and have forcibly recruited tens of thousands of children"

• H.Con.Res. 97, 111th Congress, Calling on the President to support United Nations Security Council referrals of situations involving genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court, to cooperate with investigations and prosecutions conducted by the International Criminal Court, and participate as an observer at meetings of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute (April 2, 2009)
• H.Res. 241, 111th Congress, Commending the International Criminal Court for issuing a warrant for the arrest of Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan, for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and expressing the hope that this will be a significant step in the long road towards achieving peace and stability in the Darfur region (March 12, 2009)

Senate

Passed

• Public Law No. 112-283 (S.2318), 112th Congress, Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012 (January 14, 2013):

  "the Secretary [of State] may pay a reward to any individual who furnishes information leading to ... the arrest or conviction in any country, or the transfer to or conviction by an international criminal tribunal (including a hybrid or mixed tribunal), of any foreign national accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, as defined under the statute of such tribunal"

  • S.2318 Bill Summary & Status, Library of Congress
  • Related: Rewards for Justice
• S.Res. 402, 112th Congress, Condemning Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army for committing crimes against humanity and mass atrocities, and supporting ongoing efforts by the United States Government and governments and regional organizations in central Africa to remove Joseph Kony and Lord's Resistance Army commanders from the battlefield (August 2, 2012):

  "on October 6, 2005, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Joseph Kony and four of his top commanders for war crimes and crimes against humanity, yet they remain at large"

• S.Res. 85, 112th Congress, Strongly condemning the gross and systematic violations of human rights in Libya, including violent attacks on protesters demanding democratic reforms, and for other purposes (March 1, 2011):

  "welcomes the unanimous vote of the United Nations Security Council on resolution 1970 referring the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court"

• Public Law No. 111-172 (S.1067), 111th Congress, Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 (May 24, 2010)
• Public Law No. 110-340 (S.2135), 110th Congress, Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008 (October 3, 2008)
• Public Law No. 110-151 (S.888), 110th Congress, Genocide Accountability Act of 2007 (December 21, 2007)

Introduced

None to date in 113th Congress.

Died

• S.1346, 111th Congress, Crimes Against Humanity Act of 2010 (June 24, 2009)
  • Related: Senator Dick Durbin, Press release, Durbin, Leahy, and Feingold Introduce Legislation Making Crimes Against Humanity a Violation of US Law (June 24, 2009)
• S.1703, 110th Congress, Trafficking in Persons Accountability Act of 2008 (June 27, 2007)

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