H.R. 1848, Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act

H.R. 1848 would require the Administration to determine whether sanctions that are authorized under current law should be applied to foreign persons and entities affiliated with the Houthis who commit human rights violations, restrict humanitarian assistance to Yemen, or are involved in hostage-taking or false imprisonment of U.S. nationals. The bill also would require the Administration to annually report on Houthi efforts to obstruct humanitarian aid or regional stability in Yemen, as well as efforts to recruit Yemenis. The bill’s requirements would expire five years after enactment.

If the enactment of H.R. 1848 leads the Administration to broaden the application of currently authorized sanctions, additional persons would be subject to sanctions. More people would be denied visas by the Department of State, resulting in an insignificant decrease in revenues from fees. Although most visa fees are retained by the Department of State and spent, some collections are deposited into the Treasury as revenues. Denying foreign nationals entry into the United States also would reduce direct spending on federal benefits (emergency Medicaid or federal subsidies for health insurance, for example) for which those people might otherwise be eligible.

In addition, the bill would block transactions involving certain assets and property that are in the United States or that come under the control of people in the United States. People who violate those sanctions would be subject to civil or criminal monetary penalties. Those penalties are recorded as revenues, and a portion can be spent without further appropriation.

Using data about similar sanctions, CBO estimates any additional sanctions would affect a small number of people; thus, enacting H.R. 1848 would have insignificant effects on revenues and direct spending, and would, on net, reduce deficits by insignificant amounts over the 2026-2035 period.

Based on the cost of reports similar to those required by H.R. 1848, CBO estimates that preparing those reports would cost less than $500,000 over the 2026-2035 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are David Rafferty (for federal costs) and Lucy Marret (for mandates). The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.