text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Syria Humanitarian Support and 
  Democratic Transition Assistance Act of 2012''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) In March 2011, peaceful demonstrations in Syria began 
          against the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad. The regime 
          responded with terrible violence against the citizens of Syria, 
          including the use of weapons of war, torture, extrajudicial 
          killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and 
          interference with access to medical treatment.
              (2) In December 2011, the Government of Syria agreed to 
          allow an Arab League observer group into the country to assess 
          the humanitarian and political situation on the ground. 
          However, on January 28, 2012, the League officially ended its 
          observer mission, citing escalating violence and the 
          intransigence of the Assad regime.
              (3) In February 2012, the group Friends of the Syrian 
          People met in Tunis and issued a declaration demanding, among 
          other things, that the Syrian regime ``allow free and unimpeded 
          access by the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out a full 
          assessment of needs''.
              (4) On March 16, 2012, United Nations and League of Arab 
          States Special Envoy Kofi Annan presented a six-point peace 
          plan for Syria that called on the Government of Syria to, among 
          other things--
                      (A) commit to stop the fighting and urgently 
                  achieve a United Nations-supervised cessation of 
                  violence;
                      (B) cease military activity in and around civilian 
                  population centers;
                      (C) work with the Envoy in an inclusive Syrian-led 
                  political process;
                      (D) ensure timely provision of humanitarian 
                  assistance;
                      (E) release arbitrarily detained persons;
                      (F) ensure freedom of movement for journalists; and
                      (G) respect the freedom of association and the 
                  right to demonstrate peacefully.
              (5) In March 2012, the United Nations Refugee Agency 
          (UNHCR) appealed for $84,100,000 to assist approximately 30,000 
          Syrian refugees living outside the country. Panos Moumtzis was 
          appointed Regional Refugee Coordinator for Syria by UNHCR, 
          indicating the importance of responding to the growing needs of 
          Syrian refugees.
              (6) In April 2012, the group Friends of the Syrian People 
          met in Istanbul and committed to increase pressure on the Assad 
          regime, provide greater humanitarian relief to people in need, 
          and support the Syrian opposition as it works toward an 
          inclusive democratic transition.
              (7) As of July 2012, the London-based Syrian Observatory 
          for Human Rights estimated that more than 20,000 people have 
          been killed as a result of the violence in Syria, while the 
          United Nations has reportedly stopped keeping track of casualty 
          numbers due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate information 
          from inside Syria.
              (8) As a result of the violence, the United Nations 
          estimates that 1,500,000 people are in need of humanitarian 
          assistance, including access to food, water, shelter, and 
          medical care. Basic services such as health care, education, 
          and electricity have also been cut off in some parts of the 
          country.
              (9) Syria faces growing food insecurity, as wheat harvests 
          have declined due to drought. The United Nations expects aid 
          agencies to provide food aid to 850,000 Syrians in July 2012, 
          up from 500,000 the previous month.
              (10) Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled the country 
          due to escalating violence. According to the United Nations, 
          there are more than 100,000 Syrian refugees registered in 
          Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq, and even more who are 
          unregistered. According to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, 
          hundreds of thousands of Syrians are displaced within the 
          country. More than three-quarters of refugees and internally 
          displaced persons are women and children, who are particularly 
          vulnerable to economic and physical insecurity.
              (11) In June 2012, UNHCR more than doubled its appeal for 
          assistance for Syrian refugees to $193,000,000, reflecting the 
          significant increase in the number of refugees in need of 
          assistance.
              (12) The United Nations requested an additional 
          $189,000,000 to meet humanitarian needs inside Syria. According 
          to a United Nations spokesperson, only about 20 percent of 
          these appeals have been funded. In July 2012, John Ging, 
          Director of Operations for the United Nations Office for the 
          Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, ``If we don't get 
          more money, people will die.''
              (13) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued an 
          urgent appeal for $20,000,000 to meet the emergency needs of 
          children and young people who have fled the violence in Syria. 
          UNICEF estimates that it will need to provide humanitarian 
          support and basic services to approximately 90,000 Syrian 
          children between July and December 2012. As of July 2012, 
          UNICEF has received less than $6,000,000 to provide support and 
          protection to the most vulnerable victims of the crisis in 
          Syria.
              (14) An agreement between the United Nations and the Syrian 
          regime to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in 
          the country has allowed aid workers greater access to victims 
          of the conflict. However, staff of the International Committee 
          of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent cite security 
          concerns as a major obstacle to aid distribution. The 
          Government of Syria is also refusing to grant visas for aid 
          workers from countries that have criticized the regime, 
          including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and 
          France.
              (15) In July 2012, Human Rights Watch reported widespread 
          torture and mistreatment of political prisoners being held in 
          detention facilities managed by intelligence agencies of the 
          Government of Syria. The report cites overcrowding, denial of 
          adequate food and medical assistance, and the routine use of a 
          wide range of torture methods. The report also raised concerns 
          that authorities in Syria could choose to kill detainees rather 
          than allow them to be released in the event of a political 
          transition.
              (16) As of July 2012, the United States Government has 
          pledged $52,000,000 in humanitarian and non-lethal assistance 
          to Syria.
              (17) According to the Unclassified Report to Congress on 
          the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass 
          Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions Covering 1 
          January to 31 December 2011, ``Syria has had a [chemical 
          weapons] program for many years and has a stockpile of CW 
          agents, which can be delivered by aerial bombs, ballistic 
          missiles, and artillery rockets.'' In a hearing before the 
          Committee on Armed Services of the Senate in March 2012, 
          Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey 
          testified that the magnitude of Syria's chemical weapons 
          arsenal was ``100 times more than we experienced in Libya''. 
          The Government of Syria's stockpiles are thought to include 
          mustard, sarin, and VX gases.
              (18) There are concerns about the existence of numerous 
          rebel militias and their role in Syria during a post-transition 
          period. On June 30, 2012, during an international meeting on 
          Syria in Geneva, Special Envoy Kofi Annan said, ``A transition 
          must be implemented in a climate of safety for all, stability 
          and calm, including completion of withdrawals and the 
          disarming, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups.''
  
  SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
  
      It is the policy of the United States--
              (1) to strongly condemn the ongoing violence and widespread 
          human rights violations perpetrated against the Syrian people 
          by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad;
              (2) to promote the protection of civilians and innocent 
          victims of the conflict in Syria, particularly women and 
          children who are displaced and vulnerable to physical 
          exploitation;
              (3) to assist the people of Syria in meeting basic needs, 
          including access to food, health care, shelter, and clean 
          drinking water;
              (4) to support efforts of democratically oriented political 
          opposition groups in Syria to agree upon a political transition 
          plan that is inclusive and reflects the democratic aspirations 
          of all minority ethnic groups in the country;
              (5) to work with the international community, including 
          multilateral organizations and host countries, to support 
          Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq;
              (6) to support efforts to identify, recover, and dispose of 
          chemical weapons and other conventional and unconventional 
          weapons stockpiled in Syria; and
              (7) to help ensure that, once a stable transitional 
          government is established in Syria, it is committed to 
          multiparty democracy, open and transparent governance, respect 
          for human rights and religious freedom, promoting peace and 
          stability with its neighbors, enhancing the rule of law, and 
          rehabilitating and reintegrating former combatants.
  
  SEC. 4. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA.
  
      (a) Appointment of Special Envoy.--Not later than 30 days after the 
  date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint a 
  Special Envoy for Syria to coordinate United States engagement with the 
  country and to ensure that the United States Government supports 
  efforts to bring about a democratic transition in Syria.
      (b) Duties.--The Special Envoy for Syria should be given a clear 
  mandate--
              (1) to direct United States Government efforts to provide 
          assistance to civilians and innocent victims of the conflict in 
          Syria;
              (2) to provide detailed assessments of challenges and 
          progress on the ground in Syria with regard to providing 
          humanitarian relief, supporting an inclusive political 
          transition, assisting internally displaced persons and 
          refugees, reintegrating former combatants, and securing 
          conventional and unconventional weapons; and
              (3) to pursue a peaceful, inclusive democratic future for 
          Syria that protects the rights of all ethnic and religious 
          minorities.
      (c) Staffing and Resources.--The Special Envoy for Syria should be 
  provided with appropriate resources, including adequate staffing in the 
  region and in Washington, District of Columbia.
  
  SEC. 5. BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA.
  
      (a) Authority.--The President should--
              (1) provide enhanced support for humanitarian activities 
          taking place in and outside Syria, including the provision of 
          food, water, and medical supplies;
              (2) support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the 
          conflict in Syria as well as the establishment of an inclusive 
          representative form of government in Syria;
              (3) continue to encourage the participation of all groups, 
          including women, business leaders, civil society organizations, 
          traditional and religious leaders, and minority groups in 
          efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and political 
          transition in Syria;
              (4) encourage the Arab League and other international 
          bodies to insist that transitional and future governments are 
          committed to multiparty democracy, open and transparent 
          governance, respect for human rights and religious freedom, 
          ending the violence throughout the country, promoting peace and 
          stability with Syria's neighbors, enhancing the rule of law and 
          combating corruption, and rehabilitating and reintegrating 
          former combatants;
              (5) contribute to future capacity building for governing 
          institutions after a political transition takes place in Syria; 
          and
              (6) support post-transition efforts, including programs for 
          demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants.
      (b) Funding.--
              (1) Fiscal years 2013 and 2014.--Of the amounts made 
          available to carry out the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
          U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, such sums 
          as may be necessary should be allocated for bilateral 
          assistance programs in Syria.
              (2) Future funding.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
          Department of State should submit a budget request for fiscal 
          year 2014 that contains an appropriate increase in bilateral 
          and multilateral assistance for Syria based on progress by the 
          Government of Syria toward accomplishing the policy objectives 
          described in section 3.
              (3) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
          authorization of appropriations under paragraphs (1) and (2)--
                      (A) are authorized to remain available until 
                  expended; and
                      (B) are in addition to funds otherwise available 
                  for such purposes.
      (c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United States 
  should work with other donor nations, on a bilateral and multilateral 
  basis, to increase international contributions to the people of Syria 
  and accomplish the policy objectives described in section 3.
  
  SEC. 6. INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT 
                ASSISTANCE THROUGH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
  
      The President should instruct the United States permanent 
  representative or executive director, as the case may be, to the United 
  Nations voluntary agencies, including the World Food Program, the 
  United Nations Development Program, and the United Nations High 
  Commissioner for Refugees, and other appropriate international 
  organizations to use the voice and vote of the United States to support 
  additional humanitarian and development assistance for the people of 
  Syria in order to accomplish the policy objectives described in section 
  3.
  
  SEC. 7. INCREASING BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES THAT HOST SYRIAN 
                REFUGEES.
  
      (a) Authority.--The President should increase bilateral funding to 
  countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, that have 
  experienced an influx of refugees from Syria.
      (b) Funding for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014.--Of the amounts made 
  available to carry out the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
  2151 et seq.) for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, such sums as may be 
  necessary should be allocated for bilateral refugee assistance programs 
  in the countries surrounding Syria.
  
  SEC. 8. COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR SYRIA.
  
      (a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the President shall instruct the Secretary of 
  State to work with the appropriate United Nations agencies, regional 
  organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the broader 
  international community to establish an international donors group to 
  maximize resources and efficiently provide humanitarian assistance to 
  the people of Syria.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the donors group shall be to 
  coordinate resources for the following activities in Syria and the 
  region:
              (1) Providing humanitarian relief to civilians impacted by 
          the violence in Syria and Syrian refugees in surrounding 
          countries.
              (2) Supporting inclusive post-transitional governance and 
          the establishment of the rule of law.
              (3) Supporting disarmament, demobilization, and 
          reintegration of combatants and members of militias.
      (c) Annual Report.--The Department of State shall submit a report 
  on the specific programs, projects, and activities carried out by the 
  donors group during the preceding year, including an evaluation of the 
  results of such programs, projects, and activities.
  
  SEC. 9. SECURING UNCONVENTIONAL WEAPONS IN SYRIA.
  
      (a) Transition Plan.--The United States should work with regional 
  partners to develop a plan, to be implemented in the event of a 
  political transition, to--
              (1) identify and secure conventional and unconventional 
          weapons stockpiles in Syria;
              (2) recover and dispose of all unconventional weapons 
          stockpiled in Syria, with particular attention to chemical 
          weapons; and
              (3) prevent the illicit sale or transfer of conventional 
          and unconventional weapons out of Syria in order to preclude 
          regional weapons proliferation.
      (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
  Department of State should submit a budget request for fiscal year 2014 
  that contains an increase in bilateral nonproliferation, demining, and 
  anti-terrorism assistance for Syria toward accomplishing the policy 
  objectives described in this section.
  
  SEC. 10. REPORT ON HUMANITARIAN AND STABILIZATION EFFORTS IN SYRIA.
  
      Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
  and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to Congress a 
  detailed report on the implementation of this Act, including a 
  description of--
              (1) progress made as a result of humanitarian and 
          stabilization efforts, including refugee assistance in Syria;
              (2) progress made toward establishing an inclusive, 
          democratic government that protects the rights of all Syrians; 
          and
              (3) key challenges, gaps, and obstacles to further 
          enhancing stability and peace in Syria, including between Syria 
          and its neighbors.
target: Syria Humanitarian Support and Democratic Transition Assistance Act of 2012 - Directs the President to appoint a Special Envoy for Syria to coordinate U.S. engagement with the country and to ensure U.S. support for efforts to bring about a democratic transition in Syria.
  
  Urges the President to: (1) support humanitarian activities taking place in and outside Syria, (2) support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria, and (3) contribute to future capacity building for governing institutions after a political transition takes place in Syria.
  
  Urges: (1) the allocation of funding for bilateral assistance programs in Syria; and (2) the United States to work with other donor nations to increase international contributions for the people of Syria; (3) the President to increase bilateral funding to countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, that have experienced an influx of Syrian refugees; and (4) the United States to work with regional partners to secure conventional and unconventional weapons stockpiles in Syria and prevent their illicit sale or transfer out of Syria.
  
  Directs the President to instruct the Secretary of State to work with the appropriate United Nations (U.N.) agencies, regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the broader international community to establish an international donors group to provide humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria.
feat_title: A bill to provide humanitarian assistance and support a democratic transition in Syria, and for other purposes.