Bill
S 3451
Imposes sanctions on Houthi individuals and entities for human rights abuses and hindering aid in Yemen, plus requires reports on abuses and aid access.
Date introduced: December 11, 2025
Status: Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Sponsors: Senator Jacky Rosen (and co-sponsor), Senator Dave McCormick (and co-sponsor)
Purpose
- To authorize the imposition of sanctions on Houthi entities and individuals in connection with human rights abuses and obstructive behavior in Yemen, and to address related humanitarian and accountability concerns.
Key Provisions
1) Sense of Congress (Section 2)
- States that Houthi indoctrination of Yemenis into violent, anti-Semitic, and extremist ideologies threatens Yemeni peace and regional stability.
- Opposes U.S. support for the Houthis and any efforts by the group to indoctrinate, coerce, or force Yemenis to adopt their extremist worldview.
2) Report on Houthi Indoctrination (Section 3)
- Requires the Secretary of State to submit, within 180 days of enactment, a congressional report on:
- Houthis’ efforts to indoctrinate Yemenis into violent/extremist ideologies.
- The long-term threat this indoctrination poses to regional stability.
3) Report on Obstacles to Humanitarian Aid in Houthi-Controlled Areas (Section 4)
- Requires a 180-day report detailing obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid in areas under de facto Houthi control.
- Subsections specify the scope and contents:
- (1) Challenges created by Houthi access rules, bureaucracy, and movement restrictions, and their impact on aid distribution.
- (2) Assessment of Houthi interference with aid delivery, including manipulation of beneficiary lists for political/military purposes.
- (3) Evaluation of violence or intimidation against humanitarian workers and diplomats, including U.S. embassy staff.
- (4) Overview of steps by the U.S. and partners to ensure aid is delivered impartially and in line with humanitarian principles, including responses to attempted diversion by Houthis.
4) Report on Houthi Human Rights Abuses (Section 5)
- Requires a 180-day report on Houthi human rights abuses, including gender-based discrimination and violence, covering:
- Mahram regulations (gender/relationships rules)
- Recruitment and use of child soldiers
- Enforced disappearances
- Prolonged/arbitrary detention
- Torture and unlawful killings
- Scope covers abuses from March 1, 2015, through 90 days after enactment.
5) Sanctions Under the Global Magnitsky Act (Section 6)
- Requires annual determinations (starting within 180 days after enactment) on whether foreign persons described meet Magnitsky Act criteria or are responsible for gross human rights violations.
- Targeted individuals must be members of the Houthis who:
- Impose unlawful restrictions on humanitarian aid delivery in Yemen, or
- Engage in the human rights abuses described in Section 5.
6) Sanctions Under the Robert Levinson Hostage-Taking and Accountability Act (Section 7)
- Requires annual determinations on whether Houthis members are:
- Responsible for hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad, or
- Providing material or other support for such hostage-related activities.
7) Sunset Provision (Section 8)
- The Act terminates five years after enactment, i.e., a sunset clause unless renewed.
8) Definitions (Section 9)
- clarifies key terms:
- “Appropriate congressional committees”: Senate Foreign Relations, Senate Appropriations, House Foreign Affairs, House Appropriations.
- “Foreign person”: non-U.S. person.
- “Houthis”: Ansarallah.
- “Person”: individual or entity.
- “United States person”: U.S. national, lawfully present alien, or U.S.-organized entity or U.S. branch of a foreign entity.
Potential Impact
Notes
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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