# The HARM Act: What It Does

This bill would officially label Russia's Wagner Group as a terrorist organization in the eyes of the U.S. government. Wagner is a private military company that operates on behalf of Russia, and the bill argues it should face the same legal restrictions and penalties that the U.S. applies to designated terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda.

The practical effect of this designation would be significant. Once labeled a terrorist organization, Wagner and anyone working with it would face serious legal consequences. Americans would be prohibited from providing money, weapons, or any material support to the group. The U.S. government could freeze any assets Wagner holds in America or through American financial systems. Anyone who knowingly helps Wagner could face criminal charges. Additionally, foreign fighters or associates of Wagner could be denied entry to the United States or deported if already here. The bill specifically says this designation would also apply to any successor organizations or affiliated groups that Wagner might create to continue its operations.

The bill points to numerous alleged atrocities as justification for this designation, including massacres of civilians in Ukraine, Mali, and Sudan; sex trafficking and kidnapping in Central Africa; and attempts to assassinate Ukraine's president. Supporters argue these actions demonstrate that Wagner operates like a terrorist organization, targeting civilians and committing war crimes rather than engaging in legitimate military activity.

There is one built-in flexibility: the President can waive these sanctions if he determines it's in the national security interest of the United States, though he would have to report this decision to Congress. The bill gives the Secretary of State 90 days after it becomes law to formally make the designation official.

HARM Act

Cohen, Steve

Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act or the HARM Act This bill requires the Department of State to designate the PMC Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization. Such designation also applies to any affiliated and successor entities undertaking malign activities against the United States and its allies or partners. (Among other things, such a designation allows the Department of the Treasury to require financial institutions to block transactions involving the organization.) The President may waive the application of sanctions against these entities if the President determines it to be in the national interest.