Washington (Platts)--30Jul2007

The US House of Representatives was poised Monday to vote on -- and
likely to pass -- two pieces of legislation to strengthen sanctions on Iran
and one bill to boost sanctions on Sudan.

     All three measures are on the House's suspension calendar -- typically
reserved for non-controversial items -- and are slated for votes Monday
evening.

     Two of the bills are sponsored by Representative Ilena Ros-Lehtinen, the
top-ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

     The Florida Republican's Iran bill (HR 957) expands the Iran Sanctions
Act -- which threatens reprisals on foreign oil companies that invest $20
million or more in Iran's oil and gas sector -- to include foreign investments
in liquefied natural gas and petroleum products, and prohibits US
export-credit agencies from investing in companies that do deal with Iran.

     Ros-Lehtinen's Sudan bill -- the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act
of 2007 (HR 180) -- requires the US Treasury Department publish and maintain a
list of companies or entities whose business dealings directly benefit the
regime in Khartoum; enables state and local governments to divest from those
companies; and provides protection to fund managers from lawsuits brought by
investors who disagree with any decision to divest. Sudan is an oil-rich
country. 

     The third measure, on Iran, was introduced by Representative Barney
Frank, Democrat-Massachusetts. It authorizes state and local governments to
direct divestitures from, and prevents investment in, companies with
investments of $20 million or more in Iran's energy sector.

     Frank's bill also requires the Treasury secretary, in consultation with
the Energy secretary, the secretary of state and the Securities and Exchange
Commission, to publish within six months a list of each person and company
that has an investment of more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector. The
list, which would need to be updated every six months, will include a
description, status and nature of the investment. 

		--Cathy Landry, cathy_landry@platts.com