On October 22, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced H.R. 10866, the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) joined him as original cosponsors.
The bill responds to an October 9 decision by the Treasury Department to authorize transactions in Russian diesel fuel, including imports into the United States. A federal law passed in 2022 bans imports of Russian energy products.
This article explains, step by step, what the 2022 law says, what changed on October 9, and what H.R. 10866 would do.
The 2022 Law: A Ban Written By Congress
In April 2022, Congress passed the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act (Public Law 117-109). The Senate voted 100 to 0 and the House voted 413 to 9. The law was signed on April 8, 2022, and it remains in force.
What it bans. All Russian products listed in chapter 27 of the U.S. tariff schedule. That chapter covers mineral fuels and oils and the products refined from them: crude oil, diesel, gas, and coal.
How it is carried out. The law applies the ban in line with the sanctions actions taken under Executive Order 14066 of March 2022. Those actions are administered by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) through its sanctions regulations.
How it can be lifted. Section 3 of the law sets out one path. The President may end the ban only by certifying to Congress in writing that Russia:
has reached an agreement, accepted by Ukraine's government, to withdraw its forces and end hostilities;
poses no immediate military threat to any NATO member; and
recognizes the right of the people of Ukraine to choose their own government.
At least 45 days before certifying, the President must consult the trade and foreign affairs committees of both chambers and send them a report. The ban then ends 90 days after the certification, unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval in that time.
In short, Congress wrote both the ban and the conditions for lifting it into law.
General License 135:
What Changed on October 9
On October 9, 2026, OFAC issued General License 135. A general license is a standing permission from OFAC. It allows a whole category of transactions that sanctions regulations would otherwise prohibit, with no individual application needed.
What it allows. All transactions prohibited under two sets of Russia sanctions regulations that relate to the sale, delivery, offloading, or importation of Russian-origin diesel fuel, "including importation into the United States."
How long. Until 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on April 7, 2027, about six months.
The one limit. No payments may be drawn from accounts at U.S. banks held by Russia's Central Bank, its National Wealth Fund or its Ministry of Finance.
What it does not set. No limit on volume, price, buyers or sellers.
The Treasury described the license as a temporary step to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market, at a time of record diesel prices. The United States has not imported Russian oil or gas since 2022. The European Union has banned Russian diesel since February 2023.
The legal question. General License 135 is issued under OFAC's sanctions regulations. Its text does not mention the 2022 law or the Section 3 process for lifting the ban. The sponsors of H.R. 10866 hold that the 2022 law still bans these imports and cannot be set aside by a license. H.R. 10866 would settle the question by writing a clear prohibition into the statute.
What H.R. 10866 Would Do
H.R. 10866 is a short bill with three working sections. You can read the full text here.
Section 2: no waivers for Russian energy imports. It adds two new rules to the 2022 law:
OFAC may not issue any waiver or general license for importing Russian energy products covered by the ban.
The Treasury may not spend funds on any agreement that violates the 2022 law.
Section 3: General License 135 is cancelled.
Once the bill becomes law, General License 135 would have no force or effect. The section also bars the Treasury from authorizing transactions that the law otherwise prohibits and that are a normal part of selling, delivering or offloading Russian crude oil or petroleum products. As written, this covers future licenses for Russian crude oil and petroleum products in general, not only diesel and not only imports into the United States.
Section 4: intelligence support for Ukraine. Explained in the next section.
What the bill does not change. Section 3 of the 2022 law stays as it is. The ban can still be lifted, but only through the certification and congressional review that Congress set in 2022. In practice, H.R. 10866 closes the licensing route and keeps the process Congress designed.
Intelligence Support for Ukraine
Section 4 amends the National Security Act of 1947, the law that sets out the duties of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
A legal duty to support Ukraine. The DNI must ensure that the relevant U.S. intelligence agencies provide intelligence support to Ukraine's government. This includes information, intelligence, and imagery collection meant to help Ukraine defend or retake its territory from Russia.
Within existing law. The support must be authorized under the National Security Act or other applicable law. The bill creates no new collection powers. It makes support for Ukraine a standing requirement.
24-hour notice to Congress. If any agency interrupts its intelligence support to Ukraine, it must notify the House and Senate intelligence committees within 24 hours.
=Timely intelligence helps Ukraine warn civilians of incoming strikes and defend its positions. The notice rule lets Congress, which funds and oversees the intelligence agencies, respond quickly if support stops.
Where The Bill Stands
And What Comes Next
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus and Chair of the House Intelligence Committee's CIA Subcommittee, introduced the bill on October 22.
As of October 30, it has four cosponsors: Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) from the start, and Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) and Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR) since October 26.
Committees. The bill was sent to three House committees, each for the parts within its jurisdiction. Ways and Means handles trade and imports. Foreign Affairs handles sanctions policy. The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence handles Section 4.
The path to law.
Committee review, or a decision by House leadership to bring the bill to the floor.
A vote in the House.
Passage of the same text in the Senate.
Signature by the President.
Congress is in recess for the November 3 elections, and the House is scheduled to return the following week. The 119th Congress ends on January 3, 2027. A bill not enacted by then expires and must be reintroduced in the new Congress. General License 135 runs until April 7, 2027.
Why cosponsors matter. Each new cosponsor signals support to committee chairs and House leadership. A growing bipartisan list is how a bill earns a hearing and a floor vote.
Thank you for standing with Ukraine.
Anastasiia Bilyk
American Ukraine Committee
amukr.org · stasya@amukr.org
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Sources
Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, Public Law 117-109 (congress.gov)
2022 votes: Senate 100-0 and House 413-9, April 7, 2022
OFAC General License 135, October 9, 2026 and OFAC recent action notice
H.R. 10866 on congress.gov and bill text
Rep. Fitzpatrick press release, October 23, 2026
Daybreak Wire, October 10, 2026: license context, diesel prices, Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act votes