No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6878 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6878
To impose sanctions with respect to the regime of President Nayib
Bukele in El Salvador, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 18, 2025
Mr. McGovern (for himself, Ms. Velazquez, and Mr. Castro of Texas)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary,
and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To impose sanctions with respect to the regime of President Nayib
Bukele in El Salvador, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``El Salvador Accountability Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means an
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(3) Gross violations of internationally recognized human
rights.--The term ``gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights'' has the meaning given that term in
section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2304(d)).
(4) Knowingly.--The term ``knowingly'', with respect to
conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person had
actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the
circumstance, or the result.
(5) Salvadoran entity.--The term ``Salvadoran entity''
means an entity organized under the laws of, or otherwise
subject to the jurisdiction of, El Salvador.
(6) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence to the United States;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity;
or
(C) any person located in the United States.
SEC. 3. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO BUKELE GOVERNMENT IN EL
SALVADOR.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described
in subsection (b) with respect to the following:
(1) The President of El Salvador.
(2) The Vice President of El Salvador.
(3) The Minister of Foreign Relations of El Salvador.
(4) The Minister of Defense of El Salvador.
(5) The Minister of Economy of El Salvador.
(6) The Minister of Finance of El Salvador.
(7) The Minister of Government of El Salvador.
(8) The Minister of Justice and Public Security of El
Salvador.
(9) The Vice Minister of Justice and Public Security of El
Salvador.
(10) The Minister of Tourism of El Salvador.
(11) The Attorney General of El Salvador.
(12) The President of the Central Reserve Bank of El
Salvador.
(13) Any foreign person in El Salvador, working on behalf
of the Government of El Salvador, or who is a leader, official,
or member of any Salvadoran entity, including a political party
or government dependency, or a member of such a party or
dependency, that, based on credible information--
(A) has engaged in gross violations of
internationally recognized human rights, or violated
international law or international human rights
standards, including in connection with the ongoing
``state of exception'' in El Salvador;
(B) has engaged in the scheme, including by
accepting United States taxpayer dollars, to deprive
individuals residing in the United States of their
rights under the Constitution of the United States; or
(C) has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided
financial, material, or technological support for, or
goods or services to or in support of, any person that
has engaged in activities described in subparagraph (A)
or (B).
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanction to be imposed under
subsections (a) with respect to a person are the following:
(1) Blocking of property.--The President shall exercise all
of the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to
block and prohibit all transactions in all property and
interests in property of a person described in subsection (a),
if such property and interests in property are in the United
States, come within the United States, or are or come within
the possession or control of a United States person.
(2) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) In general.--In the case of an alien described
in subsection (a), the alien is--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible for a visa or other
documentation to enter the United States; and
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted
or paroled into the United States or to receive
any other benefit under the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(B) Current visas revoked.--
(i) In general.--The visa or other entry
documentation of an alien described in
subsection (a) shall be revoked, regardless of
when such visa or other entry documentation was
issued.
(ii) Immediate effect.--A revocation under
clause (i) shall--
(I) take effect immediately; and
(II) automatically cancel any other
valid visa or entry documentation that
is in the alien's possession.
(3) Loans from united states financial institutions.--The
President shall prohibit United States financial institutions
from making loans or extending credit to a person described in
subsection (a).
(4) Foreign exchange.--The President shall prohibit any
transactions in foreign exchange that are subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States and in which a person
described in subsection (a) has any interest.
(c) Reports Required.--
(1) Report on imposition of sanctions.--Not later than 10
days after any imposition of sanctions under this section, the
President shall provide written notification to the appropriate
congressional committees regarding the imposition of such
sanctions that includes a description of--
(A) the person or persons subject to the imposition
of such sanctions; and
(B) the activities that led to the imposition of
sanctions.
(2) Annual reports.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the
President shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report that includes--
(A) a list of the persons with respect to which
sanctions have been imposed under this section during
the year preceding submission of the report;
(B) a description of the activities that led to the
imposition of such sanctions;
(C) a description of any assistance provided by the
United States to El Salvador during the year preceding
submission of the report;
(D) the full text of any written agreements,
including grant agreements, made between the United
States and the Government of El Salvador during that
year;
(E) a list of any officials of the Government of El
Salvador who are, as of the date of the report, subject
to sanctions under other sanctions authorities,
including--
(i) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.);
and
(ii) section 7031(c)(1)(A) of the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024
(division F of Public Law 118-47; 8 U.S.C. 1182
note);
(F) a determination of whether any of the
individuals on the list required by subparagraph (E)--
(i) has received, or is part of a
government institution that has received,
United States foreign assistance described in
subparagraph (C); or
(ii) is implementing a bilateral agreement
described in subparagraph (D);
(G) a determination of whether any nationals of El
Salvador subject to sanctions under other sanctions
authorities, or government institutions led by such
nationals or of which such nationals are members, have
received United States foreign assistance;
(H) the full text of any written agreement between
the United States and El Salvador pursuant to section
620M(c)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2378d(c)(1)); and
(I) a list of any units of the security forces of
El Salvador prohibited from receiving United States
foreign assistance under section 620M of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2378d).
(d) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception to comply with international agreements.--
Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect
to the admission of an alien to the United States if such
admission is necessary to comply with the obligations of the
United States under the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of
the United Nations, signed at Lake Success on June 26, 1947,
and entered into force on November 21, 1947, between the United
Nations and the United States, or the Convention on Consular
Relations, done at Vienna on April 24, 1963, and entered into
force on March 19, 1967, or other international obligations of
the United States.
(2) Humanitarian exception.--The President may not impose
sanctions under this section with respect to any person for
conducting or facilitating a transaction for the sale of
agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices or
for the provision of basic human needs or humanitarian
assistance.
(e) Implementation; Penalties.--
(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and
1704) to carry out this section.
(2) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of this
section or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry
out this section shall be subject to the penalties set forth in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same
extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in
subsection (a) of that section.
(f) Termination.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), sanctions
imposed under this section shall terminate if the President
certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the
Government of El Salvador--
(A) is no longer engaged in gross violations of
internationally recognized human rights and is
complying with international law and international
human rights standards, including in connection with
the ongoing ``state of exception'' in El Salvador; and
(B) is no longer engaged in the scheme, including
by accepting United States taxpayer dollars, to deprive
individuals residing in the United States of their
rights under the Constitution of the United States.
(2) Limitation.--The President may not submit the
certification described in paragraph (1) before the date that
is 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Sanctions snapback.--Any sanctions terminated pursuant
to paragraph (1) shall be reimposed with immediate effect if
the President determines that the Government of El Salvador
resumes engaging in gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights or the scheme described in paragraph
(1)(B).
(g) Rulemaking.--The head of any Federal agency responsible for the
implementation of this section may prescribe such regulations as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section (which may
include regulatory exceptions), including under section 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1704).
(h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to limit the authority of the President pursuant to the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENT OF EL SALVADOR PROVIDED THROUGH
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
(a) Restrictions.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the
United States Executive Directors of the international financial
institutions to use the voice and vote of the United States in those
institutions--
(1) to oppose any loan or extension of financial or
technical assistance to the Government of El Salvador; and
(2) to suspend any such loan or assistance provided before
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Exception for Humanitarian Purposes.--Subsection (a) shall not
apply to loans or financial or technical assistance provided for
humanitarian purposes.
(c) Termination.--Subsection (a) shall terminate on the date on
which the President submits a certification under section 3(f)(1).
(d) International Financial Institution Defined.--In this section,
the term ``international financial institution'' has the meaning given
that term in section 1701(c) of the International Financial
Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)).
SEC. 5. REPORT ON CRYPTOCURRENCY AS A VECTOR FOR BUKELE REGIME
CORRUPTION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the actions of officials of the
Government of El Salvador, including President Nayib Bukele, to use
cryptocurrency as a mechanism for gross corruption, graft, and
sanctions evasion.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) an estimate of the amount of funds used by the
Government of El Salvador to buy Bitcoin and other
cryptocurrencies;
(2) a list of exchanges through which the Government of El
Salvador bought Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies;
(3) the addresses of the locations where the Government of
El Salvador deposited Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies;
(4) a list of individuals who have access to Bitcoin and
other cryptocurrencies bought by the Government of El Salvador;
(5) an assessment of existing gaps in the use of Bitcoin
and cryptocurrencies by the Government of El Salvador being
exploited for corruption; and
(6) an assessment of whether Bitcoin or other
cryptocurrencies have been used in El Salvador as a vector to
evade financial sanctions imposed on other countries.
(c) Form; Availability.--
(1) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
(2) Availability to public.--The unclassified portion of
the report required by subsection (a) shall be made available
to the public on a publicly accessible internet website of the
Department of State.
SEC. 6. PROHIBITION ON MAKING FUNDS AVAILABLE TO GOVERNMENT OF EL
SALVADOR.
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made
available by Congress may be made available to the Government of El
Salvador until the President submits a certification under section
3(f)(1).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line