S. 667: Otto Warmbier Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-05 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Otto Warmbier Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea Act of 2019

Plain summary

Otto Warmbier Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea Act of 2019 This bill expands sanctions and reporting requirements related to North Korea and revises provisions related to combating human trafficking. The Department of the Treasury shall impose asset-related sanctions on persons that knowingly provide significant financial services to any person that is subject to various sanctions, including those covered in any United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution. The President may impose sanctions on persons that take certain actions related to North Korea, including knowingly (1) engaging in transactions in goods such as coal, or (2) contributing to a violation of a UNSC resolution through a significant transfer of property. A country that has transacted in defense articles with North Korea shall be barred from receiving certain U.S. assistance for five years, whereas currently the prohibition lasts for two years. The President's annual report to Congress on the implementation of UNSC resolutions shall include information on countries that fail to prohibit certain activities related to North Korea, such as the unauthorized clearing of funds. The bill also imposes various reporting requirements, such as requirements for Treasury to report on how North Korea's government exploits beneficial ownership rules to access the international financial system. The bill authorizes each state to adopt measures to require the divestment of the state's assets from North Korea-related investments. Treasury shall designate an office to coordinate efforts to combat the illicit financing of human trafficking. The Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking shall report to Congress recommendations for strengthening anti-money-laundering efforts in relation to human trafficking.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Otto Warmbier Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] reported raising $2.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s667.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s667 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116