S. 716: Guatemala Rule of Law Accountability Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-07 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [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 Foreign Relations. 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

Guatemala Rule of Law Accountability Act

Plain summary

Guatemala Rule of Law Accountability Act This bill directs the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on certain foreign persons that have engaged in corruption, money laundering, or other specified activities in Guatemala. Specifically, the sanctions shall apply to a current or former Guatemalan official, or a foreign person acting in cooperation with such an official, that knowingly (1) committed or facilitated acts of significant corruption, money laundering, or narcotics trafficking; (2) obstructed investigations into any of those acts; (3) violated agreements related to the intended use of equipment provided by the U.S. government; or (4) disobeyed rulings of the Guatemalan Constitutional Court. The President shall report to Congress on the implementation of such sanctions. In agreements to transfer equipment to Guatemala's military or national police, the Department of State shall include a provision allowing the United States to recover such equipment if it is used in a way that violates an end-use agreement.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Guatemala Rule of Law Accountability Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Gary C. Peters (D-MI)

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 (2)

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).
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.

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-116s716.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s716 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116