#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#acaj  ,,an ,,act  ,to strengthen the   
participation of elected national       
legislators in the activities of the    
,organization of ,american ,states and  
reaffirm ,united ,states support for    
,organization of ,american ,states human
 rights and anti-corruption initiatives1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,organization of ,american ,states      
,legislative ,engagement ,act of #bjbj4 
#b4 ,findings ,congress makes the       
following findings3 7#a7 ,the ,charter  
of the ,organization of ,american       
,states establishes that representative 
democracy is an indispensable condition 
for the stability1 peace and development
 of the region4  7#b7 ,article #b of the
 ,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter  
of the ,organization of ,american       
,states affirms that the effective      
exercise of representative democracy is 
the basis for the rule of law and of the
 constitutional regimes of the member   

states of the ,organization of ,american
 ,states4  7#c7 ,article #bf of the     
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter   
states that the ,,oas will continue to  
carry out programs and activities       
designed to promote democratic          
principles and practices and strengthen 
a democratic culture in the ,hemisphere4
  7#d7 ,in accordance with the ,,oas    
,charter and the ,inter-,american       
,democratic ,charter1 the ,,oas ,general
 ,assembly1 ,,oas ,permanent ,council1  
and ,,oas ,secretariat have established 
a wide range of cooperative agreements  
with domestic and international         
organizations1 including national       
legislative institutions4  7#e7 ,in     
#bjjd1 ,,oas ,general ,assembly         
,resolution #bjdd 7,,xxxiv-,o_/#jd7     
appealed for the strengthening of       
legislatures1 as well as                
inter-parliamentary cooperation on key  
items of the inter-,american agenda1    
with a view1 in particular1 to          
generating initiatives to fight         

corruption1 poverty1 inequality1 and    
social exclusion4  7#f7 ,in #bjje1 ,,oas
 ,general ,assembly ,resolution #bjie   
7,,xxxv-,o_/#je7 called on the ,,oas    
,secretariat to invite ''' the          
presidents or speakers of the national  
legislative institutions of the         
,americas1 i4e41 congresses1            
parliaments1 or national assemblies1 '''
 to attend a special meeting of the     
,permanent ,council ''' for the         
initiation of a dialogue on topics on   
the hemispheric agenda4  7#g7 ,in #bjad 
and #bjae1 the ,,oas ,secretariat       
expanded its engagement with elected    
national legislators from ,,oas member  
states by convening two meetings of     
presidents of national legislatures1    
first in ,lima1 ,peru and subsequently  
in ,santiago1 ,chile4  7#h7 ,however1 no
 permanent procedures exist to          
facilitate the participation of elected 
national legislators from ,,oas member  
states in ,,oas activities4  7#i7 ,the  
,organization for ,security and         

,co-operation in ,europe 7,,osce7       
,parliamentary ,assembly has proven     
successful at strengthening             
inter-parliamentary cooperation among   
its member states4  #c4 ,sense of       
,congress ,it is that sense of ,congress
 that-- 7#a7 elected national           
legislators play an essential role in   
the exercise of representative democracy
 in the ,americas1 including by-- 7,a7  
promoting economic freedom and respect  
for property rights2  7,b7 promoting the
 rule of law and combating corruption2  
7,c7 defending human rights and         
fundamental freedoms2 and  7,d7         
advancing the principles and practices  
expressed in the ,charter of the        
,organization of ,american ,states1 the 
,american ,declaration on the ,rights   
and ,duties of ,man1 and the            
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter2  
7#b7 establishing procedures and        
mechanisms to facilitate the            
participation of elected national       
legislators from ,,oas member states in 

,,oas activities could contribute to the
 promotion of democratic principles and 
practices and strengthen a democratic   
culture in the ,western ,hemisphere2    
7#c7 increasing and strengthening the   
participation of elected national       
legislators from ,,oas member states in 
,,oas activities could advance the      
principles and proposals expressed in   
section #d of the ,organization of      
,american ,states ,revitalization and   
,reform ,act of #bjac 7,public ,law     
#aac-da2 #abg ,stat4 #edi72  7#d7 the   
,,oas ,general ,assembly1 ,,oas         
,permanent ,council1 and ,,oas          
,secretariat should take steps to       
facilitate greater participation of     
elected national legislators from ,,oas 
member states in ,,oas activities2  7#e7
 the ,,oas ,permanent ,council          
resolutions titled ,guidelines for the  
,participation of ,civil ,society in    
,,oas ,activities and ,strategies for   
,increasing and ,strengthening          
,participation by ,civil ,society       

,organizations in ,,oas ,activities     
should serve as important references for
 efforts to bolster the participation of
 elected national legislators from ,,oas
 member states in ,,oas activities2 and 
7#f7 the successful experience of the   
,organization for ,security and         
,co-operation in ,europe ,parliamentary 
,assembly should serve as a model to the
 ,,oas in creating a similar mechanism4 
#d4 ,strengthening participation of     
elected national legislators at the     
,,oas  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary  
of ,state1 acting through the ,united   
,states ,mission to the ,organization of
 ,american ,states1 should use the voice
 and vote of the ,united ,states to     
support the creation of procedures for  
the ,organization of ,american ,states  
that-- 7#a7 enhance the participation of
 democratically elected national        
legislators from ,,oas member state     
countries in ,,oas activities that      
advance the principles of the           
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter   

and the core values of the ,,oas        
consistent with the principles and      
proposals expressed in section #d of the
 ,organization of ,american ,states     
,revitalization and ,reform ,act of     
#bjac 7,public ,law #aac-da2 #abg ,stat4
 #edi72  7#b7 create an annual forum for
 democratically elected national        
legislatures from ,,oas member states to
 discuss issues of hemispheric          
importance1 including regional efforts  
to defend human rights and combat       
transnational criminal activities1      
corruption1 and impunity2  7#c7 permit  
elected national legislators from ,,oas 
member states to make presentations1    
contribute information1 and provide     
expert advice1 as appropriate1 to the   
,,oas ,secretariat1 ,,oas ,permanent    
,council1 and ,,oas ,general ,assembly  
about ,,oas activities on issues of     
hemispheric importance2  7#d7 lead to   
the creation of a mechanism to regularly
 facilitate the participation of elected
 national legislators in ,,oas          

activities2 and  7#e7 reinforce ,,oas   
,secretariat programs that provide      
technical assistance for the            
modernization and institutional         
strengthening of national legislatures  
from ,,oas member states4  7b7 ,expenses
 ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting      
through the ,united ,states ,mission to 
the ,organization of ,american ,states1 
as appropriate1 shall seek to ensure    
that expenses related to the procedures 
set forth in this ,act do not increase  
member quotas1 assessed fees1 or        
voluntary contributions and that the    
,secretariat of the ,,oas shall seek to 
ensure shared financial responsibilities
 among the member states in facilitating
 the financial support necessary to     
carry out this initiative4  #e4 ,support
 for ,,oas human rights and             
anti-corruption initiatives  7a7 ,sense 
of ,congress ,it is the sense of        
,congress that-- 7#a7 the efforts of the
 ,,oas ,secretary ,general and          
,secretariat to combat corruption and   

impunity in the ,americas represent     
important contributions to strengthening
 the rule of law and democratic         
governance in the ,americas2 and  7#b7  
the ,united ,states should support      
efforts to ensure the effectiveness and 
independence of ,,oas initiatives to    
combat corruption and impunity in the   
,americas4  7b7 ,anti-corruption and    
human rights promotion strategy ,not    
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of the ,act1 the          
,secretary of ,state shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of   
the ,senate and the ,committee on       
,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of      
,representatives a strategy for         
supporting ,,oas anti-corruption and    
human rights promotion efforts4 ,the    
strategy should include-- 7#a7 an       
assessment of ,united ,states programs1 
activities1 and initiatives with the    
,,oas to support anti-corruption and    
human rights promotion in the ,americas2
  7#b7 a summary of the steps taken by  

the ,united ,states ,mission to the     
,,oas to strengthen anti-corruption and 
anti-impunity efforts in the ,americas2 
7#c7 an assessment of necessary reforms 
and initiatives to prioritize and       
reinforce the ,,oas ,secretary ,general 
and ,secretariat's efforts to advance   
human rights and combat corruption and  
impunity in the ,americas2  7#d7 a      
detailed plan to facilitate increased   
,,oas collaboration1 as appropriate1    
with relevant stakeholders1 including   
elected national legislators and civil  
society1 in support of an approach to   
promote human rights and combat         
transnational criminal activities1      
corruption1 and impunity in the         
,americas2 and  7#e7 a detailed plan for
 implementing the strategy set forth in 
this section of the ,act4  #f4          
,reporting requirements  7a7 ,in general
 ,not later than one year after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary of ,state shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of   

the ,senate and the ,committee on       
,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of      
,representatives a report on ,,oas      
processes1 initiatives1 and reforms     
undertaken to implement section #d1     
actions taken to implement the strategy 
required under section #e7;b71 and steps
 taken to implement the ,organization of
 ,american ,states ,revitalization and  
,reform ,act of #bjac 7,public ,law     
#aac-da74 ,the report should include--  
7#a7 an analysis of the progress made by
 the ,,oas to adopt and effectively     
implement reforms and initiatives to    
advance human rights and combat         
corruption and impunity in the          
,americas2 and  7#b7 a detailed         
assessment of ,,oas efforts to increase 
stakeholder engagement to advance human 
rights and combat corruption and        
impunity in the ,americas4  7b7         
,briefings ,not later than one year     
after the ,secretary of ,state submits  
the report required under subsection    
7a71 and annually thereafter for two    

additional years1 the ,secretary shall  
provide to the ,committee on ,foreign   
,relations of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives a briefing on
 the information required to be included
 in such report4  #g4 ,sense of         
,congress on elected national legislator
 ,it is the sense of ,congress that an  
elected national legislator             
participating in the activities outlined
 in this ,act should be an individual   
that-- 7#a7 was elected as a result of  
periodic1 free and fair elections2 and  
7#b7 is not known to be under           
investigation or convicted for          
corruption or transnational criminal    
activities1 including trafficking of    
people1 goods1 or illicit narcotics1    
money-laundering1 terrorist financing1  
acts of terrorism1 campaign finance     
violations1 bribery1 or extortion4      
,passed the ,senate ,december #aj1      
#bjbj4,secretary