#aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ajfd ,,an ,,act ,to advance the strategic alignment of ,united ,states diplomatic tools toward the realization of free1 fair1 and transparent elections in ,nicaragua and to reaffirm the commitment of the ,united ,states to protect the fundamental freedoms and human rights of the people of ,nicaragua1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,reinforcing ,nicaragua's ,adherence to ,conditions for ,electoral ,reform ,act of #bjba or the ,,renacer ,act4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4,sec4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress4,sec4 #c4 ,review of participation of ,nicaragua in ,dominican ,republic-,central ,america-,united ,states ,free ,trade ,agreement4,sec4 #d4 ,restrictions on international financial institutions relating to ,nicaragua4,sec4 #e4 ,targeted sanctions to advance democratic elections4,sec4 #f4 ,developing and implementing a coordinated sanctions strategy with diplomatic partners4,sec4 #g4 ,inclusion of ,nicaragua in list of countries subject to certain sanctions relating to corruption4,sec4 #h4 ,classified report on the involvement of ,ortega family members and ,nicaraguan government officials in corruption4,sec4 #i4 ,classified report on the activities of the ,russian ,federation in ,nicaragua4,sec4 #aj4 ,report on certain purchases by and agreements entered into by ,government of ,nicaragua relating to military or intelligence sector of ,nicaragua4,sec4 #aa4 ,report on human rights abuses in ,nicaragua4,sec4 #ab4 ,supporting independent news media and freedom of information in ,nicaragua4,sec4 #ac4 ,amendment to short title of ,public ,law #aae-cce4,sec4 #ad4 ,definition4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 ongoing efforts by the government of ,president ,daniel ,ortega in ,nicaragua to suppress the voice and actions of political opponents through intimidation and unlawful detainment1 civil society1 and independent news media violate the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of the people of ,nicaragua2 7#b7 ,congress unequivocally condemns the politically motivated and unlawful detention of presidential candidates ,cristiana ,chamorro1 ,arturo ,cruz1 ,felix ,maradiaga1 and ,juan ,sebastian ,chamorro2 7#c7 ,congress unequivocally condemns the passage of the ,foreign ,agents ,regulation ,law1 the ,special ,cybercrimes ,law1 the ,self-,determination ,law1 and the ,consumer ,protection ,law by the ,national ,assembly of ,nicaragua1 which represent clear attempts by the ,ortega government to curtail the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of the people of ,nicaragua2 7#d7 ,congress recognizes that free1 fair1 and transparent elections predicated on robust reform measures and the presence of domestic and international observers represent the best opportunity for the people of ,nicaragua to restore democracy and reach a peaceful solution to the political and social crisis in ,nicaragua2 7#e7 the ,united ,states recognizes the right of the people of ,nicaragua to freely determine their own political future as vital to ensuring the sustainable restoration of democracy in their country2 7#f7 the ,united ,states should align the use of diplomatic engagement and all other foreign policy tools1 including the use of targeted sanctions1 in support of efforts by democratic political actors and civil society in ,nicaragua to advance the necessary conditions for free1 fair1 and transparent elections in ,nicaragua2 7#g7 the ,united ,states1 in order to maximize the effectiveness of efforts described in paragraph 7#f71 should-- 7,a7 coordinate with diplomatic partners1 including the ,government of ,canada1 the ,european ,union1 and partners in ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean2 7,b7 advance diplomatic initiatives in consultation with the ,organization of ,american ,states and the ,united ,nations2 and 7,c7 thoroughly investigate the assets and holdings of the ,nicaraguan ,armed ,forces in the ,united ,states and consider appropriate actions to hold such forces accountable for gross violations of human rights2 and 7#h7 pursuant to section #f7;b7 of the ,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality ,act of #bjah1 the ,president should waive the application of restrictions under section #d of that ,act and the sanctions under section #e of that ,act if the ,secretary of ,state certifies that the ,government of ,nicaragua is taking the steps identified in section #f7;a7 of that ,act1 including taking steps to to hold free and fair elections overseen by credible domestic and international observers4 #c4 ,review of participation of ,nicaragua in ,dominican ,republic-,central ,america-,united ,states ,free ,trade ,agreement 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,on ,november #bg1 #bjah1 the ,president signed ,executive ,order #achea 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note2 relating to blocking property of certain persons contributing to the situation in ,nicaragua71 which stated that the situation in ,nicaragua1 including the violent response by the ,government of ,nicaragua to the protests that began on ,april #ah1 #bjah1 and the ,ortega regime's systematic dismantling and undermining of democratic institutions and the rule of law1 its use of indiscriminate violence and repressive tactics against civilians1 as well as its corruption leading to the destabilization of ,nicaragua's economy1 constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,article #ba4b of the ,dominican ,republic-,central ,america-,united ,states ,free ,trade ,agreement approved by ,congress under section #aja7;a77#a7 of the ,dominican ,republic-,central ,america-,united ,states ,free ,trade ,agreement ,implementation ,act 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #djaa7;a77#a77 states1 ,nothing in this ,agreement shall be construed 4 4 4 to preclude a ,party from applying measures that it considers necessary for the fulfillment of its obligations with respect to the maintenance or restoration of international peace or security1 or the protection of its own essential security interests44 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,president should review the continued participation of ,nicaragua in the ,dominican ,republic-,central ,america-,united ,states ,free ,trade ,agreement if the ,government of ,nicaragua continues to tighten its authoritarian rule in an attempt to subvert democratic elections in ,november #bjba and undermine democracy and human rights in ,nicaragua4 #d4 ,restrictions on international financial institutions relating to ,nicaragua ,section #d of the ,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality ,act of #bjah is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsections 7a71 7b71 and 7c7 as subsections 7b71 7c71 and 7d71 respectively2 7#b7 by inserting before subsection 7b71 as redesignated by paragraph 7#a71 the following3 7a7 ,sense of congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,secretary of the ,treasury should take all possible steps1 including through the full implementation of the exceptions set forth in subsection 7c71 to ensure that the restrictions required under subsection 7b7 do not negatively impact the basic human needs of the people of ,nicaragua4 2 7#c7 in subsection 7c71 as so redesignated1 by striking subsection 7a7 and inserting subsection 7b72 and 7#d7 by striking subsection 7d71 as so redesignated1 and inserting the following3 7d7 ,increased oversight 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,united ,states ,executive ,director at each international financial institution of the ,world ,bank ,group1 the ,united ,states ,executive ,director at the ,inter-,american ,development ,bank1 and the ,united ,states ,executive ,director at each other international financial institution1 including the ,international ,monetary ,fund1 shall take all practicable steps-- 7,a7 to increase scrutiny of any loan or financial or technical assistance provided for a project in ,nicaragua2 and 7,b7 to ensure that the loan or assistance is administered through an entity with full technical1 administrative1 and financial independence from the ,government of ,nicaragua4 7#b7 ,mechanisms for increased scrutiny ,the ,united ,states ,executive ,director at each international financial institution described in paragraph 7#a7 shall use the voice1 vote1 and influence of the ,united ,states to encourage that institution to increase oversight mechanisms for new and existing loans or financial or technical assistance provided for a project in ,nicaragua4 7e7 ,interagency consultation ,before implementing the restrictions described in subsection 7b71 or before exercising an exception under subsection 7c71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall consult with the ,secretary of ,state and with the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to ensure that all loans and financial or technical assistance to ,nicaragua are consistent with ,united ,states foreign policy objectives as defined in section #c4 7f7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of the ,,renacer ,act1 and annually thereafter until the termination date specified in section #aj1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,state and the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of this section1 which shall include-- 7#a7 summary of any loans and financial and technical assistance provided by international financial institutions for projects in ,nicaragua2 7#b7 a description of the implementation of the restrictions described in subsection 7b72 7#c7 an identification of the occasions in which the exceptions under subsection 7c7 are exercised and an assessment of how the loan or assistance provided with each such exception may address basic human needs or promote democracy in ,nicaragua2 7#d7 a description of the results of the increased oversight conducted under subsection 7d72 and 7#e7 a description of international efforts to address the humanitarian needs of the people of ,nicaragua4 4 #e4 ,targeted sanctions to advance democratic elections 7a7 ,coordinated strategy 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state and the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 in consultation with the intelligence community 7as defined in section #c of the ,national ,security ,act of #aidg 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #cjjc771 shall develop and implement a coordinated strategy to align diplomatic engagement efforts with the implementation of targeted sanctions in order to support efforts to facilitate the necessary conditions for free1 fair1 and transparent elections in ,nicaragua4 7#b7 ,briefing required ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and every #ij days thereafter until ,december #ca1 #bjbb1 the ,secretary of ,state and the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall brief the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives on steps to be taken by the ,united ,states ,government to develop and implement the coordinated strategy required by paragraph 7#a74 7b7 ,targeted sanctions prioritization 7#a7 ,in general ,pursuant to the coordinated strategy required by subsection 7a71 the ,president shall prioritize the implementation of the targeted sanctions required under section #e of the ,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality ,act of #bjah4 7#b7 ,targets ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,president-- 7,a7 shall examine whether foreign persons involved in directly or indirectly obstructing the establishment of conditions necessary for the realization of free1 fair1 and transparent elections in ,nicaragua are subject to sanctions under section #e of the ,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality ,act of #bjah2 and 7,b7 should1 in particular1 examine whether the following persons have engaged in conduct subject to such sanctions3 7i7 ,officials in the government of ,president ,daniel ,ortega4 7ii7 ,family members of ,president ,daniel ,ortega4 7iii7 ,high-ranking members of the ,national ,nicaraguan ,police4 7iv7 ,high-ranking members of the ,nicaraguan ,armed ,forces4 7v7 ,members of the ,supreme ,electoral ,council of ,nicaragua4 7vi7 ,officials of the ,central ,bank of ,nicaragua4 7vii7 ,party members and elected officials from the ,sandinista ,national ,liberation ,front and their family members4 7viii7 ,individuals or entities affiliated with businesses engaged in corrupt financial transactions with officials in the government of ,president ,daniel ,ortega1 his party1 or his family4 7ix7 ,individuals identified in the report required by section #h as involved in significant acts of public corruption in ,nicaragua4 #f4 ,developing and implementing a coordinated sanctions strategy with diplomatic partners 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,on ,june #ba1 #bjai1 the ,government of ,canada1 pursuant to its ,special ,economic ,measures ,act1 designated #i officials of the ,government of ,nicaragua for the imposition of sanctions in response to gross and systematic human rights violations in ,nicaragua4 7#b7 ,on ,may #d1 #bjbj1 the ,european ,union imposed sanctions with respect to #f officials of the ,government of ,nicaragua identified as responsible for serious human rights violations and for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in ,nicaragua4 7#c7 ,on ,october #ab1 #bjbj1 the ,european ,union extended its authority to impose restrictive measures on persons and entities responsible for serious human rights violations or abuses or for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in ,nicaragua1 as well as persons and entities whose actions1 policies or activities otherwise undermine democracy and the rule of law in ,nicaragua1 and persons associated with them4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,united ,states should encourage the ,government of ,canada1 the ,european ,union and governments of members countries of the ,european ,union1 and governments of countries in ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean to use targeted sanctions with respect to persons involved in human rights violations and the obstruction of free1 fair1 and transparent elections in ,nicaragua4 7c7 ,coordinating international sanctions ,the ,secretary of ,state1 working through the head of the ,office of ,sanctions ,coordination established by section #a7;h7 of the ,state ,department ,basic ,authorities ,act of #aief 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfea;a7h771 and in consultation with the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 shall engage in diplomatic efforts with governments of countries that are partners of the ,united ,states1 including the ,government of ,canada1 governments of countries in the ,european ,union1 and governments of countries in ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean1 to impose targeted sanctions with respect to the persons described in section #e7;b7 in order to advance democratic elections in ,nicaragua4 7d7 ,briefing requirement ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and every #ij days thereafter until ,december #ca1 #bjbb1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 shall brief the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives on the implementation of this section4 #g4 ,inclusion of ,nicaragua in list of countries subject to certain sanctions relating to corruption ,section #cec of title ,,iii of division ,,ff of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public ,law #aaf-bfj7 is amended-- 7#a7 in the section heading1 by striking and ,honduras and inserting 1 ,honduras1 and ,nicaragua2 and 7#b7 by striking and ,honduras each place it appears and inserting 1 ,honduras1 and ,nicaragua4 #h4 ,classified report on the involvement of ,ortega family members and ,nicaraguan government officials in corruption 7a7 ,report required ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,bureau of ,intelligence and ,research of the ,department of ,state1 and in coordination with the ,director of ,national ,intelligence1 shall submit a classified report to the appropriate congressional committees on significant acts of public corruption in ,nicaragua that-- 7#a7 involve-- 7,a7 the ,president of ,nicaragua1 ,daniel ,ortega2 7,b7 members of the family of ,daniel ,ortega2 and 7,c7 senior officials of the ,ortega government1 including-- 7i7 members of the ,supreme ,electoral ,council1 the ,nicaraguan ,armed ,forces1 and the ,national ,nicaraguan ,police2 and 7ii7 elected officials from the ,sandinista ,national ,liberation ,front party2 7#b7 pose challenges for ,united ,states national security and regional stability2 7#c7 impede the realization of free1 fair1 and transparent elections in ,nicaragua2 and 7#d7 violate the fundamental freedoms of civil society and political opponents in ,nicaragua4 7b7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,house of ,representatives4 #i4 ,classified report on the activities of the ,russian ,federation in ,nicaragua 7a7 ,report required ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,bureau of ,intelligence and ,research of the ,department of ,state1 and in coordination with the ,director of ,national ,intelligence1 shall submit a classified report to the appropriate congressional committees on activities of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in ,nicaragua1 including-- 7#a7 cooperation between ,russian and ,nicaraguan military personnel1 intelligence services1 security forces1 and law enforcement1 and private ,russian security contractors2 7#b7 cooperation related to telecommunications and satellite navigation2 7#c7 other political and economic cooperation1 including with respect to banking1 disinformation1 and election interference2 and 7#d7 the threats and risks that such activities pose to ,united ,states national interests and national security4 7b7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,house of ,representatives4 #aj4 ,report on certain purchases by and agreements entered into by ,government of ,nicaragua relating to military or intelligence sector of ,nicaragua 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,bureau of ,intelligence and ,research of the ,department of ,state1 and in coordination with the ,director of ,national ,intelligence and the ,director of the ,defense ,intelligence ,agency1 shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives a report that includes-- 7#a7 a list of-- 7,a7 all equipment1 technology1 or infrastructure with respect to the military or intelligence sector of ,nicaragua purchased1 on or after ,january #a1 #bjaa1 by the ,government of ,nicaragua from an entity identified by the ,department of ,state under section #bca7;e7 of the ,countering ,america's ,adversaries ,through ,sanctions ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #iebe7;e772 and 7,b7 all agreements with respect to the military or intelligence sector of ,nicaragua entered into1 on or after ,january #a1 #bjaa1 by the ,government of ,nicaragua with an entity described in subparagraph 7,a72 and 7#b7 a description of and date for each purchase and agreement described in paragraph 7#a74 7b7 ,consideration ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall be prepared after consideration of the content of the report of the ,defense ,intelligence ,agency entitled1 ,russia3 ,defense ,cooperation with ,cuba1 ,nicaragua1 and ,venezuela and dated ,february #d1 #bjai4 7c7 ,form of report ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex4 #aa4 ,report on human rights abuses in ,nicaragua 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds that1 since the ,june #bjah initiation of ,operation ,clean-up1 an effort of the government of ,daniel ,ortega to dismantle barricades constructed throughout ,nicaragua during social demonstrations in ,april #bjah1 the ,ortega government has increased its abuse of campesinos and members of indigenous communities1 including arbitrary detentions1 torture1 and sexual violence as a form of intimidation4 7b7 ,report required ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that documents the perpetration of gross human rights violations by the ,ortega government against the citizens of ,nicaragua1 including campesinos and indigenous communities in the interior of ,nicaragua4 7c7 ,elements ,the report required by subsection 7b7 shall-- 7#a7 include a compilation of human rights violations committed by the ,ortega government against the citizens of ,nicaragua1 with a focus on such violations committed since ,april #bjah1 including human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in-- 7,a7 the cities of ,managua1 ,carazo1 and ,masaya between ,april and ,june of #bjah2 and 7,b7 the municipalities of ,wiwili1 ,el ,cu1 ,san ,jose de ,bocay1 and ,santa ,maria de ,pantasma in the ,department of ,jinotega1 ,esquipulas in the ,department of ,rivas1 and ,bilwi in the ,north ,caribbean ,coast ,autonomous ,region between #bjah and #bjba2 7#b7 outline efforts by the ,ortega government to intimidate and disrupt the activities of civil society organizations attempting to hold the government accountable for infringing on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of ,nicaragua2 and 7#c7 provide recommendations on how the ,united ,states1 in collaboration with international partners and ,nicaraguan civil society1 should leverage bilateral and regional relationships to curtail the gross human rights violations perpetrated by the ,ortega government and better support the victims of human rights violations in ,nicaragua4 7d7 ,appropriate congressional committees defined ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives4 #ab4 ,supporting independent news media and freedom of information in ,nicaragua 7a7 ,report required ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,administrator for the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 and the ,chief ,executive ,officer of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,global ,media1 shall submit to ,congress a report that includes-- 7#a7 an evaluation of the governmental1 political1 and technological obstacles faced by the people of ,nicaragua in their efforts to obtain accurate1 objective1 and comprehensive news and information about domestic and international affairs2 and 7#b7 a list of all ,,tv channels1 radio stations1 online news sites1 and other media platforms operating in ,nicaragua that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by ,president ,daniel ,ortega1 members of the ,ortega family1 or known allies of the ,ortega government4 7b7 ,elements ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall include-- 7#a7 an assessment of the extent to which the current level and type of news and related programming and content provided by the ,voice of ,america and other sources is addressing the informational needs of the people of ,nicaragua2 7#b7 a description of existing ,united ,states efforts to strengthen freedom of the press and freedom of expression in ,nicaragua1 including recommendations to expand upon those efforts2 and 7#c7 a strategy for strengthening independent broadcasting1 information distribution1 and media platforms in ,nicaragua4 #ac4 ,amendment to short title of ,public ,law #aae-cce ,section #a7;a7 of the ,nicaragua ,human ,rights and ,anticorruption ,act of #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-cce2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 is amended to read as follows3 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality ,act of #bjah or the ,,nica ,act4 4 #ad4 ,definition ,in this ,act1 the term ,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality ,act of #bjah means the ,public ,law #aae-cce 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note71 as amended by section #ac4 ,passed the ,senate ,november #a1 #bjba4,secretary