,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aajd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #ac1 #bjba,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself and ,mr4 ,rubio7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to measure the progress of post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption1 governance1 rule of law1 and media freedoms in ,haiti4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,haiti ,development1 ,accountability1 and ,institutional ,transparency ,initiative ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,on ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 a massive earthquake struck near the ,haitian capital city of ,port-au-,prince1 leaving at least #bbj1jjj people dead1 including #ajc ,united ,states citizens1 #aja ,united ,nations personnel1 and nearly #ah percent of the civil service of ,haiti1 as well as approximately #cjj1jjj injured1 #aae1jjj homes destroyed1 and #a1ejj1jjj ,haitians displaced4 7#b7 ,the international community1 led by the ,united ,states and the ,united ,nations1 mounted an unprecedented humanitarian response to the earthquake in ,haiti4 ,through #bjah1 more than #h1jjj1jjj1jjj was disbursed by donors4 ,since the #bjaj earthquake1 the ,united ,states ,government has disbursed more than #d1jjj1jjj1jjj in recovery and development funding4 7#c7 ,on ,october #d1 #bjaf1 ,hurricane ,matthew struck southwestern ,haiti on the ,tiburon ,peninsula1 causing widespread damage and flooding and leaving approximately #a1djj1jjj people in need of immediate assistance4 ,recovery efforts continue more than #d years later4 7#d7 ,before the #bjaj earthquake and #bjaf hurricane1 ,haiti registered among the lowest in socioeconomic indicators and had the second highest rate of income disparity in the world1 conditions that have further complicated disaster recovery and resilience efforts4 ,as of ,november #bjbj1 approximately #d1djj1jjj people are in need of humanitarian assistance in ,haiti4 7#e7 ,with assistance from the ,united ,states1 more than #cj1jjj jobs have been created since the #bjaj earthquake1 largely in the apparel industry at the ,caracol ,industrial ,park 7in partnership with the ,inter-,american ,development ,bank1 the ,government of ,haiti1 and the private sector7 in northern ,haiti4 7#f7 ,since #bjah1 tens of thousands of ,haitians have participated in popular demonstrations demanding accountability over government management of ,petrocaribe resources4 ,in early #bjai1 the superior court of auditors in ,haiti released a series of reports implicating high-level government officials in the misappropriation of funds4 7#g7 ,the ,united ,nations ,office of the ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights and the ,human ,rights ,service jointly found a #ccc-percent increase in human rights violations and abuses against the rights of life and security in ,haiti from ,july #bjah through ,december #bjai4 ,there were #aca violations in #bjah and #efg violations in #bjai1 including the shooting of at least #a journalist covering the protests4 7#h7 ,leading members of civil society have faced attacks1 including ,monferrier ,dorval1 a constitutional law expert and president of the ,port-au-,prince bar association who was killed on ,august #bh1 #bjbj4 7#i7 ,on ,november #ac1 #bjah1 according to the ,haitian ,national ,human ,rights ,defense ,network1 at least #ga people were shot and killed and #ah people were raped in the neighborhood of ,la ,saline in ,port-au-,prince4 7#aj7 ,on ,december #aj1 #bjbj1 the ,office of ,foreign ,assets ,control of the ,department of the ,treasury designated former ,haitian ,national ,police officer ,jimmy ,cherizier1 former ,director ,general of the ,ministry of the ,interior ,fednel ,monchery1 and former ,departmental ,delegate ,joseph ,pierre ,richard ,duplan pursuant to ,executive ,order #achah 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note2 relating to blocking the property of persons involved in serious human rights abuse or corruption7 for being foreign persons responsible for or complicit in1 or having directly or indirectly engaged in1 serious human rights abuse for their connection to the massacre in ,la ,saline4 7#aa7 ,following the massacre in ,la ,saline1 similar attacks have occurred in other ,port-au-,prince neighborhoods1 including the ,november #bjai and ,august #bjbj attacks in ,bel ,air1 in which #bd people were killed and hundreds of families were displaced4 7#ab7 ,parliamentary elections scheduled for ,october #bjai did not take place1 and since ,january #ac1 #bjbj1 ,president ,jovenel ,mose has ruled by decree4 ,at least #e decrees have been cited as increasingly authoritarian by ,haitian civic and political leaders and the international community1 including-- 7,a7 the ,october #cj1 #bjbj1 decision to constitute a #e-member group to draft a new constitution2 7,b7 the ,november #f1 #bjbj1 decision to reduce the control of anticorruption entities such as the ,superior ,court of ,accounts and ,administrative ,litigation2 7,c7 the ,november #bf1 #bjbj1 antiterrorism decree that establishes sanctions applicable to ,haitian police officers not stopping demonstrations2 7,d7 the ,november #bf1 #bjbj1 creation of the ,national ,intelligence ,agency2 and 7,e7 the ,february #aa1 #bjba1 appointment of #c new judges to the ,supreme ,court of ,haiti outside of constitutional procedures4 7#ac7 ,although there has been no parliament in place since ,january #bjbj1 the ,government of ,haiti approved a budget on ,september #cj1 #bjbj1 but the delay prevented the ,international ,monetary ,fund and other multilateral organizations from disbursing millions in international assistance4 7#ad7 ,in ,september #bjbj1 ,president ,mose bypassed the ,supreme ,court of ,haiti to appoint a ,provisional ,electoral ,council 7,,cep7 by executive decree4 ,several civil society groups that traditionally participate in the electoral councils of ,haiti criticized the decision and have declined to be represented in the ,,cep4 7#ae7 ,on ,february #g1 #bjba1 ,president ,mose alleged that a coup had been attempted against him1 leading to #bc subsequent arrests1 including of ,judge ,yviquel ,dabrsil of the ,supreme ,court of ,haiti4 ,the ,department of ,state noted that the situation remains murky and we await the results of the police investigation4 ,on ,february #i1 #bjba1 ,president ,mose forced the retirement of #c ,supreme ,court judges1 who were named as possible transitional presidents by political opponents1 and replaced them with individuals he unilaterally selected4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to support the sustainable rebuilding and development of ,haiti in a manner that-- 7#a7 recognizes ,haitian independence1 self-reliance1 sovereignty1 democratic governance1 and efficiency2 7#b7 promotes efforts that are led by and support the people and ,government of ,haiti at all levels so that ,haitians lead the course of reconstruction and development of ,haiti2 7#c7 builds the long-term capacity of the ,government of ,haiti1 civil society in ,haiti1 and the private sector to foster economic opportunities in ,haiti2 7#d7 fosters collaboration between the ,haitian diaspora in the ,united ,states1 including dual citizens of ,haiti and the ,united ,states1 with the ,government of ,haiti and the business community in ,haiti2 7#e7 supports anticorruption efforts and addresses human rights concerns2 7#f7 respects and helps restore the natural resources of ,haiti and strengthens community-level resilience to environmental and weather-related impacts2 7#g7 promotes the holding of free1 fair1 and timely elections in accordance with democratic principles and the ,constitution of ,haiti2 7#h7 provides timely and comprehensive reporting on the goals and progress of the ,government of ,haiti and the ,united ,states ,government1 and transparent post-program evaluations and contracting data2 and 7#i7 promotes the participation of ,haitian women and youth in governmental and nongovernmental institutions and in economic development and governance assistance programs funded by the ,united ,states4 #d4 ,definition of appropriate congressional committees ,in this ,act1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 #e4 ,strengthening human rights and anticorruption efforts in ,haiti and holding perpetrators of the ,la ,saline massacre accountable 7a7 ,prioritization by ,secretary of ,state ,the ,secretary of ,state shall prioritize the protection of human rights and anticorruption efforts in ,haiti through the following methods3 7#a7 ,fostering strong relationships with independent civil society groups focused on monitoring corruption and human rights abuses and promoting democracy in ,haiti4 7#b7 ,supporting the efforts of the ,government of ,haiti to identify persons involved in human rights violations and significant acts of corruption in ,haiti1 including public and private sector actors1 and hold them accountable for their actions4 7#c7 ,addressing concerns of impunity for the alleged perpetrators of1 as well as the individuals who organized and planned1 the massacre in ,la ,saline that took place on ,november #ac1 #bjah4 7#d7 ,urging authorities to continue to investigate attacks in the neighborhoods of ,la ,saline and ,bel ,air in #bjah and #bjai that left dozens dead in order to bring the perpetrators to justice4 7b7 ,briefing 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on the events that took place on ,november #ac1 #bjah1 in the neighborhood of ,la ,saline1 in ,port-au-,prince1 ,haiti1 and the aftermath of those events4 7#b7 ,elements ,the briefing required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,an examination of any links between the massacre in ,la ,saline and mass protests that occurred concurrently in ,haiti4 7,b7 ,an analysis of the reports on the massacre in ,la ,saline authored by the ,united ,nations1 the ,european ,union1 and the ,government of ,haiti4 7,c7 ,a detailed description of all known perpetrators of1 as well as the individuals who organized and planned1 the massacre4 7,d7 ,an overview of efforts taken by the ,government of ,haiti to bring the perpetrators of1 as well as the individuals who organized and planned1 the massacre in ,la ,saline to justice and to prevent other similar attacks4 7,e7 ,an assessment of the ensuing treatment and displacement of the survivors of the massacre in ,la ,saline4 7#c7 ,consultation ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall consult with nongovernmental organizations in ,haiti and the ,united ,states4 #f4 ,methods to promote freedom of the press and assembly in ,haiti ,the ,secretary of ,state shall prioritize the promotion of freedom of the press and freedom of assembly1 as well as the protection of journalists in ,haiti through the following methods3 7#a7 ,advocating to ,haitian authorities for increased protection for journalists and the press and for the freedom to peacefully assemble or protest in ,haiti4 7#b7 ,collaborating with officials of the ,government of ,haiti and representatives of civil society to increase legal protections for journalists in ,haiti4 7#c7 ,supporting efforts to strengthen transparency in the public and private sectors in ,haiti and access to information in ,haiti4 7#d7 ,using ,united ,states foreign assistance for programs to strengthen capacity for independent journalists and increase support for investigative journalism in ,haiti4 #g4 ,methods to support post-earthquake1 post-hurricane1 and post-,,covid-#ai recovery and development in ,haiti ,the ,secretary of ,state1 in coordination with the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 shall prioritize post-earthquake1 post-hurricane1 and post-,,covid-#ai recovery and development efforts in ,haiti through the following methods3 7#a7 ,collaborating with the ,government of ,haiti on a detailed and transparent development plan that includes clear objectives and benchmarks4 7#b7 ,building the capacity of ,haitian-led public1 private1 and nongovernmental sector institutions in ,haiti through post-earthquake and post-hurricane recovery and development planning4 7#c7 ,assessing the impact of the recovery efforts of the ,united ,states and the international community in ,haiti since ,january #bjaj4 7#d7 ,supporting disaster resilience and reconstruction efforts4 7#e7 ,addressing the underlying causes of poverty and inequality4 7#f7 ,improving access to-- 7,a7 health resources2 7,b7 public health technical assistance2 and 7,c7 clean water1 food1 and shelter4 7#g7 ,assessing the impact of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic on post-disaster recovery efforts and evaluating ,united ,states support needed to help with the pandemic response in ,haiti4 #h4 ,report 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in coordination with the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7in this section referred to as the ,administrator7 and other relevant agencies and departments1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on developments in ,haiti4 7b7 ,elements ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a strategy for carrying out sections #e1 #f1 and #g1 including established baselines1 benchmarks1 and indicators to measure outcomes and impact4 7#b7 ,an assessment of major corruption committed among the public and private sectors and all corruption prosecutions investigated by the judiciary of ,haiti since ,january #bjae4 7#c7 ,an overview of efforts taken by the ,government of ,haiti to address corruption1 including the ,petrocaribe scandal1 and corrective measures to strengthen and restore trust in the public institutions of ,haiti4 7#d7 ,a description of ,united ,states ,government efforts to consult and engage with officials of the ,government of ,haiti and independent civil society groups focused on monitoring corruption and human rights abuses and promoting democracy and press freedom in ,haiti since ,january #bjae4 7#e7 ,a description of the response by the ,government of ,haiti to civic protests that have taken place since ,july #bjah and any allegations of human rights abuses1 including attacks on journalists4 7#f7 ,an assessment of ,united ,states security assistance to ,haiti1 including ,united ,states support to the ,haitian ,national ,police and an assessment of compliance with section #fbj,m of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcgh;d7 and section #cfb of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly referred to as the ,leahy ,laws74 7#g7 ,a description of the efforts of the ,government of ,haiti to support displaced survivors of urban and gang violence4 7#h7 ,an assessment of the impact of presidential decrees on the health of ,haiti's democratic institutions and safeguarding of human rights1 including decrees relating to-- 7,a7 reducing the authority of the ,superior ,court of ,accounts and ,administrative ,litigation2 7,b7 promulgating an antiterrorism law2 7,c7 establishing the ,national ,intelligence ,agency2 and 7,d7 retiring and subsequently appointing judges to the ,supreme ,court of ,haiti4 7#i7 ,a review of the alleged coup against ,president ,mose on ,february #g1 #bjba1 and subsequent arrest and jailings of alleged perpetrators4 7#aj7 ,an analysis1 in collaboration with the ,government of ,haiti1 of efforts to support development goals in ,haiti since ,january #bjae1 including steps taken-- 7,a7 to strengthen institutions at the national and local levels2 and 7,b7 to strengthen democratic governance at the national and local levels4 7#aa7 ,an analysis of the effectiveness and sustainability of development projects financed by the ,united ,states1 including the ,caracol ,industrial ,park and supporting infrastructure4 7#ab7 ,a description of procurement from ,haitian small- and medium-sized businesses and nongovernmental organizations by the ,government of the ,united ,states and the ,government of ,haiti for development and humanitarian activities1 disaggregated by year since #bjae1 and a description of efforts to increase local procurement1 including food aid4 7#ac7 ,a description of ,united ,states efforts taken since ,january #bjaj to assist the ,haitian people in their pursuits for free1 fair1 and timely democratic elections4 7#ad7 ,quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess progress and benchmarks for ,united ,states initiatives focused on sustainable development in ,haiti1 including democracy assistance1 economic revitalization1 natural disaster recovery1 pandemic response1 resilience1 energy and infrastructure1 health1 and food security4 7c7 ,consultation ,in preparing the report required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall consult1 as appropriate1 with-- 7#a7 nongovernmental organizations and civil society groups in ,haiti and the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 the ,government of ,haiti4 7d7 ,public availability ,the ,secretary shall make the report required by subsection 7a7 publicly available on the website of the ,department of ,state4 #i4 ,repeal ,the ,assessing ,progress in ,haiti ,act of #bjad 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea note2 ,public ,law #aac-afb7 is repealed4 #aj4 ,termination ,this ,act shall terminate on ,december #ca1 #bjbe4