,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #diic  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #i1 
#bjbd,mr4 ,durbin introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,banking1
 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs  ,a      
,,bill  ,to immediately halt investment 
by ,united ,states persons in the energy
 sector of ,venezuela until the         
legitimate results of the ,july #bh1    
#bjbd1 election are respected4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,halt ,all ,united ,states          
,investments in ,venezuela's ,energy    
,sector ,act of #bjbd4  #b4 ,findings   
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,on ,july #bh1 #bjbd1 more than    
#aj1jjj1jjj citizens of ,venezuela voted
 in a presidential election in which    
meticulously documented and publicized  
data from credible election monitors    
clearly and convincingly showed that    
opposition candidate ,edmundo ,gonzalez 
received more than two-thirds of the    

votes against the regime of ,nicolas    
,maduro4  7#b7 ,the ,maduro regime has  
refused to respect the overwhelming     
choice of the people of ,venezuela and  
subsequently arrested and abused        
thousands of innocent citizens of       
,venezuela1 including children1 for     
peaceful political participation4  #c4  
,prohibition on investment by ,united   
,states persons in energy sector of     
,venezuela until the legitimate results 
of the ,july #bh1 #bjbd1 election are   
respected  7a7 ,prohibition  7#a7 ,in   
general ,beginning on the date of the   
enactment of this ,act1 the following   
transactions are prohibited3 7,a7 ,any  
transaction by a ,united ,states person1
 or an entity owned or controlled by a  
,united ,states person1 to invest1      
trade1 or operate within the energy     
sector of ,venezuela1 including the     
provision of goods1 services1 or finance
 to-- 7i7 ,petroleos de ,venezuela1     
,s4,a41 or subsidiaries1                
representatives1 or related companies of

 ,petroleos de ,venezuela1 ,s4,a42 or   
7ii7 the regime of ,nicolas ,maduro or  
any nondemocratic successor government  
in ,venezuela4  7,b7 ,any transaction   
that evades or avoids1 has the purpose  
of evading or avoiding1 causes a        
violation of1 or attempts to violate the
 prohibition under subparagraph 7,a74   
7#b7 ,applicability ,the prohibitions   
under paragraph 7#a7 shall apply-- 7,a7 
to the extent provided by law and       
regulations1 orders1 directives1 or     
licenses that may be issued pursuant to 
this section2 and  7,b7 notwithstanding 
any contract entered into or any license
 or permit granted before the date of   
the enactment of this ,act4  7b7        
,implementation2 penalties  7#a7        
,implementation  7,a7 ,in general ,the  
,secretary of the ,treasury1 in         
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,state1 may take such actions1 including
 prescribing regulations1 as are        
necessary to implement this section4    
7,b7 ,,ieepa authorities ,the ,secretary

 of the ,treasury may exercise the      
authorities provided to the ,president  
under sections #bjc and #bje of the     
,international ,emergency ,economic     
,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb and   
#agjd7 to the extent necessary to carry 
out this section4  7#b7 ,penalties ,a   
person that violates1 attempts to       
violate1 conspires to violate1 or causes
 a violation of subsection 7a7 or any   
regulation1 license1 directive1 or order
 issued to carry out that subsection    
shall be subject to the penalties set   
forth in subsections 7b7 and 7c7 of     
section #bjf of the ,international      
,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act 7#ej  
,u4,s4,c4 #agje7 to the same extent as a
 person that commits an unlawful act    
described in subsection 7a7 of that     
section4  7c7 ,responsibility of other  
agencies ,all agencies of the ,united   
,states ,government shall take all      
appropriate measures within their       
authority to carry out the provisions of
 this section4  7d7 ,termination of     

prohibition ,the prohibitions under     
subsection 7a7 shall terminate on the   
date on which the ,president submits to 
,congress a determination that the      
regime of ,nicolas ,maduro has          
recognized the ,july #bh1 #bjbd1        
electoral victory of ,edmundo ,gonzalez 
and relinquished power to the           
legitimately democratically elected     
government in ,venezuela4  7e7 ,united  
states person defined ,in this section1 
the term ,united ,states person means-- 
7#a7 a ,united ,states citizen or alien 
lawfully admitted for permanent         
residence to the ,united ,states2  7#b7 
any entity organized under the laws of  
the ,united ,states or any jurisdiction 
within the ,united ,states 7including a 
foreign branch of any such entity72 and 
7#c7 any person physically located in   
the ,united ,states4