,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dhji ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #ag1 #bjbf,mr4 ,kaine introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,state to develop a strategy for supporting free and fair elections in ,venezuela1 to impose sanctions on individuals who are complicit in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights in ,venezuela1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,venezuela ,democratic ,transition ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 the ,venezuelan parliamentary election held on ,december #f1 #bjbj1 and the ,venezuelan parliamentary election held on ,may #be1 #bjbe1 were fraudulent and widely condemned2 7#b7 the ,venezuelan presidential election held on ,july #bh1 #bjbd1 violated ,venezuelan law and international standards2 7#c7 the ,venezuelan regime led by ,nicols ,maduro falsely claimed victory in the #bjbd presidential election and intensified violent repression against the leaders and supporters of the opposition presidential candidate2 and 7#d7 ,nicols ,maduro lost the #bjbd presidential election and his regime lacks legitimacy to represent the ,venezuelan people4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,united ,states should-- 7#a7 continue to recognize ,edmundo ,gonzlez ,urrutia as ,venezuela's legitimate ,president-elect2 7#b7 support the democratic opposition2 7#c7 facilitate free and fair presidential elections in #bjbf with full opposition participation2 and 7#d7 ensure that any energy agreements with ,venezuela are made only in consultation with the democratic opposition movement4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,admission2 admitted2 alien ,the terms admission1 admitted1 and alien have the meanings given such terms in section #aja of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja74 7#b7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 7,b7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,senate2 7,c7 the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs of the ,senate2 7,d7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 7,e7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,f7 the ,committee on ,financial ,services of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,gross violations of internationally recognized human rights ,the term gross violations of internationally recognized human rights has the meaning given that term in section #ejb;,b7d7 of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjd7;d774 7#d7 ,united states person ,the term ,united ,states person means-- 7,a7 a ,united ,states citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the ,united ,states2 7,b7 an entity organized under the laws of the ,united ,states or any jurisdiction within the ,united ,states1 including a foreign branch of such an entity2 or 7,c7 any person located in the ,united ,states4 7#e7 ,venezuelan person ,the term ,venezuelan person means-- 7,a7 a citizen or national of ,venezuela2 or 7,b7 an entity organized under the laws of ,venezuela or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the ,government of ,venezuela4 #d4 ,strategy for supporting free and fair elections in ,venezuela ,the ,secretary of ,state shall develop and submit to ,congress a strategy that-- 7#a7 updates1 with input from the appropriate congressional committees1 the ,democratic ,transition ,framework for ,venezuela1 which was originally published by the ,department of ,state on ,march #ca1 #bjbj2 7#b7 uses all available diplomatic tools-- 7,a7 to facilitate a new presidential election in ,venezuela in #bjbf that complies with international standards for a free1 fair1 and transparent electoral process2 7,b7 to end the ,maduro-,rodriguez regime's usurpation of presidential authorities2 7,c7 to restore democracy and the rule of law in ,venezuela2 7,d7 to free political prisoners and prisoners of conscience from incarceration in ,venezuela2 and 7,e7 to facilitate the consistent delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of ,venezuela2 7#c7 outlines benchmarks towards a democratic transition in ,venezuela2 7#d7 provides a detailed assessment of ,venezuelan government institutions1 political prisoners1 detention and torture centers1 armed groups1 and laws used to repress political opposition2 7#e7 outlines the next steps that need to be taken in ,venezuela-- 7,a7 to coordinate international sanctions2 7,b7 to close torture centers2 7,c7 to ensure the ,venezuelan military respects the results of free and fair presidential elections2 7,d7 to establish mechanisms for institutional reform2 7,e7 to guarantee the safe return of opposition leaders1 including ,mara ,corina ,machado2 and 7,f7 to provide pathways for transitional justice and accountability2 and 7#f7 requires transparency and monthly reporting to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to the transition to democracy in ,venezuela1 including-- 7,a7 closely monitoring energy-related negotiations2 and 7,b7 tracking progress made toward achieving certain democratic benchmarks4 #e4 ,imposition of sanctions with respect to human rights violations in ,venezuela 7a7 ,in general ,the ,president shall impose the sanctions described in subsection 7b7 with respect to ,venezuelan persons the ,president determines are complicit in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights in ,venezuela4 7b7 ,sanctions described ,the sanctions described in this subsection are the following3 7#a7 ,blocking of property ,the ,president shall exercise all of the powers granted by the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq47 to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of a person described in subsection 7a71 if such property and interests in property are in the ,united ,states1 come within the ,united ,states1 or are or come within the procession or control of a ,united ,states person4 7#b7 ,aliens inadmissible for visas1 admission1 or parole ,in the case of an alien described in subsection 7a71 the alien is-- 7,a7 inadmissible to the ,united ,states2 7,b7 ineligible for a visa or other documentation to enter the ,united ,states2 and 7,c7 otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the ,united ,states or to receive any other benefit under the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja et seq474 7c7 ,exceptions 7#a7 ,exception relating to importation of goods 7,a7 ,in general ,a requirement to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property under this section shall not include the authority or a requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods4 7,b7 ,good ,in this paragraph1 the term good means any article1 natural or manmade substance1 material1 supply1 or manufactured product1 including inspection and test equipment1 and excluding technical data4 7#b7 ,exception to comply with united nations headquarters agreement and law enforcement activities ,sanctions under subsection 7b77#b7 shall not apply with respect to the admission of an alien to the ,united ,states if admitting or paroling the alien into the ,united ,states is necessary-- 7,a7 to permit the ,united ,states to comply with the ,agreement regarding the ,headquarters of the ,united ,nations1 signed at ,lake ,success ,june #bf1 #aidg1 and entered into force ,november #ba1 #aidg1 between the ,united ,nations and the ,united ,states1 or other applicable international obligations of the ,united ,states2 or 7,b7 to carry out or assist authorized law enforcement activity in the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,exception to comply with intelligence activities ,sanctions under this section shall not apply to any activity subject to the reporting requirements under title ,v of the ,national ,security ,act of #aidg 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #cjia et seq47 or any authorized intelligence activities of the ,united ,states4 7d7 ,waivers 7#a7 ,national security waiver ,the ,president may waive the application of sanctions under this section if the ,president-- 7,a7 determines such a waiver is in the national security interests of the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 submits to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the waiver and the reasons for the waiver4 7#b7 ,humanitarian waiver 7,a7 ,in general ,sanctions under this section shall not apply to-- 7i7 the conduct or facilitation of a transaction for the provision of agricultural commodities1 food1 medicine1 medical devices1 humanitarian assistance1 or for humanitarian purposes2 or 7ii7 transactions that are necessary for or related to the activities described in clause 7i74 7,b7 ,definitions ,in this paragraph3 7i7 ,agricultural commodity ,the term agricultural commodity has the meaning given that term in section #ajb of the ,agricultural ,trade ,act of #aigh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #efjb74 7ii7 ,medical device ,the term medical device has the meaning given the term device in section #bja of the ,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #cba74 7iii7 ,medicine ,the term medicine has the meaning given the term drug in section #bja of the ,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #cba74 7#c7 ,democratic transition ,the ,president may waive the application of sanctions under this section upon receiving certifications from the ,secretary of ,state and the ,secretary of the ,treasury that a democratic transition has occurred in ,venezuela4 7e7 ,implementation2 penalties 7#a7 ,implementation ,the ,president may exercise all authorities provided under sections #bjc and #bje of the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb and #agjd7 to carry out this section4 7#b7 ,penalties ,a person that violates1 attempts to violate1 conspires to violate1 or causes a violation of this section or any regulation1 license1 or order issued to carry out this section 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