,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ecfi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #g1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,cruz 7for himself and ,mr4   
,kaine7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a  
,,bill  ,to reauthorize and expand the  
imposition of sanctions under the       
,nicaragua ,investment ,conditionality  
,act of #bjah1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,restoring ,electoral ,fairness 
and ,opposition ,rights through         
,mandates for ,accountability ,act of   
#bjbf4  #b4 ,findings ,congress makes   
the following findings3 7#a7 ,the       
,government of ,nicaragua1 under the    
leadership of ,daniel ,ortega and       
,rosario ,murillo1 has engaged in       
systematic corruption1 undermined       
democratic institutions1 eroded the rule
 of law1 and committed widespread human 
rights abuses1 including state-sponsored
 violence against ,nicaraguan citizens1 

contributing to regional instability1   
forced migration1 transnational         
repression1 and national security       
concerns4  7#b7 ,the #bjba ,nicaraguan  
presidential election1 which resulted in
 the consolidation of authoritarian rule
 led by ,daniel ,ortega and ,rosario    
,murillo1 was preceded by-- 7,a7 the    
arrest1 disqualification1 and forced    
exile of opposition candidates2  7,b7   
the annulment of political parties2     
7,c7 crackdowns on civil society2 and   
7,d7 restrictions on the press4  7#c7   
,since #bjah1 the ,murillo-,ortega      
regime has revoked the legal            
registration of hundreds of nonprofit   
and faith-based organizations as part of
 its broader campaign to suppress civil 
society and religious institutions4     
7#d7 ,on ,november #cj1 #bjbb1 pursuant 
to section #djb7;b77#a77;,a7 of the     
,international ,religious ,freedom ,act 
of #aiih 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4                 
#fddb7;b77#a77;,a771 the ,secretary of  
,state designated ,nicaragua as a       

country of particular concern for       
religious freedom for having engaged in 
or tolerated particularly severe        
violations of religious freedom4  7#e7  
,on ,december #ah1 #bjbc1 the           
,murillo-,ortega regime arrested #aa    
,nicaraguan pastors and ministry workers
 affiliated with the organization       
,mountain ,gateway and issued arrest    
warrants for #c ,united ,states citizens
 affiliated with the organization on    
politically motivated charges4  7#f7 ,on
 ,july #bj1 #bjbf1 ,daniel ,ortega      
publicly announced that ,nicaragua would
 no longer hold competitive elections1  
marking the abandonment of elections and
 further consolidating authoritarian    
governance4  7#g7 ,nicaragua does not   
meet minimum democratic standards under 
the ,inter-,american ,democratic        
,charter4  7#h7 ,the policies of the    
,united ,states ,government should      
support the people of ,nicaragua in     
restoring peace and democracy1          
protecting human rights1 and promoting  

free1 fair and internationally observed 
elections4  #c4 ,statement of policy ,it
 is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 
7#a7 to seek a resolution to the        
political crisis in ,nicaragua that     
includes-- 7,a7 a commitment by the     
,government of ,nicaragua to hold       
competitive1 free1 and fair elections   
that meet democratic standards and      
permit credible international           
observation of elections2  7,b7 the     
cessation of the violence perpetrated   
against civilians by the ,national      
,police of ,nicaragua and by armed      
groups supported by the ,government of  
,nicaragua2 and  7,c7 independent       
investigations into the killings of     
protesters in ,nicaragua2 and  7#b7 to  
support diplomatic engagement in order  
to advance a negotiated and peaceful    
solution to the political crisis in     
,nicaragua4  #d4 ,renewal and           
termination of ,nicaragua ,investment   
,conditionality ,act of #bjah ,section  
#aj of the ,nicaragua ,investment       

,conditionality ,act of #bjah 7,public  
,law #aae-cce2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7
 is amended to read as follows3  #aj4   
,effective period  7a7 ,effective date  
,the provisions of this ,act shall be in
 effect on and after the date of the    
enactment of the ,restoring ,electoral  
,fairness and ,opposition ,rights       
through ,mandates for ,accountability   
,act of #bjbf4  7b7 ,termination ,the   
provisions of this ,act1 and any        
sanctions imposed under this ,act1 shall
 terminate on the earlier of-- 7#a7     
,december #ca1 #bjce2 or  7#b7 the date 
that is #ij days after the ,president   
certifies to the appropriate            
congressional committees that a         
resolution to the political crisis in   
,nicaragua has been reached that        
includes-- 7,a7 a commitment by the     
,government of ,nicaragua to hold       
competitive1 free1 and fair elections   
that meet democratic standards and      
permit credible international           
observation of elections2  7,b7 the     

cessation of the violence perpetrated   
against civilians by the ,national      
,police of ,nicaragua and by armed      
groups supported by the ,government of  
,nicaragua2 and  7,c7 independent       
investigations into the killings of     
protesters in ,nicaragua4  4  #e4       
,imposition of sanctions with respect to
 gold sector of economy of ,nicaragua   
,section #e7;a7 of the ,nicaragua       
,investment ,conditionality ,act of     
#bjah 7,public ,law #aae-cce2 #ej       
,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 is amended-- 7#a7 
in paragraph 7#c77;,b71 by striking 2 or
 and inserting a semicolon2  7#b7 in    
paragraph 7#d71 by striking the period  
at the end and inserting 2 or2 and  7#c7
 by adding at the end the following3    
7#e7 to operate or have operated in--   
7,a7 the gold sector of the economy of  
,nicaragua2 or  7,b7 any other sector of
 the economy of ,nicaragua identified by
 the ,secretary of ,state1 in           
consultation with the ,secretary of the 
,treasury1 for the purposes of this     

paragraph4  4  #f4 ,expansion of list of
 activities subject to sanctions with   
respect to ,nicaragua ,section #e7;b7 of
 the ,nicaragua ,investment             
,conditionality ,act of #bjah 7,public  
,law #aae-cce2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following3  7#e7 ,the arrest or         
prosecution of a person1 including a    
person who is a member1 volunteer1 or   
employee of the ,catholic ,church or a  
,protestant ,church1 because of the     
legitimate exercise by that person of   
the freedom of religion4  7#f7 ,the     
conviction and sentencing of a person   
who is a democratic political actor or a
 member of an independent civil society 
organization for politically motivated  
charges4  7#g7 ,the provision of        
significant goods1 services1 or         
technology to or from ,nicaragua1 or by 
persons operating or having operated in 
,nicaragua1 that support-- 7,a7 the     
,government of the ,russian ,federation 
on or after ,february #bd1 #bjbb2 or    

7,b7 the ,government of the ,islamic    
,republic of ,iran on or after ,february
 #aa1 #aigi4  4  #g4 ,addition to list  
of priority sanctions targets ,section  
#e7;b77#b77;,b7 of the ,reinforcing     
,nicaragua's ,adherence to ,conditions  
for ,electoral ,reform ,act of #bjba    
7,public ,law #aag-ed2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4    
#agja note7 is amended by inserting     
after clause 7ix7 the following3  7x7   
,officials of the ,instituto de         
,prevision ,social ,militar 7,,ipsm71   
commonly known as the ,military         
,institute of ,social ,security of      
,nicaragua4  4  #h4 ,report on          
implementation of sanctions ,not later  
than #ij days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter for a period of #c years1 the
 ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation  
with the ,secretary of the ,treasury1   
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 the implementation of section #e of  
the ,reinforcing ,nicaragua's ,adherence
 to the ,conditions for ,electoral      
,reform ,act of #bjba 7,public ,law     
#aag-ed2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note71     
which shall include-- 7#a7 an update on 
the status of efforts to implement a    
coordinated strategy on the use of      
targeted sanctions under section        
#e7;a77#a7 of that ,act2  7#b7 a        
detailed description of concrete steps  
that have been taken under section      
#e7;b77#a7 of that ,act to prioritize   
the implementation of the targeted      
sanctions required under section #e of  
the ,nicaragua ,investment              
,conditionality ,act of #bjah 7,public  
,law #aae-cce2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja      
note72 and  7#c7 a detailed description 
of the results of the review of         
sanctionable targets required under     
section #e7;b77#b7 of the ,reinforcing  
,nicaragua's ,adherence to the          
,conditions for ,electoral ,reform ,act 
of #bjba 7,public ,law #aag-ed2ej       

,u4,s4,c4 #agja note74  #i4 ,assessment 
of conditions necessary for democratic  
transition  7a7 ,assessment ,the        
,secretary of ,state1 in consultation   
with the heads of other relevant        
,federal agencies1 shall conduct an     
assessment of the conditions necessary  
for an eventual democratic transition in
 ,nicaragua1 including the conditions   
necessary for-- 7#a7 the establishment  
of an impartial elections administration
 body2  7#b7 the establishment of       
judicial independence2  7#c7 police     
reform2  7#d7 strengthening government  
institutions2  7#e7 the provision of    
humanitarian assistance2 and  7#f7 the  
inclusion of ,nicaraguan dissidents and 
opposition leaders in the transition4   
7b7 ,report required  7#a7 ,in general  
,not later than #ij days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary shall submit a report on the 
assessment conducted under subsection   
7a7 to the ,committee on ,foreign       
,relations of the ,senate and the       

,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7 ,form 
,the report required by paragraph 7#a7  
shall be submitted in unclassified form 
but may include a classified annex4