[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1310 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1310

                     One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twenty


                                 An Act


 
 To strengthen the participation of elected national legislators in the 
 activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United 
  States support for Organization of American States human rights and 
          anti-corruption initiatives, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Organization of American States 
Legislative Engagement Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    Congress makes the following findings:
        (1) The Charter of the Organization of American States 
    establishes that ``representative democracy is an indispensable 
    condition for the stability, peace and development of the region''.
        (2) Article 2 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter of the 
    Organization of American States affirms that ``the effective 
    exercise of representative democracy is the basis for the rule of 
    law and of the constitutional regimes of the member states of the 
    Organization of American States''.
        (3) Article 26 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter states 
    that ``the OAS will continue to carry out programs and activities 
    designed to promote democratic principles and practices and 
    strengthen a democratic culture in the Hemisphere''.
        (4) In accordance with the OAS Charter and the Inter-American 
    Democratic Charter, the OAS General Assembly, OAS Permanent 
    Council, and OAS Secretariat have established a wide range of 
    cooperative agreements with domestic and international 
    organizations, including national legislative institutions.
        (5) In 2004, OAS General Assembly Resolution 2044 (XXXIV-O/04) 
    appealed for the ``strengthening of legislatures, as well as inter-
    parliamentary cooperation on key items of the inter-American 
    agenda, with a view, in particular, to generating initiatives to 
    fight corruption, poverty, inequality, and social exclusion''.
        (6) In 2005, OAS General Assembly Resolution 2095 (XXXV-O/05) 
    called on the OAS Secretariat to ``invite [. . .] the presidents or 
    speakers of the national legislative institutions of the Americas, 
    i.e., congresses, parliaments, or national assemblies, [. . .] to 
    attend a special meeting of the Permanent Council [. . .] for the 
    initiation of a dialogue on topics on the hemispheric agenda''.
        (7) In 2014 and 2015, the OAS Secretariat expanded its 
    engagement with elected national legislators from OAS member states 
    by convening two meetings of presidents of national legislatures, 
    first in Lima, Peru and subsequently in Santiago, Chile.
        (8) However, no permanent procedures exist to facilitate the 
    participation of elected national legislators from OAS member 
    states in OAS activities.
        (9) The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 
    (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly has proven successful at 
    strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation among its member 
    states.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
    It is that sense of Congress that--
        (1) elected national legislators play an essential role in the 
    exercise of representative democracy in the Americas, including 
    by--
            (A) promoting economic freedom and respect for property 
        rights;
            (B) promoting the rule of law and combating corruption;
            (C) defending human rights and fundamental freedoms; and
            (D) advancing the principles and practices expressed in the 
        Charter of the Organization of American States, the American 
        Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, and the Inter-
        American Democratic Charter;
        (2) establishing procedures and mechanisms to facilitate the 
    participation of elected national legislators from OAS member 
    states in OAS activities could contribute to the promotion of 
    democratic principles and practices and strengthen a democratic 
    culture in the Western Hemisphere;
        (3) increasing and strengthening the participation of elected 
    national legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities could 
    advance the principles and proposals expressed in section 4 of the 
    Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 
    2013 (Public Law 113-41; 127 Stat. 549);
        (4) the OAS General Assembly, OAS Permanent Council, and OAS 
    Secretariat should take steps to facilitate greater participation 
    of elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS 
    activities;
        (5) the OAS Permanent Council resolutions titled ``Guidelines 
    for the Participation of Civil Society in OAS Activities'' and 
    ``Strategies for Increasing and Strengthening Participation by 
    Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities'' should serve as 
    important references for efforts to bolster the participation of 
    elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS 
    activities; and
        (6) the successful experience of the Organization for Security 
    and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly should serve as a 
    model to the OAS in creating a similar mechanism.
SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATION OF ELECTED NATIONAL LEGISLATORS AT 
THE OAS.
    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the United 
States Mission to the Organization of American States, should use the 
voice and vote of the United States to support the creation of 
procedures for the Organization of American States that--
        (1) enhance the participation of democratically elected 
    national legislators from OAS member state countries in OAS 
    activities that advance the principles of the Inter-American 
    Democratic Charter and the core values of the OAS consistent with 
    the principles and proposals expressed in section 4 of the 
    Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 
    2013 (Public Law 113-41; 127 Stat. 549);
        (2) create an annual forum for democratically elected national 
    legislatures from OAS member states to discuss issues of 
    hemispheric importance, including regional efforts to defend human 
    rights and combat transnational criminal activities, corruption, 
    and impunity;
        (3) permit elected national legislators from OAS member states 
    to make presentations, contribute information, and provide expert 
    advice, as appropriate, to the OAS Secretariat, OAS Permanent 
    Council, and OAS General Assembly about OAS activities on issues of 
    hemispheric importance;
        (4) lead to the creation of a mechanism to regularly facilitate 
    the participation of elected national legislators in OAS 
    activities; and
        (5) reinforce OAS Secretariat programs that provide technical 
    assistance for the modernization and institutional strengthening of 
    national legislatures from OAS member states.
    (b) Expenses.--The Secretary of State, acting through the United 
States Mission to the Organization of American States, as appropriate, 
shall seek to ensure that expenses related to the procedures set forth 
in this Act do not increase member quotas, assessed fees, or voluntary 
contributions and that the Secretariat of the OAS shall seek to ensure 
shared financial responsibilities among the member states in 
facilitating the financial support necessary to carry out this 
initiative.
SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR OAS HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVES.
    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) the efforts of the OAS Secretary General and Secretariat to 
    combat corruption and impunity in the Americas represent important 
    contributions to strengthening the rule of law and democratic 
    governance in the Americas; and
        (2) the United States should support efforts to ensure the 
    effectiveness and independence of OAS initiatives to combat 
    corruption and impunity in the Americas.
    (b) Anti-corruption and Human Rights Promotion Strategy.--Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary 
of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a strategy for supporting OAS anti-corruption and human 
rights promotion efforts. The strategy should include--
        (1) an assessment of United States programs, activities, and 
    initiatives with the OAS to support anti-corruption and human 
    rights promotion in the Americas;
        (2) a summary of the steps taken by the United States Mission 
    to the OAS to strengthen anti-corruption and anti-impunity efforts 
    in the Americas;
        (3) an assessment of necessary reforms and initiatives to 
    prioritize and reinforce the OAS Secretary General and 
    Secretariat's efforts to advance human rights and combat corruption 
    and impunity in the Americas;
        (4) a detailed plan to facilitate increased OAS collaboration, 
    as appropriate, with relevant stakeholders, including elected 
    national legislators and civil society, in support of an approach 
    to promote human rights and combat transnational criminal 
    activities, corruption, and impunity in the Americas; and
        (5) a detailed plan for implementing the strategy set forth in 
    this section of the Act.
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 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 OAS 
processes, initiatives, and reforms undertaken to implement section 4, 
actions taken to implement the strategy required under section 5(b), 
and steps taken to implement the Organization of American States 
Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-41). The report 
should include--
        (1) an analysis of the progress made by the OAS to adopt and 
    effectively implement reforms and initiatives to advance human 
    rights and combat corruption and impunity in the Americas; and
        (2) a detailed assessment of OAS efforts to increase 
    stakeholder engagement to advance human rights and combat 
    corruption and impunity in the Americas.
    (b) Briefings.--Not later than one year after the Secretary of 
State submits the report required under subsection (a), and annually 
thereafter for two additional years, the Secretary shall provide to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing on the 
information required to be included in such report.
SEC. 7. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ELECTED NATIONAL LEGISLATOR.
    It is the sense of Congress that an elected national legislator 
participating in the activities outlined in this Act should be an 
individual that--
        (1) was elected as a result of periodic, free and fair 
    elections; and
        (2) is not known to be under investigation or convicted for 
    corruption or transnational criminal activities, including 
    trafficking of people, goods, or illicit narcotics, money-
    laundering, terrorist financing, acts of terrorism, campaign 
    finance violations, bribery, or extortion.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.