[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1064 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1064

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

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


                                 An Act


 
  To advance the strategic alignment of United States diplomatic tools 
   toward the realization of free, fair, and transparent elections in 
Nicaragua and to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to protect 
 the fundamental freedoms and human rights of the people of Nicaragua, 
                         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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Reinforcing 
Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform Act of 2021'' 
or the ``RENACER Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 3. Review of participation of Nicaragua in Dominican Republic-
          Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement.
Sec. 4. Restrictions on international financial institutions relating to 
          Nicaragua.
Sec. 5. Targeted sanctions to advance democratic elections.
Sec. 6. Developing and implementing a coordinated sanctions strategy 
          with diplomatic partners.
Sec. 7. Inclusion of Nicaragua in list of countries subject to certain 
          sanctions relating to corruption.
Sec. 8. Classified report on the involvement of Ortega family members 
          and Nicaraguan government officials in corruption.
Sec. 9. Classified report on the activities of the Russian Federation in 
          Nicaragua.
Sec. 10. Report on certain purchases by and agreements entered into by 
          Government of Nicaragua relating to military or intelligence 
          sector of Nicaragua.
Sec. 11. Report on human rights abuses in Nicaragua.
Sec. 12. Supporting independent news media and freedom of information in 
          Nicaragua.
Sec. 13. Amendment to short title of Public Law 115-335.
Sec. 14. Definition.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
    It is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) ongoing efforts by the government of President Daniel 
    Ortega in Nicaragua to suppress the voice and actions of political 
    opponents through intimidation and unlawful detainment, civil 
    society, and independent news media violate the fundamental 
    freedoms and basic human rights of the people of Nicaragua;
        (2) Congress unequivocally condemns the politically motivated 
    and unlawful detention of presidential candidates Cristiana 
    Chamorro, Arturo Cruz, Felix Maradiaga, and Juan Sebastian 
    Chamorro;
        (3) Congress unequivocally condemns the passage of the Foreign 
    Agents Regulation Law, the Special Cybercrimes Law, the Self-
    Determination Law, and the Consumer Protection Law by the National 
    Assembly of Nicaragua, which represent clear attempts by the Ortega 
    government to curtail the fundamental freedoms and basic human 
    rights of the people of Nicaragua;
        (4) Congress recognizes that free, fair, and transparent 
    elections predicated on robust reform measures and the presence of 
    domestic and international observers represent the best opportunity 
    for the people of Nicaragua to restore democracy and reach a 
    peaceful solution to the political and social crisis in Nicaragua;
        (5) the United States recognizes the right of the people of 
    Nicaragua to freely determine their own political future as vital 
    to ensuring the sustainable restoration of democracy in their 
    country;
        (6) the United States should align the use of diplomatic 
    engagement and all other foreign policy tools, including the use of 
    targeted sanctions, in support of efforts by democratic political 
    actors and civil society in Nicaragua to advance the necessary 
    conditions for free, fair, and transparent elections in Nicaragua;
        (7) the United States, in order to maximize the effectiveness 
    of efforts described in paragraph (6), should--
            (A) coordinate with diplomatic partners, including the 
        Government of Canada, the European Union, and partners in Latin 
        America and the Caribbean;
            (B) advance diplomatic initiatives in consultation with the 
        Organization of American States and the United Nations; and
            (C) thoroughly investigate the assets and holdings of the 
        Nicaraguan Armed Forces in the United States and consider 
        appropriate actions to hold such forces accountable for gross 
        violations of human rights; and
        (8) pursuant to section 6(b) of the Nicaragua Investment 
    Conditionality Act of 2018, the President should waive the 
    application of restrictions under section 4 of that Act and the 
    sanctions under section 5 of that Act if the Secretary of State 
    certifies that the Government of Nicaragua is taking the steps 
    identified in section 6(a) of that Act, including taking steps to 
    ``to hold free and fair elections overseen by credible domestic and 
    international observers''.
SEC. 3. REVIEW OF PARTICIPATION OF NICARAGUA IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-
CENTRAL AMERICA-UNITED STATES FREE TRADE AGREEMENT.
    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
        (1) On November 27, 2018, the President signed Executive Order 
    13851 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking property of 
    certain persons contributing to the situation in Nicaragua), which 
    stated that ``the situation in Nicaragua, including the violent 
    response by the Government of Nicaragua to the protests that began 
    on April 18, 2018, and the Ortega regime's systematic dismantling 
    and undermining of democratic institutions and the rule of law, its 
    use of indiscriminate violence and repressive tactics against 
    civilians, as well as its corruption leading to the destabilization 
    of Nicaragua's economy, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary 
    threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United 
    States''.
        (2) Article 21.2 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-
    United States Free Trade Agreement approved by Congress under 
    section 101(a)(1) of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United 
    States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
    4011(a)(1)) states, ``Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed 
    . . . to preclude a Party from applying measures that it considers 
    necessary for the fulfillment of its obligations with respect to 
    the maintenance or restoration of international peace or security, 
    or the protection of its own essential security interests.''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
President should review the continued participation of Nicaragua in the 
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 
if the Government of Nicaragua continues to tighten its authoritarian 
rule in an attempt to subvert democratic elections in November 2021 and 
undermine democracy and human rights in Nicaragua.
SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS RELATING 
TO NICARAGUA.
    Section 4 of the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act of 2018 is 
amended--
        (1) by redesignating subsections (a), (b), and (c) as 
    subsections (b), (c), and (d), respectively;
        (2) by inserting before subsection (b), as redesignated by 
    paragraph (1), the following:
    ``(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of the Treasury should take all possible steps, including 
through the full implementation of the exceptions set forth in 
subsection (c), to ensure that the restrictions required under 
subsection (b) do not negatively impact the basic human needs of the 
people of Nicaragua.'';
        (3) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by striking 
    ``subsection (a)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)''; and
        (4) by striking subsection (d), as so redesignated, and 
    inserting the following:
    ``(d) Increased Oversight.--
        ``(1) In general.--The United States Executive Director at each 
    international financial institution of the World Bank Group, the 
    United States Executive Director at the Inter-American Development 
    Bank, and the United States Executive Director at each other 
    international financial institution, including the International 
    Monetary Fund, shall take all practicable steps--
            ``(A) to increase scrutiny of any loan or financial or 
        technical assistance provided for a project in Nicaragua; and
            ``(B) to ensure that the loan or assistance is administered 
        through an entity with full technical, administrative, and 
        financial independence from the Government of Nicaragua.
        ``(2) Mechanisms for increased scrutiny.--The United States 
    Executive Director at each international financial institution 
    described in paragraph (1) shall use the voice, vote, and influence 
    of the United States to encourage that institution to increase 
    oversight mechanisms for new and existing loans or financial or 
    technical assistance provided for a project in Nicaragua.
    ``(e) Interagency Consultation.--Before implementing the 
restrictions described in subsection (b), or before exercising an 
exception under subsection (c), the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
consult with the Secretary of State and with the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development to ensure that all 
loans and financial or technical assistance to Nicaragua are consistent 
with United States foreign policy objectives as defined in section 3.
    ``(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of the RENACER Act, and annually thereafter until the 
termination date specified in section 10, the Secretary of the 
Treasury, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report on the implementation of this section, which shall include--
        ``(1) summary of any loans and financial and technical 
    assistance provided by international financial institutions for 
    projects in Nicaragua;
        ``(2) a description of the implementation of the restrictions 
    described in subsection (b);
        ``(3) an identification of the occasions in which the 
    exceptions under subsection (c) are exercised and an assessment of 
    how the loan or assistance provided with each such exception may 
    address basic human needs or promote democracy in Nicaragua;
        ``(4) a description of the results of the increased oversight 
    conducted under subsection (d); and
        ``(5) a description of international efforts to address the 
    humanitarian needs of the people of Nicaragua.''.
SEC. 5. TARGETED SANCTIONS TO ADVANCE DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.
    (a) Coordinated Strategy.--
        (1) In general.--The Secretary of State and the Secretary of 
    the Treasury, in consultation with the intelligence community (as 
    defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 
    U.S.C. 3003)), shall develop and implement a coordinated strategy 
    to align diplomatic engagement efforts with the implementation of 
    targeted sanctions in order to support efforts to facilitate the 
    necessary conditions for free, fair, and transparent elections in 
    Nicaragua.
        (2) Briefing required.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
    of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until 
    December 31, 2022, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the 
    Treasury shall brief the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
    Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
    Representatives on steps to be taken by the United States 
    Government to develop and implement the coordinated strategy 
    required by paragraph (1).
    (b) Targeted Sanctions Prioritization.--
        (1) In general.--Pursuant to the coordinated strategy required 
    by subsection (a), the President shall prioritize the 
    implementation of the targeted sanctions required under section 5 
    of the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act of 2018.
        (2) Targets.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the President--
            (A) shall examine whether foreign persons involved in 
        directly or indirectly obstructing the establishment of 
        conditions necessary for the realization of free, fair, and 
        transparent elections in Nicaragua are subject to sanctions 
        under section 5 of the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act 
        of 2018; and
            (B) should, in particular, examine whether the following 
        persons have engaged in conduct subject to such sanctions:
                (i) Officials in the government of President Daniel 
            Ortega.
                (ii) Family members of President Daniel Ortega.
                (iii) High-ranking members of the National Nicaraguan 
            Police.
                (iv) High-ranking members of the Nicaraguan Armed 
            Forces.
                (v) Members of the Supreme Electoral Council of 
            Nicaragua.
                (vi) Officials of the Central Bank of Nicaragua.
                (vii) Party members and elected officials from the 
            Sandinista National Liberation Front and their family 
            members.
                (viii) Individuals or entities affiliated with 
            businesses engaged in corrupt financial transactions with 
            officials in the government of President Daniel Ortega, his 
            party, or his family.
                (ix) Individuals identified in the report required by 
            section 8 as involved in significant acts of public 
            corruption in Nicaragua.
SEC. 6. DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A COORDINATED SANCTIONS STRATEGY 
WITH DIPLOMATIC PARTNERS.
    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
        (1) On June 21, 2019, the Government of Canada, pursuant to its 
    Special Economic Measures Act, designated 9 officials of the 
    Government of Nicaragua for the imposition of sanctions in response 
    to gross and systematic human rights violations in Nicaragua.
        (2) On May 4, 2020, the European Union imposed sanctions with 
    respect to 6 officials of the Government of Nicaragua identified as 
    responsible for serious human rights violations and for the 
    repression of civil society and democratic opposition in Nicaragua.
        (3) On October 12, 2020, the European Union extended its 
    authority to impose restrictive measures on ``persons and entities 
    responsible for serious human rights violations or abuses or for 
    the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in 
    Nicaragua, as well as persons and entities whose actions, policies 
    or activities otherwise undermine democracy and the rule of law in 
    Nicaragua, and persons associated with them''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States should encourage the Government of Canada, the European Union 
and governments of members countries of the European Union, and 
governments of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to use 
targeted sanctions with respect to persons involved in human rights 
violations and the obstruction of free, fair, and transparent elections 
in Nicaragua.
    (c) Coordinating International Sanctions.--The Secretary of State, 
working through the head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination 
established by section 1(h) of the State Department Basic Authorities 
Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(h)), and in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Treasury, shall engage in diplomatic efforts with 
governments of countries that are partners of the United States, 
including the Government of Canada, governments of countries in the 
European Union, and governments of countries in Latin America and the 
Caribbean, to impose targeted sanctions with respect to the persons 
described in section 5(b) in order to advance democratic elections in 
Nicaragua.
    (d) Briefing Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until December 
31, 2022, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
the Treasury, shall brief the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives on the implementation of this section.
SEC. 7. INCLUSION OF NICARAGUA IN LIST OF COUNTRIES SUBJECT TO CERTAIN 
SANCTIONS RELATING TO CORRUPTION.
    Section 353 of title III of division FF of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260) is amended--
        (1) in the section heading, by striking ``and honduras'' and 
    inserting ``, honduras, and nicaragua''; and
        (2) by striking ``and Honduras'' each place it appears and 
    inserting ``, Honduras, and Nicaragua''.
SEC. 8. CLASSIFIED REPORT ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF ORTEGA FAMILY MEMBERS 
AND NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN CORRUPTION.
    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting through the 
Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, and in 
coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit a 
classified report to the appropriate congressional committees on 
significant acts of public corruption in Nicaragua that--
        (1) involve--
            (A) the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega;
            (B) members of the family of Daniel Ortega; and
            (C) senior officials of the Ortega government, including--
                (i) members of the Supreme Electoral Council, the 
            Nicaraguan Armed Forces, and the National Nicaraguan 
            Police; and
                (ii) elected officials from the Sandinista National 
            Liberation Front party;
        (2) pose challenges for United States national security and 
    regional stability;
        (3) impede the realization of free, fair, and transparent 
    elections in Nicaragua; and
        (4) violate the fundamental freedoms of civil society and 
    political opponents in Nicaragua.
    (b) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section, the 
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select Committee 
    on Intelligence of the Senate; and
        (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Select 
    Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 9. CLASSIFIED REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
IN NICARAGUA.
    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting through the 
Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, and in 
coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit a 
classified report to the appropriate congressional committees on 
activities of the Government of the Russian Federation in Nicaragua, 
including--
        (1) cooperation between Russian and Nicaraguan military 
    personnel, intelligence services, security forces, and law 
    enforcement, and private Russian security contractors;
        (2) cooperation related to telecommunications and satellite 
    navigation;
        (3) other political and economic cooperation, including with 
    respect to banking, disinformation, and election interference; and
        (4) the threats and risks that such activities pose to United 
    States national interests and national security.
    (b) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section, the 
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select Committee 
    on Intelligence of the Senate; and
        (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Select 
    Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
  SEC. 10. REPORT ON CERTAIN PURCHASES BY AND AGREEMENTS ENTERED INTO 
      BY GOVERNMENT OF NICARAGUA RELATING TO MILITARY OR INTELLIGENCE 
      SECTOR OF NICARAGUA.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting through the 
Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, and in 
coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and the 
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that 
includes--
        (1) a list of--
            (A) all equipment, technology, or infrastructure with 
        respect to the military or intelligence sector of Nicaragua 
        purchased, on or after January 1, 2011, by the Government of 
        Nicaragua from an entity identified by the Department of State 
        under section 231(e) of the Countering America's Adversaries 
        Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9525(e)); and
            (B) all agreements with respect to the military or 
        intelligence sector of Nicaragua entered into, on or after 
        January 1, 2011, by the Government of Nicaragua with an entity 
        described in subparagraph (A); and
        (2) a description of and date for each purchase and agreement 
    described in paragraph (1).
    (b) Consideration.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
prepared after consideration of the content of the report of the 
Defense Intelligence Agency entitled, ``Russia: Defense Cooperation 
with Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela'' and dated February 4, 2019.
    (c) Form of Report.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
  SEC. 11. REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NICARAGUA.
    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that, since the June 2018 initiation 
of ``Operation Clean-up'', an effort of the government of Daniel Ortega 
to dismantle barricades constructed throughout Nicaragua during social 
demonstrations in April 2018, the Ortega government has increased its 
abuse of campesinos and members of indigenous communities, including 
arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence as a form of 
intimidation.
    (b) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report that documents the 
perpetration of gross human rights violations by the Ortega government 
against the citizens of Nicaragua, including campesinos and indigenous 
communities in the interior of Nicaragua.
    (c) Elements.--The report required by subsection (b) shall--
        (1) include a compilation of human rights violations committed 
    by the Ortega government against the citizens of Nicaragua, with a 
    focus on such violations committed since April 2018, including 
    human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in--
            (A) the cities of Managua, Carazo, and Masaya between April 
        and June of 2018; and
            (B) the municipalities of Wiwili, El Cua, San Jose de 
        Bocay, and Santa Maria de Pantasma in the Department of 
        Jinotega, Esquipulas in the Department of Rivas, and Bilwi in 
        the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region between 2018 and 
        2021;
        (2) outline efforts by the Ortega government to intimidate and 
    disrupt the activities of civil society organizations attempting to 
    hold the government accountable for infringing on the fundamental 
    rights and freedoms of the people of Nicaragua; and
        (3) provide recommendations on how the United States, in 
    collaboration with international partners and Nicaraguan civil 
    society, should leverage bilateral and regional relationships to 
    curtail the gross human rights violations perpetrated by the Ortega 
    government and better support the victims of human rights 
    violations in Nicaragua.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
        (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
    Representatives.
  SEC. 12. SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT NEWS MEDIA AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION 
      IN NICARAGUA.
    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, the Administrator for 
the United States Agency for International Development, and the Chief 
Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media, shall 
submit to Congress a report that includes--
        (1) an evaluation of the governmental, political, and 
    technological obstacles faced by the people of Nicaragua in their 
    efforts to obtain accurate, objective, and comprehensive news and 
    information about domestic and international affairs; and
        (2) a list of all TV channels, radio stations, online news 
    sites, and other media platforms operating in Nicaragua that are 
    directly or indirectly owned or controlled by President Daniel 
    Ortega, members of the Ortega family, or known allies of the Ortega 
    government.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
        (1) an assessment of the extent to which the current level and 
    type of news and related programming and content provided by the 
    Voice of America and other sources is addressing the informational 
    needs of the people of Nicaragua;
        (2) a description of existing United States efforts to 
    strengthen freedom of the press and freedom of expression in 
    Nicaragua, including recommendations to expand upon those efforts; 
    and
        (3) a strategy for strengthening independent broadcasting, 
    information distribution, and media platforms in Nicaragua.
  SEC. 13. AMENDMENT TO SHORT TITLE OF PUBLIC LAW 115-335.
    Section 1(a) of the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act 
of 2018 (Public Law 115-335; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the `Nicaragua 
Investment Conditionality Act of 2018' or the `NICA Act'.''.
  SEC. 14. DEFINITION.
    In this Act, the term ``Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act of 
2018'' means the Public Law 115-335 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note), as amended 
by section 13.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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