Bill Summary
This legislation, titled the "Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025", aims to address the issue of collusion between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti. The bill requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with other federal agencies, to submit a report to Congress every year for 5 years on the connections between these groups. This report must include a list of prominent criminal gangs, political and economic elites, and a detailed description of their relationships and how they use their connections for their own interests. It also assesses the threat this collusion poses to the people of Haiti and the national interests of the United States.
The bill also includes measures for sanctions to be imposed on foreign individuals or entities identified in the report. These sanctions include the blocking of property and the prohibition of transactions with these individuals, as well as restricting their entry into the United States. There are exceptions to these sanctions for compliance with international obligations and for the provision of humanitarian assistance to Haiti.
The President can waive the sanctions if it is deemed necessary for national security interests. The act also includes definitions for terms such as "United States person" and "foreign person". This legislation will expire after 5 years from the date of its enactment.
Possible Impacts
1. The Haitian people could potentially face increased economic hardship if the political and economic elites are sanctioned, as their activities are restricted and could negatively impact the overall economy.
2. The Haitian government could face diplomatic strain with the United States if they are found to be colluding with criminal gangs, potentially damaging their international relationships.
3. The United States may face backlash and criticism from the international community for imposing sanctions on the political and economic elites in Haiti, potentially causing strain in diplomatic relationships.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1854 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1854
To required the imposition of sanctions with respect to political and
economic elites in Haiti, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 21, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Curtis,
and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To required the imposition of sanctions with respect to political and
economic elites in Haiti, 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 ``Haiti Criminal Collusion
Transparency Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the
Secretary of State, in coordination with other Federal agencies as the
Secretary determines appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the connections between criminal
gangs and political elites and economic elites in Haiti.
(b) Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) a list identifying prominent criminal gangs in Haiti,
including--
(A) the leaders of each gang;
(B) a description of the criminal activities of
each gang, including coercive recruitment; and
(C) the primary geographic area of operations for
each gang;
(2) a list of political elites and economic elites in Haiti
who knowingly have direct and significant links to criminal
gangs and any organizations or entities controlled by such
political elites and economic elites;
(3) a detailed description of the relationship between the
political elites and economic elites listed pursuant to
paragraph (2) and the criminal gangs identified pursuant to
paragraph (1);
(4) a detailed description of how political elites and
economic elites in Haiti use relationships with criminal gangs
to advance political and economic interests and agendas;
(5) a list of each criminal organization assessed to be
trafficking Haitians and other individuals to the United States
border;
(6) an assessment of connections between political elites
and economic elites, criminal gangs in Haiti, and transnational
criminal organizations;
(7) an assessment of how the nature and extent of collusion
between political elites and economic elites and criminal gangs
threatens the people of Haiti and the national interests and
activities of the United States in Haiti; and
(8) an assessment of potential actions that the Government
of the United States and the Government of Haiti could take to
address the findings made pursuant to paragraph (6).
(c) Form of Report.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date the report
required by section 2 is submitted to the appropriate congressional
committees, the President shall impose sanctions described in
subsection (b) with respect to each foreign person identified pursuant
to paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 2(b).
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Property blocking.--Notwithstanding the requirements of
section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise of all powers
granted to the President by that Act to the extent necessary to
block and prohibit all transactions in all property and
interests in property of any foreign person described in
subsection (a) if such property and interests in property are
in the United States, come within the United States, or are or
come within the possession or control of a United States
person.
(2) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) In general.--An alien who the Secretary of
State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a
designee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has
reason to believe, is described in subsection (a) is--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible for a visa or other
documentation to enter the United States; and
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted
or paroled into the United States or to receive
any other benefit under the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(B) Current visas revoked.--
(i) In general.--The issuing consular
officer, the Secretary of State, or the
Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee
of one of such Secretaries) shall, in
accordance with section 221(i) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry
documentation issued to an alien described in
subsection (a) regardless of when the visa or
other entry documentation was issued.
(ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation
under clause (i)--
(I) shall take effect immediately;
and
(II) shall automatically cancel any
other valid visa or entry documentation
that is in the possession of the alien.
(c) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception to comply with international obligations.--
Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect
to the admission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien
into the United States is necessary to permit the United States
to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the
United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and
entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United
Nations and the United States, or other applicable
international obligations of the United States.
(2) Exception relating to the provision of humanitarian
assistance.--Sanctions under this section may not be imposed
with respect to transactions or the facilitation of
transactions for--
(A) the sale of agricultural commodities, food,
medicine, or medical devices to Haiti;
(B) the provision of humanitarian assistance to the
people of Haiti;
(C) financial transactions relating to humanitarian
assistance or for humanitarian purposes in Haiti; or
(D) transporting goods or services that are
necessary to carry out operations relating to
humanitarian assistance or humanitarian purposes in
Haiti.
(d) Implementation; Penalties.--
(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and
205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this section.
(2) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections
(b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to any person
that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or
causes a violation of any prohibition of this section, or an
order or regulation prescribed under this section, to the same
extent that such penalties apply to a person that commits an
unlawful act described in section 206(a) of such Act (50 U.S.C.
1705(a)).
(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions
imposed with respect to a foreign person under this section if the
President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees, not
later than 15 days before such waiver takes effect, that the waiver is
vital to the national security interests of the United States.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Admitted; alien; lawfully admitted for permanent
residence.--The terms ``admitted'', ``alien'', and ``lawfully
admitted for permanent residence'' have the meanings given
those terms in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means an
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(4) Economic elite.--The term ``economic elite'' means a
board member, officer, or executive of a group, committee,
corporation, or other entity that exerts substantial influence
or control over the economy, infrastructure, or a particular
industry of Haiti.
(5) Political elite.--The term ``political elite'' means a
current or former government official, or the high-level staff
of any such government official, a political party leader, or a
political committee leader of Haiti.
(6) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen;
(B) a permanent resident alien of the United
States; or
(C) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or of any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
SEC. 5. SUNSET.
This Act shall cease to have any force or effect beginning on the
date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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