HR385-119

What This Bill Does

The Combating Global Corruption Act creates a country-ranking and sanctions-evaluation framework. It defines corruption as unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including bribery, nepotism, fraud, and embezzlement, and defines significant corruption as high-level corruption that distorts major government decisions or functions and involves economically or socially large-scale activities. The Secretary of State must annually publish a tiered ranking of all foreign countries: tier 1 for governments complying with minimum standards, tier 2 for governments making efforts but not fully compliant, and tier 3 for governments making de minimis or no efforts. Minimum standards include enacted and implemented anti-corruption laws, enforcement through fair judicial processes, punishment commensurate with serious crimes, and serious sustained prevention and enforcement efforts. State, with Treasury, should evaluate whether foreign persons engaged in significant corruption in tier 3 countries should be sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Within 180 days after publishing the rankings and annually thereafter, State must report sanctioned persons, sanction dates, and reasons to specified congressional committees, with possible classified annexes or briefings instead of written reports. State must annually designate anti-corruption points of contact at diplomatic posts in tier 2, tier 3, or otherwise high-need countries, and those points of contact must coordinate whole-of-government good-governance, corruption-risk assessment, and mitigation work after appropriate training.

Who Benefits and How

Anti-corruption advocates benefit from annual public country rankings and minimum standards for corruption enforcement. Congressional foreign affairs committees benefit from reports or briefings on Global Magnitsky sanctions tied to tier 3 countries. Reform-minded foreign officials benefit from embassy points of contact coordinating U.S. good-governance support. Civil society organizations in corrupt countries benefit if tier rankings and sanctions raise pressure on corrupt actors.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State Department anti-corruption staff must rank every country annually and designate embassy points of contact. Treasury sanctions staff must coordinate evaluations of foreign persons engaged in significant corruption. Foreign corrupt officials face potential Global Magnitsky sanctions and public scrutiny. U.S. embassies in tier 2 and tier 3 countries must train and coordinate anti-corruption points of contact.

Key Provisions

• Requires State to publish annual tier rankings of all foreign countries by anti-corruption compliance.
• Defines corruption, significant corruption, corrupt actors, and minimum standards for eliminating corruption.
• Directs State and Treasury to evaluate Global Magnitsky sanctions for tier 3 significant corruption.
• Requires annual sanctions reports or briefings to specified congressional committees.
• Requires embassy anti-corruption points of contact in tier 2, tier 3, or otherwise high-need countries.
• Requires training and whole-of-government coordination for anti-corruption points of contact.