S1854-119

What This Bill Does

Requires State Department reporting for five years on Haitian political and economic elites involved in criminal gangs, corruption, or destabilizing activity, requires presidential sanctions after the report, defines sanctions and covered persons, and sunsets after five years.

Who Benefits and How

Haitian civilians and civil-society groups benefit if sanctions and public reporting deter elites who finance or collude with gangs, corruption, or destabilizing violence. Congressional foreign-affairs and banking committees benefit from annual reports identifying sanctionable actors. U.S. diplomats and regional security partners benefit from a clearer tool to pressure Haitian political and economic elites connected to criminal activity.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Haitian political elites, economic elites, financiers, and facilitators identified in the reports face property blocking, visa restrictions, and other sanctions. State Department sanctions staff, Treasury sanctions staff, intelligence analysts, and immigration officials must coordinate reports and enforcement. U.S. banks and other financial institutions must screen for blocked persons. The President must impose sanctions within 90 days after each report unless exceptions apply.

Key Provisions

• Requires annual State Department reports for five years on Haitian elites linked to criminal gangs or destabilizing activity.
• Requires sanctions within 90 days after the report is submitted to Congress.
• Defines covered sanctions, covered persons, admitted, alien, and lawfully admitted permanent resident.
• Applies property blocking and visa-related consequences to sanctionable actors.
• Provides a five-year sunset.