[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2643 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2643
To require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to
Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and
economic elites in Haiti and impose sanctions on political and economic
elites involved in such criminal activities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2025
Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. McCaul, and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to
Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and
economic elites in Haiti and impose sanctions on political and economic
elites involved in such criminal activities.
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 the following 5
years, the Secretary of State, in coordination with other Federal
agencies as appropriate, shall submit a report to the appropriate
congressional committees regarding the ties between criminal gangs and
political and economic elites in Haiti. The report shall--
(1) identify and list prominent criminal gangs in Haiti as
well as the leaders thereof, and describe their criminal
activities including coercive recruitment, and identify their
primary geographic areas of operations;
(2) list Haitian political and economic elites who have
direct links to criminal gangs and any organizations or
entities controlled by these elites;
(3) describe in detail the relationship between the
individuals listed pursuant to paragraph (2) and the criminal
gangs identified pursuant to paragraph (1);
(4) describe in detail how Haitian political and economic
elites use their relationships with criminal gangs to advance
their political and economic interests and agenda;
(5) include a list of each criminal organization assessed
to be trafficking Haitians and other individuals to the United
States border;
(6) include an assessment of ties between political and
economic elites, criminal gangs in Haiti, and transnational
criminal organizations;
(7) include an assessment of how the nature and extent of
collusion between political and economic elites and criminal
gangs threatens the Haitian people and United States national
interests and activities in the country; and
(8) include an assessment of potential actions that the
Government of the United States could take to address the
findings made pursuant to paragraph (6).
(b) Form of Report.--The report required under 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 submission of the
report to the appropriate committees, the President shall impose the
sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to each foreign
person identified pursuant to sections 2(a)(1) and 2(a)(2).
(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 the foreign person 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) 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 is issued.
(ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation
under clause (i) shall take effect immediately
and shall automatically cancel any other valid
visa or entry documentation that is in the
alien's possession.
(c) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception to comply with international obligations.--
Sanctions under this section 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.
(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 subtitle.
(2) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in of section
206(b) and (c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers
Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates,
attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a
violation of regulations promulgated to carry out this section
to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that
commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that
Act.
(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions
or restrictions imposed with respect to a foreign person under this
section if the President certifies to the appropriate congressional
committees that the waiver is important to the national interests of
the United States.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives;
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(C) the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives;
(D) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs of the Senate;
(E) the House Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence;
(F) the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence;
(G) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(H) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(1) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means an
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(2) 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.
(3) Economic elites.--The term ``economic elites'' means
board members, officers, and executives of groups, committees,
corporations, or other entities that exert substantial
influence or control over Haiti's economy, infrastructure, or
particular industries.
(4) Political elites.--The term ``political elites'' means
current and former government officials and their high-level
staff, political party leaders, and political committee
leaders.
SEC. 5. SUNSET.
The authorities provided by this Act shall cease to have effect on
the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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