I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 825 

To prohibit contracting with persons that have business operations with the 

Maduro regime, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 2, 2023 

Mr. WALTZ (for himself, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. 

GIMENEZ, Mrs. GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, Mr. RESCHENTHALER, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, and Ms. MACE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

A BILL 

To prohibit contracting with persons that have business 

operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Banning Operations 

5 and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian 

6 Regime Act’’ or the ‘‘BOLIVAR Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH PERSONS 

2 THAT HAVE BUSINESS OPERATIONS WITH 

3 THE MADURO REGIME. 

4 (a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsections 

5 (b), (c), and (d), the head of an executive agency may not 

6 enter into a contract for the procurement of goods or serv7 ices with any person that the head of an executive agency 

8 determines, with the concurrence of the Secretary of 

9 State, knowingly engages in significant business oper10 ations with an authority of the Government of Venezuela 

11 that is not recognized as the legitimate Government of 

12 Venezuela by the United States. 

13 (b) EXCEPTIONS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The prohibition under sub15 section (a) does not apply to a contract that the Sec16 retary of State determines— 

17 (A) is necessary— 

18 (i) for purposes of providing humani19 tarian assistance to the people of Ven20 ezuela; 

21 (ii) for purposes of providing disaster 

22 relief and other urgent life-saving meas23 ures; or 

24 (iii) to carry out noncombatant evacu25 ations; or 


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1 (B) is in the national security interests of 

2 the United States. 

3 (2) SUPPORT FOR UNITED STATES GOVERN4 MENT ACTIVITIES.—The prohibition in subsection 

5 (a) shall not apply to contracts that support United 

6 States Government activities in Venezuela, including 

7 those necessary for the maintenance of United 

8 States Government facilities in Venezuela, or to con9 tracts with international organizations. 

10 (3) NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.—The Sec11 retary of State shall notify the appropriate congres12 sional committees of any contract entered into on 

13 the basis of an exception provided for under para14 graph (1). 

15 (c) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL LI16 CENSES.—The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply 

17 to a person that has a valid license to operate in Venezuela 

18 issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. 

19 (d) AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN VEN20 EZUELA.—The prohibition in subsection (a) does not 

21 apply to contracts related to the operation and mainte22 nance of the United States Government’s consular offices 

23 and diplomatic posts in Venezuela. 

24 (e) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may waive the 

25 requirements of subsection (a) if the Secretary of State 


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1 determines that to do so is in the national interest of the 

2 United States. 

3 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT5 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com6 mittees’’ means the Committee on Homeland Secu7 rity and Governmental Affairs and the Committee 

8 on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Com9 mittee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 

10 Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. 

11 (2) BUSINESS OPERATIONS.—The term ‘‘busi12 ness operations’’ means engaging in commerce in 

13 any form, including acquiring, developing, maintain14 ing, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating 

15 equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, 

16 personal property, real property, or any other appa17 ratus of business or commerce. 

18 (3) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive 

19 agency’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

20 133 of title 41, United States Code. 

21 (4) GOVERNMENT OF VENEZUELA.—(A) The 

22 term ‘‘Government of Venezuela’’ includes the gov23 ernment of any political subdivision of Venezuela, 

24 and any agency or instrumentality of the Govern25 ment of Venezuela. 


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1 (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the 

2 term ‘‘agency or instrumentality of the Government 

3 of Venezuela’’ means an agency or instrumentality 

4 of a foreign state as defined in section 1603(b) of 

5 title 28, United States Code, with each reference in 

6 such section to ‘‘a foreign state’’ deemed to be a ref7 erence to ‘‘Venezuela’’. 

8 (5) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means— 

9 (A) a natural person, corporation, com10 pany, business association, partnership, society, 

11 trust, or any other nongovernmental entity, or12 ganization, or group; 

13 (B) any governmental entity or instrumen14 tality of a government; and 

15 (C) any successor, subunit, parent entity, 

16 or subsidiary of, or any entity under common 

17 ownership or control with, any entity described 

18 in subparagraph (A) or (B). 

19 (g) TERM OF APPLICABILITY.—This section shall 

20 apply with respect to any contract entered into during the 

21 three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment 

22 of this Act. 

Æ 


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