II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2144 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to prepare a threat and operational 

analysis of the use of remittances by drug kingpins, crime syndicates, 

and other persons to finance terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human 

trafficking, money laundering, and other forms of illicit financing, domestically or internationally. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 17, 2019 

Mr. CORNYN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to prepare a threat 

and operational analysis of the use of remittances by 

drug kingpins, crime syndicates, and other persons to 

finance terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and other forms of illicit financing, domestically or internationally. 

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 ‘‘Remittances and 

5 Money Laundering Risk Assessment Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REMITTANCES AND MONEY LAUNDERING THREAT 

2 ANALYSIS. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

4 (1) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com5 mittees’’ means— 

6 (A) the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

7 Senate; 

8 (B) the Committee on Homeland Security 

9 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 

10 (C) the Caucus on International Narcotics 

11 Control of the Senate; 

12 (D) the Committee on Banking, Housing, 

13 and Urban Affairs of the Senate; 

14 (E) the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

15 House of Representatives; 

16 (F) the Committee on Homeland Security 

17 of the House of Representatives; and 

18 (G) the Committee on Financial Services 

19 of the House of Representatives; 

20 (2) the term ‘‘drug kingpins, crime syndicates, 

21 and other persons’’, with respect to the use of remit22 tances to finance terrorism, narcotics trafficking, 

23 human trafficking, money laundering, and other 

24 forms of illicit financing, domestically or internation25 ally, means any persons who— 


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1 (A) are connected to individuals and orga2 nizations associated with financing terrorism, 

3 narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, money 

4 laundering, and other forms of illicit financing, 

5 domestically or internationally; and 

6 (B) have been designated as— 

7 (i) a significant foreign narcotics traf8 ficker under the Foreign Narcotics King9 pin Designation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et 

10 seq.); 

11 (ii) a transnational criminal organiza12 tion under Executive Order 13581 (50 

13 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking 

14 property of transnational criminal organi15 zations); or 

16 (iii) a Specially Designated Global 

17 Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 

18 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking 

19 property and prohibiting transactions with 

20 persons who commit, threaten to commit, 

21 or support terrorism); 

22 (3) the term ‘‘human trafficking’’ has the 

23 meaning given the term ‘‘severe forms of trafficking 

24 in persons’’ in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims 

25 Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102); 


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1 (4) the term ‘‘money services business’’ has the 

2 meaning given the term in section 1010.100 of title 

3 31, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 

4 regulation; and 

5 (5) the term ‘‘money transmitting service’’ has 

6 the meaning given the term in section 5330 of title 

7 31, United States Code. 

8 (b) ANALYSIS.— 

9 (1) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 1 year 

10 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec11 retary of the Treasury, in consultation with the At12 torney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

13 and the head of any other appropriate Federal law 

14 enforcement agency, shall submit to the appropriate 

15 congressional committees a threat and operational 

16 analysis of the use of remittances by drug kingpins, 

17 crime syndicates, and other persons to finance ter18 rorism, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, 

19 money laundering, and other forms of illicit financ20 ing, domestically or internationally. 

21 (2) CONTENTS.—The Secretary of the Treasury 

22 shall include in the threat and operational analysis 

23 required under paragraph (1) the following: 

24 (A) Current and potential threats posed by 

25 individuals and organized groups seeking— 


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1 (i) to exploit security vulnerabilities 

2 with respect to remittances and money 

3 transmitting services; or 

4 (ii) to unlawfully use remittances to 

5 finance terrorism, narcotics trafficking, 

6 human trafficking, money laundering, or 

7 other forms of illicit financing, domesti8 cally or internationally. 

9 (B) Methods and pathways used to exploit 

10 security vulnerabilities. 

11 (C) Challenges presented by identity theft 

12 in the use of remittances and money transmit13 ting services. 

14 (D) Improvements needed to enhance co15 operation between and among Federal, State, 

16 and local officials, including State regulators, 

17 State and local prosecutors, and other law en18 forcement officials. 

19 (E) Improvements needed to enhance co20 operation between money services businesses 

21 and Federal, State, and local officials, including 

22 State regulators, State and local prosecutors, 

23 and other law enforcement officials. 

24 (3) ANALYSIS REQUIREMENTS.—In compiling 

25 the threat and operational analysis required under 


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1 paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury, in 

2 consultation with the Attorney General, the Sec3 retary of Homeland Security, and the head of any 

4 other appropriate Federal law enforcement agency, 

5 shall consider and examine the personnel needs, 

6 technology needs, and infrastructure needs of Fed7 eral law enforcement agencies. 

8 (c) REMITTANCES STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION

9 PLAN.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

11 after the date on which the Secretary of the Treas12 ury submits the threat analysis under subsection (b), 

13 and every 5 years thereafter for 10 years, the Sec14 retary of the Treasury, in consultation with the At15 torney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

16 and the head of any other appropriate Federal law 

17 enforcement agency, shall submit to the appropriate 

18 congressional committees a remittances strategy and 

19 implementation plan. 

20 (2) CONTENTS.—In preparing the remittances 

21 strategy and implementation plan under paragraph 

22 (1), the Secretary of the Treasury shall consider the 

23 following: 

24 (A) The remittances threat and operational 

25 analysis required under subsection (b), with an 


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1 emphasis on efforts to mitigate threats and 

2 challenges identified in the analysis. 

3 (B) Efforts to reduce the use of remit4 tances and money transmitting services by drug 

5 kingpins, crime syndicates, and other persons to 

6 finance terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human 

7 trafficking, money laundering, and other forms 

8 of illicit financing, domestically or internation9 ally. 

10 (C) Efforts to prevent human trafficking 

11 and the unlawful movement of illicit drugs and 

12 other contraband through the use of remit13 tances and money transmitting services, and 

14 standards against which the effectiveness of 

15 those efforts may be determined. 

16 (D) Efforts to focus collection and infor17 mation analysis to disrupt transnational crimi18 nal organizations attempting to exploit security 

19 vulnerabilities, and standards against which the 

20 effectiveness of those efforts may be deter21 mined. 

22 (E) Personnel, technology, and infrastruc23 ture needs of Federal law enforcement agencies. 

24 (F) Efforts to prevent, detect, investigate, 

25 and mitigate money laundering activities 


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1 through remittances and money transmitting 

2 services, and standards against which the effec3 tiveness of those efforts may be determined. 

Æ 


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