116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1310 

AN ACT 

To strengthen the participation of elected national legislators 

in the activities of the Organization of American States 

and reaffirm United States support for Organization of 

American States human rights and anti-corruption initiatives, 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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Organization of Amer3 ican States Legislative Engagement Act of 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress makes the following findings: 

6 (1) The Charter of the Organization of Amer7 ican States establishes that ‘‘representative democ8 racy is an indispensable condition for the stability, 

9 peace and development of the region’’. 

10 (2) Article 2 of the Inter-American Democratic 

11 Charter of the Organization of American States af12 firms that ‘‘the effective exercise of representative 

13 democracy is the basis for the rule of law and of the 

14 constitutional regimes of the member states of the 

15 Organization of American States’’. 

16 (3) Article 26 of the Inter-American Demo17 cratic Charter states that ‘‘the OAS will continue to 

18 carry out programs and activities designed to pro19 mote democratic principles and practices and 

20 strengthen a democratic culture in the Hemisphere’’. 

21 (4) In accordance with the OAS Charter and 

22 the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the OAS 

23 General Assembly, OAS Permanent Council, and 

24 OAS Secretariat have established a wide range of co25 operative agreements with domestic and inter-
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1 national organizations, including national legislative 

2 institutions. 

3 (5) In 2004, OAS General Assembly Resolution 

4 2044 (XXXIV–O/04) appealed for the ‘‘strength5 ening of legislatures, as well as inter-parliamentary 

6 cooperation on key items of the inter-American 

7 agenda, with a view, in particular, to generating ini8 tiatives to fight corruption, poverty, inequality, and 

9 social exclusion’’. 

10 (6) In 2005, OAS General Assembly Resolution 

11 2095 (XXXV–O/05) called on the OAS Secretariat 

12 to ‘‘invite [. . .] the presidents or speakers of the 

13 national legislative institutions of the Americas, i.e., 

14 congresses, parliaments, or national assemblies, 

15 [. . .] to attend a special meeting of the Permanent 

16 Council [. . .] for the initiation of a dialogue on top17 ics on the hemispheric agenda’’. 

18 (7) In 2014 and 2015, the OAS Secretariat ex19 panded its engagement with elected national legisla20 tors from OAS member states by convening two 

21 meetings of presidents of national legislatures, first 

22 in Lima, Peru and subsequently in Santiago, Chile. 

23 (8) However, no permanent procedures exist to 

24 facilitate the participation of elected national legisla25 tors from OAS member states in OAS activities. 
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1 (9) The Organization for Security and Co-oper2 ation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly 

3 has proven successful at strengthening inter-par4 liamentary cooperation among its member states. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is that sense of Congress that— 

7 (1) elected national legislators play an essential 

8 role in the exercise of representative democracy in 

9 the Americas, including by— 

10 (A) promoting economic freedom and re11 spect for property rights; 

12 (B) promoting the rule of law and com13 bating corruption; 

14 (C) defending human rights and funda15 mental freedoms; and 

16 (D) advancing the principles and practices 

17 expressed in the Charter of the Organization of 

18 American States, the American Declaration on 

19 the Rights and Duties of Man, and the Inter20 American Democratic Charter; 

21 (2) establishing procedures and mechanisms to 

22 facilitate the participation of elected national legisla23 tors from OAS member states in OAS activities 

24 could contribute to the promotion of democratic 
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1 principles and practices and strengthen a democratic 

2 culture in the Western Hemisphere; 

3 (3) increasing and strengthening the participa4 tion of elected national legislators from OAS mem5 ber states in OAS activities could advance the prin6 ciples and proposals expressed in section 4 of the 

7 Organization of American States Revitalization and 

8 Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113–41; 127 Stat. 

9 549); 

10 (4) the OAS General Assembly, OAS Perma11 nent Council, and OAS Secretariat should take steps 

12 to facilitate greater participation of elected national 

13 legislators from OAS member states in OAS activi14 ties; 

15 (5) the OAS Permanent Council resolutions ti16 tled ‘‘Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society 

17 in OAS Activities’’ and ‘‘Strategies for Increasing 

18 and Strengthening Participation by Civil Society Or19 ganizations in OAS Activities’’ should serve as im20 portant references for efforts to bolster the partici21 pation of elected national legislators from OAS 

22 member states in OAS activities; and 

23 (6) the successful experience of the Organiza24 tion for Security and Co-operation in Europe Par-
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1 liamentary Assembly should serve as a model to the 

2 OAS in creating a similar mechanism. 

3 SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATION OF ELECTED NA4 TIONAL LEGISLATORS AT THE OAS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, acting 

6 through the United States Mission to the Organization of 

7 American States, should use the voice and vote of the 

8 United States to support the creation of procedures for 

9 the Organization of American States that— 

10 (1) enhance the participation of democratically 

11 elected national legislators from OAS member state 

12 countries in OAS activities that advance the prin13 ciples of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and 

14 the core values of the OAS consistent with the prin15 ciples and proposals expressed in section 4 of the 

16 Organization of American States Revitalization and 

17 Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113–41; 127 Stat. 

18 549); 

19 (2) create an annual forum for democratically 

20 elected national legislatures from OAS member 

21 states to discuss issues of hemispheric importance, 

22 including regional efforts to defend human rights 

23 and combat transnational criminal activities, corrup24 tion, and impunity; 
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1 (3) permit elected national legislators from 

2 OAS member states to make presentations, con3 tribute information, and provide expert advice, as 

4 appropriate, to the OAS Secretariat, OAS Perma5 nent Council, and OAS General Assembly about 

6 OAS activities on issues of hemispheric importance; 

7 (4) lead to the creation of a mechanism to regu8 larly facilitate the participation of elected national 

9 legislators in OAS activities; and 

10 (5) reinforce OAS Secretariat programs that 

11 provide technical assistance for the modernization 

12 and institutional strengthening of national legisla13 tures from OAS member states. 

14 (b) EXPENSES.—The Secretary of State, acting 

15 through the United States Mission to the Organization of 

16 American States, as appropriate, shall seek to ensure that 

17 expenses related to the procedures set forth in this Act 

18 do not increase member quotas, assessed fees, or voluntary 

19 contributions and that the Secretariat of the OAS shall 

20 seek to ensure shared financial responsibilities among the 

21 member states in facilitating the financial support nec22 essary to carry out this initiative. 
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1 SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR OAS HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANTI-COR2 RUPTION INITIATIVES. 

3 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that— 

5 (1) the efforts of the OAS Secretary General 

6 and Secretariat to combat corruption and impunity 

7 in the Americas represent important contributions to 

8 strengthening the rule of law and democratic govern9 ance in the Americas; and 

10 (2) the United States should support efforts to 

11 ensure the effectiveness and independence of OAS 

12 initiatives to combat corruption and impunity in the 

13 Americas. 

14 (b) ANTI-CORRUPTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS PRO15 MOTION STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days after the 

16 date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of State 

17 shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 

18 Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

19 House of Representatives a strategy for supporting OAS 

20 anti-corruption and human rights promotion efforts. The 

21 strategy should include— 

22 (1) an assessment of United States programs, 

23 activities, and initiatives with the OAS to support 

24 anti-corruption and human rights promotion in the 

25 Americas; 
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1 (2) a summary of the steps taken by the United 

2 States Mission to the OAS to strengthen anti-cor3 ruption and anti-impunity efforts in the Americas; 

4 (3) an assessment of necessary reforms and ini5 tiatives to prioritize and reinforce the OAS Secretary 

6 General and Secretariat’s efforts to advance human 

7 rights and combat corruption and impunity in the 

8 Americas; 

9 (4) a detailed plan to facilitate increased OAS 

10 collaboration, as appropriate, with relevant stake11 holders, including elected national legislators and 

12 civil society, in support of an approach to promote 

13 human rights and combat transnational criminal ac14 tivities, corruption, and impunity in the Americas; 

15 and 

16 (5) a detailed plan for implementing the strat17 egy set forth in this section of the Act. 

18 SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

20 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

21 shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 

22 Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

23 House of Representatives a report on OAS processes, ini24 tiatives, and reforms undertaken to implement section 4, 

25 actions taken to implement the strategy required under 
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1 section 5(b), and steps taken to implement the Organiza2 tion of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 

3 2013 (Public Law 113–41). The report should include— 

4 (1) an analysis of the progress made by the 

5 OAS to adopt and effectively implement reforms and 

6 initiatives to advance human rights and combat cor7 ruption and impunity in the Americas; and 

8 (2) a detailed assessment of OAS efforts to in9 crease stakeholder engagement to advance human 

10 rights and combat corruption and impunity in the 

11 Americas. 

12 (b) BRIEFINGS.—Not later than one year after the 

13 Secretary of State submits the report required under sub14 section (a), and annually thereafter for two additional 

15 years, the Secretary shall provide to the Committee on 

16 Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 

17 Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing 

18 on the information required to be included in such report. 

19 SEC. 7. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ELECTED NATIONAL LEG20 ISLATOR. 

21 It is the sense of Congress that an elected national 

22 legislator participating in the activities outlined in this Act 

23 should be an individual that— 

24 (1) was elected as a result of periodic, free and 

25 fair elections; and 
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1 (2) is not known to be under investigation or 

2 convicted for corruption or transnational criminal 

3 activities, including trafficking of people, goods, or 

4 illicit narcotics, money-laundering, terrorist financ5 ing, acts of terrorism, campaign finance violations, 

6 bribery, or extortion. 

Passed the Senate December 10, 2020. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1310 

AN ACT 

To strengthen the participation of elected national 

other purposes. rights and anti-corruption initiatives, and for port for Organization of American States human American States and reaffirm United States suplegislators in the activities of the Organization of