Remittances and Money Laundering Risk Assessment Act of 2019

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Remittances and Money Laundering Risk Assessment Act of 2019 2. Remittances and money laundering threat analysis (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term appropriate congressional committees (A) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; (C) the Caucus on International Narcotics Control of the Senate; (D) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; (E) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; (F) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and (G) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; (2) the term drug kingpins, crime syndicates, and other persons (A) are connected to individuals and organizations associated with financing terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and other forms of illicit financing, domestically or internationally; and (B) have been designated as— (i) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act ( 21 U.S.C. 1901 (ii) a transnational criminal organization under Executive Order 13581 ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 (iii) a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 (3) the term human trafficking severe forms of trafficking in persons 22 U.S.C. 7102 (4) the term money services business (5) the term money transmitting service (b) Analysis (1) Requirement Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the head of any other appropriate Federal law enforcement agency, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 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. (2) Contents The Secretary of the Treasury shall include in the threat and operational analysis required under paragraph (1) the following: (A) Current and potential threats posed by individuals and organized groups seeking— (i) to exploit security vulnerabilities with respect to remittances and money transmitting services; or (ii) to unlawfully use remittances to finance terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, or other forms of illicit financing, domestically or internationally. (B) Methods and pathways used to exploit security vulnerabilities. (C) Challenges presented by identity theft in the use of remittances and money transmitting services. (D) Improvements needed to enhance cooperation between and among Federal, State, and local officials, including State regulators, State and local prosecutors, and other law enforcement officials. (E) Improvements needed to enhance cooperation between money services businesses and Federal, State, and local officials, including State regulators, State and local prosecutors, and other law enforcement officials. (3) Analysis requirements In compiling the threat and operational analysis required under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the head of any other appropriate Federal law enforcement agency, shall consider and examine the personnel needs, technology needs, and infrastructure needs of Federal law enforcement agencies. (c) Remittances strategy and implementation plan (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary of the Treasury submits the threat analysis under subsection (b), and every 5 years thereafter for 10 years, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the head of any other appropriate Federal law enforcement agency, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a remittances strategy and implementation plan. (2) Contents In preparing the remittances strategy and implementation plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury shall consider the following: (A) The remittances threat and operational analysis required under subsection (b), with an emphasis on efforts to mitigate threats and challenges identified in the analysis. (B) Efforts to reduce the use of remittances and money transmitting services 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. (C) Efforts to prevent human trafficking and the unlawful movement of illicit drugs and other contraband through the use of remittances and money transmitting services, and standards against which the effectiveness of those efforts may be determined. (D) Efforts to focus collection and information analysis to disrupt transnational criminal organizations attempting to exploit security vulnerabilities, and standards against which the effectiveness of those efforts may be determined. (E) Personnel, technology, and infrastructure needs of Federal law enforcement agencies. (F) Efforts to prevent, detect, investigate, and mitigate money laundering activities through remittances and money transmitting services, and standards against which the effectiveness of those efforts may be determined.

Summary: Remittances and Money Laundering Risk Assessment Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to assess and develop a strategy to prevent the use of remittances by certain individuals and crime syndicates for purposes of financing terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and other forms of illicit financing. (Remittances are transfers of money and capital sent by migrants and foreign immigrant communities to their home countries.)