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. LAM-
BORN, 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Banning Operations 
and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian 
Regime Act’’ or the ‘‘BOLIVAR Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:09 Mar 02, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H825.IH
H825
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH PERSONS 
THAT HAVE BUSINESS OPERATIONS WITH 
THE MADURO REGIME. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsections 
(b), (c), and (d), the head of an executive agency may not 
enter into a contract for the procurement of goods or serv-
ices with any person that the head of an executive agency 
determines, with the concurrence of the Secretary of 
State, knowingly engages in significant business oper-
ations with an authority of the Government of Venezuela 
that is not recognized as the legitimate Government of 
Venezuela by the United States. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The prohibition under sub-
section (a) does not apply to a contract that the Sec-
retary of State determines— 
(A) is necessary— 
(i) for purposes of providing humani-
tarian assistance to the people of Ven-
ezuela; 
(ii) for purposes of providing disaster 
relief and other urgent life-saving meas-
ures; or 
(iii) to carry out noncombatant evacu-
ations; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:09 Mar 02, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H825.IH
H825
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(B) is in the national security interests of 
the United States. 
(2) SUPPORT
FOR
UNITED
STATES
GOVERN-
MENT
ACTIVITIES.—The prohibition in subsection 
(a) shall not apply to contracts that support United 
States Government activities in Venezuela, including 
those necessary for the maintenance of United 
States Government facilities in Venezuela, or to con-
tracts with international organizations. 
(3) NOTIFICATION
REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary of State shall notify the appropriate congres-
sional committees of any contract entered into on 
the basis of an exception provided for under para-
graph (1). 
(c) OFFICE
OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL LI-
CENSES.—The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply 
to a person that has a valid license to operate in Venezuela 
issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. 
(d) AMERICAN
DIPLOMATIC
MISSION
IN
VEN-
EZUELA.—The prohibition in subsection (a) does not 
apply to contracts related to the operation and mainte-
nance of the United States Government’s consular offices 
and diplomatic posts in Venezuela. 
(e) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may waive the 
requirements of subsection (a) if the Secretary of State 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:09 Mar 02, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H825.IH
H825
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
determines that to do so is in the national interest of the 
United States. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs and the Committee 
on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. 
(2) BUSINESS OPERATIONS.—The term ‘‘busi-
ness operations’’ means engaging in commerce in 
any form, including acquiring, developing, maintain-
ing, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating 
equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, 
personal property, real property, or any other appa-
ratus of business or commerce. 
(3) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive 
agency’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
133 of title 41, United States Code. 
(4) GOVERNMENT
OF
VENEZUELA.—(A) The 
term ‘‘Government of Venezuela’’ includes the gov-
ernment of any political subdivision of Venezuela, 
and any agency or instrumentality of the Govern-
ment of Venezuela. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:09 Mar 02, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H825.IH
H825
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the 
term ‘‘agency or instrumentality of the Government 
of Venezuela’’ means an agency or instrumentality 
of a foreign state as defined in section 1603(b) of 
title 28, United States Code, with each reference in 
such section to ‘‘a foreign state’’ deemed to be a ref-
erence to ‘‘Venezuela’’. 
(5) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means— 
(A) a natural person, corporation, com-
pany, business association, partnership, society, 
trust, or any other nongovernmental entity, or-
ganization, or group; 
(B) any governmental entity or instrumen-
tality of a government; and 
(C) any successor, subunit, parent entity, 
or subsidiary of, or any entity under common 
ownership or control with, any entity described 
in subparagraph (A) or (B). 
(g) TERM
OF APPLICABILITY.—This section shall 
apply with respect to any contract entered into during the 
three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:09 Mar 02, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H825.IH
H825
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB