In the Senate of the United States, 
November 27, 2018. 
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 1918) entitled ‘‘An Act to oppose loans at inter-
national financial institutions for the Government of Nica-
ragua unless the Government of Nicaragua is taking effective 
steps to hold free, fair, and transparent elections, and for 
other purposes.’’, do pass with the following 
AMENDMENT: 
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following: 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 
2018’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Sense of Congress on advancing a negotiated solution to Nicaragua’s cri-
sis. 
Sec. 3. Statement of policy. 
Sec. 4. Restrictions on international financial institutions relating to Nicaragua. 
Sec. 5. Imposition of targeted sanctions with respect to Nicaragua.
† HR 1918 EAS 
Sec. 6. Annual certification and waiver. 
Sec. 7. Report on human rights violations and corruption in Nicaragua. 
Sec. 8. Civil society engagement strategy. 
Sec. 9. Reform of Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission. 
Sec. 10. Termination. 
Sec. 11. Definitions. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADVANCING A NEGO-
TIATED SOLUTION TO NICARAGUA’S CRISIS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) credible negotiations between the Government 
of Nicaragua and representatives of Nicaragua’s civil 
society, student movement, private sector, and polit-
ical opposition, mediated by the Catholic Church in 
Nicaragua, represent the best opportunity to reach a 
peaceful solution to the current political crisis that 
includes— 
(A) a commitment to hold early elections 
that meet democratic standards and permit cred-
ible international electoral observation; 
(B) the cessation of the violence perpetrated 
against civilians by the National Police of Nica-
ragua and by armed groups supported by the 
Government of Nicaragua; and 
(C) independent investigations into the 
killings of protesters; and 
(2) negotiations between the Government of Nica-
ragua and representatives of Nicaragua’s civil society, 
student movement, private sector, and political oppo-
† HR 1918 EAS 
sition, mediated by the Catholic Church in Nica-
ragua, have not resulted in an agreement as of the 
date of the enactment of this Act because the Govern-
ment of Nicaragua has failed to credibly participate 
in the process. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States to support— 
(1) the rule of law and an independent judiciary 
and electoral council in Nicaragua; 
(2) democratic governance in Nicaragua; 
(3) free and fair elections overseen by credible 
domestic and international observers in Nicaragua; 
and 
(4) anti-corruption and transparency efforts in 
Nicaragua. 
SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL IN-
STITUTIONS RELATING TO NICARAGUA. 
(a) RESTRICTIONS.—The Secretary of the Treasury 
shall— 
(1) instruct the United States Executive Director 
at each international financial institution of the 
World Bank Group to use the voice, vote, and influ-
ence of the United States to oppose the extension by 
the International Finance Corporation of any loan or
† HR 1918 EAS 
financial or technical assistance to the Government of 
Nicaragua for a project in Nicaragua; 
(2) instruct the United States Executive Director 
of the Inter-American Development Bank to use the 
voice, vote, and influence of the United States to op-
pose the extension by the Bank of any loan or finan-
cial or technical assistance to the Government of 
Nicaragua for a project in Nicaragua; and 
(3) instruct the United States Executive Director 
of each other international financial institution, in-
cluding the International Monetary Fund, to work 
with other key donor countries to develop a coherent 
policy approach to future engagements with and lend-
ing to the Government of Nicaragua, in a manner 
that will advance human rights, including the full 
restoration of the rights guaranteed to the people of 
Nicaragua through the commitments made by the 
Government of Nicaragua as a signatory of the Inter-
national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS FOR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS AND DE-
MOCRACY PROMOTION.—The restrictions under paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall not apply with respect 
to any loan or financial or technical assistance provided 
to address basic human needs or to promote democracy in 
Nicaragua.
† HR 1918 EAS 
(c) BRIEFING BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREAS-
URY.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
the Treasury shall brief the appropriate congressional com-
mittees on the effectiveness of international financial insti-
tutions in enforcing applicable program safeguards in 
Nicaragua. 
SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF TARGETED SANCTIONS WITH RE-
SPECT TO NICARAGUA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose the 
sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to any 
foreign person, including any current or former official of 
the Government of Nicaragua or any person acting on be-
half of that Government, that the President determines— 
(1) to be responsible for or complicit in, or re-
sponsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise direct-
ing, or to have knowingly participated in, directly or 
indirectly, any activity described in subsection (b); 
(2) to be a leader of— 
(A) an entity that has, or whose members 
have, engaged in any activity described in sub-
section (b); or 
(B) an entity whose property and interests 
in 
property 
are 
blocked 
under 
subsection
† HR 1918 EAS 
(c)(1)(A) as a result of activities related to the 
tenure of the leader; 
(3) to have knowingly materially assisted, spon-
sored, or provided financial, material, or techno-
logical support for, or goods or services in support 
of— 
(A) an activity described in subsection (b); 
or 
(B) a person whose property and interests 
in 
property 
are 
blocked 
under 
subsection 
(c)(1)(A); or 
(4) to be owned or controlled by, or to have 
knowingly acted or purported to act for or on behalf 
of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property 
and interests in property are blocked under subsection 
(c)(1)(A). 
(b) ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED.—An activity described in 
this subsection is any of the following in or in relation to 
Nicaragua on or after April 18, 2018: 
(1) Significant acts of violence or conduct that 
constitutes a serious abuse or violation of human 
rights against persons associated with the protests in 
Nicaragua that began on April 18, 2018. 
(2) Significant actions or policies that under-
mine democratic processes or institutions.
† HR 1918 EAS 
(3) Acts of significant corruption by or on behalf 
of the Government of Nicaragua or a current or 
former official of the Government of Nicaragua, in-
cluding— 
(A) the expropriation of private or public 
assets for personal gain or political purposes; 
(B) corruption related to government con-
tracts; 
(C) bribery; or 
(D) the facilitation or transfer of the pro-
ceeds of corruption. 
(4) The arrest or prosecution of a person, includ-
ing an individual or media outlet disseminating in-
formation to the public, primarily because of the le-
gitimate exercise by such person of the freedom of 
speech, assembly, or the press. 
(c) SANCTIONS DESCRIBED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The sanctions described in 
this subsection are the following: 
(A) ASSET BLOCKING.—The exercise of all 
powers granted to the President by the Inter-
national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to 
block and prohibit all transactions in all prop-
erty and interests in property of a person deter-
† HR 1918 EAS 
mined by the President to be subject to subsection 
(a) if such property and interests in property 
are in the United States, come within the United 
States, or are or come within the possession or 
control of a United States person. 
(B) EXCLUSION FROM THE UNITED STATES 
AND
REVOCATION
OF
VISA
OR
OTHER
DOCU-
MENTATION.—In the case of an alien determined 
by the President to be subject to subsection (a), 
denial of a visa to, and exclusion from the 
United States of, the alien, and revocation in ac-
cordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), of any 
visa or other documentation of the alien. 
(2) PENALTIES.—A person that violates, at-
tempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a vio-
lation of a measure imposed pursuant to paragraph 
(1)(A) or any regulation, license, or order issued to 
carry out paragraph (1)(A) shall be subject to the 
penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 
206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person 
that commits an unlawful act described in subsection 
(a) of that section.
† HR 1918 EAS 
(3) EXCEPTION RELATING TO IMPORTATION OF 
GOODS.—The requirement to block and prohibit all 
transactions in all property and interests in property 
under paragraph (1)(A) shall not include the author-
ity to impose sanctions on the importation of goods. 
(4) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH UNITED NA-
TIONS
HEADQUARTERS
AGREEMENT.—Sanctions 
under paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply to an alien 
if admitting the alien into the United States is nec-
essary to permit the United States to comply with the 
Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United 
Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and 
entered into force November 21, 1947, between the 
United Nations and the United States, or other appli-
cable international obligations. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION; REGULATORY AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may exer-
cise all authorities provided under sections 203 and 
205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this sec-
tion. 
(2) REGULATORY
AUTHORITY.—The President 
shall issue such regulations, licenses, and orders as 
are necessary to carry out this section.
† HR 1918 EAS 
SEC. 6. ANNUAL CERTIFICATION AND WAIVER. 
(a) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report certifying whether the Gov-
ernment of Nicaragua is taking effective steps— 
(1) to strengthen the rule of law and democratic 
governance, including the independence of the judicial 
system and electoral council; 
(2) to combat corruption, including by inves-
tigating and prosecuting cases of public corruption; 
(3) to protect civil and political rights, including 
the rights of freedom of the press, speech, and associa-
tion, for all people of Nicaragua, including political 
opposition 
parties, 
journalists, 
trade 
unionists, 
human rights defenders, indigenous peoples, and other 
civil society activists; 
(4) to investigate and hold accountable officials 
of the Government of Nicaragua and other persons re-
sponsible for the killings of individuals associated 
with the protests in Nicaragua that began on April 
18, 2018; and 
(5) to hold free and fair elections overseen by 
credible domestic and international observers 
(b) WAIVER.—
† HR 1918 EAS 
(1) TEMPORARY GENERAL WAIVER.—If the Sec-
retary certifies to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees under subsection (a) that the Government of 
Nicaragua is taking effective steps as described in 
that subsection, the President may waive the applica-
tion of the restrictions under section 4 and sanctions 
under section 5 for a period of not more than one 
year beginning on the date of the certification. 
(2) NATIONAL
INTEREST
WAIVER.—The Presi-
dent may waive the application of the restrictions 
under section 4 and sanctions under section 5 if the 
President— 
(A) determines that such a waiver is in the 
national interest of the United States; and 
(B) submits to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a notice of and justification 
for the waiver. 
(3) SENSE
OF
CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that the President should exercise the waiver 
authority provided under paragraph (1) if the Sec-
retary of State certifies under subsection (a) that the 
Government of Nicaragua is taking effective steps as 
described in that subsection.
† HR 1918 EAS 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In preparing a certification re-
quired by subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with 
the appropriate congressional committees. 
(d) ANNUAL BRIEFING.—The Secretary shall annually 
brief the appropriate congressional committees on whether 
the Government of Nicaragua is taking effective steps as de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
SEC. 7. REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND COR-
RUPTION IN NICARAGUA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 
acting through the Assistant Secretary of State for Intel-
ligence and Research, and in coordination with the Sec-
retary of the Treasury and the Director of National Intel-
ligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on— 
(1) the involvement of senior officials of the Gov-
ernment of Nicaragua, including members of the Su-
preme Electoral Council, the National Assembly, and 
the judicial system, in human rights violations, acts 
of significant corruption, and money laundering; and 
(2) persons that transfer, or facilitate the trans-
fer of, goods or technologies for use in or with respect 
to Nicaragua, that are used by the Government of
† HR 1918 EAS 
Nicaragua to commit serious human rights violations 
against the people of Nicaragua. 
(b) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) may 
be classified. 
SEC. 8. CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall brief the appropriate 
congressional committees on a strategy— 
(1) for engaging relevant elements of civil society 
in Nicaragua, including independent media, human 
rights, and anti-corruption organizations, to strength-
en rule of law and increase accountability for human 
rights abuses and corruption in Nicaragua; and 
(2) setting forth measures to support the protec-
tion of human rights and anti-corruption advocates 
in Nicaragua. 
SEC. 9. REFORM OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY 
COMMISSION. 
Section 603(f)(1) of the Department of State Authori-
ties Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323; 130 Stat. 
1938) is amended by striking ‘‘Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
hold an initial meeting to develop and implement’’ and in-
serting ‘‘At the initial meeting of the Commission, the Com-
mission shall develop and implement’’.
† HR 1918 EAS 
SEC. 10. TERMINATION. 
The provisions of this Act (other than section 9) shall 
terminate on December 31, 2023. 
SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit-
tees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Financial Services, and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(2) GOOD.—The term ‘‘good’’ means any article, 
natural or manmade substance, material, supply or 
manufactured product, including inspection and test 
equipment, and excluding technical data. 
(3) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means an in-
dividual or entity. 
(4) UNITED STATES PERSON.—The term ‘‘United 
States person’’ means any United States citizen, per-
manent resident alien, entity organized under the 
laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within
† HR 1918 EAS 
the United States (including a foreign branch of such 
an entity), or any person in the United States. 
Attest: 
Secretary.