IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 854 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 26, 2019 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
To provide humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people, 
including Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the Amer-
icas and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Humanitarian Assist-
ance to the Venezuelan People Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. REPORT ON THE COORDINATION AND DISTRIBU-
TION OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO 
THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA INCLUDING 
STRATEGY ON FUTURE EFFORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 
in coordination with the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a report out-
lining the coordination of humanitarian assistance to the 
people of Venezuela, both in Venezuela and throughout the 
Western Hemisphere, with nongovernmental organizations 
and international organizations operating in Venezuela or 
countries in the region to alleviate the suffering of the 
Venezuelan people. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A description of how and under what cir-
cumstances the following humanitarian assistance 
has been provided: 
(A) Public health commodities for Ven-
ezuelan health facilities and services, including 
medicines on the World Health Organization’s 
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List of Essential Medicines, and basic medical 
supplies and equipment. 
(B) Basic food commodities and nutritional 
supplements needed to address growing mal-
nutrition and improve food security for the peo-
ple of Venezuela, with a specific emphasis on 
the most vulnerable populations. 
(C) Technical assistance to ensure health 
and food commodities are appropriately se-
lected, procured, and distributed, predominantly 
through local nongovernmental organizations. 
(2) An identification of United States Agency 
for International Development and Department of 
State best practices in delivering humanitarian as-
sistance, particularly with regard to food assistance, 
and how such best practices are being utilized in 
providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela and 
countries in the region. 
(3) A description of current and anticipated 
challenges to distributing humanitarian assistance in 
Venezuela and countries hosting Venezuelan mi-
grants. 
(4) A description of efforts to ensure that hu-
manitarian and development assistance for Ven-
ezuelans is coordinated with other United States bi-
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lateral assistance in the Western Hemisphere and 
does not result in duplication or omission of such 
other bilateral assistance. 
(5) A description of how the pre-positioning and 
distribution of humanitarian assistance is being 
monitored and evaluated, the number of beneficiaries 
reached, an assessment of how humanitarian and de-
velopment assistance is benefitting Venezuelan mi-
grants inside and outside of the country, and what 
additional staff may be necessary to manage such 
assistance. 
(6) A strategy for future efforts to provide hu-
manitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela 
that includes a description of future efforts regard-
ing the matters described in paragraphs (1) through 
(5). 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF CONGRESS. 
Congress strongly condemns all violent actions by the 
Maduro regime and Venezuela’s security forces to block 
and divert humanitarian assistance from entering Ven-
ezuela. 
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SEC. 4. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON UNITED 
STATES 
EFFORTS 
TO 
PROVIDE 
HUMANI-
TARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF 
VENEZUELA. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to appropriate congressional commit-
tees a report assessing the impact of United States hu-
manitarian assistance on the people of Venezuela, both in 
Venezuela and throughout the Western Hemisphere, in-
cluding the total number of beneficiaries reached. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMAN-
ITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF 
VENEZUELA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
provide humanitarian assistance to support the people of 
Venezuela, both in Venezuela and throughout the Western 
Hemisphere, in accordance with established international 
humanitarian principles. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that not less than $150,000,000 is necessary for 
each of fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to carry out this sec-
tion. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the President such sums 
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as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2020 and 
2021 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the following: 
(A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(B) The Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives. 
(C) The Committee on Foreign Relations 
of the Senate. 
(D) The Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate. 
(2) VENEZUELAN
SECURITY
FORCES.—The 
term ‘‘Venezuelan security forces’’ includes the fol-
lowing: 
(A) 
The 
Bolivarian 
National 
Armed 
Forces, including the Bolivarian National 
Guard. 
(B) The Bolivarian National Intelligence 
Service. 
(C) The Bolivarian National Police. 
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(D) The Bureau for Scientific, Criminal 
and Forensic Investigations of the Ministry of 
Interior, Justice, and Peace. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 25, 
2019. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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