I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 457 
To identify and combat corruption in countries, to establish a tiered list 
of countries with respect to levels of corruption by their governments 
and their efforts to combat such corruption, and to evaluate whether 
foreign persons engaged in significant corruption should be specially 
designated nationals under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Account-
ability Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 24, 2023 
Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. KEATING, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, and 
Ms. SALAZAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To identify and combat corruption in countries, to establish 
a tiered list of countries with respect to levels of corrup-
tion by their governments and their efforts to combat 
such corruption, and to evaluate whether foreign persons 
engaged in significant corruption should be specially des-
ignated nationals under the Global Magnitsky Human 
Rights Accountability Act. 
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 ‘‘Combating Global Cor-
ruption Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CORRUPT
ACTOR.—The term ‘‘corrupt 
actor’’ means— 
(A) any foreign person or entity that is a 
government official or government entity re-
sponsible for, or complicit in, an act of corrup-
tion; and 
(B) any company, in which a person or en-
tity described in subparagraph (A) has a sig-
nificant stake, which is responsible for, or 
complicit in, an act of corruption. 
(2) 
CORRUPTION.—The 
term 
‘‘corruption’’ 
means the unlawful exercise of entrusted public 
power for private gain, including by bribery, nepo-
tism, fraud, or embezzlement. 
(3) SIGNIFICANT CORRUPTION.—The term ‘‘sig-
nificant corruption’’ means corruption committed at 
a high level of government that— 
(A) illegitimately distorts major decision 
making, such as policy or resource determina-
tions, or other fundamental functions of govern-
ance; and 
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(B) involves economically or socially large- 
scale government activities. 
SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF TIERED RANKING LIST. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall an-
nually publish, on a publicly accessible website, a tiered 
ranking of all foreign countries. 
(b) TIER 1 COUNTRIES.—A country shall be ranked 
as a tier 1 country in the ranking published under sub-
section (a) if the government of such country is complying 
with the minimum standards set forth in section 4. 
(c) TIER 2 COUNTRIES.—A country shall be ranked 
as a tier 2 country in the ranking published under sub-
section (a) if the government of such country is making 
efforts to comply with the minimum standards set forth 
in section 4, but is not achieving the requisite level of com-
pliance to be ranked as a tier 1 country. 
(d) TIER 3 COUNTRIES.—A country shall be ranked 
as a tier 3 country in the ranking published under sub-
section (a) if the government of such country is making 
de minimis or no efforts to comply with the minimum 
standards set forth in section 4. 
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SEC. 4. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF 
CORRUPTION AND ASSESSMENT OF EFFORTS 
TO COMBAT CORRUPTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The government of a country is 
complying with the minimum standards for the elimi-
nation of corruption if the government— 
(1) has enacted and implemented laws and es-
tablished government structures, policies, and prac-
tices that prohibit and generally deter corruption, in-
cluding significant corruption; 
(2) enforces the laws described in paragraph (1) 
by punishing any person who is found, through a 
fair judicial process, to have violated such laws; 
(3) prescribes punishment for significant cor-
ruption that is commensurate with the punishment 
prescribed for serious crimes; and 
(4) is making serious and sustained efforts to 
address corruption, including through prevention. 
(b) FACTORS
FOR ASSESSING GOVERNMENT EF-
FORTS TO COMBAT CORRUPTION.—In determining wheth-
er a government is making serious and sustained efforts 
to address corruption, the Secretary of State shall con-
sider, to the extent relevant or appropriate, factors such 
as— 
(1) whether the government of the country has 
criminalized corruption, investigates and prosecutes 
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acts of corruption, and convicts and sentences per-
sons responsible for such acts over which it has ju-
risdiction, including, as appropriate, incarcerating 
individuals convicted of such acts; 
(2) whether the government of the country vig-
orously investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sen-
tences public officials who participate in or facilitate 
corruption, including nationals of the country who 
are deployed in foreign military assignments, trade 
delegations abroad, or other similar missions, who 
engage in or facilitate significant corruption; 
(3) whether the government of the country has 
adopted measures to prevent corruption, such as 
measures to inform and educate the public, including 
potential victims, about the causes and consequences 
of corruption; 
(4) whether the government of the country has 
taken steps to prohibit government officials from 
participating in, facilitating, or condoning corrup-
tion, including the investigation, prosecution, and 
conviction of such officials; 
(5) the extent to which the country provides ac-
cess, or, as appropriate, makes adequate resources 
available, to civil society organizations and other in-
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stitutions to combat corruption, including reporting, 
investigating, and monitoring; 
(6) whether an independent judiciary or judicial 
body in the country is responsible for, and effectively 
capable of, deciding corruption cases impartially, on 
the basis of facts and in accordance with the law, 
without any improper restrictions, influences, in-
ducements, pressures, threats, or interferences (di-
rect or indirect); 
(7) whether the government of the country is 
assisting 
in 
international 
investigations 
of 
transnational corruption networks and in other coop-
erative efforts to combat significant corruption, in-
cluding, as appropriate, cooperating with the govern-
ments of other countries to extradite corrupt actors; 
(8) whether the government of the country rec-
ognizes the rights of victims of corruption, ensures 
their access to justice, and takes steps to prevent 
victims from being further victimized or persecuted 
by corrupt actors, government officials, or others; 
(9) whether the government of the country pro-
tects victims of corruption or whistleblowers from re-
prisal due to such persons having assisted in expos-
ing corruption, and refrains from other discrimina-
tory treatment of such persons; 
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