Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-2779
Sponsor: Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2018-04-26 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Africa
Australia
Conflicts and wars
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Economic development
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Europe
Farmland
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign loans and debt
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Human rights
International monetary system and foreign exchange
International organizations and cooperation
Land transfers
Monetary policy
Multilateral development programs
News media and reporting
Oceania
Property rights
Protest and dissent
Rule of law and government transparency
Sanctions
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
U.S. and foreign investments
Unemployment
United Kingdom
Zimbabwe

Summary:
action_date: 2018-04-26
text: 

Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act of 2018

 
This bill amends the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 to establish additional pre- and post- election conditions that Zimbabwe must satisfy in order to remove Department of the Treasury opposition to: (1) international financial institution loan, credit, or guarantee extensions to Zimbabwe; or (2) cancellation or reduction of debt owed by Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
 
The bill includes Australia and the United Kingdom in consultations regarding Zimbabwe's political violence and any future removal of related sanctions.

action_date: 2018-08-08
text: 
 
Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act of 2018 
 
This bill revises statements of U.S. policy toward Zimbabwe, in particular by: 
 
stating support for Zimbabweans' efforts to reconstruct and rebuild the nation and come to terms with the past through a process of genuine reconciliation that acknowledges past human rights abuses and orders inquiries into disappearances, including those of human rights activists;
 
stating conditions for a strengthened U.S.-Zimbabwe relationship;
 
supporting inclusion of Australia, the United Kingdom, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in consultations on ways to sanction individuals responsible for deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence, and intimidation; and
 
urging enforcement of the SADC tribunal rulings issued between 2007 and 2010, including disputes involving employment, commercial, and human rights cases surrounding dispossessed Zimbabwean commercial farmers and agricultural companies.
 
 
 Regarding multilateral debt relief and assistance, the bill:
 
 
urges the Department of the Treasury to direct each U.S. executive director of a multilateral development bank to support efforts to reevaluate plans to restructure, rebuild, reschedule, or eliminate Zimbabwe's sovereign debt held by that bank and provide an analysis based on reasonable financial options to achieve those goals;
 
removes as a condition of presidential certification that conditions are met for providing multilateral assistance that the government is making a good faith effort to fulfill the terms of the agreement on ending the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
 
removes a requirement of consistency of the land reform program with agreements reached at the International Donors' Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe in September 1998.
 
 
The bill revises the purposes of U.S. assistance supporting land reform mechanisms to remove authority for the payment of acquisition and resettlement costs consistent with the International Donors' Conference. It adds authority for assistance to identify and recover stolen public assets.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-08-08
text: Became Public Law No: 115-231.
action_date: 2018-08-08
text: Became Public Law No: 115-231.
action_date: 2018-08-08
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2018-08-08
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2018-08-01
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2018-08-01
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR H7670-7671)
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.(text: CR H7670-7671)
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Mr. Royce (CA) asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H7670-7672)
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S5320)
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S5320)
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2018-07-25
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S5319-5320)
action_date: 2018-06-28
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 499.
action_date: 2018-06-28
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2018-06-28
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2018-06-26
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2018-04-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2018-04-26
text: Introduced in Senate

Enacted as: number: 115-231