Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-137
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2023-01-09
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Accounting and auditing

Criminal justice information and records

Foreign property

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Government information and archives

Government trust funds
Latest action: action_date: 2023-01-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-01-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong></strong><b>Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act of 2023</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Justice to publish and regularly update its website with an accounting of property that is forfeited to the United States as a result of foreign government corruption. It also expresses the sense of Congress that recovered assets shall be returned for the benefit of the people harmed by the corruption.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 137 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2023 Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Salazar , and Mr. Fitzpatrick ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To require an accounting of certain property forfeited to the United States, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act of 2023 . 2. Forfeited property (a) In general Chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 988. Accounting of certain forfeited property (a) Accounting The Attorney General shall make available to the public an accounting of any property relating to foreign government corruption that is forfeited to the United States under section 981 or 982. (b) Format The accounting described under subsection (a) shall be published on the website of the Department of Justice in a format that includes the following: (1) A heading as follows: Assets stolen from the people of ______ and recovered by the United States , the blank space being filled with the name of the foreign government that is the target of corruption. (2) The total amount recovered by the United States on behalf of the foreign people that is the target of corruption at the time when such recovered funds are deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund or the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund. (c) Updated website The Attorney General shall update the website of the Department of Justice to include an accounting of any new property relating to foreign government corruption that has been forfeited to the United States under section 981 or 982 not later than 14 days after such forfeiture, unless such update would compromise an ongoing law enforcement investigation. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections for chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 988. Accounting of certain forfeited property. . 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that recovered assets be returned for the benefit of the people harmed by the corruption under conditions that reasonably ensure the transparent and effective use, administration and monitoring of returned proceeds.