BOLIVAR Act

Bill: 118-hr-825
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Waltz, Michael [R-FL-6]
Introduced: 2023-02-02
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Business ethics

Latin America

Public contracts and procurement

Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status

Venezuela
Latest action: action_date: 2024-11-19
text: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 564.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-02-02
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime Act or the BOLIVAR Act</b> </p> <p>This bill temporarily prohibits an executive agency from entering into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that it determines, with the concurrence of the Department of State, knowingly engages in significant business operations with the Maduro regime in Venezuela. </p> <p>The bill lists exceptions, including where vital to U.S. national security or as necessary for purposes of providing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and other urgent lifesaving measures, or to carry out noncombatant evacuations.</p> <p>The prohibition shall not apply to contracts that support U.S. government activities in Venezuela or to contracts with international organizations.</p> <p>The State Department may waive the requirements of this bill upon determining that to do so is in the national interest.</p>

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 564 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 825 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 19, 2024 Received; read twice and placed on the calendar AN ACT To prohibit contracting with persons that have business operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime Act or the BOLIVAR Act . 2. Prohibition on contracting with persons that have business operations with the maduro regime (a) Prohibition Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), the head of an executive agency may not enter into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that the head of an executive agency determines, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, knowingly engages in significant business operations, as defined by the Secretary in consultation with the Director, with an authority of the Government of Venezuela that is not recognized as the legitimate Government of Venezuela by the United States. (b) Exceptions (1) In general The prohibition under subsection (a) does not apply to a contract that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, determines— (A) is necessary— (i) for purposes of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela; (ii) for purposes of providing disaster relief and other urgent humanitarian aid or life-saving measures; or (iii) to carry out noncombatant evacuations; or (B) is in the national security interests of the United States. (2) Support for united states government activities The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to contracts and agreements that support United States Government activities in Venezuela, including those necessary for the maintenance of United States Government facilities in Venezuela, or to contracts with international organizations. (3) Notification requirement The Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any contract entered into on the basis of an exception provided for under paragraph (1), which may be submitted in a classified form, as appropriate. (c) Office of foreign assets control licenses The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to a person that has a valid license to operate in Venezuela issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. (d) American diplomatic mission in venezuela The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to contracts related to the operation and maintenance of the United States Government’s consular offices and diplomatic posts in Venezuela. (e) Exception for intelligence activities The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to any activity subject to the reporting requirements under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq. ), any authorized intelligence activity of the United States, or any activity or procurement that supports an authorized intelligence activity. (f) Waiver The Secretary of State may waive the requirements of subsection (a) if the Secretary of State determines that to do so is in the national interest of the United States. (g) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (2) Business operations The term business operations means engaging in commerce in any form, including acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal property, real property, or any other apparatus of business or commerce. (3) Executive agency The term executive agency has the meaning given the term in section 133 of title 41, United States Code. (4) Government of venezuela (A) The term Government of Venezuela includes the government of any political subdivision of Venezuela, and any agency or instrumentality of the Government of Venezuela. (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term agency or instrumentality of the Government of Venezuela means an agency or instrumentality of a foreign state as defined in section 1603(b) of title 28, United States Code, with each reference in such section to a foreign state deemed to be a reference to Venezuela . (5) Person The term person means— (A) a natural person, corporation, company, business association, partnership, society, trust, or any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group; (B) any governmental entity or instrumentality of a government; and (C) any successor, subunit, parent entity, or subsidiary of, or any entity under common ownership or control with, any entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B). (h) Term of applicability This section shall apply with respect to any contract entered into during the three-year period beginning on the date that is 180 days after the enactment of this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

November 19, 2024 Received; read twice and placed on the calendar

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 825 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To prohibit contracting with persons that have business operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime Act or the BOLIVAR Act . 2. Prohibition on contracting with persons that have business operations with the maduro regime (a) Prohibition Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), the head of an executive agency may not enter into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that the head of an executive agency determines, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, knowingly engages in significant business operations, as defined by the Secretary in consultation with the Director, with an authority of the Government of Venezuela that is not recognized as the legitimate Government of Venezuela by the United States. (b) Exceptions (1) In general The prohibition under subsection (a) does not apply to a contract that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, determines— (A) is necessary— (i) for purposes of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela; (ii) for purposes of providing disaster relief and other urgent humanitarian aid or life-saving measures; or (iii) to carry out noncombatant evacuations; or (B) is in the national security interests of the United States. (2) Support for united states government activities The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to contracts and agreements that support United States Government activities in Venezuela, including those necessary for the maintenance of United States Government facilities in Venezuela, or to contracts with international organizations. (3) Notification requirement The Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any contract entered into on the basis of an exception provided for under paragraph (1), which may be submitted in a classified form, as appropriate. (c) Office of foreign assets control licenses The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to a person that has a valid license to operate in Venezuela issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. (d) American diplomatic mission in venezuela The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to contracts related to the operation and maintenance of the United States Government’s consular offices and diplomatic posts in Venezuela. (e) Exception for intelligence activities The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to any activity subject to the reporting requirements under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq. ), any authorized intelligence activity of the United States, or any activity or procurement that supports an authorized intelligence activity. (f) Waiver The Secretary of State may waive the requirements of subsection (a) if the Secretary of State determines that to do so is in the national interest of the United States. (g) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (2) Business operations The term business operations means engaging in commerce in any form, including acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal property, real property, or any other apparatus of business or commerce. (3) Executive agency The term executive agency has the meaning given the term in section 133 of title 41, United States Code. (4) Government of venezuela (A) The term Government of Venezuela includes the government of any political subdivision of Venezuela, and any agency or instrumentality of the Government of Venezuela. (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term agency or instrumentality of the Government of Venezuela means an agency or instrumentality of a foreign state as defined in section 1603(b) of title 28, United States Code, with each reference in such section to a foreign state deemed to be a reference to Venezuela . (5) Person The term person means— (A) a natural person, corporation, company, business association, partnership, society, trust, or any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group; (B) any governmental entity or instrumentality of a government; and (C) any successor, subunit, parent entity, or subsidiary of, or any entity under common ownership or control with, any entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B). (h) Term of applicability This section shall apply with respect to any contract entered into during the three-year period beginning on the date that is 180 days after the enactment of this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 825 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 2, 2023 Mr. Waltz (for himself, Ms. Wasserman Schultz , Ms. Salazar , Mr. Gimenez , Mrs. González-Colón , Mr. Reschenthaler , Mr. Lamborn , Mr. Diaz-Balart , and Ms. Mace ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability A BILL To prohibit contracting with persons that have business operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime Act or the BOLIVAR Act . 2. Prohibition on contracting with persons that have business operations with the Maduro regime (a) Prohibition Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), the head of an executive agency may not enter into a contract for the procurement of goods or services with any person that the head of an executive agency determines, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, knowingly engages in significant business operations with an authority of the Government of Venezuela that is not recognized as the legitimate Government of Venezuela by the United States. (b) Exceptions (1) In general The prohibition under subsection (a) does not apply to a contract that the Secretary of State determines— (A) is necessary— (i) for purposes of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela; (ii) for purposes of providing disaster relief and other urgent life-saving measures; or (iii) to carry out noncombatant evacuations; or (B) is in the national security interests of the United States. (2) Support for United States Government activities The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to contracts that support United States Government activities in Venezuela, including those necessary for the maintenance of United States Government facilities in Venezuela, or to contracts with international organizations. (3) Notification requirement The Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any contract entered into on the basis of an exception provided for under paragraph (1). (c) Office of foreign assets control licenses The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to a person that has a valid license to operate in Venezuela issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. (d) American diplomatic mission in Venezuela The prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to contracts related to the operation and maintenance of the United States Government’s consular offices and diplomatic posts in Venezuela. (e) Waiver The Secretary of State may waive the requirements of subsection (a) if the Secretary of State determines that to do so is in the national interest of the United States. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (2) Business operations The term business operations means engaging in commerce in any form, including acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal property, real property, or any other apparatus of business or commerce. (3) Executive agency The term executive agency has the meaning given the term in section 133 of title 41, United States Code. (4) Government of Venezuela (A) The term Government of Venezuela includes the government of any political subdivision of Venezuela, and any agency or instrumentality of the Government of Venezuela. (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term agency or instrumentality of the Government of Venezuela means an agency or instrumentality of a foreign state as defined in section 1603(b) of title 28, United States Code, with each reference in such section to a foreign state deemed to be a reference to Venezuela . (5) Person The term person means— (A) a natural person, corporation, company, business association, partnership, society, trust, or any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group; (B) any governmental entity or instrumentality of a government; and (C) any successor, subunit, parent entity, or subsidiary of, or any entity under common ownership or control with, any entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B). (g) Term of applicability This section shall apply with respect to any contract entered into during the three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.