SenateS. 4809119th Congress
Venezuela Democratic Transition Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4809 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4809
To require the Secretary of State to develop a strategy for supporting
free and fair elections in Venezuela, to impose sanctions on
individuals who are complicit in gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights in Venezuela, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 17, 2026
Mr. Kaine introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of State to develop a strategy for supporting
free and fair elections in Venezuela, to impose sanctions on
individuals who are complicit in gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights in Venezuela, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Venezuela Democratic Transition
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the Venezuelan parliamentary election held on December
6, 2020, and the Venezuelan parliamentary election held on May
25, 2025, were fraudulent and widely condemned;
(2) the Venezuelan presidential election held on July 28,
2024, violated Venezuelan law and international standards;
(3) the Venezuelan regime led by Nicolas Maduro falsely
claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election and
intensified violent repression against the leaders and
supporters of the opposition presidential candidate; and
(4) Nicolas Maduro lost the 2024 presidential election and
his regime lacks legitimacy to represent the Venezuelan people.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should--
(1) continue to recognize Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as
Venezuela's legitimate President-elect;
(2) support the democratic opposition;
(3) facilitate free and fair presidential elections in 2026
with full opposition participation; and
(4) ensure that any energy agreements with Venezuela are
made only in consultation with the democratic opposition
movement.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Admission; admitted; alien.--The terms ``admission'',
``admitted'', and ``alien'' have the meanings given such terms
in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101).
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives.
(3) Gross violations of internationally recognized human
rights.--The term ``gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights'' has the meaning given that term in
section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2304(d)).
(4) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence to the United States;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity;
or
(C) any person located in the United States.
(5) Venezuelan person.--The term ``Venezuelan person''
means--
(A) a citizen or national of Venezuela; or
(B) an entity organized under the laws of Venezuela
or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the
Government of Venezuela.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY FOR SUPPORTING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN VENEZUELA.
The Secretary of State shall develop and submit to Congress a
strategy that--
(1) updates, with input from the appropriate congressional
committees, the Democratic Transition Framework for Venezuela,
which was originally published by the Department of State on
March 31, 2020;
(2) uses all available diplomatic tools--
(A) to facilitate a new presidential election in
Venezuela in 2026 that complies with international
standards for a free, fair, and transparent electoral
process;
(B) to end the Maduro-Rodriguez regime's usurpation
of presidential authorities;
(C) to restore democracy and the rule of law in
Venezuela;
(D) to free political prisoners and prisoners of
conscience from incarceration in Venezuela; and
(E) to facilitate the consistent delivery of
humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela;
(3) outlines benchmarks towards a democratic transition in
Venezuela;
(4) provides a detailed assessment of Venezuelan government
institutions, political prisoners, detention and torture
centers, armed groups, and laws used to repress political
opposition;
(5) outlines the next steps that need to be taken in
Venezuela--
(A) to coordinate international sanctions;
(B) to close torture centers;
(C) to ensure the Venezuelan military respects the
results of free and fair presidential elections;
(D) to establish mechanisms for institutional
reform;
(E) to guarantee the safe return of opposition
leaders, including Maria Corina Machado; and
(F) to provide pathways for transitional justice
and accountability; and
(6) requires transparency and monthly reporting to the
appropriate congressional committees with respect to the
transition to democracy in Venezuela, including--
(A) closely monitoring energy-related negotiations;
and
(B) tracking progress made toward achieving certain
democratic benchmarks.
SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
IN VENEZUELA.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described
in subsection (b) with respect to Venezuelan persons the President
determines are complicit in gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights in Venezuela.
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Blocking of property.--The President shall exercise all
of the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to
block and prohibit all transactions in all property and
interests in property of a person described in subsection (a),
if such property and interests in property are in the United
States, come within the United States, or are or come within
the procession or control of a United States person.
(2) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--
In the case of an alien described in subsection (a), the alien
is--
(A) inadmissible to the United States;
(B) ineligible for a visa or other documentation to
enter the United States; and
(C) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled
into the United States or to receive any other benefit
under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101 et seq.).
(c) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception relating to importation of goods.--
(A) In general.--A requirement to block and
prohibit all transactions in all property and interests
in property under this section shall not include the
authority or a requirement to impose sanctions on the
importation of goods.
(B) Good.--In this paragraph, the term ``good''
means any article, natural or manmade substance,
material, supply, or manufactured product, including
inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical
data.
(2) Exception to comply with united nations headquarters
agreement and law enforcement activities.--Sanctions under
subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect to the admission
of an alien to the United States if admitting or paroling the
alien into the United States is necessary--
(A) to permit the United States to comply with the
Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United
Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and
entered into force November 21, 1947, between the
United Nations and the United States, or other
applicable international obligations of the United
States; or
(B) to carry out or assist authorized law
enforcement activity in the United States.
(3) Exception to comply with intelligence activities.--
Sanctions under this section shall 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.) or any
authorized intelligence activities of the United States.
(d) Waivers.--
(1) National security waiver.--The President may waive the
application of sanctions under this section if the President--
(A) determines such a waiver is in the national
security interests of the United States; and
(B) submits to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the waiver and the reasons for
the waiver.
(2) Humanitarian waiver.--
(A) In general.--Sanctions under this section shall
not apply to--
(i) the conduct or facilitation of a
transaction for the provision of agricultural
commodities, food, medicine, medical devices,
humanitarian assistance, or for humanitarian
purposes; or
(ii) transactions that are necessary for or
related to the activities described in clause
(i).
(B) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
(i) Agricultural commodity.--The term
``agricultural commodity'' has the meaning
given that term in section 102 of the
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602).
(ii) Medical device.--The term ``medical
device'' has the meaning given the term
``device'' in section 201 of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321).
(iii) Medicine.--The term ``medicine'' has
the meaning given the term ``drug'' in section
201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(21 U.S.C. 321).
(3) Democratic transition.--The President may waive the
application of sanctions under this section upon receiving
certifications from the Secretary of State and the Secretary of
the Treasury that a democratic transition has occurred in
Venezuela.
(e) Implementation; Penalties.--
(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and
1704) to carry out this section.
(2) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of this
section or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry
out this section shall be subject to the penalties set forth in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same
extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in
subsection (a) of that section.
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