Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018
Public Law 115-335 · H.R. 1918 · 115th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 20, 2018 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-27)
Cosponsors (25): Rep. Albio Sires, Rep. Jeff Duncan,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018
This bill imposes restrictions and sanctions on institutions and individuals responsible for the Nicaraguan government's violence and infringement of the civil rights of protesters.
The Department of the Treasury shall take action to restrict international financial institutions, including those affiliated with the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank, from extending financial or technical assistance to Nicaragua's government and to develop policies for future lending that will advance human rights in the country.
The President shall impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for acts of corruption, significant human rights violations, violence against protesters in Nicaragua, or provided material support to such actions. Sanctions include blocking the assets of sanctioned individuals and barring them from entry into the United States.
The Department of State shall report to Congress about various topics, including Nicaragua's efforts strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance, combatting corruption, and protecting human rights. The President may temporarily waive the sanctions if the State Department certifies that Nicaragua has taken effective steps on these issues. The President may also waive the sanctions if it is in the national interests of the United States to do so.
The bill also directs the State Department devise a strategy for engaging Nicaragua's civil society to strengthen human rights protections and anti-corruption efforts.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Foreign Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred toSubcommittee: Western Hemisphere Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 972Related bill
Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA) of 2017
S. 2265Related bill
Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA) of 2017
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Dec 20, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-335.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 13, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 11, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Royce (CA) asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's Table and agree to the Senate amendment.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Nov 28, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 27, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 4, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Oct 3, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1918.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Royce (CA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 27, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 24, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 18, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
- Apr 5, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4066SenateSen. Bob MenendezD-NJ· offered Nov 27, 2018Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Nov 27, 2018: Amendment SA 4066 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.