Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025
Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025 - Summary **What the Bill Would Do** The Combating Global Corruption Act would require the U.S. State Department to create and publish an annual ranking system for foreign countries based on how well their governments fight corruption. Countries would be placed into three tiers: Tier 1 (meeting anti-corruption standards), Tier 2 (making some efforts), and Tier 3 (making minimal or no efforts). The State Department would evaluate countries based on whether they've criminalized corruption, implemented anti-corruption measures, and complied with international anti-corruption agreements like the United Nations Convention against Corruption. **Who It Affects and Key Provisions** This bill primarily affects foreign governments and their citizens, as well as U.S. foreign policy.
The rankings could influence U.S. diplomatic relations and decisions about foreign aid. The bill defines corruption broadly to include bribery, nepotism, fraud, and embezzlement—essentially any misuse of government power for personal gain. While the summary notes that countries ranked in Tier 2 or 3 face consequences, those specific consequences aren't detailed in the provided summary. **Current Status** The bill (HR 385) is currently in committee in the 119th Congress and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives.
CRS Official Summary
Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of State to address corruption in foreign governments.The State Department must annually publish a ranking of foreign countries based on their government's efforts to eliminate corruption. Corruption, for the purposes of the bill, is the unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including by bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement.The bill outlines the minimum standards that the State Department must consider when creating the ranking. These considerations include, for example, whether a country has criminalized corruption, adopted measures to prevent corruption, and complied with the United Nations Convention against Corruption and other relevant international agreements. Tier one countries meet the standards; tier two countries make some efforts to meet the standards; tier three countries make de minimis or no efforts to meet the standards.If a country is ranked in the second or third tier, the State Department must designate an anti-corruption contact at the U.S. diplomatic post in that country to promote good governance and combat corruption.The State Department must also evaluate whether there are foreign persons (individuals or entities) engaged in significant corruption in all third-tier countries for the purpose of potential imposition of sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The State Department must annually provide Congress with a list of those persons that the President has sanctioned pursuant to this evaluation, the dates sanctions were imposed, and the reasons for imposing sanctions.
Latest Action
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.