Last progress June 12, 2025 (5 months ago)
Introduced on June 12, 2025 by Christopher Van Hollen
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
This bill would punish top officials in El Salvador’s government for serious human rights abuses or efforts to harm the rights of people living in the United States. It requires the U.S. to freeze their assets in the U.S., block their access to U.S. visas, and stop U.S. banks from lending to them. It also blocks their transactions in U.S.-linked foreign exchange. These steps target the president, vice president, key ministers, the attorney general, the central bank president, and others tied to abuses or support for them. There is an exception for humanitarian trade like food and medicine .
The bill tells U.S. officials at the World Bank and similar groups to oppose new loans and pause current ones to El Salvador’s government, unless the aid is for humanitarian needs. It also orders a public report on how Salvadoran officials may be using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for corruption or to dodge sanctions. No U.S. funds could go to El Salvador’s government until the President certifies that major human rights abuses and the harmful scheme have stopped. Even then, this certification cannot happen for at least four years, and sanctions would snap back if abuses start again .
| Who is affected | What changes | When |
|---|---|---|
| Named Salvadoran officials and others tied to abuses | U.S. asset freezes, visa bans, lending and foreign-exchange blocks; U.S. votes against international loans | Starts upon enactment; ends only after presidential certification, no earlier than 4 years, with snapback if violations resume |
| U.S. public | No taxpayer funds to El Salvador’s government until conditions are met; public report on crypto use by officials | Report due within 90 days; funding ban lasts until certification |