H.R. 385 — Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025

This section establishes definitions for use in this Act, including—(1) "corrupt actor" as any foreign person or entity that is a government official or entity responsible for, or complicit in, an act of corruption, or any company in which such a person or entity has a significant stake that is responsible for, or complicit in, an act of corruption; (2) "corruption" as the unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including by bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement; and (3) "significant corruption" as corruption committed at a high level of government that illegitimately distorts major decision-making (such as policy or resource determinations or other fundamental functions of governance) and involves economically or socially large-scale government activities.

This section directs the Secretary of State to annually publish on a publicly accessible website a tiered ranking of all foreign countries based on their governments' compliance with minimum standards set forth in section 4 of the bill. The tiers are (1) Tier 1, for countries fully complying with the minimum standards; (2) Tier 2, for countries making efforts to comply but not achieving the requisite level for Tier 1; and (3) Tier 3, for countries making de minimis or no efforts to comply.

This section establishes minimum standards for a government to eliminate corruption, requiring (1) enactment and implementation of laws, structures, policies, and practices prohibiting and deterring corruption; (2) enforcement of such laws through punishment via fair judicial process; (3) punishments for significant corruption commensurate with those for serious crimes; and (4) serious and sustained efforts to address corruption, including prevention. The section directs the Secretary of State, in assessing such efforts, to consider 13 factors, including whether the government criminalizes, investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences corrupt actors (including public officials); prevents corruption through public education and official prohibitions; provides resources to civil society; ensures an independent judiciary; cooperates internationally (including extraditions); protects victims and whistleblowers; recovers corruption proceeds; implements Financial Action Task Force financial transparency measures; and avoids facilitating foreign corruption. The section further requires the Secretary to consider the government's compliance with relevant international anti-corruption commitments, including the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (1996), OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (1997), UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000), UN Convention against Corruption (2003), and other standards as appropriate.

This section directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, to evaluate foreign persons engaged in significant corruption in all countries identified as tier 3 countries under section 3 for potential sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (i.e., authority to block property and prohibit U.S. transactions with foreign persons responsible for significant corruption or gross human rights violations). (a) Not later than 180 days after publishing the list required by section 3(a) and annually thereafter, the Secretary must submit to specified congressional committees a report that includes (1) a list of foreign persons sanctioned by the President pursuant to the evaluation; (2) dates such sanctions were imposed; and (3) reasons for imposing such sanctions. The report must be unclassified but may include a classified annex, and the Secretaries may provide a briefing in lieu of a written report if it better serves U.S. anti-corruption efforts or national interests. Specified committees are the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Judiciary; and the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Appropriations, Financial Services, and the Judiciary.

This section directs the Secretary of State to annually designate an anti-corruption point of contact—either the chief of mission or a designee—at U.S. diplomatic posts in each country identified as tier 2 or tier 3 under section 3, or otherwise determined to need one. The point of contact must enhance coordination among relevant federal departments and agencies to (1) promote good governance in such countries and (2) strengthen their ability to combat public corruption and develop corruption risk assessment tools and mitigation strategies. The section further requires the Secretary to provide appropriate training for these points of contact.