H.R. 6829 — International Financial Access Improvements Act

This section amends certification criteria under section 489(a)(7) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for countries combating narcotics-related money laundering by (1) changing a cross-reference from "paragraph (3)(D)" to "paragraph (3)(C)"; and (2) adding a new subparagraph (D) requiring, where available, examples of improvements related to specified findings, including new laws and regulations, enforcement actions (e.g., prosecutions, asset forfeitures), changes in international evaluations, prevention efforts, and bilateral or multilateral initiatives. It further requires the President, for each report under section 489(a), to consult with the Secretary of the Treasury on money laundering matters and submit a separate volume on those items to the House Committee on Financial Services and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Finally, it directs the Secretary of the Treasury, within 180 days of enactment, to consult with federal banking agencies (as defined in section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act), the Financial Institutions Examination Council, and the Bank Secrecy Act Advisory Group to promote more consistent Bank Secrecy Act examinations across agencies and to submit a report to the specified committees describing resulting steps. (The Bank Secrecy Act requires insured depository institutions to maintain records useful for criminal, tax, regulatory, intelligence, and counterterrorism investigations.)