Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Fiscal Transparency Act of 2020
Latest action. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdictionA court's legal authority to hear a case: over the subject matter, the parties, and the territory.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) of the committee concerned.
Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Fiscal Transparency Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of State to submit a strategy outlining U.S. support for a transition to civilian-led government in Sudan, and it authorizes certain measures to support and assist such a political transition.
Specifically, the bill requires the State Department to submit a strategy that includes (1) an articulation of specific U.S. objectives for the political transition in Sudan and a plan to achieve such objectives; (2) an assessment of reforms necessary to promote human rights, essential freedoms, and accountability, as well as a description of efforts to address such reforms; and (3) an assessment of security sector reforms by the Sudanese government, such as demobilizing militias and fostering civilian control of the armed forces.
The bill also authorizes the President to provide certain support for (1) democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms; (2) programs to advance economic growth, private-sector productivity, and market-based solutions to development challenges; (3) conflict mitigation strategies to support long-term peace, stability and oversight of Sudanese security and intelligence services; and (4) accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
The President must impose sanctions on individuals who the President determines are committing human rights abuses, exploiting natural resources, or undermining the political transition in Sudan.
Upon certification that Sudan has taken steps to improve fiscal transparency, the Department of the Treasury and the State Department must engage with international financial institutions to restructure, reschedule, or cancel the sovereign debt of Sudan.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 5, 2020. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 5, 2020: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and 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.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 116th Congress (2019-20), 344 of the 14,345 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ELIOT ENGEL (D-NY) introduced it on March 5, 2020, and 11 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 9 Democrats, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 5, 2020, 2380 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2380 days ago, on March 5, 2020.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 116th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2021 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers