119-hr5845

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5845 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5845

 To establish a lending program for Latin America and the Caribbean to 
 reaffirm the United States commitment to sustainable and equitable 
 growth and energy security in the Western Hemisphere.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 October 28, 2025

Mr. Espaillat introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a lending program for Latin America and the Caribbean to 
 reaffirm the United States commitment to sustainable and equitable 
 growth and energy security in the Western Hemisphere.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Las Americas Energy Security Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE; STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress finds the following:

    (1) Energy independence and security are critical for a 
 country to maintain its sovereignty, independence, and 
 sustainable economic growth.

    (2) The International Energy Agency (``IEA'') defines 
 energy security as the uninterrupted availability of energy 
 sources at an affordable price.

    (3) The IEA defines long-term energy security as primarily 
 dealing with timely investments to supply energy in line with 
 economic developments and environmental needs.

    (4) The IEA defines short-term energy security as focusing 
 on the ability of a country's energy system to react promptly 
 to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance.

    (5) The IEA's Executive Director remarked in February 2023 
 that Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine had sparked an 
 ongoing global energy crisis with serious implications for 
 international energy security.

    (6) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

    (IPCC) , a 
 United Nations body that provides regular assessments on global 
 heating, issued a synthesis report in March 2023, and found 
 that the effects of global temperature changes were ``already 
 affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region 
 across the globe,'' which has ``led to widespread adverse 
 impacts on food and water security, human health and on 
 economies and society and related losses and damages to nature 
 and people.''.

    (7) The IPCC notes that to avoid mounting loss of life, 
 biodiversity, and infrastructure, we must have ambitious, 
 accelerated action to adapt to climate change, while also 
 making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

    (8) The World Meteorological Organization's State of the 
 Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2021 report found 
 that--
        (A) widespread drought across Latin America and the 
 Caribbean has had significant impact on inland shipping 
 routes, crop yields, and food production, and 
 consequently led to worsening food insecurity;
        (B) extreme weather events affected millions of 
 people across Central America, exacerbating food 
 insecurity in countries already crippled by economic 
 shocks, COVID-19 impacts, and conflict; and
            (C) sea-level rise poses a major risk to low-lying 
 coastal zones in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    (9) The United Nations states that facilitating more 
 reliable and affordable access to clean electricity helps 
 governments to improve the quality of other basic services, 
 such as education and healthcare. Electricity access also helps 
 diversify and strengthen local economies. Thus, increasing 
 electricity access could reduce the need to migrate to urban 
 areas and other countries.

    (10) Natural disasters of increased frequency are projected 
 to increase the displacement of people and the United Nations 
 High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that an annual average 
 of more than 20 million people have been forcibly displaced by 
 weather-related sudden onset hazards every year since 2008.

    (11) Rising commodity and energy prices, as well as other 
 global economic shocks such as those caused by natural 
 disasters, pandemics, and conflict pose a serious security risk 
 that may lead to social unrest and instability in Latin America 
 and the Caribbean.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States has economic and national security interests in assisting Latin 
America and the Caribbean to achieve sustainable energy security.
            (c) Statement of 

=== Policy ===
-It is the policy of the United States--

    (1) to advance United States foreign policy and development 
 goals by helping Latin America and the Caribbean meet its 
 short-term energy needs;

    (2) to promote the energy security of Latin America and the 
 Caribbean by encouraging the development of accessible, 
 transparent, competitive, and solvent energy markets and 
 systems that provide diversified sources, types, and routes of 
 energy, as well as by prioritizing clean energy sources that 
 reduce carbon emissions and address the ongoing global rise in 
 temperatures;

    (3) to encourage United States public and private sector 
 investment in Latin American and Caribbean energy 
 infrastructure projects to bridge the gap between energy 
 security and commercial demand in a way that is consistent with 
 the region's current absorptive capacity, and that recognizes 
 the importance of building and widening the absorptive capacity 
 of the region;

    (4) to help facilitate the export of United States energy 
 resources, technology, and expertise to global markets in a way 
 that benefits the comprehensive energy security of Latin 
 America and the Caribbean; and

    (5) to assist partner countries in developing and 
 strengthening regulatory and investment frameworks that support 
 energy security.

SEC. 3. SOVEREIGN LENDING PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE LATIN AMERICAN AND 
 CARIBBEAN PARTNER COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, with the 
concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall establish a sovereign 
lending program for eligible Latin American and Caribbean partner 
countries--

    (1) to support their short-term energy needs;

    (2) to fund projects that help them transition to renewable 
 or clean energy that reduces carbon emissions;

    (3) to fund technical assistance programs that ensure that 
 there is a continuous pipeline of clean energy projects 
 available for investment from the United States, Latin America, 
 and the Caribbean;

    (4) to provide capital and financing for United States 
 companies to make it easier to invest in renewable energy 
 projects in smaller and developing markets; and

    (5) to provide financing to partner countries to help 
 purchase battery solutions that contribute to reliable and 
 affordable electricity prices.

    (b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a loan under the 
program, an eligible Latin American or Caribbean partner country shall 
submit to the Secretary of the Treasury an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. At minimum, the Secretary shall require an applicant to 
provide--

    (1) information about the energy projects that will be 
 supported through these funds, including their economic and 
 technical viability, feasibility to attract funding from the 
 private sector, net carbon impact, the potential to use United 
 States goods and services during project implementation, and 
 enhancement of energy market integration;

    (2) data on how funds will support equitable job creation;

    (3) information regarding environmental impact, including 
 on biodiversity;

    (4) data on the impact upon marginalized communities; and

    (5) certification that no funds shall be used to purchase a 
 commodity from or support in any manner a corporation or state-
 owned enterprise that has an ownership relationship with the 
 Government of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese 
 Communist Party, the Government of the Russian Federation, or 
 any other foreign adversary or malign influence.
            (c) Preference.--In selecting among applications for a loan under 
this section, the Secretary of State shall give preference to an 
eligible Latin American or Caribbean partner country that shares 
democratic values, respect for human rights, and economic freedom, as 
determined by the Secretary of State, including members of the Alliance 
for Development in Democracy (the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, 
Panama, and Ecuador) and the Caribbean Community

    (CARICOM) .
            (d) Loan Conditions.--A loan provided under the program--

    (1) shall be--
        (A) a zero-interest loan, not to exceed 30 years in 
 duration; or
        (B) a low-interest concessional loan, not to exceed 
 50 years in duration;

    (2) shall not contain any requirements that an eligible 
 Latin American or Caribbean partner country engage in austerity 
 measures or policies that increase poverty and inequality, 
 diminish the quality of life, and threaten the immediate access 
 of goods and services;

    (3) shall ensure that no funds are used to purchase a 
 commodity from or support in any manner a corporation or state-
 owned enterprise that has an ownership relationship with the 
 Government of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese 
 Communist Party, the Government of the Russian Federation, or 
 any other foreign adversary or malign actor; and

    (4) shall be subject to such other terms and conditions as 
 the Secretary of the Treasury, in concurrence with the 
 Secretary of State, determines to be appropriate.

    (e) Report.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 4 years, 
 the Secretary of the Treasury, in concurrence with the 
 Secretary of State, and in consultation with the Secretary of 
 Energy and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and 
 agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
 the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
 and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
 Appropriations of the Senate a report on progress in the 
 implementation of the program.

    (2) Matters to be included.--The report shall--
        (A) include a description of how the program 
 strengthens United States national security and 
 economic interests in Latin America and the Caribbean;
        (B) include an assessment of--
            (i) the status and effectiveness of current 
 efforts by regional governments, multilateral 
 development banks, and the private sector to 
 promote energy security in Latin America and 
 the Caribbean and to transition to clean energy 
 practices;
            (ii) major challenges hindering such 
 efforts; and
            (iii) how the United States can strengthen 
 the effectiveness of such efforts;
            (C) identify how activities by the Department of 
 State, the United States Agency for International 
 Development, the United States International 
 Development Finance Corporation, and other related 
 agencies can effectively be leveraged to strengthen and 
 promote energy independence and security in Latin 
 America and the Caribbean;
            (D) assess diplomatic initiatives taken to secure 
 specific national commitments by governments of 
 eligible Latin American and Caribbean partner countries 
 to undertake efforts to promote energy security and 
 independence in the region, address corruption and rule 
 of law concerns, modernize digital and physical 
 infrastructure, improve ease of doing business, and 
 finance and incentivize energy security initiatives; 
 and
        (E) detail coordination of efforts with relevant 
 multilateral development banks to advance energy 
 security and independence of eligible Latin American 
 and Caribbean partner countries.

    (f) Annual Audit.--The Secretary of the Treasury--

    (1) shall ensure that a full audit of the program is 
 performed on an annual basis; and

    (2) shall submit the results of the audit to the Committee 
 on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
 House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations 
 and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Treasury $100,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to carry out the program.

    (h) Eligible Latin American or Caribbean Partner Country Defined.--
In this section, the term ``eligible Latin American or Caribbean 
partner country''--

    (1) means a country that--
        (A) is a beneficiary country for purposes of the 
 Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2701 
 et seq.);
        (B) is a member state of the Caribbean Community 
 (commonly referred to as ``CARICOM'');
            (C) is a member state of the Alliance for 
 Development in Democracy;
            (D) is a country in the Western Hemisphere that is 
 a party to a free trade agreement or preference program 
 with the United States; or
        (E) is a beneficiary country of the Caribbean Basin 
 Security Initiative; and

    (2) does not include any country that--
        (A) has been sanctioned by the United States; or
        (B) the Secretary of State determines--
            (i) to be a state sponsor of terrorism; or
            (ii) to be a foreign adversary, defined as 
 a foreign government engaged in a long-term 
 pattern or serious instances of conduct adverse 
 to the national security of the United States 
 or security and safety of United States 
 persons.

SEC. 4. SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO INCREASE ENERGY SECURITY OF ELIGIBLE 
 LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN PARTNER COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Energy and the heads of other relevant Federal departments 
and agencies, shall, as appropriate, prioritize and expedite the 
efforts of the Department of State and those other departments and 
agencies in supporting the efforts of eligible Latin American and 
Caribbean partner countries to increase their energy security, 
including through--

    (1) providing diplomatic and political support to these 
 governments, as necessary--
        (A) to facilitate international negotiations 
 concerning cross-border infrastructure and 
 transactions;
        (B) to enhance and build Latin America's and the 
 Caribbean's regulatory environment with respect to 
 energy; and
            (C) to develop accessible, transparent, and 
 competitive energy markets supplied by diverse sources, 
 types, and routes of energy to achieve energy 
 efficiency; and

    (2) providing support to improve Latin American and 
 Caribbean energy markets, including early-stage project support 
 and late-stage project support for the construction or 
 improvement of energy and related infrastructure, as 
 necessary--
        (A) to diversify the energy sources and supply 
 routes of eligible Latin American and Caribbean partner 
 countries;
        (B) to enhance energy market integration across the 
 region; and
            (C) to increase competition and aggregate energy 
 markets.

    (b) Project Selection.--

    (1) In general.--The Federal departments and agencies 
 described in subsection

    (a) shall identify energy 
 infrastructure projects that would be appropriate for United 
 States assistance under this section.

    (2) Project eligibility.--A project is eligible for United 
 States assistance under this section if the project--
        (A)
            (i) improves electricity transmission 
 infrastructure and power generation through the use of 
 a broad power mix, prioritizing renewable energy or 
 energy efficiency;
            (ii) advances energy storage projects, smart grid 
 projects, distributed generation models, or other 
 technological innovations and digitalization of the 
 power sector, as appropriate; and
            (iii) improves energy access for marginalized and 
 underserved communities;
        (B) is located in an eligible Latin American or 
 Caribbean partner country; and
            (C) can be conducted in a transparent and 
 accountable manner that mitigates any risk of 
 corruption.

    (3) Preference.--In selecting among projects that are 
 eligible under paragraph

    (2) , the Federal departments and 
 agencies described in subsection

    (a) shall give preference to 
 projects that--
        (A) link the energy systems of two or more Latin 
 American and Caribbean partner countries;
        (B) address the impacts of sustained global 
 temperature increases;
            (C) enhance resilience to sustained global 
 temperature increases and global economic shocks;
            (D) are expected to enhance energy market 
 integration;
        (E) can demonstrate sustainability by attracting 
 funding from the private sector, an international 
 financial institution, or the government of the country 
 in which the project will be carried out;
        (F) have the potential to use United States goods 
 and services during project implementation; or
        (G) decrease electricity prices and promote price 
 stability in the face of global economic shocks.
            (c) Types of Assistance.--

    (1) Diplomatic and political support.--The Secretary of 
 State shall provide diplomatic and political support to the 
 governments of eligible Latin American and Caribbean countries, 
 as necessary, including by using the diplomatic and political 
 influence and expertise of the Department of State to build the 
 capacity of those countries to resolve any impediments to the 
 development of projects selected under subsection

    (b) .

    (2) Early-stage project support.--The Director of the Trade 
 and Development Agency, in consultation with the United States 
 Agency for International Development, the Inter-American 
 Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World 
 Bank, shall provide early-stage project support with respect to 
 projects selected under subsection

    (b) , as necessary.

    (3) Late-stage project support.--Federal departments and 
 agencies described in subsection

    (a) that provide late-stage 
 project support shall do so with respect to projects selected 
 under subsection

    (b) , as necessary.
            (d) Exception From Certain Limitation Under Build Act.--For 
purposes of providing support for projects under this section--

    (1) the United States International Development Finance 
 Corporation may provide support for projects in countries with 
 upper-middle-income economies or high-income economies (as 
 those terms are defined by the World Bank);

    (2) the restriction under 

section 1412
            (c) (2) of the BUILD 
 Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9612
            (c) (2) ) shall not apply; and

    (3) the Corporation shall restrict the provision of such 
 support in a country described in paragraph

    (1) unless--
        (A) the President certifies to the appropriate 
 congressional committees that such support furthers the 
 national economic or foreign policy interests of the 
 United States; and
        (B) such support is--
            (i) designed to produce significant 
 developmental outcomes or provide developmental 
 benefits to the poorest population of that 
 country; or
            (ii) necessary to preempt or counter 
 efforts by a strategic competitor of the United 
 States to secure significant political or 
 economic leverage or acquire national security-
 sensitive technologies or infrastructure in a 
 country that is an ally or partner of the 
 United States.

    (e) Progress Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for seven years, the 
President shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate a report on progress made in providing assistance for 
projects under this section that includes the following:

    (1) A description of the energy infrastructure projects the 
 United States has identified for such assistance.

    (2) For each such project--
        (A) a description of the role of the United States 
 in the project, including in early-stage project 
 support and late-stage project support;
        (B) the amount and form of any debt financing and 
 insurance provided by the United States Government for 
 the project;
            (C) the amount and form of any early-stage project 
 support; and
            (D) an update on the progress made on the project 
 as of the date of the report.

    (f) Eligible Latin American or Caribbean Partner Country Defined.--
In this section, the term ``eligible Latin American or Caribbean 
partner country'' has the meaning given that term in 

section 3

    (h) .
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