119-sres354

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 354 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 354

 Requesting information on the Republic of Panama's human rights 
practices pursuant to 

section 502B
            (c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
 1961.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 31, 2025

Mr. Kaine submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Requesting information on the Republic of Panama's human rights 
practices pursuant to 

section 502B
            (c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
 1961.

 Resolved,

SECTION 1. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON PANAMA'S HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES.

    (a) Statement Requested.--The Senate requests that the Secretary of 
State, not later than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this 
resolution, submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, 
pursuant to 

section 502B
            (c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2304
            (c) ), a statement regarding Panama's human rights practices 
that has been prepared in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the 
Legal Adviser at the Department of State.

    (b) Elements.--The statement submitted pursuant to subsection

    (a) should include--

    (1) all available credible information concerning alleged 
 violations of internationally recognized human rights by the 
 Government of Panama, including--
        (A) arbitrary and unlawful arrest, detention, 
 imprisonment, torture and cruel or inhumane treatment, 
 including of people who are not citizens of Panama but 
 have been removed to Panama by the United States 
 Government;
        (B) violations of due process rights, including a 
 description of any opportunity provided to people who 
 are not citizens of Panama but have been removed to 
 Panama by the United States Government to demonstrate 
 that they have been wrongfully arrested, detained, or 
 imprisoned;
            (C) enforced disappearances and arbitrary or 
 unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, 
 including of people who are not citizens of Panama but 
 have been removed to Panama by the United States 
 Government;
            (D) trafficking in persons, including forced or 
 slave labor, including of people who are not citizens 
 of Panama but have been removed to Panama by the United 
 States Government; and
        (E) treatment of and legal rights and status 
 provided by the Government of Panama to people in 
 Panama who are not citizens of Panama but have been 
 removed to Panama by the United States Government;

    (2) a description of the steps the United States Government 
 has taken--
        (A) to promote respect for and observance of human 
 rights as part of the Government of Panama's 
 activities;
        (B) to discourage any practices that are inimical 
 to internationally recognized human rights;
            (C) to publicly or privately call attention to, and 
 disassociate the United States and any security 
 assistance provided for the Government of Panama from, 
 any practices described in subparagraph
        (B) ; and
            (D) to assess, prior to removal, how the Government 
 of Panama would treat people who are not citizens of 
 Panama but have been removed to Panama by the United 
 States Government, including--
            (i) conducting individualized assessments 
 of such individuals to determine whether the 
 Government of Panama may send that person to 
 their country of origin or last residence, and 
 if so, whether the Government of Panama would 
 provide them with meaningful opportunity before 
 their removal to show that they may be 
 persecuted, tortured, or otherwise harmed; and
            (ii) ensuring that the Government of Panama 
 would provide such individuals with legal 
 immigration status, should they wish to remain 
 in Panama, and would be treated humanely; and

    (3) other information, including--
        (A) an assessment from the Secretary of State of 
 the likelihood that United States security assistance 
 (as defined in 

section 502B
            (d) of the Foreign 
 Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304
            (d) )) provided to 
 Panama could be used in support of activities by 
 government officials related to the rendition, 
 trafficking, detention, or imprisonment of people who 
 are not citizens of Panama but have been removed to 
 Panama by the United States Government;
        (B) any analysis conducted by the United States 
 Government of the conditions to be faced in Panama by 
 people who are not citizens of Panama but have been 
 removed to Panama by the United States Government, 
 prior to the rendition, removal, trafficking, 
 detention, or imprisonment of such individuals to 
 Panama;
            (C) an assessment from the Secretary of State of 
 the conditions in any detention centers or prisons in 
 Panama that may hold people who are not citizens of 
 Panama but have been removed to Panama by the United 
 States Government, including an assessment of 
 allegations of torture and other gross violations of 
 human rights;
            (D) a description of any actions that the United 
 States Government is taking to ensure that the 
 Government of Panama returns people who are not 
 citizens of Panama but have been removed to Panama by 
 the United States Government, in compliance with United 
 States court orders regarding their return to the 
 United States;
        (E) a description of any actions that the United 
 States Government is taking to address the risk of 
 detention, torture, or forced disappearances of people 
 who are not citizens of Panama but have been removed to 
 Panama by the United States Government, or efforts to 
 facilitate the detention, torture, or forced 
 disappearances of such people;
        (F) a description of any actions the United States 
 Government is taking to protect people who are not 
 citizens of Panama but are within the United States 
 jurisdiction or effective control from unlawful 
 rendering, trafficking, or other means of removal to 
 Panama;
        (G) all information regarding any agreement or 
 financial transaction between the United States 
 Government and the Government of Panama related to the 
 rendition, removal, trafficking, detention, or 
 imprisonment of individuals who are not citizens of 
 Panama but have been removed to Panama by the United 
 States Government;
        (H) all information regarding any individuals sent 
 to Panama by the United States Government in 2025;
            (I) a description of any actions that the United 
 States Government is taking to facilitate the release 
 or return of people who are not citizens of Panama but 
 have been wrongfully removed to Panama by the United 
 States Government;
        (J) all information regarding any assurances the 
 United States Government sought or received regarding 
 the treatment of people who are not citizens of Panama 
 but have been removed to Panama by the United States 
 Government, prior to the rendition, removal, or 
 trafficking of such individuals to Panama;
        (K) all information regarding assurances the United 
 States Government sought or received regarding the 
 further rendition, trafficking, removal, or transfer of 
 people who are not citizens of Panama but have been 
 removed to Panama by the United States Government to 
 countries that are not Panama, including the human 
 rights conditions for such individuals in those 
 countries; and
            (L) a summary of all meetings in 2025 between 
 Government of Panama officials and Washington-based 
 officials of the United States Government.
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