Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of State to take all necessary steps to strengthen participation in the Organization of American States (OAS) by legislators of OAS member states, including establishing formal procedures to (1) create an annual forum for the presidents of national legislatures to discuss issues of hemispheric importance, (2) permit elected national legislators to make presentations and provide expert advice, and (3) create a formalized body or mechanism to permanently facilitate the participation of national legislators in OAS activities. The State Department shall report to Congress on progress toward achieving such goals.
The State Department shall report to Congress a strategy for supporting OAS anti-corruption and human rights promotion efforts, including (1) an assessment of U.S. activities with the OAS to address such matters and to strengthen the role of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, (2) an assessment of necessary reforms and initiatives to prioritize and reinforce OAS efforts on such matters, and (3) a detailed plan for implementing the reported strategy. The State Department shall report annually to Congress on actions taken to implement this strategy.