This bill requires the State Department to publish annual country corruption rankings in three tiers. Tier two and three countries get anti-corruption contacts at U.S. embassies, and tier three countries face evaluation for Global Magnitsky sanctions.
Latest Action
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill requires the State Department to publish annual country corruption rankings in three tiers. Tier two and three countries get anti-corruption contacts at U.S. embassies, and tier three countries face evaluation for Global Magnitsky sanctions.
Last updated: 1/5/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025 </strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of State to address corruption in foreign governments.</p><p>The State Department must annually publish a ranking of foreign countries based on their government's efforts to eliminate corruption. Corruption, for the purposes of the bill, is the unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including by bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement.</p><p>The bill outlines the minimum standards that the State Department must consider when creating the ranking. These considerations include, for example, whether a country has criminalized corruption, adopted measures to prevent corruption, and complied with the United Nations Convention against Corruption and other relevant international agreements. Tier one countries meet the standards; tier two countries make some efforts to meet the standards; tier three countries make <em>de minimis</em> or no efforts to meet the standards.</p><p>If a country is ranked in the second or third tier, the State Department must designate an anti-corruption contact at the U.S. diplomatic post in that country to promote good governance and combat corruption.</p><p>The State Department must also evaluate whether there are foreign persons (individuals or entities) engaged in significant corruption in all third-tier countries for the purpose of potential imposition of sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The State Department must annually provide Congress with a list of those persons that the President has sanctioned pursuant to this evaluation, the dates sanctions were imposed, and the reasons for imposing sanctions.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Creates three-tier corruption ranking system
Requires annual country rankings
Assigns anti-corruption contacts abroad
Evaluates tier three for sanctions
Reports sanctioned persons to Congress
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
Countries would be ranked publicly on anti-corruption efforts. Corrupt foreign officials could face sanctions. U.S. diplomatic posts would have dedicated anti-corruption personnel in lower-ranked countries.
