S. 37: VALOR Act of 2025

This bill requires or authorizes various actions, including sanctions, targeting the current government of Venezuela and any nondemocratic successor government. The bill also authorizes certain types of assistance for the people of Venezuela and to support democracy-building efforts.

Under the bill, the President

• must impose property-blocking sanctions on the Venezuelan government and persons supporting the Venezuelan government;
• may deny U.S. nonhumanitarian foreign assistance, arms-related assistance, and debt forgiveness to any country that provides assistance to the Venezuelan government;
• may provide support to individuals and independent nongovernmental organizations to support democracy-building efforts in Venezuela;
• must develop a plan to provide assistance to Venezuela under a democratically elected government, which may include food, medicine, and emergency energy assistance to meet the basic needs of Venezuelans;
• must take steps to terminate sanctions under this bill once the President determines that a democratically elected government is in power (criteria for such a determination include a Venezuelan government that is the result of free and fair elections, is making progress in establishing an independent judiciary and respecting human rights, and has released all political prisoners).

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.