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119-s-5357119th Congress

TABOO Act

Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

Introduced

Summary

Uniform ethics and disclosure rules for key foreign-policy officials would extend officer-level ethics obligations to negotiators, diplomats, and unpaid advisers who exercise significant foreign-policy or national-security authority. The bill would close disclosure gaps, require timely divestment or blind trusts, and create new reporting and enforcement paths across agencies.

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  • Covered-position individuals would have to confirm within 30 days that they hold no foreign financial interests or will divest or place them in a qualified blind trust within 60 days, and they could not acquire new foreign interests for 1 year after leaving the role.
  • Federal agencies would name ethics officers and submit lists of covered-position personnel every 90 days, and the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Government Ethics would issue joint guidance within 120 days.
  • Noncompliance would trigger access restrictions to federal funds and services, DOJ referral, suspension from duties until compliant, and criminal penalties including fines or up to 1 year imprisonment.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

New ethics rules for foreign negotiators

This bill would apply uniform ethics and disclosure rules to people who direct or lead U.S. negotiations with foreign governments or international organizations. It would also cover anyone who exercises significant authority in U.S. foreign policy or national security. Covered positions would include many named titles (for example, Special Envoy, Special Representative, Special Advisor, Senior Advisor) and unpaid volunteers who perform that work. The bill would broadly define a foreign "financial interest" to include contracts with a foreign government, state-linked companies, firms tied to foreign officials, and banks tied to the government. It would count interests held by the individual, their spouse, and immediate family.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

OR • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]

    RI • D

    Sponsored 8/6/2026

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 8/7/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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