# 119-s-5357: TABOO Act

119-s-5357, TABOO Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced (as of 2026-08-27).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5357
- As of: 2026-08-27
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5357
- Congress: 119
- Title: TABOO Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-27

## 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. - 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.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-08-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New ethics rules for foreign negotiators: cost, low. 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 inclu…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act
- 119-s-1814: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-5357 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5357)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [119-s-1814: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1814)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5357 (as of 2026-08-27).