# 119-s-5369: Restoring Electoral Fairness and Opposition Rights through Mandates for Accountability Act of 2026

119-s-5369, Restoring Electoral Fairness and Opposition Rights through Mandates for Accountability Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX); status introduced (as of 2026-08-27).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5369
- 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-5369
- Congress: 119
- Title: Restoring Electoral Fairness and Opposition Rights through Mandates for Accountability Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-07
- Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-27

## Summary

**Expands U.S. sanctions to target Nicaragua’s gold sector and other identified economic sectors.** This bill would broaden who can be sanctioned and for what conduct, add priority targets, and require frequent reporting and a transition assessment to guide policy decisions. - Would make sanctions focused on the gold sector and any other sector the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury designate. Sanctions would be effective immediately under the bill and would end on December 31, 2035 or 90 days after the President certifies that agreed democratic benchmarks are met. - Would widen the list of sanctionable acts to cover arrests or prosecutions for exercising religious freedom, politically motivated convictions or sentences of democratic actors and independent civil society members, and the provision of significant goods, services, or technology tied to the Russian Federation after February 24, 2022 or the Islamic Republic of Iran after February 11, 1979. - Would add officials of the Instituto de Prevision Social Militar to priority sanctions lists and require a report within 90 days plus annual reports for three years to relevant congressional committees. The bill would also require the Secretary of State to assess conditions needed for a democratic transition and report findings to Congress.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-08-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Sanctions authority for gold sector: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would let U.S. officials designate people who operate or have operated in Nicaragua's gold sector for targeted sanctions. The Secretary of State, with the Treasury Secretary, could also identify other economic sectors to which the same authority would apply. This would expand t…
- Wider grounds for U.S. sanctions: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would widen the list of actions that can trigger U.S. sanctions related to Nicaragua. It would cover arrests or prosecutions for exercising religious freedom, including members, volunteers, or employees of Catholic or Protestant churches. It would also cover politically motivat…
- Add military social-security officials: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would add officials of Nicaragua’s Military Institute of Social Security (IPSM) to a U.S. priority sanctions list. That would make IPSM officials eligible for targeted designations and could affect people or businesses that do business with them. The change is a focused expansi…
- Required reports and transition assessment: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of State and the Treasury Secretary to report to Congress on sanctions implementation. The first report would be due within 90 days and then annually for three years. Reports must update a coordinated targeted sanctions strategy and list steps taken…
- When Nicaragua sanctions would end: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would make the 2018 Nicaragua sanctions effective on enactment and set when they would stop. Sanctions would end on the earlier of December 31, 2035, or 90 days after the President certifies to Congress that a political crisis is resolved. The certification must say there will…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026
- 119-s-2975: PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-5369 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5369)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-524)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4668)
- [119-s-2975: PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2975)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5369 (as of 2026-08-27).