SRES 616 — Congress 119
A resolution requesting information on Honduras's human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/616
Congress.gov subjects: International Affairs
Issues impacted: Foreign Policy & Sanctions (ai, high)
Official bill text (stored)
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119 SRES 616 IS: Requesting information on Honduras’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. U.S. Senate 2026-02-26 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. III 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 616 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 26, 2026 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Kaine ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Requesting information on Honduras’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. 1. Request for information on Honduras’s human rights practices (a) Statement requested The Senate requests that the Secretary of State, not later than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2304(c) ), a statement regarding Honduras’s human rights practices that has been prepared in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the Legal Adviser at the Department of State. (b) Elements The statement submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall include— (1) all available credible information concerning alleged violations of internationally recognized human rights by the Government of the Republic of Honduras under former President Juan Orlando Hernández, including— (A) connections between high-level government officials and drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel; (B) corruption of government officials related to drug trafficking, including money laundering and bribery; (C) torture, rape, illegal detention, witness tampering, and murder in connection with drug cartels and drug trafficking; and (D) efforts to undermine police reforms and drug crime investigations; (2) a description of the steps the United States Government has taken— (A) to promote respect for and observance of human rights as part of the Government of Honduras’s activities; (B) to bring Honduran government officials to justice for their involvement in drug trafficking and related crimes; (C) to discourage any practices that are inimical to internationally recognized human rights; and (D) to publicly or privately call attention to, and disassociate the United States and any security assistance provided for the Republic of Honduras from, any practices described in subparagraphs (B) and (C); and (3) other information, including— (A) an assessment from the Secretary of State of the likelihood that United States security assistance (as defined in section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2304(d) )) provided to the Republic of Honduras has been used in support of activities related to facilitating drug trafficking and its attendant crimes; (B) an assessment from the Secretary of State of former President Juan Orlando Hernández’s status post-conviction and any ongoing ties he maintains to drug cartels; and (C) a description of any actions that the United States Government is taking to ensure that the Government of the Republic of Honduras addresses corruption and human rights violations tied to drug trafficking.
Plain-English summary
Confidence: high · Complexity: moderate · Model: grok-4.5
This Senate resolution is a formal ask for the State Department to spell out Honduras’s human rights record—especially under former President Juan Orlando Hernández—and how that lines up with U.S. security aid.
If it passed, the Secretary of State would have 30 days to send Congress a written statement under an existing foreign-aid law (section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act—basically a tool Congress can use to demand rights info before more aid goes out). That report would cover alleged abuses tied to drug trafficking: links between high-level officials and cartels (including the Sinaloa Cartel), corruption and money laundering, torture, illegal detention, witness tampering, murder, and moves to block police reforms. It would also describe what the U.S. has done to promote rights, hold officials accountable, and keep American security assistance from backing those practices—plus an assessment of whether that aid may have helped drug trafficking, Hernández’s status after conviction and any ongoing cartel ties, and what Washington is doing now on corruption and rights.
Everyday people wouldn’t see a new tax or program at home. Diplomats, foreign-aid watchers, and folks who follow U.S. policy toward Central America would notice most. It’s a request for information, not a spending bill or a treaty.
Related issues
How a vote maps to positions
Impartial mapping: which issue position a Yea vs Nay advances. When a bill has multiple floor votes, each roll can have its own mapping. Bill-level entries (no roll listed) apply as a default when a roll has no specific map. Used for legislator alignment.
All rolls (bill default)
| Issue | Yea advances | Nay advances | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign Policy & Sanctions | Democracy and human-rights conditionality abroad | Status quo / reject this change | Yea presses State for a 502B(c) human-rights and anti-corruption report on Honduras and U.S. security aid; Nay keeps current posture without that mandated statement. |