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S. 5486Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A bill to amend the African Growth and Opportunity Act to exclude from eligibility each sub-Saharan African country that does not effectively enforce its environmental laws and fulfill its international environmental obligations.

Sponsored by Sheldon WhitehouseSen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Introduced September 23, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 30, 2026 at 5:52 AM UTC

The bill changes the African Growth and Opportunity Act so that a sub‑Saharan African country can only receive AGOA trade benefits if it effectively enforces its own environmental laws and meets its international environmental commitments, including those related to public health. It also updates related language in the Trade Act of 1974 to tie those requirements to the date the President makes the eligibility designation. The changes affect all sub‑Saharan African nations that currently qualify for AGOA.

Key Provisions

  • Adds a new eligibility condition to AGOA requiring a country to effectively enforce its environmental laws, regulations, and other measures, and to fulfill its international environmental obligations, including public‑health‑related ones.
  • Amends the Trade Act of 1974 so that the environmental‑law requirement applies as of the date the President designates a country’s eligibility, rather than the date the original act was enacted.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

September 23, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 23, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

September 23, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 23, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5486

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 23, 2026

Mr. Whitehouse introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To amend the African Growth and Opportunity Act to exclude from eligibility each sub-Saharan African country that does not effectively enforce its environmental laws and fulfill its international environmental obligations.

1.

Enforcement of environmental laws and fulfillment of international environmental obligations

(a)

In general

Section 104 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3703) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(4)

effectively enforces its environmental laws, regulations, and other measures, and fulfills its international environmental obligations, including as such obligations relate to public health.

.

(b)

Conforming amendment to Trade Act of 1974

Section 506A(a)(1)(A) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)(A)) is amended by striking as such requirements are in effect on the date of the enactment of that Act and inserting as such requirements are in effect on the date the President makes such designation.