The Combating Global Corruption Act of 2025 establishes a framework to identify and combat corruption worldwide. It mandates the Secretary of State to annually publish a tiered ranking of all foreign countries, categorizing them into Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 based on their government's compliance with minimum standards for eliminating corruption. Tier 1 countries meet these standards, Tier 2 countries are making efforts but not fully compliant, and Tier 3 countries demonstrate de minimis or no efforts.

The bill defines minimum standards for corruption elimination, including enacting and enforcing laws, punishing offenders, and making serious and sustained efforts to address corruption. The Secretary of State must consider various factors when assessing these efforts, such as whether a government criminalizes and prosecutes corruption, prevents officials from facilitating it, protects whistleblowers, and implements financial transparency measures. Compliance with relevant international anti-corruption conventions is also a key consideration.

For countries designated as Tier 3, the bill mandates that the Secretary of State evaluate foreign persons engaged in significant corruption for potential sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. An annual report or briefing to Congress is required, detailing any sanctions imposed and the reasons behind them, aiming to hold corrupt actors accountable.

To enhance anti-corruption efforts, the Act requires the Secretary of State to annually designate anti-corruption points of contact at U.S. diplomatic posts in Tier 2 and Tier 3 countries, or others as needed. These points of contact will coordinate a whole-of-government approach to promote good governance and enhance the host country's ability to combat public corruption, with appropriate training provided.