Secure America from Russian Interference Act of 2018
This bill sets forth provisions for countering specified subversive activities by the government of the Russian Federation against the United States and U.S. allies.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6437 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6437
To combat subversive activities of the Russian Federation, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 19, 2018
Mr. Hoyer (for himself, Ms. Maxine Waters of California, Mr. Engel, Mr.
Nadler, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Schiff, Mr.
Smith of Washington, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Connolly, Mr.
Kennedy, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Correa, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr.
Suozzi, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Heck, Mrs. Demings, Ms.
Stefanik, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Jones, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select),
the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and
Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and
Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To combat subversive activities of the Russian Federation, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Secure America
from Russian Interference Act of 2018''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--ACTIONS TO COMPREHEND AND EXPOSE RUSSIA'S SUBVERSIVE MEASURES
Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Assessment of subversive activities by the Government of the
Russian Federation.
Sec. 103. National Intelligence Estimate on intentions of Russia.
Sec. 104. Report on cyber countermeasures.
Sec. 105. Report on Kremlin-linked corruption.
Sec. 106. Publicize Russian misdeeds.
Sec. 107. Report on actions relating to Ukranian energy security.
TITLE II--DOMESTIC ACTIONS TO COUNTER RUSSIA'S SUBVERSIVE MEASURES AND
CORRUPT NETWORKS OF INFLUENCE
Subtitle A--General Provisions
Sec. 201. Office of sanctions policy.
Sec. 202. National Russian Threat Response Center.
Sec. 203. Interagency task force relating to illicit Russian financial
activities in Europe.
Sec. 204. Prohibition on licenses or other authorization for United
States persons to engage in activities
relating to certain projects to produce oil
in the Russian Federation.
Subtitle B--SECURE Our Democracy Act
Sec. 211. Short title.
Sec. 212. Definitions.
Sec. 213. Identification of foreign persons responsible for actions to
unlawfully access, disrupt, influence, or
in any way alter information or information
systems related to United States political
parties or elections for Federal office.
Sec. 214. Inadmissibility of certain aliens.
Sec. 215. Financial measures.
Sec. 216. Reports to Congress.
Subtitle C--Preventing Cyber Intrusion Into Election Infrastructure
Sec. 221. Election infrastructure designation.
Sec. 222. Timely threat information.
Sec. 223. Pre-election threat assessments.
Sec. 224. Notification of significant foreign cyber intrusions and
active measures campaigns directed at
elections for Federal offices.
Subtitle D--Honest Ads Act
Sec. 231. Short title.
Sec. 232. Purpose.
Sec. 233. Findings.
Sec. 234. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 235. Expansion of definition of public communication.
Sec. 236. Expansion of definition of electioneering communication.
Sec. 237. Application of disclaimer statements to online
communications.
Sec. 238. Political record requirements for online platforms.
Sec. 239. Preventing contributions, expenditures, independent
expenditures, and disbursements for
electioneering communications by foreign
nationals in the form of online
advertising.
Subtitle E--Countering Foreign Propaganda Act of 2018
Sec. 241. Short title.
Sec. 242. Disclosure requirements for United States-based foreign media
outlets.
TITLE III--ACTIONS TO COUNTER RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST UNITED STATES
ALLIES
Subtitle A--Stand With UK Against Russia Violations Act
Sec. 301. Short title.
Sec. 302. Findings.
Sec. 303. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 304. Imposition of sanctions with respect to Russian persons
responsible for March 12 attack.
Sec. 305. Prohibition on transactions relating to new Russian sovereign
debt.
Sec. 306. Implementation; penalties; termination.
Sec. 307. Enhanced military activities to deter Russian aggression.
Sec. 308. United States person defined.
Subtitle B--Imposition of Sanctions on Certain Russian Parastatal
Entities
Sec. 311. Imposition of sanctions on certain Russian parastatal
entities.
Subtitle C--Punishing Continued Occupation of Ukraine Act
Sec. 321. Short title.
Sec. 322. Findings.
Sec. 323. Prohibition against United States recognition of Russia's
annexation of Crimea.
Sec. 324. Imposition of sanctions with respect to certain Russian
financial institutions.
Subtitle D--General Provisions To Bolster Alliances
Sec. 331. Strategy for offensive use of cyber capabilities.
Sec. 332. Matters relating to NATO.
Sec. 333. Countering Russian Influence and Corruption Fund.
TITLE IV--COMBATING PUTIN'S REPRESSION (CPR) FOR RUSSIAN CIVIL SOCIETY
Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Strengthening dialogue with the Russian people.
Sec. 403. Support Russian civil society.
TITLE I--ACTIONS TO COMPREHEND AND EXPOSE RUSSIA'S SUBVERSIVE MEASURES
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Russian Federation interfered in the United States
Presidential election in 2016 and continues to conduct
disinformation efforts designed to undermine the United States.
(2) The Director of National Intelligence concluded in
light of the Russian Federation's hacking of the 2016
Presidential election that ``Russian efforts to influence the
2016 U.S. Presidential election represent the most recent
expression of Moscow's longstanding desire to undermine the
U.S.-led liberal democratic order''.
(3) The Director of National Intelligence further
concluded, ``We also assess Putin and the Russian Government
aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when
possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly
contrasting her unfavorably to him.''.
(4) To adequately combat Russian subversive activities, the
United States must have a better handle on the scope, nature,
and source of these efforts and take steps to combat Russia's
global influence.
SEC. 102. ASSESSMENT OF SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
(a) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress
a report setting forth an independent assessment obtained in accordance
with subsection (b) of subversive activities by the Government of the
Russian Federation.
(b) Independent Assessment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall obtain an
independent assessment for purposes of subsection (a) from a
federally funded research and development center or another
appropriate independent entity that is selected by the
Secretary that has expertise in diplomatic and military
developments in Europe and Russia and undertakes to include
each of the following:
(A) An assessment of disinformation and propaganda
activities of the Government of the Russian Federation,
including an assessment of--
(i) support for disinformation and
propaganda activities with respect to the
United States and foreign countries;
(ii) the overall structure of the
disinformation and influence apparatus of the
Government of the Russian Federation, including
its intelligence agencies and propaganda
outlets such as Russia Today;
(iii) propaganda techniques, including
forgery, use of media representatives and
proxies, use of front organizations, and
efforts to influence international
organizations; and
(iv) use of corruption to advance Russian
objectives.
(B) An assessment of support by the Government of
the Russian Federation for separatist activities and
other aggressive actions aimed at undermining the
sovereignty of foreign countries, particularly in
Ukraine, the Baltic countries, the Balkans, Georgia,
and Azerbaijan.
(C) An assessment of cyber intrusions by the
Government of the Russian Federation to influence the
infrastructure and democratic processes in the United
States and other countries.
(D) An assessment of--
(i) the use of energy exports by the
Government of the Russian Federation for
purposes of political or economic coercion; and
(ii) significant investment in energy
infrastructure outside of Russia, including
pipelines, by the Government of Russia or
Russian-controlled entities.
(E) An assessment of the deterioration of
democratic conditions in the Russian Federation,
including--
(i) suppression of freedom of the press;
(ii) detention, beating, and murder of
political activists and opposition leaders;
(iii) suppression of minority rights;
(iv) suppression of human rights; and
(v) efforts to undermine the Russian
nongovernmental organizations and Russian civil
society.
(2) Use of previous studies.--The entity conducting the
assessment may use and incorporate information from previous
studies on matters appropriate to the assessment.
(c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 103. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE ON INTENTIONS OF RUSSIA.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the
Secretary of State, shall produce a National Intelligence Estimate on
the political and military intentions of Russia, including with respect
to each of the following:
(1) Russian leadership intentions in pursuing military and
subversive scenarios against members of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, including the conduct of an exercise on
the border with Belarus of more than 100,000 Russian forces in
September 2017.
(2) Russian leadership reactions to the European Deterrence
Initiative.
(3) Areas of possible joint dialogue with Russia.
SEC. 104. REPORT ON CYBER COUNTERMEASURES.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
President should promptly and fully implement Executive Order No. 13800
(82 Fed. Reg. 22391; relating to strengthening the cybersecurity of
Federal networks and critical infrastructure) so that Federal
departments and agencies can better detect, monitor, and mitigate cyber
attacks as quickly as possible.
(b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a report describing
each step taken to meet the objectives described in subsection (a)
relating to cyber attack response.
SEC. 105. REPORT ON KREMLIN-LINKED CORRUPTION.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the intelligence community should dedicate resources to
further expose the key networks that the corrupt political
class in Russia uses to hide the money it steals; and
(2) the President should pursue efforts to stifle Russian
use of hidden financial channels, including anonymous shell
companies and real estate investments, in a manner similar to
the efforts undertaken to tighten banking regulations after the
terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
(b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the
Secretary of State, shall submit a report to Congress on assets owned
by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian oligarchs with close ties
to Putin, and senior officials of the Government of the Russian
Federation, including--
(1) with respect to bank accounts, real estate holdings,
and other financial assets, including those outside of Russia,
that are owned by or accessible to Putin--
(A) the location of such accounts, holdings, or
assets; and
(B) the contents of such accounts or the amount
held through such holdings or assets;
(2) the location, size, and contents of any assets of any
oligarch listed in the classified annex to the report submitted
pursuant to section 241 of the Countering America's Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44; 131 Stat. 922); and
(3) any ``front'' or shell companies, or other
intermediaries, used by senior officials of the Government of
the Russian Federation to hide assets from public disclosure.
(c) Form.--The report required under subsection (b) shall be
submitted in classified form.
(d) Reasonable Attempt To Issue Unclassified Report.--Not later
than 60 days after the date of the submission of the report required
under subsection (b), the Secretary of the Treasury shall--
(1) publish an unclassified version of such report on a
publicly available website of the Department of the Treasury;
or
(2) submit a notification to Congress describing the
reasons for which the Secretary has determined that such
release is not possible.
SEC. 106. PUBLICIZE RUSSIAN MISDEEDS.
(a) Donbass Recruitment.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall compile and
publicly release a list of Russian-based persons, including
organizations and their executives, who recruited or otherwise
facilitated the transfer of Russian personnel for--
(A) the war in the Donbass; or
(B) targeting of civilians in Syria.
(2) Visa ban.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law
any persons identified in the list required under paragraph (1)
shall be prohibited from entry to the United States.
(b) Report on Actions by Russian Proxies.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall submit to Congress a list of the following:
(1) Persons, including corporations with United States
subsidiaries, acting in Europe and the United States as front
companies or intermediaries of the Government of Russia, and
the executives of such persons.
(2) Politicians serving or acting as proxies of the
Government of Russia.
(3) Russian media entities, including producers and
reporters, who--
(A) traffic in forgeries, fabrications, and altered
media products with intent to obfuscate factual
reporting; or
(B) instigate conflict and violence in Europe or
the United States.
(4) Non-Russian persons that have knowingly or negligently
provided hardware or other forms of assistance to the
Government of Russia that has furthered Russia's efforts to--
(A) filter online political content;
(B) disrupt cell phone and Internet communications;
(C) monitor the online activities of Russian
citizens; or
(D) discriminate against or suppress the activities
of independent civil society institutions.
(5) Each person that--
(A) receives subsidies from the Government of
Russia, thereby eroding market opportunities for
private businesses;
(B) provides financial or material support to
Russia-backed forces actively involved in aggression
against Russia's neighbors;
(C) provides financial or material support to
propaganda outlets of the Government of Russia that
legitimize Russian aggression; or
(D) provides financing or material support to
political and nongovernmental persons or entities,
including the United Russia political party, determined
by the Secretary of State to be engaged in the
suppression of fundamental freedoms in Russia.
(c) Previously Listed Entities.--The lists required under this
section may also include entities already identified in the list of
specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the
Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury.
(d) Form.--The lists required under this section shall be
unclassified but may be submitted in classified form.
(e) Provision.--The Secretary of State shall transmit the
unclassified lists required under this section to the heads of state
of--
(1) NATO member states;
(2) Sweden;
(3) Finland; and
(4) Ireland.
SEC. 107. REPORT ON ACTIONS RELATING TO UKRANIAN ENERGY SECURITY.
(a) Report by Secretary of State.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on actions the
Department of State is taking to implement section 257 of the
Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act of 2017
(Public Law 115-44; 22 U.S.C. 9546).
(2) Elements.--The report shall include details on the
following:
(A) Efforts by the Department of State since August
3, 2017, to work with European Union member states and
institutions to promote energy security and decrease
their dependence on Russian sources of energy,
including use of the Countering Russian Influence Fund
authorized pursuant to section 254 of the Countering
America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act of 2017
(Public Law 115-44; 22 U.S.C. 9543).
(B) Diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Department
of State to oppose directly the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
and the Turk Stream pipeline.
(C) An estimation of European natural gas supply
demand from 2019 through 2023.
(b) Report by Secretary of the Treasury.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Treasury, in coordination
with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on each entity involved in
construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline or construction of
the Turk Stream pipeline.
(2) Entity defined.--In this subsection, the term
``entity''--
(A) means an entity organized under the laws of the
United States; and
(B) includes, with respect to the entity, a sub
entity, parent entity, subsidiary, or any other entity.
(c) Report by Director of National Intelligence.--The Director of
National Intelligence, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense,
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on
the impact of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline on--
(1) United States interests and security objectives;
(2) European energy security and defense posture;
(3) Russian influence in Europe; and
(4) Ukraine, including the implications of reductions in
transit fees as a result of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
(d) Form.--The reports required by this section shall be submitted
in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.
(e) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) in the House of Representatives--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services;
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs;
(C) the Committee in Financial Services;
(D) the Committee on Energy and Commerce;
(E) the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform; and
(F) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence;
and
(2) in the Senate--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services;
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations;
(C) the Committee on Finance;
(D) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs;
(E) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs; and
(F) the Select Committee on Intelligence.
TITLE II--DOMESTIC ACTIONS TO COUNTER RUSSIA'S SUBVERSIVE MEASURES AND
CORRUPT NETWORKS OF INFLUENCE
Subtitle A--General Provisions
SEC. 201. OFFICE OF SANCTIONS POLICY.
(a) Establishment.--Section 1 of the State Department Basic
Authorities Act (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(h) Coordinator of Sanctions Policy.--
``(1) In general.--There shall be established within the
Department of State a Coordinator for Sanctions Policy, who
shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, and shall report directly to the
Secretary of State.
``(2) Duties.--The Coordinator for Sanctions Policy shall
be responsible for the following:
``(A) Overseeing the diplomatic aspects of the
enforcement of United States and United Nations
sanctions, including sanctions with respect to Russia,
Iran, North Korea, and other countries.
``(B) Coordinating with allies regarding the
enforcement of such sanctions.
``(C) Coordinating determinations with respect to
such sanctions by the heads of other Federal
departments and agencies, including the Secretary of
the Treasury and the United States intelligence
community.
``(3) Rank and status of ambassador.--The Coordinator for
Sanctions Policy shall have the rank and status of Ambassador
at Large.''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Coordinator for Sanctions Policy established pursuant to subsection (a)
should be provided sufficient office space and support staff to ensure
its successful establishment.
SEC. 202. NATIONAL RUSSIAN THREAT RESPONSE CENTER.
(a) Establishment.--The National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3001 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 119B the following
new section:
``SEC. 119C. NATIONAL RUSSIAN THREAT RESPONSE CENTER.
``(a) Establishment.--There is within the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence a National Russian Threat Response Center (in
this section referred to as the `Center').
``(b) Mission.--The primary missions of the Center shall be as
follows:
``(1) To serve as the primary organization in the United
States Government for analyzing and integrating all
intelligence possessed or acquired by the United States
Government pertaining to threats posed by the Russian
Federation to the national security, political sovereignty, and
economic activity of the United States and its allies.
``(2) To synchronize the efforts of the intelligence
community, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and other departments and agencies of the United
States with respect to countering efforts by Russia to
undermine the national security, political sovereignty, and
economic activity of the United States and its allies,
including by--
``(A) ensuring that each such element is aware of
and coordinating on such efforts; and
``(B) overseeing the development and implementation
of comprehensive and integrated policy responses to
such efforts.
``(3) In coordination with the relevant elements of the
Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department
of Justice, the intelligence community, and other departments
and agencies of the United States--
``(A) to develop policy recommendations for the
President to detect, deter, and respond to the threats
posed by Russia described in paragraph (1), including
with respect to covert activities pursuant to section
503; and
``(B) to monitor and assess efforts by Russia to
carry out such threats.
``(4) In coordination with the head of the Global
Engagement Center established by section 1287 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328), to examine current and emerging efforts by Russia to use
propaganda and information operations relating to the threats
posed by Russia described in paragraph (1).
``(5) To identify and close gaps across the departments and
agencies of the Federal Government with respect to expertise,
readiness, and planning to address the threats posed by Russia
described in paragraph (1).
``(c) Director.--
``(1) Appointment.--There is a Director of the Center, who
shall be the head of the Center, and who shall be appointed by
the Director of National Intelligence, with the concurrence of
the Secretary of State. The Director may not simultaneously
serve in any other capacity in the executive branch.
``(2) Reporting.--The Director of the Center shall directly
report to the Director of National Intelligence.
``(3) Responsibilities.--The Director of the Center shall--
``(A) ensure that the relevant departments and
agencies of the Federal Government participate in the
mission of the Center, including by recruiting
detailees from such departments and agencies in
accordance with subsection (e)(1); and
``(B) have primary responsibility within the United
States Government, in coordination with the Director of
National Intelligence, for establishing requirements
for the collection of intelligence related to, or
regarding, the threats posed by Russia described in
subsection (b)(1), in accordance with applicable
provisions of law and Executive orders.
``(d) Annual Reports.--
``(1) In general.--At the direction of the Director of
National Intelligence, but not less than once each year, the
Director of the Center shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on threats posed by Russia to
the national security, political sovereignty, and economic
activity of the United States and its allies.
``(2) Matters included.--Each report under paragraph (1)
shall include, with respect to the period covered by the
report, a discussion of the following:
``(A) The nature of the threats described in such
paragraph.
``(B) The ability of the United States Government
to address such threats.
``(C) The progress of the Center in achieving its
missions.
``(D) Recommendations the Director determines
necessary for legislative actions to improve the
ability of the Center to achieve its missions.
``(3) Form.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
``(e) Employees.--
``(1) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be
detailed to the Center on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable
basis, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of
civil service status or privilege for a period of not more than
8 years.
``(2) Personal service contractors.--The Director of
National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of
State, may hire United States citizens or aliens as personal
services contractors for purposes of personnel resources of the
Center, if--
``(A) the Director of National Intelligence
determines that existing personnel resources are
insufficient;
``(B) the period in which services are provided by
a personal services contractor, including options, does
not exceed 3 years, unless the Director of National
Intelligence determines that exceptional circumstances
justify an extension of up to 1 additional year;
``(C) not more than 10 United States citizens or
aliens are employed as personal services contractors
under the authority of this paragraph at any time; and
``(D) the authority of this paragraph is only used
to obtain specialized skills or experience or to
respond to urgent needs.
``(3) Security clearances.--Each employee detailed to the
Center and contractor of the Center shall have the security
clearance appropriate for the assigned duties of the employee
or contractor.
``(f) Board.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established a Board of the
National Russian Threat Response Center (in this section
referred to as the `Board').
``(2) Functions.--The Board shall conduct oversight of the
Center to ensure the Center is achieving the missions of the
Center. In conducting such oversight, upon a majority vote of
the members of the Board, the Board may recommend to the
Director of National Intelligence that the Director of the
Center should be removed for failing to achieve such missions.
``(3) Membership.--
``(A) Appointment.--The Board shall consist of 6
members. The head of each department or agency of the
Federal Government specified in subparagraph (B) shall
appoint a senior official from that department or
agency, who shall be a member of the Senior Executive
Service, as a member.
``(B) Departments and agencies represented.--The
department or agency of the Federal Government
specified in this subparagraph are the following:
``(i) The Department of State.
``(ii) The Department of Defense.
``(iii) The Department of Justice.
``(iv) The Department of the Treasury.
``(v) The Department of Homeland Security.
``(vi) The Central Intelligence Agency.
``(4) Meetings.--The Board shall meet not less than
biannually and shall be convened by the member appointed by the
Secretary of State.
``(g) International Engagement.--The Director of the Center may
convene biannual conferences to coordinate international efforts
against threats posed by Russia described in subsection (b)(1).
``(h) Termination.--The Center shall terminate on the date that is
8 years after the date of the enactment of this section.
``(i) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term `appropriate congressional committees' means--
``(1) the congressional intelligence committees;
``(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform of the House of Representatives; and
``(3) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents at the beginning of
such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
119B the following new item:
``Sec. 119C. National Russian Threat Response Center.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 507(a) of such Act (50 U.S.C.
3106) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(6) An annual report submitted under section
119C(d)(1).''.
(d) Funding.--
(1) In general.--In addition to any other authority of the
Director of National Intelligence to transfer or reprogram
funds, the Director may transfer not more than $10,000,000 in
each of fiscal years 2019 and 2020 to carry out the functions
of the National Russian Threat Response Center established by
section 119C of the National Security Act of 1947, as added by
subsection (a), during such fiscal years.
(2) Notice.--The Director of National Intelligence shall
notify the congressional intelligence committees (as defined in
section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003)) of a proposed transfer under paragraph (1) not less than
15 days prior to making such transfer.
(3) Inapplicability of reprogramming requirements.--The
authority to transfer amounts under paragraph (1) shall not be
subject to any transfer or reprogramming requirements under any
other provision of law.
SEC. 203. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE RELATING TO ILLICIT RUSSIAN FINANCIAL
ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE.
(a) In General.--Title I of the National Security Act of 1947 (50
U.S.C. 3021 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 119C. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE RELATING TO ILLICIT RUSSIAN
FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE.
``(a) Establishment.--The President shall establish an interagency
task force relating to illicit Russian financial activities in Europe
(in this section referred to as the `task force').
``(b) Head of Task Force.--The head of the task force shall be a
senior director, who shall be appointed by the President and who shall
report to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
(commonly referred to as the `National Security Advisor').
``(c) Functions.--The task force shall carry out the following
functions:
``(1) In coordination with the intelligence community,
synchronize intelligence analysis relating to financial
networks of the Russian Federation that operate in European
countries relating to investments in the real estate, energy,
media, infrastructure, philanthropy, civil society, sports,
nongovernmental organization, and other sectors.
``(2) In coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury,
ensure training of United States liaison officers to serve in
key United States diplomatic and consular posts in European
countries to cooperate with foreign partners in the uncovering
and prosecution of illicit Russian financial activity.
``(d) Personnel.--The task force is authorized to accept details or
assignments of any personnel on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis
for the purpose of carrying out this section, and the head of any
Federal agency is authorized to detail or assign personnel of such
agency on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis to the task force for
purposes of carrying out this section.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the National
Security Act of 1947 is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 119B the following new item:
``Sec. 119C. Interagency task force relating to illicit Russian
financial activities in Europe.''.
SEC. 204. PROHIBITION ON LICENSES OR OTHER AUTHORIZATION FOR UNITED
STATES PERSONS TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO
CERTAIN PROJECTS TO PRODUCE OIL IN THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION.
(a) In General.--Effective as of the date of the enactment of this
Act--
(1) the Secretary of the Treasury, acting directly or
through any person, agency, or instrumentality, may not provide
a license or other authorization pursuant to Directive 4 under
Executive Order 13662 to engage in any of the activities
prohibited under such Directive; and
(2) any license or other authorization provided before such
date of enactment by the Secretary of the Treasury, acting
directly or through any person, agency, or instrumentality,
pursuant to Directive 4 under Executive Order 13662 to engage
in any of the activities prohibited under such Directive shall
have no force or effect.
(b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Directive 4 under
Executive Order 13662'' means Directive 4 of September 12, 2014, under
Executive Order 13662 of March 20, 2014 (79 Fed. Reg. 16169; relating
to Blocking Property of Additional Persons Contributing to the
Situation in Ukraine) or any successor Directive or other Executive
action.
Subtitle B--SECURE Our Democracy Act
SEC. 211. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Safeguard our Elections and
Combat Unlawful Interference in Our Democracy Act'' or the ``SECURE Our
Democracy Act''.
SEC. 212. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Admitted; alien.--The terms ``admitted'' and ``alien''
have the meanings given such terms in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) in the House of Representatives--
(i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs;
(ii) the Committee on Homeland Security;
(iii) the Committee on Financial Services;
(iv) the Committee on the Judiciary; and
(v) the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence; and
(B) in the Senate--
(i) the Committee on Foreign Relations;
(ii) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs;
(iii) the Committee on Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs;
(iv) the Committee on the Judiciary; and
(v) the Select Committee on Intelligence.
(3) Financial institution.--The term ``financial
institution'' has the meaning given such term in section 5312
of title 31, United States Code.
(4) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a
person that is not a United States person.
(5) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence to the United States;
or
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or of any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
SEC. 213. IDENTIFICATION OF FOREIGN PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTIONS TO
UNLAWFULLY ACCESS, DISRUPT, INFLUENCE, OR IN ANY WAY
ALTER INFORMATION OR INFORMATION SYSTEMS RELATED TO
UNITED STATES POLITICAL PARTIES OR ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL
OFFICE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the appropriate
congressional committees and the Secretary of State a list of each
foreign person that the President, in consultation with the heads of
other relevant Federal departments and agencies, determines--
(1) was, at any time since January 1, 2015, knowingly
involved in actions to unlawfully access, disrupt,
misappropriate, influence, or in any way alter information or
information systems related to United States political parties,
candidates in elections for Federal office, or the
administration of elections for Federal office; or
(2) worked or acted as an agent or instrumentality of or on
behalf of or was otherwise associated with such a foreign
person in a matter relating to an action described in paragraph
(1).
(b) Updates.--The President shall transmit to the appropriate
congressional committees and the Secretary of State an update of the
list required under subsection (a) as new information becomes
available.
(c) Form.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
list required under subsection (a) and any updates under
subsection (b) shall be submitted in unclassified form.
(2) Exception.--The name of a foreign person to be included
in the list required under subsection (a) and any updates under
subsection (b) may be submitted in a classified annex only if
the President--
(A) determines that it is in the national security
interests of the United States to do so; and
(B) 15 days prior to submitting any such name in
such a classified annex, provides to the appropriate
congressional committees notice of, and a justification
for, including or continuing to include any such
foreign person in any such classified annex despite any
publicly available information indicating that such
foreign person is described in paragraph (1) or (2) of
such subsection.
(3) Public availability; nonapplicability of
confidentiality requirement with respect to visa records.--The
unclassified portion of the list required under subsection (a),
including any updates thereto, shall be made available to the
public and published in the Federal Register, without regard to
the requirements of section 222(f) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1202(f)) with respect to
confidentiality of records pertaining to the issuance or
refusal of visas or permits to enter the United States.
SEC. 214. INADMISSIBILITY OF CERTAIN ALIENS.
(a) Ineligibility for Visas.--An alien is ineligible to receive a
visa to enter the United States and ineligible to be admitted to the
United States if such alien is a foreign person on the list required
under section 213(a) or any update thereto.
(b) Current Visas Revoked.--The Secretary of State shall revoke, in
accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), the visa or other documentation of any alien who is
a foreign person on the list required under section 213(a) or any
update thereto, and who would therefore be ineligible to receive such a
visa or documentation under subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Applicability to Foreign Entities and Foreign Governments.--
Subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall apply to aliens who are
officials of, agents or instrumentalities of, working or acting on
behalf of, or otherwise associated with a foreign entity or foreign
government that is a foreign person included on the list required under
section 213(a) or any update thereto, if the President determines that
such aliens have knowingly authorized, conspired to commit, been
responsible for, engaged in, or otherwise assisted or facilitated the
actions described in such section 213(a).
(d) Waiver for National Security Interests.--The Secretary of State
may waive the application of subsection (a) or (b) in the case of an
alien if--
(1) the Secretary determines that such a waiver--
(A) is necessary to permit the United States to
comply with the Agreement between the United Nations
and the United States of America regarding the
Headquarters of the United Nations, signed June 26,
1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, or
other applicable international obligations of the
United States; or
(B) is in the national security interests of the
United States; and
(2) not later than 15 days prior to granting such a waiver,
the Secretary provides to the appropriate congressional
committees notice of, and a justification for, such waiver.
SEC. 215. FINANCIAL MEASURES.
(a) Freezing of Assets.--
(1) In general.--The President, acting through the
Secretary of the Treasury, shall exercise all powers granted by
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701
et seq.) (except that the requirements of section 202 of such
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701) shall not apply) to the extent necessary
to freeze and prohibit all transactions in all property and
interests in property of a foreign person that is on the list
required under section 213(a), including any update thereto, of
this Act if such property or interests in property are in the
United States, are or come within the United States, or are or
come within the possession or control of a United States
person.
(2) Applicability to foreign entities and foreign
governments.--Paragraph (1) shall apply to aliens who are
officials of, agents or instrumentalities of, working or acting
on behalf of, or otherwise associated with a foreign entity or
foreign government that is a foreign person included on the
list required under section 213(a), including any update
thereto, if the Director of National Intelligence determines
that such aliens have knowingly authorized, conspired to
commit, been responsible for, engaged in, or otherwise assisted
or facilitated the actions described in such section 213(a).
(b) Waiver for National Security Interests.--The Secretary of the
Treasury may waive the application of subsection (a) if--
(1) the Secretary determines that such a waiver is in the
national security interests of the United States; and
(2) not less than 15 days prior to granting such a waiver,
the Secretary provides to the appropriate congressional
committees notice of, and a justification for, such waiver.
(c) Enforcement.--
(1) Penalties.--A foreign person that violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of this
section or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry
out this section shall be subject to the penalties specified in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same
extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in
subsection (a) of such section.
(2) Applicability to foreign entities and foreign
governments.--Paragraph (1) shall apply to aliens who are
officials of, agents or instrumentalities of, working or acting
on behalf of, or otherwise associated with a foreign entity or
foreign government that is a foreign person included on the
list required under section 213(a), including any update
thereto, if the Director of National Intelligence determines
that such aliens have knowingly authorized, conspired to
commit, been responsible for, engaged in, or otherwise assisted
or facilitated the actions described in such section 213(a).
(3) Requirements for financial institutions.--Not later
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
President, acting through the Secretary of the Treasury, shall
prescribe or amend regulations as needed to require each
financial institution that is a United States person and has
within its possession or control assets that are property or
interests in property of a foreign person that is on the list
required under section 213(a), including any update thereto, if
such property or interests in property are in the United
States, are or come within the United States, or are or come
within the possession or control of a United States person, to
certify to the Secretary that, to the best of the knowledge of
such financial institution, such financial institution has
frozen all assets within the possession or control of such
financial institution that are required to be frozen pursuant
to subsection (a) of this section.
(d) Regulatory Authority.--The President, acting through the
Secretary of the Treasury, shall issue such regulations, licenses, and
orders as are necessary to carry out this section.
SEC. 216. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
(a) In General.--The Director of National Intelligence, in
consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and
agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report on the actions taken to carry out this subtitle, including--
(1) a description of each foreign person on the list
required under section 213(a), including any update thereto;
(2) the dates on which such foreign persons were added to
such list; and
(3) a description of the actions described in such section
that were undertaken by each such foreign person.
(b) Timing.--The Director of National Intelligence shall submit the
first report required under this section not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act. The Director shall submit
subsequent reports under this section not later than 60 days after the
date of each regularly scheduled general election for Federal office,
beginning with the election held in 2018.
(c) Form.--Each report required under subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if
the Director of National Intelligence determines and includes in such
report a specific national security justification for such classified
annex.
Subtitle C--Preventing Cyber Intrusion Into Election Infrastructure
SEC. 221. ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGNATION.
Subparagraph (J) of section 2001(3) of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 601(3)) is amended by inserting ``, including election
infrastructure'' before the period at the end.
SEC. 222. TIMELY THREAT INFORMATION.
Subsection (d) of section 201 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002
(6 U.S.C. 121) is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(27) To provide timely threat information regarding
election infrastructure to the chief State election official of
the State with respect to which such information pertains.''.
SEC. 223. PRE-ELECTION THREAT ASSESSMENTS.
(a) Submission of Assessment by DNI.--Not later than 180 days
before the date of each regularly scheduled general election for
Federal office, the Director of National Intelligence shall submit an
assessment of the full scope of threats to election infrastructure,
including cybersecurity threats posed by State actors and terrorist
groups, and recommendations to address or mitigate the threats, as
developed by the Secretary of Homeland Security and Chairman of the
Election Assistance Commission, to--
(1) the chief State election official of each State;
(2) the Committees on Homeland Security and House
Administration of the House of Representatives and the
Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and
Rules and Administration of the Senate; and
(3) any other appropriate congressional committees.
(b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in
November 2018 and each succeeding regularly scheduled general election
for Federal office.
SEC. 224. NOTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN CYBER INTRUSIONS AND
ACTIVE MEASURES CAMPAIGNS DIRECTED AT ELECTIONS FOR
FEDERAL OFFICES.
(a) Determinations of Significant Foreign Cyber Intrusions and
Active Measures Campaigns.--The Director of National Intelligence, the
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall jointly carry out subsection (b) if such
Directors and the Secretary jointly determine--
(1) that on or after the date of the enactment of this Act,
a significant foreign cyber intrusion or active measures
campaign intended to influence an upcoming election for any
Federal office has occurred or is occurring; and
(2) with moderate or high confidence, that such intrusion
or campaign can be attributed to a foreign state or to a
foreign nonstate person, group, or other entity.
(b) Briefing.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 14 days after making a
determination under subsection (a), the Director of National
Intelligence, the Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
jointly provide a briefing to the congressional leadership, the
congressional intelligence committees and, consistent with the
protection of sources and methods, the other appropriate
congressional committees. The briefing shall be classified and
address, at a minimum, the following:
(A) A description of the significant foreign cyber
intrusion or active measures campaign, as the case may
be, covered by the determination.
(B) An identification of the foreign state or
foreign nonstate person, group, or other entity, to
which such intrusion or campaign has been attributed.
(C) The desirability and feasibility of the public
release of information about the cyber intrusion or
active measures campaign.
(D) Any other information such Directors and the
Secretary jointly determine appropriate.
(2) Electronic election infrastructure briefings.--With
respect to a significant foreign cyber intrusion covered by a
determination under subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland
Security, in consultation with the Director of National
Intelligence and the Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, shall offer to the owner or operator of any
electronic election infrastructure directly affected by such
intrusion, a briefing on such intrusion, including any steps
that may be taken to mitigate such intrusion. Such briefing may
be classified and made available only to individuals with
appropriate security clearances.
(3) Protection of sources and methods.--This subsection
shall be carried out in a manner that is consistent with the
protection of sources and methods.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Active measures campaign.--The term ``active measures
campaign'' means a foreign semi-covert or covert intelligence
operation.
(2) Candidate, election, and political party.--The terms
``candidate'', ``election'', and ``political party'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 301 of the Federal
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101).
(3) Congressional leadership.--The term ``congressional
leadership'' includes the following:
(A) The majority leader of the Senate.
(B) The minority leader of the Senate.
(C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(D) The minority leader of the House of
Representatives.
(4) Cyber intrusion.--The term ``cyber intrusion'' means an
electronic occurrence that actually or imminently jeopardizes,
without lawful authority, electronic election infrastructure,
or the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of
information within such infrastructure.
(5) Electronic election infrastructure.--The term
``electronic election infrastructure'' means an electronic
information system of any of the following that is related to
an election for Federal office:
(A) The Federal Government.
(B) A State or local government.
(C) A political party.
(D) The election campaign of a candidate.
(6) Federal office.--The term ``Federal office'' has the
meaning given that term in section 301 of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101).
(7) High confidence.--The term ``high confidence'', with
respect to a determination, means that the determination is
based on high-quality information from multiple sources.
(8) Moderate confidence.--The term ``moderate confidence'',
with respect to a determination, means that a determination is
credibly sourced and plausible but not of sufficient quality or
corroborated sufficiently to warrant a higher level of
confidence.
(9) Other appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``other appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives.
Subtitle D--Honest Ads Act
SEC. 231. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Honest Ads Act''.
SEC. 232. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this subtitle is to enhance the integrity of
American democracy and national security by improving disclosure
requirements for online political advertisements in order to uphold the
United States Supreme Court's well-established standard that the
electorate bears the right to be fully informed.
SEC. 233. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On January 6, 2017, the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence published a report titled ``Assessing
Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections'',
noting that ``Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an
influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. Presidential
election . . .''. Moscow's influence campaign followed a
Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence
operation--such as cyber activity--with overt efforts by
Russian Government agencies, State-funded media, third-party
intermediaries, and paid social media users or ``trolls.''
(2) On November 24, 2016, the Washington Post reported
findings from 2 teams of independent researchers that concluded
Russians ``exploited American-made technology platforms to
attack U.S. democracy at a particularly vulnerable moment . . .
as part of a broadly effective strategy of sowing distrust in
U.S. democracy and its leaders.''.
(3) Findings from a 2017 study on the manipulation of
public opinion through social media conducted by the
Computational Propaganda Research Project at the Oxford
Internet Institute found that the Kremlin is using pro-Russian
bots to manipulate public discourse to a highly targeted
audience. With a sample of nearly 1,300,000 tweets, researchers
found that in the 2016 election's 3 decisive States, propaganda
constituted 40 percent of the sampled election-related tweets
that went to Pennsylvanians, 34 percent to Michigan voters, and
30 percent to those in Wisconsin. In other swing States, the
figure reached 42 percent in Missouri, 41 percent in Florida,
40 percent in North Carolina, 38 percent in Colorado, and 35
percent in Ohio.
(4) On September 6, 2017, the Nation's largest social media
platform disclosed that between June 2015 and May 2017, Russian
entities purchased $100,000 in political advertisements,
publishing roughly 3,000 ads linked to fake accounts associated
with the Internet Research Agency, a pro-Kremlin organization.
According to the company, the ads purchased focused ``on
amplifying divisive social and political messages . . .''.
(5) In 2002, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act became law,
establishing disclosure requirements for political
advertisements distributed from a television or radio broadcast
station or provider of cable or satellite television. In 2003,
the Supreme Court upheld regulations on electioneering
communications established under the Act, noting that such
requirements ``provide the electorate with information and
insure that the voters are fully informed about the person or
group who is speaking.''.
(6) According to a study from Borrell Associates, in 2016,
$1,415,000,000 was spent on online advertising, more than
quadruple the amount in 2012.
(7) The reach of a few large internet platforms--larger
than any broadcast, satellite, or cable provider--has greatly
facilitated the scope and effectiveness of disinformation
campaigns. For instance, the largest platform has over
210,000,000 American users--over 160,000,000 of them on a daily
basis. By contrast, the largest cable television provider has
22,430,000 subscribers, while the largest satellite television
provider has 21,000,000 subscribers. And the most-watched
television broadcast in U.S. history had 118,000,000 viewers.
(8) The public nature of broadcast television, radio, and
satellite ensures a level of publicity for any political
advertisement. These communications are accessible to the
press, fact-checkers, and political opponents; this creates
strong disincentives for a candidate to disseminate materially
false, inflammatory, or contradictory messages to the public.
Social media platforms, in contrast, can target portions of the
electorate with direct, ephemeral advertisements often on the
basis of private information the platform has on individuals,
enabling political advertisements that are contradictory,
racially or socially inflammatory, or materially false.
(9) According to comScore, 2 companies own eight of the 10
most popular smartphone applications as of June 2017, including
the most popular social media and email services--which deliver
information and news to users without requiring proactivity by
the user. Those same 2 companies accounted for 99 percent of
revenue growth from digital advertising in 2016, including 77
percent of gross spending. Seventy-nine percent of online
Americans--representing 68 percent of all Americans--use the
single largest social network, while 66 percent of these users
are most likely to get their news from that site.
(10) In its 2006 rulemaking, the Federal Election
Commission noted that only 18 percent of all Americans cited
the internet as their leading source of news about the 2004
Presidential election; by contrast, the Pew Research Center
found that 65 percent of Americans identified an internet-based
source as their leading source of information for the 2016
election.
(11) The Federal Election Commission, the independent
Federal agency charged with protecting the integrity of the
Federal campaign finance process by providing transparency and
administering campaign finance laws, has failed to take action
to address online political advertisements.
(12) In testimony before the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence titled, ``Disinformation: A Primer in Russian
Active Measures and Influence Campaigns,'' multiple expert
witnesses testified that while the disinformation tactics of
foreign adversaries have not necessarily changed, social media
services now provide ``platform[s] practically purpose-built
for active measures[.]'' Similarly, as Gen. (RET) Keith B.
Alexander, the former Director of the National Security Agency,
testified, during the Cold War ``if the Soviet Union sought to
manipulate information flow, it would have to do so principally
through its own propaganda outlets or through active measures
that would generate specific news: planting of leaflets,
inciting of violence, creation of other false materials and
narratives. But the news itself was hard to manipulate because
it would have required actual control of the organs of media,
which took long-term efforts to penetrate. Today, however,
because the clear majority of the information on social media
sites is uncurated and there is a rapid proliferation of
information sources and other sites that can reinforce
information, there is an increasing likelihood that the
information available to average consumers may be inaccurate
(whether intentionally or otherwise) and may be more easily
manipulable than in prior eras.''.
(13) Current regulations on political advertisements do not
provide sufficient transparency to uphold the public's right to
be fully informed about political advertisements made online.
SEC. 234. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the dramatic increase in digital political
advertisements, and the growing centrality of online platforms
in the lives of Americans, requires the Congress and the
Federal Election Commission to take meaningful action to ensure
that laws and regulations provide the accountability and
transparency that is fundamental to our democracy;
(2) free and fair elections require both transparency and
accountability which give the public a right to know the true
sources of funding for political advertisements in order to
make informed political choices and hold elected officials
accountable; and
(3) transparency of funding for political advertisements is
essential to enforce other campaign finance laws, including the
prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals.
SEC. 235. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
(a) In General.--Paragraph (22) of section 301 of the Federal
Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101(22)) is amended by
striking ``or satellite communication'' and inserting ``satellite, paid
internet, or paid digital communication''.
(b) Treatment of Contributions and Expenditures.--Section 301 of
such Act (52 U.S.C. 30101) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (8)(B)--
(A) by striking ``on broadcasting stations, or in
newspapers, magazines, or similar types of general
public political advertising'' in clause (v) and
inserting ``in any public communication'';
(B) by striking ``broadcasting, newspaper,
magazine, billboard, direct mail, or similar type of
general public communication or political advertising''
in clause (ix)(1) and inserting ``public
communication''; and
(C) by striking ``but not including the use of
broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, billboards, direct
mail, or similar types of general public communication
or political advertising'' in clause (x) and inserting
``but not including use in any public communication'';
and
(2) in paragraph (9)(B)--
(A) by striking clause (i) and inserting the
following:
``(i) any news story, commentary, or
editorial distributed through the facilities of
any broadcasting station or any print, online,
or digital newspaper, magazine, blog,
publication, or periodical, unless such
broadcasting, print, online, or digital
facilities are owned or controlled by any
political party, political committee, or
candidate;''; and
(B) by striking ``on broadcasting stations, or in
newspapers, magazines, or similar types of general
public political advertising'' in clause (iv) and
inserting ``in any public communication''.
(c) Disclosure and Disclaimer Statements.--Subsection (a) of
section 318 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30120) is amended--
(1) by striking ``financing any communication through any
broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising
facility, mailing, or any other type of general public
political advertising'' and inserting ``financing any public
communication''; and
(2) by striking ``solicits any contribution through any
broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising
facility, mailing, or any other type of general public
political advertising'' and inserting ``solicits any
contribution through any public communication''.
SEC. 236. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATION.
(a) Expansion to Online Communications.--
(1) Application to qualified internet and digital
communications.--
(A) In general.--Subparagraph (A) of section
304(f)(3) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
(52 U.S.C. 30104(f)(3)(A)) is amended by striking ``or
satellite communication'' each place it appears in
clauses (i) and (ii) and inserting ``satellite, or
qualified internet or digital communication''.
(B) Qualified internet or digital communication.--
Paragraph (3) of section 304(f) of such Act (52 U.S.C.
30104(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(D) Qualified internet or digital
communication.--The term `qualified internet or digital
communication' means any communication which is placed
or promoted for a fee on an online platform (as defined
in subsection (j)(3)).''.
(2) Nonapplication of relevant electorate to online
communications.--Section 304(f)(3)(A)(i)(III) of such Act (52
U.S.C. 30104(f)(3)(A)(i)(III)) is amended by inserting ``any
broadcast, cable, or satellite'' before ``communication''.
(3) News exemption.--Section 304(f)(3)(B)(i) of such Act
(52 U.S.C. 30104(f)(3)(B)(i)) is amended to read as follows:
``(i) a communication appearing in a news
story, commentary, or editorial distributed
through the facilities of any broadcasting
station or any online or digital newspaper,
magazine, blog, publication, or periodical,
unless such broadcasting, online, or digital
facilities are owned or controlled by any
political party, political committee, or
candidate;''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to communications made on or after January 1, 2018.
SEC. 237. APPLICATION OF DISCLAIMER STATEMENTS TO ONLINE
COMMUNICATIONS.
(a) Clear and Conspicuous Manner Requirement.--Subsection (a) of
section 318 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C.
30120(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``shall clearly state'' each place it
appears in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and inserting ``shall
state in a clear and conspicuous manner''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following flush sentence:
``For purposes of this subsection, a communication does not
make a statement in a clear and conspicuous manner if it is
difficult to read or hear or if the placement is easily
overlooked.''.
(b) Special Rules for Qualified Internet or Digital
Communications.--
(1) In general.--Section 318 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30120)
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Special Rules Qualified Internet or Digital Communications.--
``(1) Special rules with respect to statements.--In the
case of any qualified internet or digital communication (as
defined in section 304(f)(3)(D)) which is disseminated through
a medium in which the provision of all of the information
specified in this section is not possible, the communication
shall, in a clear and conspicuous manner--
``(A) state the name of the person who paid for the
communication; and
``(B) provide a means for the recipient of the
communication to obtain the remainder of the
information required under this section with minimal
effort and without receiving or viewing any additional
material other than such required information.
``(2) Safe harbor for determining clear and conspicuous
manner.--A statement in qualified internet or digital
communication (as defined in section 304(f)(3)(D)) shall be
considered to be made in a clear and conspicuous manner as
provided in subsection (a) if the communication meets the
following requirements:
``(A) Text or graphic communications.--In the case
of a text or graphic communication, the statement--
``(i) appears in letters at least as large
as the majority of the text in the
communication; and
``(ii) meets the requirements of paragraphs
(2) and (3) of subsection (c).
``(B) Audio communications.--In the case of an
audio communication, the statement is spoken in a
clearly audible and intelligible manner at the
beginning or end of the communication and lasts at
least 3 seconds.
``(C) Video communications.--In the case of a video
communication which also includes audio, the
statement--
``(i) is included at either the beginning
or the end of the communication; and
``(ii) is made both in--
``(I) a written format that meets
the requirements of subparagraph (A)
and appears for at least 4 seconds; and
``(II) an audible format that meets
the requirements of subparagraph (B).
``(D) Other communications.--In the case of any
other type of communication, the statement is at least
as clear and conspicuous as the statement specified in
subparagraphs (A), (B), or (C).''.
(2) Nonapplication of certain exceptions.--The exceptions
provided in section 110.11(f)(1)(i) and (ii) of title 11, Code
of Federal Regulations, or any successor to such rules, shall
have no application to qualified internet or digital
communications (as defined in section 304(f)(3)(D) of the
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971).
(c) Modification of Additional Requirements for Certain
Communications.--Section 318(d) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30120(d)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)--
(A) by striking ``which is transmitted through
radio'' and inserting ``which is in an audio format'';
and
(B) by striking ``By radio'' in the heading and
inserting ``Audio format'';
(2) in paragraph (1)(B)--
(A) by striking ``which is transmitted through
television'' and inserting ``which is in video
format''; and
(B) by striking ``By television'' in the heading
and inserting ``Video format''; and
(3) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``transmitted through radio or
television'' and inserting ``made in audio or video
format''; and
(B) by striking ``through television'' in the
second sentence and inserting ``in video format''.
SEC. 238. POLITICAL RECORD REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE PLATFORMS.
(a) In General.--Section 304 of the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30104) is amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
``(j) Disclosure of Certain Online Advertisements.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Requirements for online platforms.--An online
platform shall maintain, and make available for online
public inspection in machine readable format, a
complete record of any request to purchase on such
online platform a qualified political advertisement
which is made by a person whose aggregate requests to
purchase qualified political advertisements on such
online platform during the calendar year exceeds $500.
``(B) Requirements for advertisers.--Any person who
requests to purchase a qualified political
advertisement on an online platform shall provide the
online platform with such information as is necessary
for the online platform to comply with the requirements
of subparagraph (A).
``(2) Contents of record.--A record maintained under
paragraph (1)(A) shall contain--
``(A) a digital copy of the qualified political
advertisement;
``(B) a description of the audience targeted by the
advertisement, the number of views generated from the
advertisement, and the date and time that the
advertisement is first displayed and last displayed;
and
``(C) information regarding--
``(i) the average rate charged for the
advertisement;
``(ii) the name of the candidate to which
the advertisement refers and the office to
which the candidate is seeking election, the
election to which the advertisement refers, or
the national legislative issue to which the
advertisement refers (as applicable);
``(iii) in the case of a request made by,
or on behalf of, a candidate, the name of the
candidate, the authorized committee of the
candidate, and the treasurer of such committee;
and
``(iv) in the case of any request not
described in clause (iii), the name of the
person purchasing the advertisement, the name,
address, and phone number of a contact person
for such person, and a list of the chief
executive officers or members of the executive
committee or of the board of directors of such
person.
``(3) Online platform.--For purposes of this subsection,
the term `online platform' means any public-facing website, web
application, or digital application (including a social
network, ad network, or search engine) which--
``(A) sells qualified political advertisements; and
``(B) has 50,000,000 or more unique monthly United
States visitors or users for a majority of months
during the preceding 12 months.
``(4) Qualified political advertisement.--
``(A) In general.--For purposes of this subsection,
the term `qualified political advertisement' means any
advertisement (including search engine marketing,
display advertisements, video advertisements, native
advertisements, and sponsorships) that--
``(i) is made by or on behalf of a
candidate; or
``(ii) communicates a message relating to
any political matter of national importance,
including--
``(I) a candidate;
``(II) any election to Federal
office; or
``(III) a national legislative
issue of public importance.
``(5) Time to maintain file.--The information required
under this subsection shall be made available as soon as
possible and shall be retained by the online platform for a
period of not less than 4 years.
``(6) Penalties.--For penalties for failure by online
platforms, and persons requesting to purchase a qualified
political advertisement on online platforms, to comply with the
requirements of this subsection, see section 309.''.
(b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Federal Election Commission shall establish
rules--
(1) requiring common data formats for the record required
to be maintained under section 304(j) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971 (as added by subsection (a)) so that all
online platforms submit and maintain data online in a common,
machine-readable and publicly accessible format; and
(2) establishing search interface requirements relating to
such record, including searches by candidate name, issue,
purchaser, and date.
(c) Reporting.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and biannually thereafter, the Chairman of the
Federal Election Commission shall submit a report to Congress on--
(1) matters relating to compliance with and the enforcement
of the requirements of section 304(j) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971, as added by subsection (a);
(2) recommendations for any modifications to such section
to assist in carrying out its purposes; and
(3) identifying ways to bring transparency and
accountability to political advertisements distributed online
for free.
SEC. 239. PREVENTING CONTRIBUTIONS, EXPENDITURES, INDEPENDENT
EXPENDITURES, AND DISBURSEMENTS FOR ELECTIONEERING
COMMUNICATIONS BY FOREIGN NATIONALS IN THE FORM OF ONLINE
ADVERTISING.
Section 319 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C.
30121) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(c) Each television or radio broadcast station, provider of cable
or satellite television, or online platform (as defined in section
304(j)(3)) shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that communications
described in section 318(a) and made available by such station,
provider, or platform are not purchased by a foreign national, directly
or indirectly.''.
Subtitle E--Countering Foreign Propaganda Act of 2018
SEC. 241. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Countering Foreign Propaganda
Act of 2018''.
SEC. 242. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR UNITED STATES-BASED FOREIGN MEDIA
OUTLETS.
Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 722. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR UNITED STATES-BASED FOREIGN
MEDIA OUTLETS.
``(a) Reports by Outlets to Commission.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this section, and not less
frequently than every 6 months thereafter, a United States-based
foreign media outlet shall submit to the Commission a report that
contains the following information:
``(1) The name of such outlet.
``(2) A description of the relationship of such outlet to
the foreign principal of such outlet, including a description
of the legal structure of such relationship and any funding
that such outlet receives from such principal.
``(b) Reports by Commission to Congress.--Not later than 60 days
after the date of the enactment of this section, and not less
frequently than every 6 months thereafter, the Commission shall
transmit to Congress a report that summarizes the contents of the
reports submitted by United States-based foreign media outlets under
subsection (a) during the preceding 6-month period.
``(c) Public Availability.--The Commission shall make publicly
available on the internet website of the Commission each report
submitted by a United States-based foreign media outlet under
subsection (a) not later than the earlier of--
``(1) the date that is 30 days after the outlet submits the
report to the Commission; or
``(2) the date on which the Commission transmits to
Congress under subsection (b) the report covering the 6-month
period during which the report of the outlet was submitted to
the Commission under subsection (a).
``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Foreign principal.--The term `foreign principal' has
the meaning given such term in section 1(b)(1) of the Foreign
Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611(b)(1)).
``(2) United states-based foreign media outlet.--The term
`United States-based foreign media outlet' means an entity
that--
``(A) produces or distributes video programming
that is transmitted, or intended for transmission, by a
multichannel video programming distributor to consumers
in the United States; and
``(B) would be an agent of a foreign principal (as
defined in paragraph (1)) for purposes of the Foreign
Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.)
but for section 1(d) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 611(d)).''.
TITLE III--ACTIONS TO COUNTER RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST UNITED STATES
ALLIES
Subtitle A--Stand With UK Against Russia Violations Act
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Stand with UK against Russia
Violations Act''.
SEC. 302. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On March 4, 2018, Sergei V. Skripal, and his daughter,
Yulia Skripal, were found unconscious on a park bench in
Salisbury, England.
(2) British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on March
12, 2018, that the poison used in the attack was Novichok, a
military-grade nerve agent developed by Soviet scientists for
use on North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops, and that
Russia was responsible for the attack.
(3) On March 15, 2018, the United Kingdom, France, and
Germany issued a joint statement holding the Government of
Russia responsible for the poisoning and characterizing the
attack as ``an assault on UK sovereignty''.
SEC. 303. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) The attempts of the Government of Russia to commit
murders on British soil are unconscionable and violate
international law.
(2) The United States stands in strong solidarity with the
British government and its people as they respond to this
violation.
(3) Russian aggression must be met with strength and
resolve, including through sanctions to deter future Russian
attacks on dissidents, expatriates, and democratic activists.
SEC. 304. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO RUSSIAN PERSONS
RESPONSIBLE FOR MARCH 12 ATTACK.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the sanctions
described in subsection (c) with respect to any person that the
President determines--
(1) knowingly engaged in, provided material support to,
worked on behalf of, or acted as an agent or instrumentality
of, any person who perpetrated the attack against Sergei
Skripal and Yulia Skripal on March 4, 2018; or
(2) is an officer, employee, or agent of the Government of
Russia and knowingly, on or after the date of the enactment of
this Act, materially assisted, worked on behalf of, or acted as
an agent or instrumentality of, the Government of Russia in
committing murder, attempted murder, or assault outside of
Russia against any expatriate, dissident, or foreign national.
(b) Concurrent Report.--The President shall submit to Congress a
report, concurrent with the imposition of any sanction under subsection
(a), that lists each person determined to have engaged in the conduct
resulting in such sanction.
(c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the sanctions described in section 224(b) of the
Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C.
9524(b)).
SEC. 305. PROHIBITION ON TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO NEW RUSSIAN SOVEREIGN
DEBT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
imposition of a sanction pursuant to section 304(a)(2), the President
shall--
(1) issue regulations prohibiting United States persons
from engaging in transactions with, providing financing for, or
in any other way dealing in Russian sovereign debt that is
issued on or after the date that is 180 days after such date of
imposition of sanctions; and
(2) exercise all powers granted to the President by the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 13
et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all
transactions in all property and interests in property of one
or more of the financial institutions listed in subsection (c)
if such property and interests in property are in the United
States, come within the United States, or are or come within
the possession or control of a United States person.
(b) Russian Sovereign Debt Defined.--For purposes of this section,
the term ``Russian sovereign debt'' means--
(1) bonds issued by the Russian Central Bank, the Russian
National Wealth Fund, the Russian Federal Treasury, or agents
or affiliates of any such institution, with a maturity of more
than 14 days;
(2) new foreign exchange swap agreements with the Russian
Central Bank, the Russian National Wealth Fund, or the Russian
Federal Treasury, the duration of which agreement is longer
than 14 days; and
(3) any other financial instrument, the duration or
maturity of which is more than 14 days, that--
(A) the President determines represents the
sovereign debt of Russia; or
(B) is issued by a bank listed in subsection (c).
(c) Russian Financial Institutions.--The financial institutions
listed in this subsection are the following:
(1) Sberbank.
(2) VTB Bank.
(3) Gazprombank.
(4) Bank of Moscow.
(5) Rosselkhozbank.
(6) Promsvyazbank.
(7) Vnesheconombank.
(d) Requirement To Promptly Publish Guidance.--The President shall
concurrently publish guidance on the implementation of the regulations
issued pursuant to subsection (a).
SEC. 306. IMPLEMENTATION; PENALTIES; TERMINATION.
(a) Implementation.--The President may exercise all authorities
provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704)
to carry out this subtitle.
(b) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to violate,
conspires to violate, or causes a violation of section 304 or 305, or
any regulation, license, or order issued to carry out such sections,
shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c)
of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful
act described in subsection (a) of that section.
(c) Termination.--
(1) In general.--The President may terminate the
application of a sanction under section 304 or section
305(a)(2) if the President submits to Congress a determination
that officers, employees, and agents of the Government of
Russia no longer engage in the conduct described in section
304(a)(2).
(2) Waiver.--The President may, on or after the date on
which the President submits the determination described in
paragraph (1), waive the prohibition imposed pursuant to
section 305(a)(1) with respect to Russian sovereign debt (as
defined in such section) issued on or after such date if the
President concurrently submits to Congress a notification that
includes a justification of the basis for waiving such
prohibition.
SEC. 307. ENHANCED MILITARY ACTIVITIES TO DETER RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.
(a) NATO Exercises.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with
appropriate officials of other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), shall seek opportunities to conduct more NATO
naval exercises in the Baltic and Black Seas, as well as in the
northern Atlantic Ocean, to defend the seas around Europe and deter
Russian aggression in those regions.
(b) Joint Research Projects.--The Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Secretary of State, may conduct joint research
projects with NATO allies pursuant to the authorities under chapter 138
of title 10, United States Code, including projects through NATO
Centers of Excellence, to--
(1) improve NATO reconnaissance capabilities to track
Russian military exercises;
(2) enhance NATO anti-submarine warfare capabilities
against Russia;
(3) increase the numbers of modern sensors placed on NATO
aircraft, submarines, and surface ships; or
(4) enhance NATO capabilities to detect and deter Russian
information operations.
SEC. 308. UNITED STATES PERSON DEFINED.
In this subtitle, the term ``United States person'' means--
(1) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence to the United States; and
(2) an entity organized under the laws of the United States
or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a
foreign branch of such an entity.
Subtitle B--Imposition of Sanctions on Certain Russian Parastatal
Entities
SEC. 311. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON CERTAIN RUSSIAN PARASTATAL
ENTITIES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the sanctions
described in subsection (c) with respect to not less than five entities
and including any individuals associated with such entities, that--
(1) are identified as Russian parastatal entities in the
report required by section 241(a)(2) of the Countering
America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44;
131 Stat. 922) and submitted to Congress on January 29, 2018;
and
(2) are not currently subject to sanctions imposed by the
United States.
(b) Criteria.--In determining those entities and individuals
described in subsection (a) with respect to which sanctions described
in subsection (c) are to be imposed, the President shall take into
account the extent to which such entities and individuals meet the
criteria described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of section
241(a)(2) of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions
Act.
(c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Asset blocking.--The exercise of all powers granted to
the President by the International Emergency Economic Powers
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block
and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in
property of a person determined by the President to be subject
to subsection (b) if such property and interests in property
are in the United States, come within the United States, or are
or come within the possession or control of a United States
person.
(2) Exclusion from the united states and revocation of visa
or other documentation.--In the case of an alien determined by
the President to be subject to subsection (a) denial of a visa
to, and exclusion from the United States of, the alien, and
revocation in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), of any visa or other
documentation of the alien.
(d) Definition.--In subsection (c), the term ``United States
person'' means--
(1) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence to the United States; or
(2) an entity organized under the laws of the United States
or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a
foreign branch of such an entity.
Subtitle C--Punishing Continued Occupation of Ukraine Act
SEC. 321. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Punishing Continued Occupation
of Ukraine Act''.
SEC. 322. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On February 27, 2014, the Russian Federation unlawfully
invaded Ukraine's Crimea region and shortly thereafter
intervened and occupied parts of Ukraine.
(2) Russia continues to flout the Minsk Agreement and
subsequent clarifications to address the ongoing conflict in
eastern Ukraine, signed in Minsk, Belarus, on February 11,
2015, by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany,
and the Minsk Protocol, which was agreed to on September 5,
2014, by directly and indirectly commanding separatist forces
in Ukraine.
(3) Sanctions to date have failed to alter Russian
President Vladimir Putin's calculation regarding Crimea and
eastern Ukraine.
(4) Russia relies on sovereign debt to finance the
government. If denied access to these funds, Russia would be
forced to cut spending, increase taxes, draw down its foreign
exchange reserves, or seek alternative sources of financing,
increasing the economic pressures facing the economy.
SEC. 323. PROHIBITION AGAINST UNITED STATES RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA'S
ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States not
to recognize the de jure or de facto sovereignty of the Russian
Federation over Crimea, its airspace, or its territorial waters.
(b) Prohibition.--In accordance with subsection (a), no Federal
department or agency may take any action or extend any assistance that
recognizes or implies recognition of the de jure or de facto
sovereignty of the Russian Federation over Crimea, its airspace, or its
territorial waters.
(c) Waiver.--The President may waive the prohibition under
subsection (a) or (b) if the President determines that it is vital to
the national security interests of the United States to do so.
SEC. 324. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN RUSSIAN
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) On February 27, 2014, the Russian Federation unlawfully
invaded Crimea and shortly thereafter intervened and occupied
parts of Ukraine.
(2) Russia continues to flout the Minsk Accords, signed on
September 5, 2014, by directly and indirectly supporting
separatist forces in Ukraine.
(3) Sanctions to date have failed to alter Russian
President Vladimir Putin's calculation regarding Ukraine and
the Crimea.
(4) The Putin regime relies on several large financial
institutions to implement its policies and keep the regime
afloat.
(b) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for 5 years, the
President shall determine whether the Russian Federation is in
compliance with the Minsk Accords.
(c) Imposition of Sanctions.--
(1) In general.--If the President, pursuant to subsection
(b), determines that Russia is not in compliance with the Minsk
Accords, the President shall impose the sanctions described in
subsection (d) with respect to not less than three Russian
financial institutions that are substantially affiliated with
the Putin regime, including from among those institutions
described in subsection (e).
(2) Requirement.--One of the financial institutions to be
sanctioned pursuant to this subsection shall include
Vnesheconombank.
(d) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the exercise of all powers granted to the President by
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et
seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in
all property and interests in property of a financial institution
determined by the President to be subject to subsection (b)(1) if such
property and interests in property are in the United States, come
within the United States, or are or come within the possession or
control of a United States person.
(e) Russian Financial Institutions Described.--The financial
institutions described in this subsection are the following:
(1) Sberbank.
(2) VTB Bank.
(3) Gazprombank.
(4) Bank of Moscow.
(5) Rosselkhozbank.
(6) Promsvyazbank.
(f) Implementation; Penalties.--
(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and
205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out subsection (c).
(2) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of
subsection (c) or any regulation, license, or order issued to
carry out subsection (b) shall be subject to the penalties set
forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to
the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act
described in subsection (a) of that section.
(g) Termination.--The President may terminate the application of
sanctions under subsection (c) with respect to a Russian financial
institution if the President submits to Congress a notice of and
justification for the termination.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual or
entity.
(2) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence to the United States;
or
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or of any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
Subtitle D--General Provisions To Bolster Alliances
SEC. 331. STRATEGY FOR OFFENSIVE USE OF CYBER CAPABILITIES.
(a) Strategy Required.--The President shall develop a written
strategy for the offensive use of cyber capabilities by departments and
agencies of the Federal Government.
(b) Elements.--The strategy developed under subsection (a) shall
include, at minimum--
(1) a description of enhancements that are needed to
improve the offensive cyber capabilities of the United States
and partner nations, including NATO member states; and
(2) a statement of principles concerning the appropriate
deployment of offensive cyber capabilities.
(c) Submission to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the
congressional defense committees (as that term is defined in
section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code) the
strategy developed under subsection (a).
(2) Form of submission.--The strategy submitted under
paragraph (1) may be submitted in classified form.
SEC. 332. MATTERS RELATING TO NATO.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall seek to work with the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to carry out the following
actions:
(1) Elevating anti-corruption as an element of NATO's
Readiness Action Plan.
(2) Tasking the NATO Assistant Secretary General for
Intelligence and Warning with monitoring Russian influence in
NATO member states.
(3) Prioritizing the combating of Russian influence under
the NATO-European Union framework.
(b) EU-US Summit.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Treasury, is authorized to host a summit between the
United States and the European Union on preventing undeclared, cross-
border money flows invested in strategic areas or economic sectors of
European countries.
SEC. 333. COUNTERING RUSSIAN INFLUENCE AND CORRUPTION FUND.
(a) Establishment.--The President is authorized to establish in the
Department of the Treasury a fund to be known as the Countering Russian
Influence and Corruption Fund (in this section referred to as the
``Fund'').
(b) Initial Amounts in Fund.--The Fund shall consist of the
following:
(1) The unobligated balances, as of the date of the
enactment of this Act, of any amounts appropriated to carry out
section 7070(d) of division C of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31).
(2) The unobligated balances, as of the date of the
enactment of this Act, of any amounts otherwise available to
the Secretary of State to carry out the purposes described in
subsection (c).
(c) Purposes of Fund.--Amounts in the Fund for any fiscal year are
authorized to be made available to the Secretary of State for bilateral
assistance for countries in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia to
counter the following activities in such countries carried out by the
Russian Federation:
(1) Support for disinformation and propaganda.
(2) Interference in foreign elections.
(3) Efforts to undermine financial transparency and
governance.
(4) Support for activities described in paragraphs (1) and
(2) of section 64(c) of the State Department Basic Authorities
Act of 1956 (as added by section 204 of this Act).
(5) Support for and strengthening of foreign programs
focused on investigative journalism and independence of the
media environment to expose Russian corruption.
(d) Civil Society and Other Organizations.--Amounts in the Fund for
any fiscal year may be made available to carry out the purposes of the
Fund under subsection (c) through civil society and other organizations
that seek to mitigate the expansion of Russian influence and
aggression, including through public awareness campaigns and exchange
activities.
(e) Report.--The Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a
report for each fiscal year for which activities are undertaken
pursuant to this section.
TITLE IV--COMBATING PUTIN'S REPRESSION (CPR) FOR RUSSIAN CIVIL SOCIETY
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``CPR for Russian Civil Society
Act''.
SEC. 402. STRENGTHENING DIALOGUE WITH THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE.
(a) Improved Visa Screening Procedures for Russian Visitors.--Not
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland
Security, shall conduct a study on how to streamline and simplify visa
procedures for Russian students and persons involved in professional
and cultural exchanges in order to reduce the overall visa processing
period and facilitate people-to-people exchanges. Such study shall
examine average visa wait times for successful visa applicants from
Russia and overall rejection rates of Russian nationals applying for
visas.
(b) Enhanced Screening for Putin Allies.--In conjunction with the
study undertaken pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary
of the Treasury, shall develop enhanced visa screening procedures for
the following individuals:
(1) Persons identified as ``the most significant senior
foreign political figures and oligarchs in the Russian
Federation'', as listed in a classified annex to a report
issued on January 29, 2018, pursuant to section 241(a)(1) of
the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, but
who are not already included in the list of specially
designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the
Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the
Treasury.
(2) Persons who are not otherwise included in the specially
designated nationals list but who promote Russian President
Vladimir Putin's policies of repression, as determined by the
Secretary of State.
(3) Persons who benefit from or act as agents of Russian
persons on the specially designated nationals list.
(c) Improved Tracking of Exchange Programs.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a
report on current cultural exchange and educational programs with
Russia. Such report shall include the following:
(1) A list of existing programs funded by the United States
Government dedicated to United States-Russia cultural and
educational exchange and research, including funding levels for
each program.
(2) Information relating to funding of the programs
specified in paragraph (1), including overall history of such
funding since 1991, relative to funding for other regions with
such exchange and research programs.
(d) Strategic Stability.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in concurrence
with the Secretary of State, shall submit to Congress a report
on efforts to strengthen strategic stability with Russia.
(2) Annual meetings.--The Secretary of Defense, in
concurrence with the Secretary of State, shall host an annual
bilateral meeting, through 2023, with Russian counterparts in
order to discuss relevant issues of common interest, including
maintaining strategic stability and open lines for crisis
communications.
SEC. 403. SUPPORT RUSSIAN CIVIL SOCIETY.
(a) Fight Putin's Censorship.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall convene
a meeting of senior leaders of United States technology companies that
sell, license, or otherwise facilitate the installation of tools that
allow the Government of Russia to censor, harass, or suppress the
activities of civil society activists. Such meeting shall focus on
developing a common code of conduct to restrain United States companies
aiding and abetting the Government of Russia's efforts to suppress
Russian civil society, fundamental freedoms in Russia, and efforts to
expose corruption on the part of the Government of Russia.
(b) International Broadcasting Operations Fund.--
(1) In general.--In addition to amounts otherwise
authorized to be appropriated for the Broadcasting Board of
Governors' International Broadcasting Operations Fund, there is
authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to expand Russian
language programming and to provide for the dissemination of
accurate and independent information to the Russian people
through online media, radio, television, cellular telephone,
short message service, and other communications. The
Broadcasting Board of Governors shall identify those countries
that serve as Russian vacation destinations and further target
United States international broadcasting and programming
activities towards such countries.
(2) Use of amounts.--To achieve the objectives described in
paragraph (1), amounts in the International Broadcasting
Operations Fund referred to in such subparagraph may be used to
develop--
(A) additional transmission capability for Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty, including through additional
shortwave and medium wave transmissions, satellite, and
Internet mechanisms;
(B) additional proxy server capability and anti-
censorship technologies to counter efforts by the
Government of Russia to censor political and civil
society activities, such as blocking of the Telegram
app, and investigations into corruption on the part of
the Government of Russia;
(C) technologies to counter efforts to block SMS
text message exchange over cellular phone networks; and
(D) additional digital programs and operations for
Voice of America in Russia.
(3) Conforming amendment to expanded broadcasting in
countries of the former soviet union.--Paragraph (1) of section
8(e) of the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (22 U.S.C.
8927(e); Public Law 118-272) is amended by striking ``2018''
and inserting ``2020''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), the Judiciary, Armed Services, House Administration, Energy and Commerce, Appropriations, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.