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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8566 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8566
To require reports and certain actions with respect to the Republic of
Georgia.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 23, 2024
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Hudson, and
Mr. Veasey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on
Intelligence (Permanent Select), Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, 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 require reports and certain actions with respect to the Republic of
Georgia.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia's
Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act''
or ``MEGOBARI Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Georgia's primary contribution to regional peace and
stability, United States interests, and its own global
reputation has been its democratic spirit and trajectory.
Georgia has been an important partner to the United States and
other democracies, maintaining strong engagement with western
nations and working to uphold democratic rights and values to
bolster regional peace and stability.
(2) The Georgian people's consistent and overwhelming
foreign policy choice favors strong and warm relations with the
United States and other western countries and integration with
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.
(3) The official position of successive Georgian
Governments, since the restoration of its independence in 1991,
has been one of pursuing membership in Euro-Atlantic
institutions.
(4) Georgian democratic development since regaining its
independence has been uneven but has in recent years seen
steady and evident decline, which appears to be a deliberate
policy decision made under its current government.
(5) The Russian Federation's longstanding and consistently
predatory posture towards Georgian sovereignty began
immediately upon the restoration of its independence and
culminated in the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia and its
subsequent formal occupation of approximately 20 percent of
Georgian territory, and has also been underscored though the
ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Georgian citizens.
(6) The current Georgian Government has increasingly and
regrettably embraced a policy of accommodation with the Russian
Federation as an aspect of its increasingly illiberal turn, and
has openly attacked United States and other western democracy
promotion organizations as well as local and international
civil society while embracing increased ties with Russia in
particular, as well as China and other authoritarian
governments, in defiance of its own preexisting foreign and
security policies as reflected in its constitution and
longstanding public sentiments.
(7) The United States should continue to support the
Georgian people and their democratic and Euro-Atlantic
aspirations.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the progress made by the Georgian people and civil
society in forging an innovative and productive society, imbued
with democratic spirit, should be acknowledged;
(2) the consolidation of democracy in Georgia is critical
for regional stability and United States national interests;
(3) Georgia, as evidenced by numerous independent
assessments and measures, has seen significant democratic
backsliding in recent years;
(4) the current Georgian Government is increasingly hostile
towards democracy promotion organizations, independent civil
society, and its chief Euro-Atlantic partners while
increasingly embracing enhanced ties with the Russian
Federation, the People's Republic of China, and other anti-
Western authoritarian regimes; and
(5) the United States interest in protecting and securing
democracy is borne by a close friendship and support for the
Georgian people's continued democratic and Euro-Atlantic
choice.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to support and defend
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Georgia, which is the
foundation of Georgia's privileged relationship with the Euro-Atlantic
west.
SEC. 5. REPORTS.
(a) Report on Improper Influence and Sanctions Evasion in
Georgia.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of
the Treasury, shall submit to Congress a report and brief the relevant
committees on--
(1) nodes of improper political influence, kleptocracy, and
elite corruption in Georgia, particularly insofar that they
serve or may support Russian malign interests, knowingly or
unknowingly; and
(2) the manner and extent to which Georgia, with the
complicity of key individuals within Georgia, has been used as
a means to bypass or evade, in letter or spirit, United States
or international sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation in
response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
(b) Report on Russian Intelligence Assets in Georgia.--Not later
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director
of National Intelligence, in coordination with the Secretary of State,
the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of Central Intelligence,
shall submit to Congress a report examining the penetration of Russian
intelligence elements and their assets in Georgia, to include an annex
examining Chinese influence and the potential intersection of Russian-
Chinese cooperation in Georgia.
(c) Report on Imposition of Sanctions With Respect to Georgian
Individuals.--
(1) Imposition of sanctions.--Not later than 60 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State,
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall--
(A) identify key individuals who--
(i) are in the Government of Georgia,
working as its agents or on its behalf, or
otherwise in a position to strongly influence
the actions of such Government; and
(ii) have material responsibility for
undermining or injuring democracy, human
rights, or security in Georgia; and
(B) to the extent practicable, impose with respect
to each such individual such sanctions as may be
justifiable and authorized by law, such as sanctions
pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), anti-
kleptocracy and human rights sanctions authorized by
section 7031(c) of division K of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, and other similar authorities
relating to sanctions with respect to human rights
violations, with special urgent consideration of visa
bans under section 7031(c) of division K of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to key
individuals and their families who--
(i) are materially or directly responsible
in Parliament for the advocacy, passage, and
potential enactment of the recent Russian-style
foreign agent legislation; and
(ii) substantially responsible within
political or governmental leadership, business
circles, or law enforcement and security
services for advancing the same Russian-style
foreign agent legislation or undermining or
suppressing lawful popular or civil society
opposition.
(2) Report on sanctions determinations.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of State shall submit to Congress a report that includes each
determination pursuant to this subsection with respect to the
imposition of sanctions and accompanying justifications.
(d) Form.--Each report required by this section shall be submitted
in a form that includes an unclassified executive summary. Each such
summary shall be made publicly available.
SEC. 6. DEMOCRACY MONITORING TASK FORCE IN GEORGIA.
The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development, the heads of
other Federal agencies and departments, and international partners,
shall establish a democracy monitoring task force with, as practicable,
a significant presence within Georgia, to publicly assess, monitor, and
promote the pre-election democratic environment in Georgia.
SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO GEORGIA.
(a) In General.--Upon submission to Congress of the certification
described in subsection (b)--
(1) the United States Trade Representative, in consultation
with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce,
shall seek to enter into negotiations with the Government of
Georgia to establish a robust preferential trade regime between
the United States and Georgia;
(2) the Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Secretary of Homeland Security and other heads of other
relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall develop a
policy package to further enhance people-to-people contacts,
academic exchanges, and improved visa liberalizations between
the United States and Georgia.
(3) the President, acting through the United States
International Development Finance Corporation, the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, the United States Agency for
International Development, the Department of Commerce, the
Department of State, other relevant Federal departments and
agencies, and international partners, shall develop an economic
development and modernization package for Georgia; and
(4) the President, in consultation with the Secretary of
Defense, shall prepare a package for Georgia that includes the
provision of security and defense equipment ideally suited for
territorial defense against Russian aggression and concomitant
training, maintenance, and operations support elements.
(b) Certification Described.--The certification described in this
subsection is a certification submitted to Congress by the President or
the Secretary of State that Georgia has shown significant and sustained
progress towards reinvigorating its democracy, evidenced at minimum by
substantially fair and free elections and a balanced pre-election
environment.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, 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), Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, 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), Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, 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), Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, 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.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
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Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 41 - 6.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.