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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 416 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

                                                       Calendar No. 147
118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 416

  To designate the Russian-based mercenary Wagner Group as a foreign 
            terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2023

  Mr. Wicker (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Tillis, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Graham, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Rubio, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. 
 Heinrich, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Manchin, 
Mr. Durbin, Mr. Young, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                             July 25, 2023

              Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To designate the Russian-based mercenary Wagner Group as a foreign 
            terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Holding Accountable Russian 
Mercenaries Act'' or the ``HARM Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress makes the following findings:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The Secretary of State's designation of an 
        entity as a foreign terrorist organization results from a 
        determination that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the entity is foreign and engages in 
                terrorism or terrorist activity; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the terrorist activity threatens the 
                security of the United States or its 
                nationals.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The activities of the Wagner Group and 
        affiliated entities of Russian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin pose 
        a threat to the national interests and national security of the 
        United States and allies and partners of the United States, 
        including with respect to Russia's war on Ukraine, which 
        President Biden declared, on March 2, 2022, ``pose[s] an 
        unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and 
        foreign policy of the United States''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) On June 20, 2017, the Department of the 
        Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the 
        Wagner Group and its military leader, Dmitry Utkin, pursuant to 
        Executive Order 13660 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
        blocking property of certain persons contributing to the 
        situation in Ukraine) ``for being responsible for or complicit 
        in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, actions or 
        policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, 
        sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) On September 20, 2018, the Department of State 
        added Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated entities, including 
        the Wagner Group, to the list of persons identified as part of, 
        or operating for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence 
        sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation under 
        section 231 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through 
        Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9525).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) On January 20, 2023, a White House 
        spokesperson announced that the Department of the Treasury will 
        designate the Wagner Group as a significant transnational 
        criminal organization pursuant to Executive Order 13581 (50 
        U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking property of 
        transnational criminal organizations), consistent with the 
        authority granted to the President under section 203(a) of the 
        International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
        1702).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) The Wagner Group, a self-described private 
        actor that undertakes military action and subversive operations 
        at the behest of the Government of the Russian Federation, is a 
        ``terrorist group'' that engages in ``terrorism'' (as defined 
        in section 140(d) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
        Fiscal Year 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d))), which is 
        ``premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated 
        against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or 
        clandestine agents''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) The Wagner Group and its affiliated entities 
        have committed, or are credibly accused of committing, 
        terrorist activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B))), 
        through their involvement in--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the massacres, rape, and torture of 
                civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, in March 2022;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the massacres in Moura, Mali, in March 
                2022;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the massacres of migrant workers and 
                civilians in mining regions along the Sudan- Central 
                African Republic border in 2022;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the murder of Russian journalists in 
                the Central African Republic in June 2018 as well as 
                threats against United States journalists investigating 
                such incident;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the kidnapping of children in the 
                Central African Republic in 2022 to work in 
                mines;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) the rape and sex trafficking of women 
                and children in the Central African Republic between 
                2018 and 2022;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) the sabotage and lethal suppression of 
                civilian protestors in Sudan in 2019;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) the use of nerve agents against 
                Libya's Government of National Accord and deployment of 
                illegal land mines and booby-traps in civilian areas of 
                Tripoli between 2019 and 2020;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) the torture and execution of a Syrian 
                national in June 2017;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (J) efforts to assassinate Ukrainian 
                President Volodymyr Zelensky in March 2022; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (K) the receipt of weapons shipments 
                initially reported in December 2022 from the Democratic 
                People's Republic of Korea, which the Secretary of 
                State had designated a state sponsor of terrorism on 
                November 20, 2017.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    It is the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Russian-based mercenary Wagner Group meets 
        the criteria for designation by the Secretary of State as a 
        foreign terrorist organization under section 219(a) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)); 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Secretary of State should designate the 
        Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization under such 
        section 219(a).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE MERCENARY WAGNER GROUP AS A FOREIGN 
              TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Upon the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of State shall designate the Wagner Group as a foreign 
terrorist organization in accordance with section 219(a) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Application.--The designation required under 
subsection (a) shall equally apply to any affiliated and successor 
entities to the Wagner Group undertaking malign activities against the 
United States and its allies and partners, including activities taking 
place in Ukraine, Africa, and the Middle East.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of 
sanctions under this section if the President determines and reports to 
the appropriate congressional committees that such a waiver is in the 
national security interest of the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Annual Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees 
describing the international activities of the Russian-based mercenary 
Wagner Group.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Committee on Armed Services of the 
        Senate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
        Affairs of the Senate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Committee on Financial Services of the 
        House of Representatives;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
        of Representatives;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
        of Representatives.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Holding Accountable Russian 
Mercenaries Act'' or the ``HARM Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Secretary of State's designation of an entity as a 
        foreign terrorist organization results from a determination 
        that--
                    (A) the entity is foreign and engages in terrorism 
                or terrorist activity; and
                    (B) the terrorist activity threatens the security 
                of the United States or its nationals.
            (2) The activities of the Wagner Group and affiliated 
        entities of Russian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin pose a threat 
        to the national interests and national security of the United 
        States and allies and partners of the United States, including 
        with respect to Russia's war on Ukraine, which President Biden 
        declared, on March 2, 2022, ``pose[s] an unusual and 
        extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign 
        policy of the United States''.
            (3) On June 20, 2017, the Department of the Treasury's 
        Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the Wagner Group 
        and its military leader, Dmitry Utkin, pursuant to Executive 
        Order 13660 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking property 
        of certain persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine) 
        ``for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged 
        in, directly or indirectly, actions or policies that threaten 
        the peace, security, stability, sovereignty or territorial 
        integrity of Ukraine''.
            (4) On September 20, 2018, the Department of State added 
        Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated entities, including the 
        Wagner Group, to the list of persons identified as part of, or 
        operating for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence 
        sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation under 
        section 231 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through 
        Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9525).
            (5) On January 20, 2023, a White House spokesperson 
        announced that the Department of the Treasury will designate 
        the Wagner Group as a significant transnational criminal 
        organization pursuant to Executive Order 13581 (50 U.S.C. 1701 
        note; relating to blocking property of transnational criminal 
        organizations), consistent with the authority granted to the 
        President under section 203(a) of the International Emergency 
        Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702).
            (6) The Wagner Group, a self-described private actor that 
        undertakes military action and subversive operations at the 
        behest of the Government of the Russian Federation, is a 
        ``terrorist group'' that engages in ``terrorism'' (as defined 
        in section 140(d) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
        Fiscal Year 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d))), which is 
        ``premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated 
        against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or 
        clandestine agents''.
            (7) The Wagner Group and its affiliated entities have 
        committed, or are credibly accused of committing, terrorist 
        activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B))), through their 
        involvement in--
                    (A) the massacres, rape, and torture of civilians 
                in Bucha, Ukraine, in March 2022;
                    (B) the massacres in Moura, Mali, in March 2022;
                    (C) the massacres of migrant workers and civilians 
                in mining regions along the Sudan- Central African 
                Republic border in 2022;
                    (D) the murder of Russian journalists in the 
                Central African Republic in June 2018 as well as 
                threats against United States journalists investigating 
                such incident;
                    (E) the kidnapping of children in the Central 
                African Republic in 2022 to work in mines;
                    (F) the rape and sex trafficking of women and 
                children in the Central African Republic between 2018 
                and 2022;
                    (G) the sabotage and lethal suppression of civilian 
                protestors in Sudan in 2019;
                    (H) the use of nerve agents against Libya's 
                Government of National Accord and deployment of illegal 
                land mines and booby-traps in civilian areas of Tripoli 
                between 2019 and 2020;
                    (I) the torture and execution of a Syrian national 
                in June 2017;
                    (J) efforts to assassinate Ukrainian President 
                Volodymyr Zelensky in March 2022; and
                    (K) the receipt of weapons shipments initially 
                reported in December 2022 from the Democratic People's 
                Republic of Korea, which the Secretary of State had 
                designated a state sponsor of terrorism on November 20, 
                2017.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Russian-based mercenary Wagner Group meets the 
        criteria for designation by the Secretary of State as a foreign 
        terrorist organization under section 219(a) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)); and
            (2) the Secretary of State should designate the Wagner 
        Group as a foreign terrorist organization under such section 
        219(a).

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF THE MERCENARY WAGNER GROUP AS A FOREIGN 
              TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Upon the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
State shall designate the Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist 
organization in accordance with section 219(a) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)).
    (b) Application.--The designation required under subsection (a) 
shall equally apply to any affiliated and successor entities to the 
Wagner Group undertaking malign activities against the United States 
and its allies and partners, including activities taking place in 
Ukraine, Africa, and the Middle East.
    (c) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions 
under this section if the President determines and reports to the 
appropriate congressional committees that such a waiver is in the 
national security interest of the United States.
    (d) Annual Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State 
shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees 
describing the international activities of the Russian-based mercenary 
Wagner Group.
    (e) Defined Term.--In this Act, the term ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of 
        the Senate;
            (4) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (5) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (6) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (7) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (f) Exception for Humanitarian Assistance and Peacebuilding 
Activities.--When applying the terms ``material support or resources'' 
(as defined in section 2339A(b)(1) of title 18, United States Code) and 
``material support'' (as defined at section 212(a)(3)(B) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182 (a)(3)(B)) with respect 
to activities and transactions involving the Wagner Group, such terms 
shall exclude activities and support directly related to humanitarian 
assistance or peacebuilding activities, including--
            (1) activities and transactions described in an authorizing 
        document issued by the Secretary of the Treasury (or designee) 
        by means of a license, regulation, exemption, or other 
        document;
            (2) activities that--
                    (A) support humanitarian projects to meet basic 
                human needs and to support education;
                    (B) support peacebuilding, conflict prevention, or 
                conflict resolution programs;
                    (C) support disarmament, demobilization, or 
                reintegration programs;
                    (D) directly benefit the civilian population, 
                including support for the removal of landmines and 
                economic development projects directly benefitting the 
                civilian population;
                    (E) support democracy building;
                    (F) support non-commercial development projects 
                directly benefitting civilians; and
                    (G) support environmental and natural resource 
                protection;
            (3) any transaction by a nongovernmental organization that 
        are ordinarily incident and necessary to the activities 
        described in paragraph (2), including--
                    (A) processing and transferring funds;
                    (B) paying taxes, fees, or import duties;
                    (C) the purchase or receipt of permits, visas, 
                licenses, or public utility services if such 
                nongovernmental organization is not a person or entity 
                whose property or interests in property are blocked 
                pursuant to another provision of statute or regulation; 
                and
            (4) noncommercial transactions that are related to the 
        direct or indirect provision of agricultural commodities, 
        medicine, medical devices, replacement parts and components for 
        medical devices, or software updates for medical devices to an 
        individual whose property and interests in property are blocked 
        pursuant to another provision of statute or regulation, if such 
        items are transferred in quantities consistent with personal, 
        noncommercial use.

SEC. 5. TASK FORCE ON COUNTERING RUSSIAN MALIGN ACTORS AND MERCENARY 
              PROXIES.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
        establish a task force on countering the Russian mercenary 
        groups and their proxies (referred to in this section as the 
        ``Task Force'').
            (2) Russian mercenary groups and their proxies defined.--In 
        this section, the term ``Russian mercenary groups and their 
        proxies'' means--
                    (A) mercenary proxy groups, such as Wagner PMC (and 
                any relevant successors that engage in similar 
                conduct), PMC Patriot, Andreyevsky Krest PMC, PMC 
                Convoy, Akhmat PMC, Moran Security Group, and RSB 
                Group;
                    (B) any organization or network that is directly 
                involved in planning and carrying out influence 
                operations in the United States or in any country that 
                is an ally or partner of the United States; and
                    (C) any overt or covert financial, procurement, or 
                logistics network directly involved in supporting the 
                actors or activities described in subparagraphs (A) or 
                (B).
    (b) Objectives.--The objectives of the Task Force shall be to--
            (1) identify individuals and entities linked to Russian 
        mercenary groups and their proxies that are responsible for, or 
        complicit in, transnational criminal activities and atrocities 
        in Africa;
            (2) degrade the operational capabilities of Russian 
        mercenary groups and their proxies worldwide;
            (3) disrupt and degrade the financial, procurement, and 
        logistics networks that sustain Russian mercenary groups and 
        their proxies and networks;
            (4) deny Russian mercenary groups and their proxies the use 
        of third-country safe havens or bases of operations that can be 
        used to project influence or support their operations globally;
            (5) coordinate diplomatic activities in countries in which 
        the Wagner Group poses a national security threat;
            (6) engage with allies and partners of the United States to 
        carry out the objectives described in paragraphs (1) through 
        (5); and
            (7) make recommendations for sanctions, including regarding 
        designations and any additional sanctions authorities that may 
        be needed.
    (c) Composition.--
            (1) Leadership.--The Task Force shall be led by the Deputy 
        Secretary of State or another senior official of the Department 
        of State who has been designated by the Secretary of State to 
        lead the Task Force.
            (2) Department of state representatives.--Members of the 
        Task Force shall include representatives of--
                    (A) relevant regional or functional bureaus of the 
                Department of State;
                    (B) the Global Engagement Center;
                    (C) the Office of Sanctions Coordination;
                    (D) the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy; 
                and
                    (E) other offices and bureaus of the Department of 
                State that the Secretary of State determines should be 
                represented on the Task Force.
            (3) Other federal departments and agencies.--Members of the 
        Task Force shall also include representatives of--
                    (A) the Department of Defense;
                    (B) the Department of the Treasury;
                    (C) the intelligence community (as defined in 
                section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 
                U.S.C. 3003);
                    (D) the Department of Justice; and
                    (E) any other relevant Federal department or 
                agency.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after establishment of the Task 
Force, and annually thereafter for the following 3 years, the Secretary 
of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report containing--
            (1) a summary of the Task Force's efforts to counter 
        Russian mercenary groups and their proxies during the preceding 
        year;
            (2) a description of the Task Force's diplomatic efforts to 
        carry out the objectives described in subsection (b), 
        including--
                    (A) diplomatic demarches;
                    (B) bilateral engagements;
                    (C) coordination of multilateral initiatives with 
                allies and partners; and
                    (D) any other relevant diplomatic activities;
            (3) a description of financial, cyber, military, or 
        intelligence tools or authorities used to carry out the 
        objectives described in subsection (b), including the cyber 
        capabilities authorized to be shared under section 398 of title 
        10, United States Code;
            (4) a description of any information operations or public 
        diplomacy efforts associated with any of the activities 
        described in paragraphs (1) through (3); and
            (5) a description of the coordination and synchronization 
        of efforts among the Department of State, the Department of the 
        Treasury, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 
        Department of Defense, and any other relevant Federal agencies, 
        to counter Russian mercenary groups and their proxies in 
        affected countries.

SEC. 6. ENHANCED DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND INCREASING PERSONNEL TO COUNTER 
              THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WAGNER GROUP AND OTHER RUSSIAN 
              MILITARY COMPANIES.

    (a) Plan to Enhance Diplomatic Efforts.--Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
plan for enhancing diplomatic efforts with governments and regional 
organizations to counter the Wagner Group, any relevant successors to 
the Wagner Group that engage in similar conduct, and other Russian 
mercenary groups and their proxies. Such plan shall include 
recommendations for increasing the number of personnel at certain 
United States diplomatic missions to ensure that relevant embassies 
have the personnel to focus on the activities, policies, and 
investments of Russian mercenary groups and their proxies.
    (b) Additional Staffing Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit 
        a staffing plan to the appropriate congressional committees for 
        key diplomatic posts in Africa (including north Africa) to 
        increase monitoring and reporting on the activities of the 
        Wagner Group, any relevant successors to the Wagner Group that 
        engage in similar conduct, and other Russian mercenary groups 
        and their proxies. Such plan shall identify new incentives for 
        filling positions that are hard to staff.
            (2) Financial and human resources.--The Secretary of State 
        shall prioritize efforts to ensure that United States 
        diplomatic missions in countries in which the Wagner Group 
        poses a national security threat have sufficient financial and 
        human resources to engage in effective public diplomacy to 
        counter the influence of the Wagner Group and other Russian 
        mercenary proxy groups.
    (c) Branding and Marking United States Foreign Assistance.--The 
Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, and the heads of other relevant Federal 
departments and agencies should--
            (1) prescribe the use of the United States flag to 
        identify, consistent with section 641 of the Foreign Assistance 
        Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2401), all foreign assistance provided 
        by the United States to countries in which the Wagner Group 
        poses a national security threat;
            (2) limit the use of branding and marking waivers, as 
        appropriate, for humanitarian assistance provided by the United 
        States to such countries; and
            (3) only use branding and marking waivers on a case-by-case 
        basis for non-humanitarian programs administered by the 
        Department of State, the United States Agency for International 
        Development, or another Federal department or agency 
        administering programs in such countries.
    (d) Efforts to Limit Benefits From Illicit Extraction and Trade in 
Natural Resources.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall engage 
in diplomatic efforts to limit the ability of the Wagner Group, any 
successor to the Wagner Group that engages in similar conduct, and 
other Russian mercenary proxy groups to engage in, or materially 
benefit from, the smuggling and illicit extraction, refining, and trade 
of gold and other natural resources, including by encouraging--
            (1) the harmonization of tax regimes;
            (2) the adoption of due diligence and international 
        standards for conflict-free and responsible sourcing of natural 
        resources; and
            (3) the formalization of artisanal mining sectors.

SEC. 7. STRATEGY TO COUNTER THE WAGNER GROUP.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with 
relevant Federal agencies, shall develop and submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a strategy to deter and counter the global 
activities of the Wagner Group and any successor to the Wagner Group 
that engages in similar conduct.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall 
include the following elements:
            (1) Regional and country-specific approaches to countering 
        the influence and activities of the Wagner Group and any 
        successor that engages in similar conduct in Africa, Europe, 
        the Middle East, and Latin America, including efforts to 
        counter recruitment by or on behalf of the Wagner Group and any 
        successor to the Wagner Group that engages in similar conduct.
            (2) A comprehensive campaign, conducted in partnership with 
        the Global Engagement Center, designed to--
                    (A) expose the activities of the Wagner Group and 
                any successor to the Wagner Group that engages in 
                similar conduct; and
                    (B) counter the propaganda and disinformation and 
                misinformation operations of the Wagner Group.
            (3) Examples of past efforts to accomplish the objectives 
        described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) and a 
        list of the tools that have been used for disinformation 
        purposes.
            (4) A plan to utilize other tools available to the United 
        States Government to degrade the operations of the Wagner Group 
        and any successor to the Wagner Group that engages in similar 
        conduct.
            (5) An analysis of policy and programmatic limitations, 
        gaps, and resource requirements to effectively counter the 
        Russian Federation's malign influence and activities in Africa, 
        Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, and other 
        regions, as appropriate.
            (6) Recommendations for any additional authorities or 
        resources needed to more effectively degrade operations and 
        influence of the Wagner Group, any successor to the Wagner 
        Group that engages in similar conduct, and similar groups.
    (c) Form.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.

SEC. 8. INFLUENCING INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CONSIDER 
              WAGNER GROUP MINING CONCESSIONS WHEN CONSIDERING LOANS 
              AND DEVELOPMENT FINANCING PROJECTS.

    (a) Consideration by International Monetary Fund of Mining 
Concessions With Affiliated Entities of the Wagner Group.--The 
Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, 
shall advise the United States Executive Director of the International 
Monetary Fund to use the voice and vote of the United States to ensure 
that the International Monetary Fund, when considering a loan to a 
country, considers whether the potential recipient of such loan has 
provided mining concessions or direct budgetary support to the Wagner 
Group or entities affiliated with the Wagner Group.
    (b) Consideration by Export-Import Bank of the United States of 
Mining Projects.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Treasury, shall advise the United States Chair and 
Director of the Board of Governors of the Export-Import Bank of the 
United States to use the voice and vote of the United States to ensure 
that the Export-Import Bank, when considering development financing 
projects, reviews whether the potential recipient has provided mining 
concessions or direct budgetary support to the Wagner Group or entities 
affiliated with the Wagner Group.

SEC. 9. INFORMATION SHARING ON HIGH-VALUE WAGNER GROUP TARGETS.

    The Secretary of State is authorized to take appropriate steps to 
share information regarding high-value Wagner Group targets with like-
minded foreign government partners, which could include full names and 
biometric data of individual targets, if available and relevant to 
determining visa restrictions.
                                                       Calendar No. 147

118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 416

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To designate the Russian-based mercenary Wagner Group as a foreign 
            terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 25, 2023

                       Reported with an amendment
```