I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mobilizing and En5 hancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, 

6 Resilience, and Independence Act’’ or ‘‘MEGOBARI Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Georgia’s primary contribution to regional 

2 peace and stability, United States interests, and its 

3 own global reputation has been its democratic spirit 

4 and trajectory. Georgia has been an important part5 ner to the United States and other democracies, 

6 maintaining strong engagement with western nations 

7 and working to uphold democratic rights and values 

8 to bolster regional peace and stability. 

9 (2) The Georgian people’s consistent and over10 whelming foreign policy choice favors strong and 

11 warm relations with the United States and other 

12 western countries and integration with the North 

13 Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European 

14 Union. 

15 (3) The official position of successive Georgian 

16 Governments, since the restoration of its independ17 ence in 1991, has been one of pursuing membership 

18 in Euro-Atlantic institutions. 

19 (4) Georgian democratic development since re20 gaining its independence has been uneven but has in 

21 recent years seen steady and evident decline, which 

22 appears to be a deliberate policy decision made 

23 under its current government. 

24 (5) The Russian Federation’s longstanding and 

25 consistently predatory posture towards Georgian sovVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Jul 02, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8566.IH H8566

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1 ereignty began immediately upon the restoration of 

2 its independence and culminated in the 2008 Rus3 sian invasion of Georgia and its subsequent formal 

4 occupation of approximately 20 percent of Georgian 

5 territory, and has also been underscored though the 

6 ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Geor7 gian citizens. 

8 (6) The current Georgian Government has in9 creasingly and regrettably embraced a policy of ac10 commodation with the Russian Federation as an as11 pect of its increasingly illiberal turn, and has openly 

12 attacked United States and other western democracy 

13 promotion organizations as well as local and inter14 national civil society while embracing increased ties 

15 with Russia in particular, as well as China and other 

16 authoritarian governments, in defiance of its own 

17 preexisting foreign and security policies as reflected 

18 in its constitution and longstanding public senti19 ments. 

20 (7) The United States should continue to sup21 port the Georgian people and their democratic and 

22 Euro-Atlantic aspirations. 

23 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

24 It is the sense of Congress that— 


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1 (1) the progress made by the Georgian people 

2 and civil society in forging an innovative and produc3 tive society, imbued with democratic spirit, should be 

4 acknowledged; 

5 (2) the consolidation of democracy in Georgia is 

6 critical for regional stability and United States na7 tional interests; 

8 (3) Georgia, as evidenced by numerous inde9 pendent assessments and measures, has seen signifi10 cant democratic backsliding in recent years; 

11 (4) the current Georgian Government is in12 creasingly hostile towards democracy promotion or13 ganizations, independent civil society, and its chief 

14 Euro-Atlantic partners while increasingly embracing 

15 enhanced ties with the Russian Federation, the Peo16 ple’s Republic of China, and other anti-Western au17 thoritarian regimes; and 

18 (5) the United States interest in protecting and 

19 securing democracy is borne by a close friendship 

20 and support for the Georgian people’s continued 

21 democratic and Euro-Atlantic choice. 

22 SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

23 It is the policy of the United States to support and 

24 defend democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in 


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1 Georgia, which is the foundation of Georgia’s privileged 

2 relationship with the Euro-Atlantic west. 

3 SEC. 5. REPORTS. 

4 (a) REPORT ON IMPROPER INFLUENCE AND SANC5 TIONS EVASION IN GEORGIA.—Not later than 90 days 

6 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

7 of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treas8 ury, shall submit to Congress a report and brief the rel9 evant committees on— 

10 (1) nodes of improper political influence, 

11 kleptocracy, and elite corruption in Georgia, particu12 larly insofar that they serve or may support Russian 

13 malign interests, knowingly or unknowingly; and 

14 (2) the manner and extent to which Georgia, 

15 with the complicity of key individuals within Geor16 gia, has been used as a means to bypass or evade, 

17 in letter or spirit, United States or international 

18 sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation in re19 sponse to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

20 (b) REPORT ON RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE ASSETS IN

21 GEORGIA.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the 

22 enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intel23 ligence, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the 

24 Secretary of Defense, and the Director of Central Intel25 ligence, shall submit to Congress a report examining the 


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1 penetration of Russian intelligence elements and their as2 sets in Georgia, to include an annex examining Chinese 

3 influence and the potential intersection of Russian-Chinese 

4 cooperation in Georgia. 

5 (c) REPORT ON IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH

6 RESPECT TO GEORGIAN INDIVIDUALS.— 

7 (1) IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.—Not later than 

8 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

9 the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Sec10 retary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the 

11 Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Secu12 rity, and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall— 

13 (A) identify key individuals who— 

14 (i) are in the Government of Georgia, 

15 working as its agents or on its behalf, or 

16 otherwise in a position to strongly influ17 ence the actions of such Government; and 

18 (ii) have material responsibility for 

19 undermining or injuring democracy, 

20 human rights, or security in Georgia; and 

21 (B) to the extent practicable, impose with 

22 respect to each such individual such sanctions 

23 as may be justifiable and authorized by law, 

24 such as sanctions pursuant to the Global 

25 Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act 


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1 (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), anti-kleptocracy and 

2 human rights sanctions authorized by section 

3 7031(c) of division K of the Consolidated Ap4 propriations Act, 2023, and other similar au5 thorities relating to sanctions with respect to 

6 human rights violations, with special urgent 

7 consideration of visa bans under section 

8 7031(c) of division K of the Consolidated Ap9 propriations Act, 2023 to key individuals and 

10 their families who— 

11 (i) are materially or directly respon12 sible in Parliament for the advocacy, pas13 sage, and potential enactment of the recent 

14 Russian-style foreign agent legislation; and 

15 (ii) substantially responsible within 

16 political or governmental leadership, busi17 ness circles, or law enforcement and secu18 rity services for advancing the same Rus19 sian-style foreign agent legislation or un20 dermining or suppressing lawful popular or 

21 civil society opposition. 

22 (2) REPORT ON SANCTIONS DETERMINA23 TIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the 

24 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 

25 submit to Congress a report that includes each deVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Jul 02, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8566.IH H8566

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1 termination pursuant to this subsection with respect 

2 to the imposition of sanctions and accompanying 

3 justifications. 

4 (d) FORM.—Each report required by this section 

5 shall be submitted in a form that includes an unclassified 

6 executive summary. Each such summary shall be made 

7 publicly available. 

8 SEC. 6. DEMOCRACY MONITORING TASK FORCE IN GEOR9 GIA. 

10 The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ad11 ministrator of the United States Agency for International 

12 Development, the heads of other Federal agencies and de13 partments, and international partners, shall establish a 

14 democracy monitoring task force with, as practicable, a 

15 significant presence within Georgia, to publicly assess, 

16 monitor, and promote the pre-election democratic environ17 ment in Georgia. 

18 SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO GEOR19 GIA. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon submission to Congress of 

21 the certification described in subsection (b)— 

22 (1) the United States Trade Representative, in 

23 consultation with the Secretary of State and the 

24 Secretary of Commerce, shall seek to enter into ne25 gotiations with the Government of Georgia to estabVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Jul 02, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8566.IH H8566

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1 lish a robust preferential trade regime between the 

2 United States and Georgia; 

3 (2) the Secretary of State, in consultation with 

4 the Secretary of Homeland Security and other heads 

5 of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, 

6 shall develop a policy package to further enhance 

7 people-to-people contacts, academic exchanges, and 

8 improved visa liberalizations between the United 

9 States and Georgia. 

10 (3) the President, acting through the United 

11 States International Development Finance Corpora12 tion, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the 

13 United States Agency for International Develop14 ment, the Department of Commerce, the Depart15 ment of State, other relevant Federal departments 

16 and agencies, and international partners, shall de17 velop an economic development and modernization 

18 package for Georgia; and 

19 (4) the President, in consultation with the Sec20 retary of Defense, shall prepare a package for Geor21 gia that includes the provision of security and de22 fense equipment ideally suited for territorial defense 

23 against Russian aggression and concomitant train24 ing, maintenance, and operations support elements. 


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1 (b) CERTIFICATION DESCRIBED.—The certification 

2 described in this subsection is a certification submitted to 

3 Congress by the President or the Secretary of State that 

4 Georgia has shown significant and sustained progress to5 wards reinvigorating its democracy, evidenced at minimum 

6 by substantially fair and free elections and a balanced pre7 election environment. 

Æ 


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