I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8438 

To reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCCAUL, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KINZINGER, and Mr. KEATING) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 

to the Committees on Financial Services, 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 reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004. 

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 ‘‘Belarus Democracy, 

5 Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Section 2 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

8 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended 

9 to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 ‘‘Congress finds the following: 

3 ‘‘(1) The Government of Belarus, led by 

4 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues to engage in a 

5 pattern of clear and persistent violations of human 

6 rights and fundamental freedoms. 

7 ‘‘(2) The Government of Belarus, led by 

8 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues to engage in a 

9 pattern of clear and uncorrected violations of basic 

10 principles of democratic governance, including 

11 through a series of fundamentally flawed presi12 dential and parliamentary elections undermining the 

13 legitimacy of executive and legislative authority in 

14 that country. 

15 ‘‘(3) The Government of Belarus, led by 

16 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues to subject thou17 sands of pro-democracy political activists and peace18 ful protesters to harassment, beatings, and imprison19 ment, particularly as a result of their attempts to 

20 peacefully exercise their right to freedom of assem21 bly and association. 

22 ‘‘(4) The Government of Belarus, led by 

23 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues to suppress inde24 pendent media and journalists and to restrict access 

25 to the internet, including social media and other dig26 ital communication platforms, in violation of the 


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1 right to freedom of speech and expression of those 

2 dissenting from the dictatorship of Alyaksandr 

3 Lukashenka. 

4 ‘‘(5) The Government of Belarus, led by 

5 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues a systematic 

6 campaign of harassment, repression, and closure of 

7 nongovernmental organizations, including inde8 pendent trade unions and entrepreneurs, creating a 

9 climate of fear that inhibits the development of civil 

10 society and social solidarity. 

11 ‘‘(6) The Government of Belarus, led by 

12 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has pursued a policy un13 dermining the country’s sovereignty and independ14 ence by making Belarus political, economic, cultural, 

15 and societal interests subservient to those of Russia. 

16 ‘‘(7) The Government of Belarus, led by 

17 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues to reduce the 

18 independence of Belarus through integration into a 

19 so-called ‘Union State’ that is under the control of 

20 Russia. 

21 ‘‘(8) On August 9, 2020, the Government of 

22 Belarus conducted a presidential election that was 

23 fraudulent and did not meet international standards. 

24 There were serious irregularities with ballot counting 

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1 ment of Belarus also put in place restrictive meas2 ures that impeded the work of local independent ob3 servers and did not provide sufficient notice to the 

4 OSCE to allow for the OSCE to monitor the elec5 tions, as is customary. 

6 ‘‘(9) After the August 9, 2020, presidential 

7 election, the Government of Belarus responded to 

8 the peaceful opposition protests, which are the larg9 est in Belarus history, with a violent crackdown, in10 cluding, according to the United Nations Special 

11 Rapporteur, the detention of more than 10,000 

12 peaceful protestors as of September 18, 2020. 

13 ‘‘(10) Thousands of employees at Belarusian 

14 state-owned enterprises, who have been seen as 

15 Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s traditional base during his 

16 26-year rule, went on strike across the country to 

17 protest Lukashenka’s illegitimate election and the 

18 subsequent crackdowns, including at some of 

19 Belarus’s largest factories such as the BelAZ truck 

20 plant, the Minsk Tractor Works, and the Minsk 

21 Automobile Plant. 

22 ‘‘(11) Women have served as the leading force 

23 in demonstrations across the country, protesting the 

24 police brutality and mass detentions by wearing 

25 white, carrying flowers, forming ‘solidarity chains’, 


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1 and unmasking undercover police trying to arrest 

2 demonstrators. 

3 ‘‘(12) After the August 9, 2020, presidential 

4 election, the Government of Belarus has sought to 

5 stop the work of the Coordination Council, which 

6 was formed by the leading opposition presidential 

7 candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to facilitate a 

8 peaceful transition of power by subjecting the Coun9 cil’s senior members to violence, detention, and 

10 forced exile. 

11 ‘‘(13) After the August 9, 2020, presidential 

12 election, the Government of Belarus restricted the 

13 free flow of information to silence the opposition and 

14 to conceal the regime’s violent crackdown on peace15 ful protestors, including by stripping the accredita16 tion of journalists from major foreign news outlets, 

17 disrupting internet access, limiting access to social 

18 media and other digital communication platforms, 

19 and detaining and harassing countless journalists. 

20 ‘‘(14) Before the European Parliament on Au21 gust 25, 2020, Tsikhanouskaya stressed that a 

22 ‘peaceful revolution’ was underway in Belarus, and 

23 that ‘It is neither a pro-Russian nor anti-Russian 

24 revolution. It is neither an anti-European Union nor 


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1 a pro-European Union revolution. It is a democratic 

2 revolution.’. 

3 ‘‘(15) Against the will of the majority of the 

4 Belarusian people, Russian President Vladimir Putin 

5 has propped up the Alyaksandr Lukashenka regime, 

6 including by offering security assistance, providing 

7 significant financial support, and sending Russian 

8 propagandists to help disseminate pro-regime propa9 ganda on Belarus state television. 

10 ‘‘(16) After the August 9, 2020, presidential 

11 election, the United States, the European Union, the 

12 United Kingdom, and Canada condemned the violent 

13 crackdown on peaceful protestors, refused to accept 

14 the results of the fraudulent election and called for 

15 new free and fair elections under independent obser16 vation. 

17 ‘‘(17) On September 8, 2020, Secretary of 

18 State Michael R. Pompeo said, ‘The United States, 

19 in coordination with our partners and Allies, is con20 sidering additional targeted sanctions to promote ac21 countability for those involved in human rights 

22 abuses and repression in Belarus.’. 

23 ‘‘(18) Following Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s Sep24 tember 23, 2020, secret inauguration, the United 

25 States, the European Union, numerous European 


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1 Union member states, the United Kingdom, and 

2 Canada announced they did not recognize him as the 

3 legitimately elected leader of Belarus.’’. 

4 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

5 Section 3 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

6 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended 

7 to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

9 ‘‘It is the policy of the United States to— 

10 ‘‘(1) condemn the conduct of the August 9, 

11 2020, presidential election and crackdown on opposi12 tion candidates, senior members of the Coordination 

13 Council, peaceful protestors, employees from state14 owned enterprises participating in strikes, inde15 pendent election observers, and independent journal16 ists and bloggers; 

17 ‘‘(2) continue to call for the immediate release 

18 without preconditions of all political prisoners in 

19 Belarus, including all those individuals detained in 

20 connection with the August 9, 2020, presidential 

21 election, a leading opposition figure Maryia 

22 Kalesnikava, and United States citizen Vitali 

23 Shkliarov; 


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1 ‘‘(3) continue to support the aspirations of the 

2 people of Belarus for democracy, human rights, and 

3 the rule of law; 

4 ‘‘(4) continue to support the aspirations of the 

5 people of Belarus to exercise their religion freely, in6 cluding the head of the Catholic Church in Belarus 

7 Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz who was barred 

8 from entering the country after criticizing 

9 Belarusian authorities; 

10 ‘‘(5) continue to support actively the aspirations 

11 of the people of the Republic of Belarus to preserve 

12 the independence and sovereignty of their country; 

13 ‘‘(6) not to recognize any incorporation of 

14 Belarus into a ‘Union State’ with Russia, as this so15 called ‘Union State’ would be both an attempt to ab16 sorb Belarus and a step to reconstituting the totali17 tarian Soviet Union; 

18 ‘‘(7) continue to reject the results of the fraud19 ulent August 9, 2020, presidential election in 

20 Belarus, and to support calls for new presidential 

21 and parliamentary elections, conducted in a manner 

22 that is free and fair according to OSCE standards 

23 and under the supervision of OSCE observers and 

24 independent domestic observers; 


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1 ‘‘(8) refuse to recognize Alyaksandr 

2 Lukashenka as the legitimately elected leader of 

3 Belarus; 

4 ‘‘(9) continue to call for the fulfillment by the 

5 Government of Belarus of Belarus’s freely under6 taken obligations as an OSCE participating state 

7 and as a signatory of the Charter of the United Na8 tions; 

9 ‘‘(10) support an OSCE role in mediating a 

10 dialogue within Belarus between the government and 

11 genuine representatives of Belarusian society; 

12 ‘‘(11) recognize the Coordination Council as a 

13 legitimate institution to participate in a dialogue on 

14 a peaceful transition of power; 

15 ‘‘(12) urge an expanded United States diplo16 matic presence in Belarus to advocate for the aspira17 tions of the people of Belarus for democracy, human 

18 rights, and the rule of law; 

19 ‘‘(13) continue to work closely with the Euro20 pean Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and 

21 other countries and international organizations, to 

22 promote the principles of democracy, the rule of law 

23 and human rights in Belarus; and 

24 ‘‘(14) remain open to reevaluating United 

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1 monstrable progress made by the Government of 

2 Belarus consistent with the aims of this Act as stat3 ed in this section.’’. 

4 SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY, CIVIL SO5 CIETY, AND SOVEREIGNTY IN BELARUS. 

6 Section 4 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

7 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amend8 ed— 

9 (1) in the section heading to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY, CIVIL

11 SOCIETY, AND SOVEREIGNTY IN BELARUS.’’; 

12 (2) in subsection (a)— 

13 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Euro14 pean’’ and inserting ‘‘Trans-Atlantic’’; and 

15 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 

16 (3) as paragraphs (3) and 4, respectively; and 

17 (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

18 following: 

19 ‘‘(2) To assist the people of Belarus in building 

20 the sovereignty and independence of their country.’’; 

21 (3) in subsection (b)— 

22 (A) by inserting ‘‘and Belarusian groups 

23 outside of Belarus’’ after ‘‘indigenous 

24 Belarusian groups’’; and 


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1 (B) by inserting ‘‘and Belarusian sov2 ereignty’’ before the period at the end; 

3 (4) in subsection (c)— 

4 (A) by striking paragraph (8); 

5 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) 

6 through (7) as paragraphs (4) through (8), re7 spectively; 

8 (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 

9 following: 

10 ‘‘(3) countering internet censorship and repres11 sive surveillance technology that seek to limit free 

12 association, control access to information, and pre13 vent citizens from exercising their rights to free 

14 speech;’’; 

15 (D) in paragraph (8) (as redesignated), by 

16 striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; and 

17 (E) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(9) supporting the work of women advocating 

19 freedom, human rights, and human progress; 

20 ‘‘(10) supporting the development of Belarusian 

21 language education; 

22 ‘‘(11) enhancing the development of the private 

23 sector, particularly the information technology sec24 tor, and its role in the economy of Belarus, including 

25 by increasing the capacity of private sector actors, 


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1 developing business support organizations, offering 

2 entrepreneurship training, and expanding access to 

3 finance for small and medium enterprises; 

4 ‘‘(12) supporting political refugees in neigh5 boring European countries fleeing the crackdown in 

6 Belarus; 

7 ‘‘(13) supporting the gathering of evidence on 

8 and investigating of the human rights abuses in 

9 Belarus; 

10 ‘‘(14) supporting the public health response, in11 cluding filling the information void, in Belarus dur12 ing the COVID-19 pandemic; and 

13 ‘‘(15) other activities consistent with the pur14 poses of this Act.’’; 

15 (5) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub16 section (g); 

17 (6) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol18 lowing: 

19 ‘‘(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con20 gress that, in light of the political crisis in Belarus and 

21 the unprecedented mobilization of the Belarusian people, 

22 United States foreign assistance to Belarusian civil society 

23 should be reevaluated and increased to carry out the pur24 poses described in subsection (a) and to include the activi25 ties described in subsection (c). 


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1 ‘‘(e) COORDINATION WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS.— 

2 In order to maximize impact, eliminate duplication, and 

3 further the achievement of the purposes described in sub4 section (a), the Secretary of State shall ensure coordina5 tion with the European Union and its institutions, the gov6 ernments of countries that are members of the European 

7 Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada. 

8 ‘‘(f) REPORT ON ASSISTANCE.—Not later than one 

9 year after the date of the enactment of the Belarus De10 mocracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, the 

11 Secretary of State, acting through the Office of the Coor12 dinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, and 

13 in coordination with the Administrator of the United 

14 States Agency for International Development, shall submit 

15 to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 

16 the programs and activities carried out to achieve the pur17 poses described in subsection (a), including an assessment 

18 of whether or not progress was made in achieving those 

19 purposes.’’; and 

20 (7) in subsection (g) (as redesignated)— 

21 (A) by striking ‘‘AUTHORIZATION OF AP22 PROPRIATIONS’’ and all that follows through 

23 ‘‘There are’’ and inserting ‘‘AUTHORIZATION OF

24 APPROPRIATIONS.—There are’’; 


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1 (B) by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2007 and 

2 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2021 and 

3 2022’’; and 

4 (C) by striking paragraph (2). 

5 SEC. 5. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING, INTERNET FREE6 DOM, AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN 

7 BELARUS. 

8 Section 5 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

9 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended 

10 to read as follows: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 5. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING, INTERNET FREE12 DOM, AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN 

13 BELARUS. 

14 ‘‘(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con15 gress that— 

16 ‘‘(1) the President should support and reallo17 cate resources to radio, television, and internet 

18 broadcasting in languages spoken in Belarus by 

19 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to the people of 

20 Belarus; 

21 ‘‘(2) the United States should also support 

22 other independent media providing objective infor23 mation to the Belarusian people, particularly in the 

24 Belarusian language; 


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1 ‘‘(3) the President should provide the United 

2 States Agency for Global Media with a surge capac3 ity (as such term is defined in section 316 of the 

4 United States International Broadcasting Act (22 

5 U.S.C. 6216)) for programs and activities in 

6 Belarus; 

7 ‘‘(4) the Chief Executive Officer of the United 

8 States Agency for Global Media, working through 

9 the Open Technology Fund and in coordination with 

10 the Secretary of State, should expand and prioritize 

11 efforts to provide anti-censorship technology and 

12 services to journalists and civil society in Belarus in 

13 order to enhance their ability to safely access or 

14 share digital news and information without fear of 

15 repercussions or surveillance; and 

16 ‘‘(5) the United States should continue to con17 demn the Belarusian authorities’ crackdown on inde18 pendent media, including the harassment and mass 

19 detentions of independent and foreign journalists 

20 and the denial of accreditation. 

21 ‘‘(b) STRATEGY TO PROMOTE EXPANDED BROAD22 CASTING, INTERNET FREEDOM, AND ACCESS TO INFOR23 MATION IN BELARUS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 

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1 mocracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 

2 2020, the Chief Executive Officer of the United 

3 States Agency for Global Media and the Secretary of 

4 State shall jointly submit to the appropriate congres5 sional committees a comprehensive strategy, includ6 ing a cost estimate, to carry out the following: 

7 ‘‘(A) Expand independent radio, television, 

8 live stream, and social network broadcasting 

9 and communications in Belarus to provide news 

10 and information, particularly in the Belarusian 

11 language, that is credible, comprehensive, and 

12 accurate. 

13 ‘‘(B) Support the development and use of 

14 anti-censorship and circumvention technologies 

15 by the Open Technology Fund and the Bureau 

16 of Democracy Human Rights and Labor that 

17 enable the citizens of Belarus to communicate 

18 securely and undertake internet activities with19 out interference from the Government of 

20 Belarus. 

21 ‘‘(C) Assist efforts to overcome attempts 

22 by the Government of Belarus to disrupt inter23 net access and block content online. 

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1 ment or organization for purposes related to the 

2 censorship or surveillance of the internet, in3 cluding an assessment of any such cooperation 

4 in the preceding ten years. 

5 ‘‘(E) Monitor the purchase or receipt by 

6 the Government of Belarus of any technology or 

7 training from any foreign government or orga8 nization for purposes related to the censorship 

9 or surveillance of the internet, including an as10 sessment of any such purchase or receipt in the 

11 preceding ten years. 

12 ‘‘(F) Assist with the protection of journal13 ists who have been targeted for free speech ac14 tivities, including through the denial of accredi15 tation. 

16 ‘‘(G) Provide cyber-attack mitigation serv17 ices to civil society organizations in Belarus. 

18 ‘‘(H) Provide resources for educational ma19 terials and training on digital literacy, bypass20 ing internet censorship, digital safety, and in21 vestigative and analytical journalism for inde22 pendent journalists working in Belarus. 

23 ‘‘(I) Build the capacity of civil society, 

24 media, and other nongovernmental and organi25 zations to identify, track, and counter 


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1 disinformation, including from proxies of the 

2 Government of Russia working at Belarusian 

3 state television. 

4 ‘‘(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 

5 (1) shall be transmitted in unclassified form but 

6 may contain a classified annex.’’. 

7 SEC. 6. SANCTIONS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF 

8 BELARUS. 

9 Section 6 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

10 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amend11 ed— 

12 (1) in subsection (b)— 

13 (A) by striking ‘‘December 19, 2010’’ each 

14 place it appears and inserting ‘‘August 9, 

15 2020’’; 

16 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, 

17 peaceful protesters,’’ after ‘‘all opposition activ18 ists’’; and 

19 (C) by striking paragraphs (3) and (6) and 

20 redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and (7) as 

21 paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respectively; 

22 (2) in subsection (c)— 

23 (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting 

24 ‘‘AND RUSSIAN INDIVIDUALS COMPLICIT IN

25 THE CRACKDOWN THAT OCCURRED AFTER


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1 THE AUGUST 9, 2020, ELECTION’’ after 

2 ‘‘BELARUS’’; 

3 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and 

4 (5) as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; 

5 (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 

6 following: 

7 ‘‘(4) is a member of the Central Election Com8 mission of Belarus or assisted the Commission in 

9 manipulating the presidential election of August 9, 

10 2020;’’; 

11 (D) in paragraph (5) (as redesignated) to 

12 read as follows: 

13 ‘‘(5) is a member of any branch of the security 

14 or law enforcement services of Belarus, including the 

15 KGB, Interior Ministry, and OMON special police 

16 unit, and is responsible for, or complicit in, ordering, 

17 controlling, materially assisting, sponsoring, or pro18 viding financial, material, or technological support 

19 for, or otherwise directing, the crackdown on opposi20 tion leaders, journalists, and peaceful protestors that 

21 occurred in connection with the presidential election 

22 of August 9, 2020; or’’; and 

23 (E) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(7) is a government official, including at the 

25 Information Ministry, responsible for the crackdown 


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1 on independent media, including revoking the ac2 creditation of journalists, disrupting internet access, 

3 and restricting online content; 

4 ‘‘(8) is an official in the so-called ‘Union State’ 

5 between Russia and Belarus (regardless of nation6 ality of the individual); or 

7 ‘‘(9) is a Russian individual that has signifi8 cantly participated in the crackdown on independent 

9 press or human rights abuses related to political re10 pression in Belarus, including the Russian propa11 gandists sent to replace local employees at 

12 Belarusian state media outlets.’’; 

13 (3) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ‘‘the Over14 seas Private Investment Corporation’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘the United States International Development Fi16 nance Corporation’’; 

17 (4) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘(including 

18 any technical assistance or grant) of any kind’’; and 

19 (5) in subsection (f)— 

20 (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘or 

21 by any member or family member closely linked 

22 to any member of the senior leadership of the 

23 Government of Belarus’’ and inserting ‘‘or by 

24 the senior leadership of the Government of 

25 Belarus or by any member or family member 


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1 closely linked to the senior leadership of the 

2 Government of Belarus, or an official of the so3 called ‘Union State’ with Russia’’; and 

4 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

5 (i) in subparagraph (A), by adding at 

6 the end before the semicolon the following: 

7 ‘‘, or an official of the so-called ‘Union 

8 State’ with Russia’’; and 

9 (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 

10 ‘‘, or the so-called ‘Union State’ with Rus11 sia,’’ after ‘‘the Government of Belarus’’. 

12 SEC. 7. MULTILATERAL COOPERATION. 

13 Section 7 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

14 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended 

15 to read as follows: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 7. MULTILATERAL COOPERATION. 

17 ‘‘It is the sense of Congress that the President should 

18 continue to coordinate with the European Union and its 

19 institutions, European Union member states, the United 

20 Kingdom, and Canada to develop a comprehensive, multi21 lateral strategy to— 

22 ‘‘(1) further the purposes of this Act, including, 

23 as appropriate, encouraging other countries to take 

24 measures with respect to the Republic of Belarus 


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1 that are similar to measures described in this Act; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(2) deter the Government of Russia from un4 dermining democratic processes and institutions in 

5 Belarus or threatening the independence, sov6 ereignty, and territorial integrity of Belarus.’’. 

7 SEC. 8. REPORTS. 

8 Section 8 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

9 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended 

10 to read as follows: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 8. REPORTS. 

12 ‘‘(a) REPORT ON THREAT TO SOVEREIGNTY AND

13 INDEPENDENCE OF BELARUS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 

15 after the date of the enactment of the Belarus De16 mocracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 

17 2020, the Secretary of State, in coordination with 

18 the Director of National Intelligence, shall transmit 

19 to the appropriate congressional committees a report 

20 on the threat the Government of Russia poses to the 

21 sovereignty and independence of Belarus. 

22 ‘‘(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report 

23 required by paragraph (1) shall include the fol24 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(A) An assessment of how the Govern2 ment of Russia is exploiting the current polit3 ical crisis in Belarus to push for deeper political 

4 and economic control of or integration with 

5 Belarus. 

6 ‘‘(B) A description of the economic and en7 ergy assets in Belarus that the Government of 

8 Russia, including Russian state-owned or state9 controlled companies, controls. 

10 ‘‘(C) A description of Belarus major enter11 prises that are vulnerable of being taken over 

12 by Russian entities amid the country’s wors13 ening financial crisis. 

14 ‘‘(D) A description of how and to what 

15 ends the Government of Russia seeks to aug16 ment its military presence in Belarus. 

17 ‘‘(E) A description of Russian influence 

18 over the media and information space in 

19 Belarus and how the Government of Russia 

20 uses disinformation and other malign tech21 niques to undermine Belarusian history, cul22 ture, and language. 

23 ‘‘(F) A description of other actors in 

24 Belarus that the Government of Russia uses to 


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1 advance its malign influence, including vet2 erans’ organizations and extrajudicial networks. 

3 ‘‘(G) A description of efforts to undermine 

4 Belarusian language, cultural, and national 

5 symbols, including the traditional red and white 

6 flag and the ‘Pahonia’ mounted knight. 

7 ‘‘(H) An identification of Russian individ8 uals and government agencies that are signifi9 cantly supporting or involved in the crackdown 

10 on peaceful protestors and the opposition or the 

11 repression of independent media following the 

12 August 9, 2020, presidential election. 

13 ‘‘(3) FORM.—The report required by this sub14 section shall be transmitted in unclassified form but 

15 may contain a classified annex. 

16 ‘‘(b) REPORT ON PERSONAL ASSETS OF

17 ALYAKSANDR LUKASHENKA.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 

19 after the date of the enactment of the Belarus De20 mocracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 

21 2020, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation 

22 with the Secretary of State and the Director of Na23 tional Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate 

24 congressional committees a report on— 


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•HR 8438 IH

1 ‘‘(A) the total assets under the direct or 

2 indirect control of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, in3 cluding estimated assets and known sources of 

4 income of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his im5 mediate family members, including assets, in6 vestments, bank accounts, and other business 

7 interests; and 

8 ‘‘(B) an identification of the most signifi9 cant senior foreign political figures in Belarus, 

10 as determined by their closeness to Alyaksandr 

11 Lukashenka. 

12 ‘‘(2) FORM.—The report required by this sub13 section shall be transmitted in unclassified form but 

14 may contain a classified annex.’’. 

15 SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 

16 Section 9 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

17 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amend18 ed— 

19 (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT22 TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com23 mittees’ means— 

24 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

25 the Committee on Financial Services, and the 


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1 Committee on Appropriations of the House of 

2 Representatives; and 

3 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

4 the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

5 Urban Affairs, and the Committee on Appro6 priations of the Senate.’’; and 

7 (2) in paragraph (3)(B)— 

8 (A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘members of 

9 the security and intelligence services,’’ after 

10 ‘‘prosecutors,’’; and 

11 (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘, electoral 

12 fraud, online censorship, or restrictions on inde13 pendent media and journalists’’ after ‘‘public 

14 corruption’’. 

Æ 


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