107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2121
AN ACT
To make available funds under the Foreign Assist-
ance Act of 1961 to expand democracy, good gov-
ernance, and anti-corruption programs in the
Russian Federation in order to promote and
strengthen democratic government and civil soci-
ety in that country and to support independent
media.
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2121
AN ACT
To make available funds under the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961 to expand democracy, good governance, and
anti-corruption programs in the Russian Federation in
order to promote and strengthen democratic government
and civil society in that country and to support inde-
pendent media.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Russian Democracy
Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
the leadership of the Russian Federation has pub-
licly committed itself to building—
(A) a society with democratic political in-
stitutions and practices, the observance of uni-
versally recognized standards of human rights,
and religious and press freedom; and
(B) a market economy based on inter-
nationally accepted principles of transparency,
accountability, and the rule of law.
(2) In order to facilitate this transition, the
international community has provided multilateral
and bilateral technical assistance, and the United
States’ contribution to these efforts has played an
important role in developing new institutions built
on democratic and liberal economic foundations and
the rule of law.
(3)(A) Since 1992, United States Government
democratic reform programs and public diplomacy
programs, including training, small grants, and tech-
nical assistance to independent television, radio, and
print media across the Russian Federation, have
strengthened nongovernment-owned media, provided
access to and training in the use of the Internet,
brought nearly 40,000 Russian citizens to the
United States, and have led to the establishment of
over 65,000 nongovernmental organizations, thou-
sands of vibrant independent media outlets, and nu-
merous political parties.
(B) These efforts contributed to the substan-
tially free and fair Russian parliamentary elections
in 1995 and 1999 and Presidential elections in 1996
and 2000.
(4) The United States has assisted Russian ef-
forts to replace its centrally planned, state-controlled
economy with a market economy and helped create
institutions and infrastructure for a market economy
by encouraging the transparent privatization of
state-owned enterprises. Approximately two-thirds of
the Russian Federation’s gross domestic product is
now generated by the private sector.
(5)(A) The United States fostered grassroots
entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation by fo-
cusing United States economic assistance on small-
and medium-sized businesses and by providing train-
ing, consulting services, and small loans to more
than 250,000 Russian entrepreneurs.
(B) There are now more than 900,000 small
businesses in the Russian Federation, producing 12
to 15 percent of the gross domestic product of the
Russian Federation.
(C) United States-funded programs help to
fight corruption and financial crime, such as money
laundering, by helping to—
(i) establish a commercial legal infrastruc-
ture;
(ii) develop an independent judiciary;
(iii) support the drafting of a new criminal
code, civil code, and bankruptcy law;
(iv) develop a legal and regulatory frame-
work for the Russian Federation’s equivalent of
the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission;
(v) support Russian law schools;
(vi) create legal aid clinics; and
(vii) bolster law-related activities of non-
governmental organizations.
(6) Because the capability of Russian demo-
cratic forces and the civil society to organize and de-
fend democratic gains without international support
is uncertain, and because the gradual integration of
the Russian Federation into the global order of free-
market, democratic nations will further enhance
Russian cooperation with the United States on a
wide-range of political, economic, and security
issues, the success of democracy in Russia is in the
national security interest of the United States, and
the United States Government should develop a far-
reaching and flexible strategy aimed at strength-
ening Russian society’s support for democracy and a
market economy, particularly by enhancing Russian
democratic institutions and education, promoting the
rule of law, and supporting Russia’s independent
media.
(7) Since the tragic events of September 11,
2001, the Russian Federation has stood with the
United States and the civilized world in the struggle
against terrorism and has cooperated in the war in
Afghanistan by sharing intelligence and through
other means.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to strengthen and advance institutions of
democratic government and of a free and inde-
pendent media and to sustain the development of an
independent civil society in the Russian Federation
based on religious and ethnic tolerance, internation-
ally recognized human rights, and an internationally
recognized rule of law; and
(2) to focus United States foreign assistance
programs on using local expertise and giving local
organizations a greater role in designing and imple-
menting such programs, while maintaining appro-
priate oversight and monitoring.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION.
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the United States Government should—
(1) recognize that a democratic and economi-
cally stable Russian Federation is inherently less
confrontational and destabilizing in its foreign policy
and therefore that the promotion of democracy in
Russia is in the national security interests of the
United States; and
(2) continue and increase assistance to the
democratic forces in the Russian Federation, includ-
ing the independent media, regional administrations,
democratic political parties, and nongovernmental
organizations.
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy
of the United States—
(1) to facilitate Russia’s integration into the
Western community of nations, including supporting
the establishment of a stable democracy and a mar-
ket economy, and also including Russia’s member-
ship in the appropriate international institutions;
(2) to engage the Government of Russian Fed-
eration and Russian society in order to strengthen
democratic reform and institutions, and to promote
good governance principles based on the internation-
ally recognized norms of transparency in business
practices, the rule of law, religious freedom, and
human rights;
(3) to advance a dialog between United States
Government officials and private sector individuals
and representatives of the Government of the Rus-
sian Federation regarding Russian integration into
the Western community of nations;
(4) to encourage United States Government of-
ficials and private sector individuals to meet regu-
larly with democratic activists, human rights activ-
ists, representatives of the independent media, rep-
resentatives of nongovernmental organizations, civic
organizers, and reform-minded politicians from Mos-
cow and the various regions of the Russian Federa-
tion;
(5) to incorporate democratic reforms, the pro-
motion of an independent media, and economic re-
forms in the broad United States agenda with the
Government of the Russian Federation;
(6) to encourage the Government of the Rus-
sian Federation to address cross-border issues, in-
cluding the environment, crime, trafficking, and cor-
ruption in a cooperative and transparent manner
consistent with internationally recognized and ac-
cepted principles of the rule of law;
(7) to consult with the Government of the Rus-
sian Federation and the Russian Parliament on the
adoption of economic and social reforms necessary to
sustain Russian economic growth and to ensure Rus-
sia’s transition to a fully functioning market econ-
omy;
(8) to persuade the Government of the Russian
Federation to honor its commitments made to the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Eu-
rope (OSCE) at the November 1999 Istanbul Con-
ference and to conduct a genuine good neighbor pol-
icy toward the other independent states of the
former Soviet Union in the spirit of internationally
accepted principles of regional cooperation; and
(9) to encourage the G–7 partners and inter-
national financial institutions, including the World
Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Develop-
ment, to develop financial safeguards and trans-
parency practices in lending to the Russian Federa-
tion.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT
OF 1961.
(a) AMENDMENTS.—
(1) DEMOCRACY AND RULE OF LAW.—Section
498(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2295(2)) is amended—
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘DEMOC-
RACY’’ and inserting ‘‘DEMOCRACY AND RULE
OF LAW’’;
(B) by striking subparagraphs (E) and
(G);
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as
subparagraph (I);
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (D)
the following:
‘‘(E) development and support of grass-
roots and nongovernmental organizations pro-
moting democracy, the rule of law, trans-
parency, and accountability in the political
process, including grants in small amounts to
such organizations;
‘‘(F) international exchanges to promote
greater understanding by Russian Federation
citizens on how democracy, public policy proc-
ess, market institutions, and an independent ju-
diciary function in Western societies;
‘‘(G) political parties committed to pro-
moting democracy, human rights, and economic
reforms;
‘‘(H) support for civic organizations com-
mitted to promoting human rights; and’’; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(J) strengthened administration of justice
through programs and activities carried out in
accordance with section 498B(e), including—
‘‘(i) support for nongovernmental or-
ganizations, civic organizations, and polit-
ical parties that favor a strong and inde-
pendent judiciary based on merit;
‘‘(ii) support for local organizations
that work with judges and law enforcement
officials in efforts to achieve a reduction in
the number of pretrial detainees; and
‘‘(iii) support for the creation of Rus-
sian legal associations or groups that pro-
vide training in human rights and advo-
cacy, public education with respect to
human rights-related laws and proposed
legislation, and legal assistance to persons
subject to improper government inter-
ference.’’.
(2) INDEPENDENT MEDIA.—Section 498 of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2295) is
amended—
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3)
through (13) as paragraphs (4) though (14),
respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the
following:
‘‘(3) INDEPENDENT MEDIA.—Developing a free
and independent media, including—
‘‘(A) supporting all forms of non-state-
owned media reporting, including print, radio,
and television;
‘‘(B) providing special support for, and un-
restricted public access to, nongovernmental
Internet-based sources of information, dissemi-
nation and reporting, including providing tech-
nical and other support for web radio services,
providing computers and other necessary re-
sources for Internet connectivity and training
new Internet users in nongovernmental and
other civic organizations on methods and uses
of Internet-based media; and
‘‘(C) training in journalism, including in-
vestigative journalism techniques which educate
the public on the costs of corruption and act as
a deterrent against corrupt officials.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 498B(e) of
such Act is amended by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)(G)’’ and
inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)(J)’’.
SEC. 5. ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE RUSSIAN FEDERA-
TION.
(a) ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.—In providing assistance
to the Russian Federation under chapter 11 of part I of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2295 et
seq.), the President is authorized to carry out the fol-
lowing specific activities:
(1) Work with the Government of the Russian
Federation, the Duma, and representatives of the
Russian Federation judiciary to help implement a
revised and improved code of criminal procedure and
other laws.
(2) Establish civic education programs relating
to democracy, public policy, the rule of law, and the
importance of an independent media, including the
establishment of ‘‘American Centers’’ and public pol-
icy schools at Russian universities and programs by
universities in the United States to offer courses
through Internet-based off-site learning centers at
Russian universities.
(3) Support the Regional Initiatives (RI) pro-
gram, which provides targeted assistance in those re-
gions of the Russian Federation that have dem-
onstrated commitment to reform, democracy, and
the rule of law, and which promote the concept of
such programs as a model for all regions of the Rus-
sian Federation.
(b) RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY
AND
VOICE OF AMERICA.—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
and the Voice of America should use new and innovative
techniques, in cooperation with local independent media
sources, to disseminate information throughout the Rus-
sian Federation relating to democracy, free-market eco-
nomics, the rule of law, and human rights.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE FOR DEMOCRACY,
INDEPENDENT MEDIA, AND THE RULE OF
LAW.
Of the amounts made available to carry out the provi-
sion of chapter 11 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2295 et seq.) and the Freedom for
Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open
Markets Support Act of 1992 for fiscal year 2002, not
less than $50,000,000 is authorized to be available for the
activities authorized by paragraphs (2) and (3) of section
498 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended
by section 4(a) of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives December 11,
2001.
Attest:
Clerk.