HR 854 RDS 
(10) The Lukashenka regime harasses the 
autocephalic Belarusian Orthodox Church, the 
Roman Catholic Church, the Jewish community, the 
Hindu Lights of Kalyasa community, evangelical 
Protestant churches (such as Baptist and Pente-
costal groups), and other minority religious groups. 
(11) The Law on Religious Freedom and Reli-
gious Organizations, passed by the National Assem-
bly and signed by Lukashenka on October 31, 2002, 
establishes one of the most repressive legal regimes 
in the OSCE region, severely limiting religious free-
dom and placing excessively burdensome government 
controls on religious practice. 
(12) The parliamentary elections of October 15, 
2000, and the presidential election of September 9, 
2001, were determined to be fundamentally unfair 
and nondemocratic. 
(13) The Government of Belarus has made no 
substantive progress in addressing criteria estab-
lished by the OSCE in 2000, ending repression and 
the climate of fear, permitting a functioning inde-
pendent media, ensuring transparency of the elec-
tions process, and strengthening of the functions of 
parliament.
HR 854 RDS 
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY AND CIVIL 
SOCIETY IN BELARUS. 
(a) PURPOSES
OF
ASSISTANCE.—The assistance 
under this section shall be available for the following pur-
poses: 
(1) To assist the people of the Republic of 
Belarus in regaining their freedom and to enable 
them to join the European community of democ-
racies. 
(2) To encourage free and fair presidential, 
parliamentary, and local elections in Belarus, con-
ducted in a manner consistent with internationally 
accepted standards and under the supervision of 
internationally recognized observers. 
(3) To assist in restoring and strengthening in-
stitutions of democratic governance in Belarus. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION FOR ASSISTANCE.—To carry out 
the purposes of subsection (a), the President is authorized 
to furnish assistance and other support for the activities 
described in subsection (c), to be provided primarily for 
indigenous Belarusian groups that are committed to the 
support of democratic processes. 
(c) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—Activities that may be 
supported by assistance under subsection (b) include— 
(1) the observation of elections and the pro-
motion of free and fair electoral processes;
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(2) development of democratic political parties; 
(3) radio and television broadcasting to and 
within Belarus; 
(4) the development of nongovernmental organi-
zations promoting democracy and supporting human 
rights; 
(5) the development of independent media 
working within Belarus and from locations outside 
the country and supported by nonstate-controlled 
printing facilities; 
(6) international exchanges and advanced pro-
fessional training programs for leaders and members 
of the democratic forces in skill areas central to the 
development of civil society; and 
(7) other activities consistent with the purposes 
of this Act. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the President to carry out this sec-
tion such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
fiscal years 2005 and 2006. 
(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro-
priated pursuant to the authorization of appropria-
tions under paragraph (1) are authorized to remain 
available until expended.
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SEC. 4. RADIO BROADCASTING TO BELARUS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 
authorize increased support for United States Government 
and surrogate radio broadcasting to the Republic of 
Belarus that will facilitate the unhindered dissemination 
of information. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addi-
tion to such sums as are otherwise authorized to be appro-
priated, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005 and each subse-
quent fiscal year for radio broadcasting to the people of 
Belarus in languages spoken in Belarus. 
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO SANCTIONS 
AGAINST BELARUS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the sanctions described in subsection (c) should 
apply with respect to the Republic of Belarus until the 
President determines and certifies to the appropriate con-
gressional committees that the Government of Belarus has 
made significant progress in meeting the conditions de-
scribed in subsection (b). 
(b) CONDITIONS.—The conditions referred to in sub-
section (a) are the following: 
(1) The release of individuals in Belarus who 
have been jailed based on political or religious be-
liefs.
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(2) The withdrawal of politically motivated legal 
charges against all opposition figures and inde-
pendent journalists in Belarus. 
(3) A full accounting of the disappearances of 
opposition leaders and journalists in Belarus, includ-
ing Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Yuri 
Zakharenka, and Dmitry Zavadsky, and the prosecu-
tion of those individuals who are responsible for 
their disappearances. 
(4) The cessation of all forms of harassment 
and repression against the independent media, inde-
pendent trade unions, nongovernmental organiza-
tions, religious organizations (including their leader-
ship and members), and the political opposition in 
Belarus. 
(5) The implementation of free and fair presi-
dential and parliamentary elections in Belarus con-
sistent with OSCE commitments. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON LOANS AND INVESTMENT.— 
(1) UNITED
STATES
GOVERNMENT
FINANC-
ING.—No loan, credit guarantee, insurance, financ-
ing, or other similar financial assistance should be 
extended by any agency of the United States Gov-
ernment (including the Export-Import Bank and the 
Overseas Private Investment Corporation) to the
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Government of Belarus, except with respect to the 
provision of humanitarian goods and agricultural or 
medical products. 
(2) TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.—No 
funds available to the Trade and Development Agen-
cy should be available for activities of the Agency in 
or for Belarus. 
(d) MULTILATERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—It is 
further the sense of Congress that, in addition to the ap-
plication of the sanctions described in subsection (c) to 
the Republic of Belarus (until the President determines 
and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees 
that the Government of Belarus has made significant 
progress in meeting the conditions described in subsection 
(b)), the Secretary of the Treasury should instruct the 
United States Executive Director of each international fi-
nancial institution to which the United States is a member 
to use the voice and vote of the United States to oppose 
any extension by those institutions of any financial assist-
ance (including any technical assistance or grant) of any 
kind to the Government of Belarus, except for loans and 
assistance that serve humanitarian needs. 
SEC. 6. MULTILATERAL COOPERATION. 
It is the sense of Congress that the President should 
continue to seek to coordinate with other countries, par-
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ticularly European countries, a comprehensive, multilat-
eral strategy to further the purposes of this Act, including, 
as appropriate, encouraging other countries to take meas-
ures with respect to the Republic of Belarus that are simi-
lar to measures described in this Act. 
SEC. 7. REPORT. 
(a) REPORT.— Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 1 year 
thereafter, the President shall transmit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that describes, with re-
spect to the preceding 12-month period, and to the extent 
practicable the following: 
(1) The sale or delivery of weapons or weapons- 
related technologies from the Republic of Belarus to 
any country, the government of which the Secretary 
of State has determined, for purposes of section 
6(j)(1) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 
(50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)(1)), has repeatedly pro-
vided support for acts of international terrorism. 
(2) An identification of each country described 
in paragraph (1) and a detailed description of the 
weapons or weapons-related technologies involved in 
the sale. 
(3) An identification of the goods, services, 
credits, or other consideration received by Belarus in
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exchange for the weapons or weapons-related tech-
nologies. 
(4) The personal assets and wealth of Alek-
sandr Lukashenka and other senior leadership of the 
Government of Belarus. 
(b) FORM.—A report transmitted pursuant to sub-
section (a) shall be in unclassified form but may contain 
a classified annex. 
SEC. 8. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 
Congress hereby— 
(1) calls upon the Lukashenka regime to cease 
its persecution of political opponents or independent 
journalists and to release those individuals who have 
been imprisoned for opposing his regime or for exer-
cising their right to freedom of speech; 
(2) expresses its grave concern about the dis-
appearance of Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, 
Yuri Zakharenko, and Dmitry Zavadsky and calls 
upon the Lukashenka regime to cooperate fully with 
the Belrussian civil initiatve ‘‘We Remember’’ and to 
extend to this organization all necessary information 
to find out the truth about the disappearances; 
(3) calls upon the the Lukashenka regime to co-
operate fully with the Parliamentary Assembly of the 
Council of Europe (PACE) and its specially ap-
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pointed representatives in matters regarding the res-
olution of the cases of the disappeared; and 
(4) commends the democratic opposition in 
Belarus for their commitment to participate in Octo-
ber 2004 Parliamentary elections as a unified coali-
tion and for their courage in the face of the repres-
sion of the Lukashenka regime in Belarus. 
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on International Re-
lations of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. 
(2) OSCE.—The term ‘‘OSCE’’ means the Or-
ganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 
(3) SENIOR LEADERSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENT 
OF BELARUS.—The term ‘‘senior leadership of the 
Government of Belarus’’ includes— 
(A) the President, Prime Minister, Deputy 
Prime Ministers, government ministers, Chair-
men of State Committees, and members of the 
Presidential Administration of Belarus; 
(B) any official of the Government of 
Belarus who is personally and substantially in-
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volved in the suppression of freedom in Belarus, 
including judges and prosecutors; and 
(C) any other individual determined by the 
Secretary of State (or the Secretary’s designee) 
to be personally and substantially involved in 
the formulation or execution of the policies of 
the Lukashenka regime that are in contradic-
tion of internationally recognized human rights 
standards. 
Passed the House of Representatives October 4, 
2004. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.