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 ‘‘European Energy Se-
curity and Diversification Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) EARLY-STAGE
PROJECT
SUPPORT.—The 
term ‘‘early-stage project support’’ includes the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Feasibility studies. 
(B) Resource evaluations. 
(C) Project appraisal and costing. 
(D) Pilot projects. 
(E) Commercial support, such as trade 
missions, reverse trade missions, technical 
workshops, international buyer programs, and 
international partner searchers to link suppliers 
to projects. 
(F) Technical assistance and other guid-
ance to improve the local regulatory environ-
ment and market frameworks to encourage 
transparent competition and enhance energy se-
curity. 
(G) Long-term energy sector planning.
(2) LATE-STAGE PROJECT SUPPORT.—The term 
‘‘late-stage project support’’ includes support de-
scribed in section 1421 of the Better Utilization of 
Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 
(also referred to as the ‘‘BUILD Act of 2018’’; en-
acted as division F of the FAA Reauthorization Act 
of 2018 (Public Law 115–254)). 
(3) 
INTERNATIONAL
FINANCIAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘international financial institu-
tion’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
1701(c) of the International Financial Institutions 
Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)). 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS; STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the United States has economic and national 
security interests in assisting European and Eurasian 
countries achieve energy security through diversification 
of their energy sources and supply routes. 
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 
United States to— 
(1) advance United States foreign policy and 
development goals by assisting European and Eur-
asian countries to reduce their dependence on energy 
resources from countries that use energy dependence 
for undue political influence, such as the Russian
Federation, which has used natural gas to coerce, in-
timidate, and influence other countries; 
(2) promote the energy security of European 
and Eurasian allies and partners of the United 
States by encouraging the development of accessible, 
transparent, and competitive energy markets that 
provide diversified sources, types, and routes of en-
ergy; 
(3) encourage United States public and private 
sector investment in European and Eurasian energy 
infrastructure projects to bridge the gap between en-
ergy security requirements and commercial demand 
in a way that is consistent with the region’s absorp-
tive capacity; 
(4) help facilitate a well-functioning market for 
energy resources in a way that benefits the energy 
security of the United States and European and 
Eurasian allies and partners of the United States; 
and 
(5) help facilitate the export of United States 
energy technology and expertise to global markets.
SEC. 4. PRIORITIZATION OF EFFORTS AND ASSISTANCE 
FOR ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS 
IN EUROPE AND EURASIA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In pursuing the policy described 
in section 3(b), the Secretary of State, in coordination 
with the heads of United States agencies that operate 
under the foreign policy guidance of the Secretary, shall, 
as appropriate, prioritize and expedite the efforts of the 
Department of State and such agencies in supporting the 
efforts of the European Commission and European and 
Eurasian countries to increase the energy security of such 
countries, including through— 
(1) providing diplomatic and political support to 
the European Commission and such countries, as 
necessary to— 
(A) facilitate international negotiations 
concerning cross-border infrastructure; 
(B) enhance Europe’s and Eurasia’s regu-
latory environment with respect to energy; and 
(C) develop accessible, transparent, and 
competitive energy markets supplied by diverse 
sources, types, and routes of energy; and 
(2) providing support to improve European and 
Eurasian energy markets, including early-stage 
project support and late-stage project support for
the construction or improvement of energy infra-
structure, as necessary, to— 
(A) diversify the energy sources and supply 
routes of such countries; 
(B) enhance energy market integration 
across the region; and 
(C) increase competition within energy 
markets. 
(b) PROJECT SELECTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in 
consultation with the heads of agencies described in 
subsection (a), shall identify and, in accordance with 
paragraph (3), select energy infrastructure projects 
that would be appropriate for United States assist-
ance under this section. 
(2) PROJECT ELIGIBILITY.—A project is eligible 
for United States assistance under this section if 
such project is— 
(A) related to— 
(i) natural gas infrastructure, such as 
interconnectors, storage facilities, liquefied 
natural gas import facilities, or reverse 
flow capacity;
(ii) electricity transmission infrastruc-
ture, electricity storage projects, or smart 
grid projects; 
(iii) renewable energy projects in 
wind, solar, tidal, or other forms; or 
(iv) the improvement, rehabilitation, 
or construction of electricity generation fa-
cilities to increase the efficiency and reli-
ability of electricity production; and 
(B) located in a European or Eurasian 
country. 
(3) PREFERENCE.—In selecting among projects 
that are eligible under paragraph (2), the Secretary 
of State and the heads of agencies described in sub-
section (a) shall give preference to projects that— 
(A) improve the capacity of energy systems 
to efficiently transfer gas and electricity within 
and between European or Eurasian countries; 
(B) have already been identified by the 
European Commission as being integral for the 
energy security of European or Eurasian coun-
tries; 
(C) are expected to enhance energy market 
integration and transparency;
(D) can attract funding from the private 
sector, an international financial institution, the 
government of the country in which the project 
will be carried out, or the European Commis-
sion; or 
(E) have the potential to use United States 
goods and services. 
(c) TYPES OF ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) DIPLOMATIC
AND
POLITICAL
SUPPORT.— 
The Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
heads of agencies described in subsection (a), as ap-
propriate, shall provide diplomatic and political sup-
port to the European Commission and European or 
Eurasian countries, as necessary, including by using 
the diplomatic and political influence and expertise 
of the Department of State to build the capacity of 
such countries to resolve any impediments to the de-
velopment of projects selected under subsection (b). 
(2) EARLY-STAGE
PROJECT
SUPPORT.—The 
Secretary of State, in coordination, as appropriate, 
with the heads of agencies described in subsection 
(a), including the Director of the Trade and Devel-
opment Agency, shall provide early-stage project 
support to projects selected under subsection (b), as
necessary and in accordance with section 661 of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421). 
(3) LATE-STAGE PROJECT SUPPORT.—The Sec-
retary of State, in coordination, as appropriate, with 
the heads of agencies described in subsection (a), 
shall provide late-stage project support to projects 
selected under subsection (b), as necessary and in 
accordance with section 1412 of the Better Utiliza-
tion of Investments Leading to Development Act (re-
lating to the establishment of the United States 
International Development Finance Corporation). 
(d) FUNDING.— 
(1) TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.—Sub-
paragraph (A) of section 661(f)(1) of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421(f)(1)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘$48,000,000 for fiscal year 
2000’’ and inserting ‘‘$79,500,000 for fiscal year 
2020’’. 
(2) COUNTERING RUSSIAN INFLUENCE FUND.— 
Section 254 of the Countering Russian Influence in 
Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017 (enacted as title II 
of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through 
Sanctions Act; Public Law 115–44; 22 U.S.C. 9543) 
is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘fiscal 
years 2018 and 2019’’ and adding ‘‘fiscal years 
2020 and 2021’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b), by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) To assist United States agencies that op-
erate under the foreign policy guidance of the Sec-
retary of State in providing assistance under section 
4 of the European Energy Security and Diversifica-
tion Act of 2019.’’. 
(e) EXCEPTION.—No United States assistance under 
this section may be provided to a European or Eurasian 
country that engages in a significant transaction described 
in subsection (a) of section 231 of the Countering Amer-
ica’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 
9525). 
SEC. 5. PROGRESS REPORTS. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and annually thereafter for seven years, 
the President shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on 
progress made in providing assistance for projects under 
section 4 that includes the following:
(1) A description of the energy infrastructure 
projects the United States has identified for such as-
sistance. 
(2) For each such project, the following: 
(A) A description of the role of the United 
States in the project, including in early-stage 
project support and late-stage project support. 
(B) The amount and form of any debt fi-
nancing and insurance provided by the United 
States Government for the project. 
(C) The amount and form of any early- 
stage project support. 
(D) An update on the progress made on 
the project as of the date of the report. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 25, 
2019. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1616 
AN ACT 
To prioritize the efforts of and enhance coordina-
tion among United States agencies to encourage 
countries in Europe and Eurasia to diversify 
their energy sources and supply routes, increase 
energy security in the region, and help the 
United States reach its global energy security 
goals, and for other purposes.