MEGOBARI Act

Bill: 118-hr-8566
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]
Introduced: 2024-05-23
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Asia

Congressional oversight

Economic development

Europe

Foreign aid and international relief

Georgia (Republic)

Government information and archives

Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

International organizations and cooperation

Military assistance, sales, and agreements

Normal trade relations, most-favored-nation treatment

Rule of law and government transparency

Russia

Sanctions

Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8566 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. Short title This Act may be cited as the “ Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act ” or “ MEGOBARI Act ”. 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Georgia’s primary contribution to regional peace and stability, United States interests, and its own global reputation has been its democratic spirit and trajectory. Georgia has been an important partner to the United States and other democracies, maintaining strong engagement with western nations and working to uphold democratic rights and values to bolster regional peace and stability. (2) The Georgian people’s consistent and overwhelming foreign policy choice favors strong and warm relations with the United States and other western countries and integration with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. (3) The official position of successive Georgian Governments, since the restoration of its independence in 1991, has been one of pursuing membership in Euro-Atlantic institutions. (4) Georgian democratic development since regaining its independence has been uneven but has in recent years seen steady and evident decline, which appears to be a deliberate policy decision made under its current government. (5) The Russian Federation’s longstanding and consistently predatory posture towards Georgian sovereignty began immediately upon the restoration of its independence and culminated in the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia and its subsequent formal occupation of approximately 20 percent of Georgian territory, and has also been underscored though the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Georgian citizens. (6) The current Georgian Government has increasingly and regrettably embraced a policy of accommodation with the Russian Federation as an aspect of its increasingly illiberal turn, and has openly attacked United States and other western democracy promotion organizations as well as local and international civil society while embracing increased ties with Russia in particular, as well as China and other authoritarian governments, in defiance of its own preexisting foreign and security policies as reflected in its constitution and longstanding public sentiments. (7) The United States should continue to support the Georgian people and their democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. 3. Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the progress made by the Georgian people and civil society in forging an innovative and productive society, imbued with democratic spirit, should be acknowledged; (2) the consolidation of democracy in Georgia is critical for regional stability and United States national interests; (3) Georgia, as evidenced by numerous independent assessments and measures, has seen significant democratic backsliding in recent years; (4) the current Georgian Government is increasingly hostile towards democracy promotion organizations, independent civil society, and its chief Euro-Atlantic partners while increasingly embracing enhanced ties with the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, and other anti-Western authoritarian regimes; and (5) the United States interest in protecting and securing democracy is borne by a close friendship and support for the Georgian people’s continued democratic and Euro-Atlantic choice. 4. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to support and defend democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Georgia, which is the foundation of Georgia’s privileged relationship with the Euro-Atlantic west. 5. Reports (a) Report on improper influence and sanctions evasion in georgia Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to Congress a report and brief the relevant committees on— (1) nodes of improper political influence, kleptocracy, and elite corruption in Georgia, particularly insofar that they serve or may support Russian malign interests, knowingly or unknowingly; and (2) the manner and extent to which Georgia, with the complicity of key individuals within Georgia, has been used as a means to bypass or evade, in letter or spirit, United States or international sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (b) Report on russian intelligence assets in georgia Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of Central Intelligence, shall submit to Congress a report examining the penetration of Russian intelligence elements and their assets in Georgia, to include an annex examining Chinese influence and the potential intersection of Russian-Chinese cooperation in Georgia. (c) Report on imposition of sanctions with respect to georgian individuals (1) Imposition of sanctions Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall— (A) identify key individuals who— (i) are in the Government of Georgia, working as its agents or on its behalf, or otherwise in a position to strongly influence the actions of such Government; and (ii) have material responsibility for undermining or injuring democracy, human rights, or security in Georgia; and (B) to the extent practicable, impose with respect to each such individual such sanctions as may be justifiable and authorized by law, such as sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act ( 22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq. ), anti-kleptocracy and human rights sanctions authorized by section 7031(c) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, and other similar authorities relating to sanctions with respect to human rights violations, with special urgent consideration of visa bans under section 7031(c) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to key individuals and their families who— (i) are materially or directly responsible in Parliament for the advocacy, passage, and potential enactment of the recent Russian-style foreign agent legislation; and (ii) substantially responsible within political or governmental leadership, business circles, or law enforcement and security services for advancing the same Russian-style foreign agent legislation or undermining or suppressing lawful popular or civil society opposition. (2) Report on sanctions determinations Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report that includes each determination pursuant to this subsection with respect to the imposition of sanctions and accompanying justifications. (d) Form Each report required by this section shall be submitted in a form that includes an unclassified executive summary. Each such summary shall be made publicly available. 6. Democracy monitoring task force in Georgia The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the heads of other Federal agencies and departments, and international partners, shall establish a democracy monitoring task force with, as practicable, a significant presence within Georgia, to publicly assess, monitor, and promote the pre-election democratic environment in Georgia. 7. Additional assistance with respect to Georgia (a) In general Upon submission to Congress of the certification described in subsection (b)— (1) the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, shall seek to enter into negotiations with the Government of Georgia to establish a robust preferential trade regime between the United States and Georgia; (2) the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and other heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall develop a policy package to further enhance people-to-people contacts, academic exchanges, and improved visa liberalizations between the United States and Georgia. (3) the President, acting through the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, other relevant Federal departments and agencies, and international partners, shall develop an economic development and modernization package for Georgia; and (4) the President, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall prepare a package for Georgia that includes the provision of security and defense equipment ideally suited for territorial defense against Russian aggression and concomitant training, maintenance, and operations support elements. (b) Certification described The certification described in this subsection is a certification submitted to Congress by the President or the Secretary of State that Georgia has shown significant and sustained progress towards reinvigorating its democracy, evidenced at minimum by substantially fair and free elections and a balanced pre-election environment.