Georgia Support Act

IIB 117TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 923 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 28, 2022 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations AN ACT To support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 HR 923 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 2 ‘‘Georgia Support Act’’. 3 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 4 this Act is as follows: 5 Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. United States policy. TITLE I—ASSISTANCE PROVISIONS Sec. 101. United States-Georgia security assistance. Sec. 102. Report on United States democracy and governance assistance to Georgia. Sec. 103. United States cybersecurity cooperation with Georgia. Sec. 104. Enhanced assistance to combat Russian disinformation and propa- ganda. TITLE II—SANCTIONS PROVISIONS Sec. 201. Imposition of sanctions on persons complicit in or responsible for se- rious human rights abuses, including right to life in Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia occu- pied by Russia. TITLE III—DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS Sec. 301. Determination of budgetary effects. SEC. 2. UNITED STATES POLICY. 6 It is the policy of the United States to— 7 (1) support continued development of demo- 8 cratic values in the Republic of Georgia, including 9 free and fair elections, an independent and account- 10 able judiciary, public sector transparency and ac- 11 countability, the rule of law, and anticorruption ef- 12 forts; 13 (2) support Georgia’s sovereignty, independ- 14 ence, and territorial integrity within its internation- 15 ally recognized borders; 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 HR 923 RFS (3) support Georgia’s capacity to protect its 1 sovereignty and territorial integrity from further 2 Russian aggression or encroachment on Georgian 3 territory in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of 4 Ukraine; 5 (4) support the right of the people of Georgia 6 to freely determine their future and make inde- 7 pendent and sovereign choices on foreign and secu- 8 rity policy, including regarding their country’s rela- 9 tionship with other nations and international organi- 10 zations, without interference, intimidation, or coer- 11 cion by other countries; 12 (5) support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic and Euro- 13 pean integration; 14 (6) not recognize territorial changes effected by 15 force, including the illegal invasions and occupations 16 of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Re- 17 gion/South Ossetia by the Russian Federation; 18 (7) condemn ongoing detentions, kidnappings, 19 and other human rights violations committed in the 20 Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Re- 21 gion/South Ossetia forcibly occupied by the Russian 22 Federation, including the recent killings of Georgian 23 citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, Davit 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 HR 923 RFS Basharuli, and others in the Georgian regions of 1 Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia; and 2 (8) support peaceful conflict resolution in Geor- 3 gia, including by urging the Russian Federation to 4 fully implement the European Union-mediated 5 ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, and sup- 6 porting the establishment of international security 7 mechanisms in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia 8 and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and the safe 9 and dignified return of internally displaced persons 10 (IDPs) and refugees, all of which are important for 11 lasting peace and security on the ground. 12 TITLE I—ASSISTANCE 13 PROVISIONS 14 SEC. 101. UNITED STATES-GEORGIA SECURITY ASSISTANCE. 15 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 16 (1) In fiscal year 2021, the United States pro- 17 vided Georgia with $2,200,000 in assistance under 18 chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act 19 of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2347 et seq.; relating to inter- 20 national military education and training) and 21 $35,000,000 in assistance under section 23 of the 22 Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763; relating 23 to the Foreign Military Financing Program) and in 24 2021 announced the Georgia Defense and Deter- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 HR 923 RFS rence Enhancement Initiative (GDDEI) to enable 1 further modernization of the Georgian Ministry of 2 Defense and the Georgian Defense Forces. 3 (2) Georgia has been a longstanding NATO-as- 4 pirant country. 5 (3) Georgia has contributed substantially to 6 Euro-Atlantic peace and security through participa- 7 tion in the International Security Assistance Force 8 (ISAF) and Resolute Support Missions in Afghani- 9 stan as one of the largest troop contributors. 10 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 11 gress that United States assistance to the Republic of 12 Georgia under chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assist- 13 ance Act of 1961 and section 23 of the Arms Export Con- 14 trol Act should be increased. 15 (c) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 16 of the United States, in consultation with the Republic 17 of Georgia, to enhance Georgia’s deterrence, resilience, 18 and self-defense, including through appropriate assistance 19 to improve the capabilities of Georgia’s armed forces. 20 (d) REVIEW OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO GEOR- 21 GIA.— 22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 23 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 24 retary of State, in consultation with the heads of 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 HR 923 RFS other appropriate United States departments and 1 agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 2 Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 3 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a re- 4 port reviewing United States security assistance to 5 the Republic of Georgia. 6 (2) COMPONENTS.—The report required under 7 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 8 (A) An assessment of needed security as- 9 sistance to improve Georgia’s capacity to defend 10 its sovereignty and territorial integrity from 11 further invasion of Georgian territory by Rus- 12 sian forces, including an assessment of need for 13 anti-armor, anti-air, and anti-tank weapons, as 14 well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnais- 15 sance capabilities. 16 (B) A detailed review of all United States 17 security assistance to Georgia from fiscal year 18 2008 to the date of the submission of such re- 19 port. 20 (C) An assessment of threats to Georgian 21 independence, sovereignty, and territorial integ- 22 rity, including an assessment of changes to the 23 force posture or intent of Russian forces occu- 24 pying Georgian territory. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 HR 923 RFS (D) An assessment of Georgia’s capabili- 1 ties to defend itself, including a five-year strat- 2 egy to enhance Georgia’s deterrence, resilience, 3 and self-defense capabilities that incorporates 4 plans to address the capability gaps subject to 5 the assessment described in subparagraph (A). 6 (3) FORM.—The report required under para- 7 graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but 8 may contain a classified annex. 9 SEC. 102. REPORT ON UNITED STATES DEMOCRACY AND 10 GOVERNANCE ASSISTANCE TO GEORGIA. 11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 12 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 13 in consultation with the heads of other appropriate Fed- 14 eral departments and agencies as appropriate, shall sub- 15 mit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 16 of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Rela- 17 tions of the Senate a report on United States democracy 18 and governance assistance to the Republic of Georgia. 19 (b) COMPONENTS.—The report required by sub- 20 section (a) shall include the following: 21 (1) A description of goals for United States de- 22 mocracy and governance assistance to Georgia and 23 its democratic institutions, including how such as- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 HR 923 RFS sistance is supporting Georgia’s stated goals for Eu- 1 ropean integration. 2 (2) An assessment of the impact of United 3 States democracy and governance assistance to 4 Georgia since fiscal year 2008, including challenges 5 to achieving the goals described in paragraph (1). 6 (3) An assessment of Georgia’s progress relat- 7 ing to freedom of the press and support for inde- 8 pendent media, including steps to hold accountable 9 those responsible for attacks on independent media 10 and on LGBTQ rights activists on July 5, 2021, in 11 Tbilisi. 12 (4) An assessment of Georgia’s progress on 13 strengthening its democratic institutions, including 14 through electoral and judicial reforms necessary to 15 build public confidence. 16 (5) A description of barriers and challenges to 17 United States investment in the Georgian economy, 18 as well as an assessment of how support from the 19 United States International Development Finance 20 Corporation in Georgia could help create a better de- 21 veloped and more transparent investment climate. 22 (c) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 23 shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain 24 a classified annex. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 HR 923 RFS SEC. 103. UNITED STATES CYBERSECURITY COOPERATION 1 WITH GEORGIA. 2 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 3 gress that the Secretary of State should take the following 4 actions, commensurate with United States interests, to as- 5 sist the Repubic of Georgia to improve its cybersecurity: 6 (1) Provide Georgia such support as may be 7 necessary to secure government computer networks 8 from malicious cyber intrusions, particularly such 9 networks that defend the critical infrastructure of 10 Georgia. 11 (2) Provide Georgia support in reducing reli- 12 ance on Russian information and communications 13 technology. 14 (3) Assist Georgia to build its capacity, expand 15 cybersecurity information sharing, and cooperate on 16 international cyberspace efforts. 17 (b) REPORT.— 18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 20 retary of State shall submit to the Committee on 21 Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and 22 the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 23 a report on United States cybersecurity cooperation 24 with the Republic of Georgia. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 HR 923 RFS (2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report 1 required by paragraph (1) shall include information 2 relating to the following: 3 (A) United States efforts to strengthen 4 Georgia’s ability to prevent, mitigate, and re- 5 spond to cyber incidents, including through 6 training, education, technical assistance, capac- 7 ity building, and cybersecurity risk management 8 strategies. 9 (B) The potential for new areas of collabo- 10 ration and mutual assistance between the 11 United States and Georgia to address shared 12 cyber challenges, including cybercrime, critical 13 infrastructure protection, and resilience against 14 automated, distributed threats. 15 (C) NATO’s efforts to help Georgia de- 16 velop technical capabilities to counter cyber 17 threats. 18 SEC. 104. ENHANCED ASSISTANCE TO COMBAT RUSSIAN 19 DISINFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA. 20 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 21 of the United States to enhance the capabilities of the Re- 22 public of Georgia to combat Russian disinformation and 23 propaganda campaigns intended to undermine the sov- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 HR 923 RFS ereignty and democratic institutions of Georgia, while pro- 1 moting the freedom of the press. 2 (b) REQUIRED STRATEGY.— 3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 4 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 5 retary of State, in consultation with the heads of 6 other appropriate United States departments and 7 agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 8 Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 9 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a re- 10 port outlining a strategy to implement the policy de- 11 scribed in subsection (a). 12 (2) COMPONENTS.—The report required under 13 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 14 (A) A detailed assessment of Russian 15 disinformation and propaganda efforts across 16 all media platforms targeting the Republic of 17 Georgia. 18 (B) An assessment of Georgia’s capabilities 19 to deter and combat such Russian efforts and 20 to support the freedom of the press. 21 (C) A detailed strategy coordinated across 22 all relevant United States departments and 23 agencies to enhance Georgia’s capabilities to 24 deter and combat such Russian efforts. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Apr 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H923.RFS H923 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 HR 923 RFS (3) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 1 (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 2 contain a classified annex. 3 TITLE II—SANCTIONS 4 PROVISIONS 5 SEC. 201. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON PERSONS 6 COMPLICIT IN OR RESPONSIBLE FOR SERI- 7 OUS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, INCLUDING 8 RIGHT TO LIFE IN GEORGIAN REGIONS OF 9 ABKHAZIA AND TSKHINVALI REGION/SOUTH 10 OSSETIA OCCUPIED BY RUSSIA. 11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose on a 12 foreign person the sanctions described in subsection (b) 13 if the President determines that such foreign person, on 14 or after the date of the enactment of this Act— 15 (1) is responsible for, c [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]