Georgia Support Act

IIB 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 598 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES OCTOBER 23, 2019 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations AN ACT To support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity 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 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 HR 598 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. United States cybersecurity cooperation with Georgia. Sec. 103. Enhanced assistance to combat Russian disinformation and propa- ganda. Sec. 104. Sense of Congress on free trade agreement with Georgia. 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 Georgia, including free and fair elec- 9 tions, public sector transparency and accountability, 10 the rule of law, and anticorruption efforts; 11 (2) support Georgia’s sovereignty, independ- 12 ence, and territorial integrity within its internation- 13 ally recognized borders; 14 (3) support the right of the people of Georgia 15 to freely determine their future and make inde- 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 HR 598 RFS pendent and sovereign choices on foreign and secu- 1 rity policy, including regarding their country’s rela- 2 tionship with other nations and international organi- 3 zations, without interference, intimidation, or coer- 4 cion by other countries; 5 (4) support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic and Euro- 6 pean integration; 7 (5) not recognize territorial changes effected by 8 force, including the illegal invasions and occupations 9 of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Re- 10 gion/South Ossetia by the Russian Federation; 11 (6) condemn ongoing detentions, kidnappings, 12 and other human rights violations committed in the 13 Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Re- 14 gion/South Ossetia forcibly occupied by the Russian 15 Federation, including the recent killings of Georgian 16 citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, and 17 Davit Basharuli; and 18 (7) support peaceful conflict resolution in Geor- 19 gia, including by urging the Russian Federation to 20 fully implement the European Union-mediated 21 ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, and sup- 22 porting the establishment of international security 23 mechanisms in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia 24 and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and the safe 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 HR 598 RFS and dignified return of internally displaced persons 1 (IDPs) and refugees, all of which are important for 2 lasting peace and security on the ground. 3 TITLE I—ASSISTANCE 4 PROVISIONS 5 SEC. 101. UNITED STATES-GEORGIA SECURITY ASSISTANCE. 6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 7 (1) In fiscal year 2018, the United States pro- 8 vided Georgia with $2,200,000 in assistance under 9 chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act 10 of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2347 et seq.; relating to inter- 11 national military education and training) and 12 $35,000,000 in assistance under section 23 of the 13 Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763; relating 14 to the Foreign Military Financing Program). 15 (2) Georgia has been a longstanding NATO-as- 16 pirant country. 17 (3) Georgia has contributed substantially to 18 Euro-Atlantic peace and security through participa- 19 tion in the International Security Assistance Force 20 (ISAF) and Resolute Support Missions in Afghani- 21 stan as one of the largest troop contributors. 22 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 23 gress that United States assistance to Georgia under 24 chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 HR 598 RFS and section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act should 1 be increased. 2 (c) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 3 of the United States, in consultation with Georgia, to en- 4 hance Georgia’s deterrence, resilience, and self-defense, in- 5 cluding through appropriate assistance to improve the ca- 6 pabilities of Georgia’s armed forces. 7 (d) REVIEW OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO GEOR- 8 GIA.— 9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 10 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 11 retary of State, in consultation with the heads of 12 other appropriate United States departments and 13 agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 14 Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 15 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a re- 16 port reviewing United States security assistance to 17 Georgia. 18 (2) COMPONENTS.—The report required under 19 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 20 (A) A detailed review of all United States 21 security assistance to Georgia from fiscal year 22 2008 to the date of the submission of such re- 23 port. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 HR 598 RFS (B) An assessment of threats to Georgian 1 independence, sovereignty, and territorial integ- 2 rity. 3 (C) An assessment of Georgia’s capabilities 4 to defend itself, including a 5-year strategy to 5 enhance Georgia’s deterrence, resilience, and 6 self-defense capabilities. 7 (3) FORM.—The report required under para- 8 graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but 9 may contain a classified annex. 10 SEC. 102. UNITED STATES CYBERSECURITY COOPERATION 11 WITH GEORGIA. 12 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 13 gress that the Secretary of State should take the following 14 actions, commensurate with United States interests, to as- 15 sist Georgia to improve its cybersecurity: 16 (1) Provide Georgia such support as may be 17 necessary to secure government computer networks 18 from malicious cyber intrusions, particularly such 19 networks that defend the critical infrastructure of 20 Georgia. 21 (2) Provide Georgia support in reducing reli- 22 ance on Russian information and communications 23 technology. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 HR 598 RFS (3) Assist Georgia to build its capacity, expand 1 cybersecurity information sharing, and cooperate on 2 international cyberspace efforts. 3 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 4 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 5 submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 6 of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Rela- 7 tions of the Senate a report on United States cybersecu- 8 rity cooperation with Georgia. Such report shall also in- 9 clude information relating to the following: 10 (1) United States efforts to strengthen Geor- 11 gia’s ability to prevent, mitigate, and respond to 12 cyber incidents, including through training, edu- 13 cation, technical assistance, capacity building, and 14 cybersecurity risk management strategies. 15 (2) The potential for new areas of collaboration 16 and mutual assistance between the United States 17 and Georgia to address shared cyber challenges, in- 18 cluding cybercrime, critical infrastructure protection, 19 and resilience against automated, distributed 20 threats. 21 (3) NATO’s efforts to help Georgia develop 22 technical capabilities to counter cyber threats. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 8 HR 598 RFS SEC. 103. ENHANCED ASSISTANCE TO COMBAT RUSSIAN 1 DISINFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA. 2 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 3 of the United States to enhance the capabilities of Georgia 4 to combat Russian disinformation and propaganda cam- 5 paigns intended to undermine the sovereignty and demo- 6 cratic institutions of Georgia, while promoting the freedom 7 of the press. 8 (b) REQUIRED STRATEGY.— 9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 10 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 11 retary of State, in consultation with the heads of 12 other appropriate United States departments and 13 agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 14 Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 15 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a re- 16 port outlining a strategy to implement the policy de- 17 scribed in subsection (a). 18 (2) COMPONENTS.—The report required under 19 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 20 (A) A detailed assessment of Russian 21 disinformation and propaganda efforts across 22 all media platforms targeting Georgia. 23 (B) An assessment of Georgia’s capabilities 24 to deter and combat such Russian efforts and 25 to support the freedom of the press. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 9 HR 598 RFS (C) A detailed strategy coordinated across 1 all relevant United States departments and 2 agencies to enhance Georgia’s capabilities to 3 deter and combat such Russian efforts. 4 (3) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 5 (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 6 contain a classified annex. 7 SEC. 104. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FREE TRADE AGREE- 8 MENT WITH GEORGIA. 9 It is the sense of Congress that the United States 10 Trade Representative should make progress toward nego- 11 tiations with Georgia to enter a bilateral free trade agree- 12 ment with Georgia. 13 TITLE II—SANCTIONS 14 PROVISIONS 15 SEC. 201. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON PERSONS 16 COMPLICIT IN OR RESPONSIBLE FOR SERI- 17 OUS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, INCLUDING 18 RIGHT TO LIFE IN GEORGIAN REGIONS OF 19 ABKHAZIA AND TSKHINVALI REGION/SOUTH 20 OSSETIA OCCUPIED BY RUSSIA. 21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall impose the 22 sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to a for- 23 eign person if the President determines, based on credible 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 10 HR 598 RFS information, that such foreign person, on or after the date 1 of the enactment of this Act— 2 (1) is responsible for, complicit in, or respon- 3 sible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing 4 the commission of any serious abuse of human 5 rights in Georgian regions of Abkhazia and 6 Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia forcibly occupied by 7 the Russian Federation; 8 (2) is knowingly materially assisting, spon- 9 soring, or providing significant financial, material, or 10 technological support for, or goods or services to, a 11 foreign person described in paragraph (1); or 12 (3) is owned or controlled by a foreign person, 13 or is acting on behalf of a foreign person, described 14 in paragraph (1). 15 (b) SANCTIONS DESCRIBED.—The sanctions to be 16 imposed with respect to a foreign person described in sub- 17 section (a) are the following: 18 (1) ASSET BLOCKING.—The President shall ex- 19 ercise all of the powers granted by the International 20 Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 21 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit 22 all transactions in all property and interests in prop- 23 erty of the person if such property and interests in 24 property are in the United States, come within the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 11 HR 598 RFS United States, or are or come within the possession 1 or control of a United States person. 2 (2) EXCLUSION FROM THE UNITED STATES 3 AND REVOCATION OF VISA OR OTHER DOCUMENTA- 4 TION.— 5 (A) INADMISSIBILITY TO THE UNITED 6 STATES.—In the case of a person described in 7 subsection (a) who is an individual, such person 8 shall be— 9 (i) inadmissible to the United States; 10 (ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other 11 documentation to enter the United States; 12 and 13 (iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted 14 or paroled into the United States or to re- 15 ceive any other benefit under the Immigra- 16 tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 17 seq.). 18 (B) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.—A person 19 described in subsection (a) who is an individual 20 shall be subject to the revocation of any visa or 21 other entry documentation issued to such per- 22 son regardless of when the visa or other entry 23 documentation is or was issued. A revocation 24 under this subparagraph shall take effect imme- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H598.RFS H598 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 12 HR 598 RFS diately and shall automatically cancel any other 1 valid visa or entry documentation that is in the 2 person’s possession. 3 (C) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH UNITED 4 NATIONS HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT AND 5 LAW ENFORCEMENT OBJECTIVES.—Sanctions 6 under subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an 7 individual if admitting such individual into the 8 United States would further important law en- 9 forcement objectives or is necessary to permit 10 the United States to comply with the Agree- 11 ment regarding the Headquarters of the United 12 Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 13 1947, and entered into force November 21, 14 1947, between the United Nations and the 15 United States, or other applicable international 16 obligations of the United States. 17 (c) WAIVER.—The President may waive the applica- 18 tion of sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to a 19 person if the President determines that such a waiver is 20 important to the national interests of the Unite [Text truncated for display. 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