[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4425 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4425
To support democracy and the rule of law in Georgia, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 23, 2024
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Ricketts, Mr.
Graham, and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support democracy and the rule of law in Georgia, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Titles.--This Act may be cited as the ``Georgian People's
Act'' or the ``GPA Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short titles; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Statement of policy.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
TITLE I--CONDITIONS ON ENGAGEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA
Subtitle A--Sanctions
Sec. 101. Definitions.
Sec. 102. Statement of policy.
Sec. 103. Inadmissibility of officials of Government of Georgia and
certain other individuals involved in
blocking Euro-Atlantic integration.
Sec. 104. Imposition of sanctions with respect to undermining peace,
security, stability, sovereignty, or
territorial integrity of Georgia.
Sec. 105. Sanctions with respect to broader corruption in Georgia.
Sec. 106. Exceptions.
Subtitle B--Improving Bilateral Relations With Georgia
Sec. 111. United States strategy toward Georgia.
Sec. 112. Report on review of foreign assistance to Georgia.
Sec. 113. Sense of Congress regarding suspension of United States-
Georgia strategic dialogue.
Sec. 114. Defense cooperation with Georgia.
TITLE II--ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO SUPPORT THE GEORGIAN PEOPLE
Sec. 201. Statement of policy in support of the Georgian people.
Sec. 202. Democracy and rule-of-law programming.
Sec. 203. Report on disinformation and corruption in Georgia.
Sec. 204. Report on political prisoners in Georgia.
Sec. 205. Sunset.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On April 9, 1991, the Republic of Georgia declared
independence from the Soviet Union, and on March 24, 1992, the
United States and Georgia established formal diplomatic
relations.
(2) Since 1993, the territorial integrity of Georgia has
been reaffirmed by the international community and numerous
United Nations Security Council resolutions.
(3) At the 2008 Summit in Bucharest, NATO recognized the
aspirations of Georgia to join NATO and committed that Georgia
would become a member of the Alliance.
(4) On August 7, 2008, the Russian Federation invaded
Georgia and thereafter occupied 20 percent of its territory,
all of which it continues to occupy.
(5) On January 9, 2009, the United States and Georgia
signed the United States-Georgia Charter on Strategic
Partnership, affirming the close relationship between the
United States and Georgia based on the shared principles of
democracy, free markets, defense and security cooperation, and
cultural exchanges.
(6) Georgia made significant contributions to the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan and was the largest troop contributor
among NATO partners to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in
Afghanistan.
(7) The United States and Georgia have maintained a strong
security partnership, including the U.S.-Georgia Security
Cooperation Framework, signed in November 2019, and the Georgia
Defense and Deterrence Enhancement Initiative, launched in
October 2021.
(8) The United States supports the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally
recognized borders and condemns the continued occupation by
Russia of the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
(9) The United States has continuously supported the
democratic wishes of the Georgian people, who have long
maintained their aspirations to join the European Union and
NATO.
(10) During and following her tenure as United States
Ambassador and Plenipotentiary to Georgia between 2020 and
2023, Kelly Degnan has been the subject of slander and verbal
abuse from members of the Government of Georgia.
(11) As recently as October 2023, reputable polling
indicates that 86 percent of the Georgian public support
Georgia becoming a member of the European Union.
(12) Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in
February 2022, Georgia--
(A) has not imposed its own sanctions on Russia;
and
(B) has increased economic ties, including
initiating many direct flights to and from Russia;
(C) has eased visa requirements for Russians
visiting Georgia; and
(D) is perceived as a conduit of Russia's sanctions
evasion endeavors.
(13) Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in
February 2022, and the subsequent rounds of international
sanctions placed on Russia as a result of such invasion,
Georgia saw its trade with Russia grow by 34 percent between
January and June 2023.
(14) Georgia's geographic position as both a Black Sea
littoral nation and its proximity to the Caspian Sea could
further strengthen Georgia's economy by transporting natural
gas through the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline Project.
(15) In June 2022, when the Governments of Ukraine and
Moldova received candidate status for membership in the
European Union, the European Council stated it would only be
ready to grant Georgia candidate status once the country has
addressed the 12 priorities outlined by the European
Commission.
(16) In December 2023, the European Union granted Georgia
the status of candidate country, with the understanding that
Georgia would act consistent with the recommendations of the
European Commission by continuing to advance the outlined
reform priorities and increasing its alignment with the
European Union's foreign and security policy positions.
(17) On February 24, 2023, a foreign agents bill was
introduced in the Parliament of Georgia--
(A) to impose restrictions on civil society
organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and
independent media organizations; and
(B) to stigmatize such organizations as ``foreign
agents''.
(18) On March 7, 2023, the Parliament of Georgia
accelerated the passage of that bill, which led to--
(A) large-scale protests that Georgian authorities
confronted by deploying tear gas and water cannons; and
(B) the withdrawal of the bill by the Parliament.
(19) On April 15, 2024, the foreign agents bill, which was
renamed ``the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence'', was
reintroduced in the Parliament of Georgia with minor changes
that did not reflect the express wishes of the Georgian people,
which provoked--
(A) large-scale protests in Tbilisi and around the
country; and
(B) the ejection of opposition parliamentarians
from parliamentary hearings.
(20) On April 29, 2024, former Georgian Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is currently the Honorary Chairman of
the ruling Georgian Dream Party, gave a speech in which he--
(A) harshly attacked American and European
partners;
(B) alleged that the goal of foreign funding of
civil society and nongovernmental organizations in
Georgia is to deprive Georgia of its state sovereignty;
and
(C) promised to punish opposition political groups.
(21) In the face of massive, nation-wide protests against
the foreign agents bill, Georgian authorities have, in some
cases, deployed disproportionate force against largely peaceful
protestors, including--
(A) reportedly attacking journalists covering the
protests and members of the political opposition; and
(B) threatening civil society leaders and family
members of protestors at their homes.
(22) On May 14, 2024, the Parliament of Georgia passed the
foreign agents bill against the wishes of the Georgian people.
(23) On May 21, 2024, the Venice Commission issued an
opinion regarding Georgia's foreign influence law in which it
``strongly recommend[ed] repealing the Law in its current form,
as its fundamental flaws will involve significant negative
consequences for the freedoms of association and expression,
the right to privacy, the right to participate in public
affairs as well as the prohibition of discrimination.''.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to call on all political parties and elected Members of
the Parliament of Georgia to continue working on addressing the
reform plan outlined by the European Commission to advance
Georgia's recently granted candidate status, which the people
of Georgia have freely elected to pursue;
(2) to call on the Government of Georgia to institute the
required reforms, which are to be developed through an
inclusive and transparent consultation process with opposition
parties and civil society organizations;
(3) to express serious concern that impediments to
strengthening the democratic institutions and processes of
Georgia, including the foreign agents bill, will slow or halt
Georgia's progress toward achieving its Euro-Atlantic
aspirations, be perceived as stagnating the democratic
trajectory of Georgia, and result in negative domestic and
international consequences for the Government of Georgia;
(4) to impose swift consequences on individuals who are
directly responsible for leading or have directly and knowingly
engaged in leading, actions or policies that significantly
undermine the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or
territorial integrity of Georgia;
(5) to emphasize the importance of contributing to
international efforts--
(A) to combat Russian aggression, including through
sanctions on trade with Russia and the implementation
and enforcement of worldwide sanctions on Russia; and
(B) to reduce, rather than increase, trade ties
between Georgia and Russia;
(6) to call on all political parties, elected Members of
the Parliament of Georgia, and officers of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of Georgia to respect the freedoms of peaceful
assembly, association, and expression, including for the press,
and the rule of law, and encourage a vibrant and inclusive
civil society;
(7) to call on the Government of Georgia to release all
persons detained or imprisoned on politically motivated grounds
and drop any pending charges against them;
(8) to call on the Government of Georgia to ensure that the
national elections scheduled for October 2024 are free, fair,
and reflective of the will of the Georgian people; and
(9) to continue impressing upon the Government of Georgia
that the United States is committed to sustaining and deepening
bilateral relations and supporting Georgia's Euro-Atlantic
aspirations.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Foreign agents bill.--The term ``foreign agents bill''
means the ``On Transparency of Foreign Influence'' bill, which
was reintroduced in the Parliament of Georgia in April 2024.
(3) Georgia.--The term ``Georgia'' means the Republic of
Georgia.
(4) NATO.--The term ``NATO'' means the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of State.
TITLE I--CONDITIONS ON ENGAGEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA
Subtitle A--Sanctions
SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Admission; admitted; alien.--The terms ``admission'',
``admitted'', and ``alien'' have the meanings given such terms
in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101).
(2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives.
(3) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means any
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(4) Immediate family members.--The term ``immediate family
members'' has the meaning given the term ``immediate
relatives'' in section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(b)(2)(A)(i)).
(5) Knowingly.--The term ``knowingly'', with respect to
conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person has
actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the
circumstance, or the result.
(6) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence to the United States;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the
United States or any jurisdiction within the United
States, including a foreign branch of such an entity;
or
(C) any person within the United States.
SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
(a) In General.--It shall be the policy of the United States to
support the constitutionally stated aspirations of Georgia to become a
member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, which--
(1) is made clear under Article 78 of the Constitution of
Georgia; and
(2) is supported by 86 percent of the citizens of Georgia.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) acts of blocking Euro-Atlantic integration in Georgia,
due to undue influence from corrupt or oligarchic forces,
constitute a form of corruption;
(2) the United States should consider travel restrictions
or sanctions on individuals responsible for any actions
preventing Georgia from moving toward Euro-Atlantic
integration, which include acts of violence or intimidation
against Georgian citizens, members of civil society, and
members of an opposition political party;
(3) the United States, in response to recent events in
Georgia, should reassess whether recent actions undertaken by
individuals in Georgia should result in the imposition of
sanctions by the United States for acts of significant
corruption and human rights abuses; and
(4) the United States should consider revoking the visas of
nationals of Georgia and their family members who--
(A) live in the United States; and
(B) are determined to meet the criteria described
in section 103(a).
SEC. 103. INADMISSIBILITY OF OFFICIALS OF GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA AND
CERTAIN OTHER INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN BLOCKING EURO-
ATLANTIC INTEGRATION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify and make a
determination as to whether any of the following foreign persons has
knowingly engaged in significant acts of corruption, or acts of
violence or intimidation in relation to the blocking of Euro-Atlantic
integration in Georgia:
(1) Any individual who, on or after January 1, 2012, has
served as a member of the Parliament of the Government of
Georgia, as a senior staff member of the Parliament of the
Government of Georgia, or as a current or former senior
official of a Georgian political party.
(2) Any individual who is serving as an official in a
leadership position working on behalf of the Government of
Georgia, including law enforcement, intelligence, judicial, or
local or municipal government.
(3) An immediate family member of an official described in
paragraph (1) or a person described in paragraph (2).
(b) Current Visas Revoked.--
(1) In general.--The visa or other entry documentation of
any alien described in subsection (a) is subject to immediate
revocation regardless of the issue date of such visa or
documentation.
(2) Immediate effect.--A revocation of a visa or other
entry documentation of any alien pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i))--
(A) take effect immediately; and
(B) cancel any other valid visa or entry
documentation that is in the possession of such alien.
(c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a written report to the
Committee on Foreign Rela