S868-119

What This Bill Does

The MEGOBARI Act responds to democratic backsliding in Georgia and the Georgian government's perceived drift toward Russia, China, and other anti-Western regimes. It states U.S. policy supporting Georgia's EU and NATO aspirations, sovereignty, civil society, independent media, free elections, and sanctions for actors undermining democratic standards. It requires classified reporting on Russian intelligence penetration and Chinese influence, a U.S. strategy on bilateral ties, funding, civil society, independent media, and security assistance, sanctions determinations within 90 days for Georgian officials, party leaders, law-enforcement, intelligence, judicial, local, and municipal officials and immediate family members involved in corruption, violence, or intimidation blocking Euro-Atlantic integration, and assistance options after presidential certification that Georgia has made sustained democratic and Euro-Atlantic progress.

Who Benefits and How

Georgian civil society and independent media benefit from U.S. policy support and a required strategy for continued assistance. The Georgian people benefit if sanctions and conditional assistance pressure officials to respect democratic rights and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Congressional foreign affairs, intelligence, armed services, and appropriations committees benefit from classified and unclassified reports on Russian and Chinese influence. Georgian defense forces benefit if certification unlocks expanded U.S. military cooperation, territorial-defense equipment, training, maintenance, and operations support. U.S. national security policymakers benefit from a structured review of Georgia's relationship with Russia, China, NATO, the EU, and U.S. assistance programs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Secretary of State, USAID Administrator, DNI, and Defense Secretary must produce reports, strategies, and briefings. Georgian officials and immediate family members found to have engaged in corruption, violence, or intimidation face sanctions exposure. The President must make sanctions determinations, impose blocking and visa-related consequences, and manage certification for renewed assistance. The Government of Georgia faces conditionality tied to democratic reforms, Euro-Atlantic integration, foreign influence laws, and election conduct. U.S. assistance managers must reassess funding, trade, security assistance, civil-society support, and bilateral engagement.

Key Provisions

• Requires reports on Russian intelligence penetration, Chinese influence, and the intersection of Russian-Chinese cooperation in Georgia.
• Directs a U.S. strategy on bilateral ties, funding tools, civil society, independent media, Georgian projects, and security assistance.
• Authorizes sanctions against Georgian officials, party leaders, law-enforcement, intelligence, judicial, local, and municipal officials, and immediate family members involved in corruption or intimidation.
• Provides humanitarian and import-related limits and exceptions to sanctions implementation.
• Authorizes enhanced academic, people-to-people, and military cooperation after certification of democratic and Euro-Atlantic progress.
• Establishes a five-year sunset for the Act.