[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6851 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6851

   To authorize assistance to facilitate trade with, reconstruction 
 efforts, and economic recovery in the Republic of Georgia, which are 
    necessitated by the destruction of critical infrastructure and 
disruption of domestic and regional commerce during the August 2008 war 
              between Georgia and the Russian Federation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 9, 2008

   Mr. Hastings of Florida introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
   Committee on Financial Services, 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 authorize assistance to facilitate trade with, reconstruction 
 efforts, and economic recovery in the Republic of Georgia, which are 
    necessitated by the destruction of critical infrastructure and 
disruption of domestic and regional commerce during the August 2008 war 
              between Georgia and the Russian Federation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Republic of 
Georgia Enhanced Trade Assistance, Economic Recovery, and 
Reconstruction Act of 2008''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Assistance to facilitate trade with the Republic of Georgia and 
                            certain other countries.
Sec. 4. Assistance for reconstruction efforts and economic recovery in 
                            the Republic of Georgia.
Sec. 5. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since establishing its independence from the former 
        Soviet Union in 1991, the Republic of Georgia has been a 
        staunch ally of the United States which aspires to membership 
        in western multilateral institutions and has provided crucial 
        support to the United States through the provision of military 
        personnel to bolster the United States-led alliance in the 
        Iraqi conflict.
            (2) The Republic of Georgia has achieved significant 
        progress in democratization and market reform efforts, but 
        advances in these areas have now been severely set back due to 
        the conflict with the Russian Federation.
            (3) As a result of the Russian Federation's intervention in 
        the open warfare that broke out in South Ossetia on August 7, 
        2008, and Russia's bombing of sections of Georgia's economic 
        infrastructure, including bridges, railroads, radar sites, and 
        ports, Georgia's economy and the flow of goods, services, and 
        communications have been severely disrupted.
            (4) The destruction of villages and civilian houses during 
        and following the conflict has led to the displacement of the 
        tens of thousands of internally displaced persons.
            (5) The Georgian people have suffered deprivation of their 
        basic needs as a result of the conflict and their suffering 
        will increase absent urgent assistance to improve living 
        conditions in the country and help in restoring the economy.
            (6) Regional trade, such as the transport of oil by rail 
        from the Caspian Sea to the port of Poti, a crucial energy 
        transport link to the West operating alongside the Baku-
        Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which bypasses Russia, has also been 
        impeded as a result of damage to Georgia's transportation and 
        energy infrastructure.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO FACILITATE TRADE WITH THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA AND 
              CERTAIN OTHER COUNTRIES.

    The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce shall 
cooperate in working with the Governments of the Republic of Georgia, 
Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, 
to enhance and expand trade, business, and economic opportunities with 
such countries, including through the existing free trade zone at the 
Georgian port of Poti and the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe 
(e-PINE).

SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE FOR RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN 
              THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA.

    (a) In General.--As soon as possible, but not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall provide assistance to the Government of the Republic of Georgia 
for--
            (1) the reconstruction of critical and other essential 
        infrastructure in Georgia that was damaged or destroyed during 
        the August 2008 conflict with the Russian Federation; and
            (2) the recovery of the Georgian economy.
    (b) Types of Assistance.--Assistance provided under subsection (a) 
may include financial and technical assistance and donations. Such 
assistance may be applied to the energy, transportation, 
communications, maritime, aviation, health, education, and housing 
infrastructure, and any other areas determined to be important to the 
reconstruction of the Georgian infrastructure and the recovery of the 
Georgian economy.
    (c) International Financial Institutions.--The Secretary of the 
Treasury is directed to instruct the United States Executive Director 
at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the 
International Monetary Fund, and the European Bank for Reconstruction 
and Development to use the voice and vote of the United States to urge 
the respective institution and other member countries to expand 
assistance for the reconstruction and development of Georgia.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $500,000,000.
    (b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) are authorized to 
remain available until expended.
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