[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8329 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8329

      To reauthorize and modify the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2024

  Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Keating, Mr. Kean of New 
 Jersey, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
   and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and the 
 Judiciary, 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 reauthorize and modify the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and 
Sovereignty Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Section 2 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-347; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    ``Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) The International Covenant on Civil and Political 
        Rights, done in New York December 19, 1966, was ratified by 
        Belarus in 1973, guaranteeing Belarusians the freedom of 
        expression and the freedom of association.
            ``(2) Alyaksandr Lukashenka has ruled Belarus as an 
        undemocratic dictatorship since the first presidential election 
        in Belarus in 1994, and subsequent presidential elections have 
        been neither free nor fair, failing to meet minimal 
        international electoral standards.
            ``(3) In response to the repression and violence during the 
        2006 presidential election, Congress passed the Belarus 
        Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-480).
            ``(4) In 2006, President George W. Bush issued Executive 
        Order 13405, titled `Blocking Property of Certain Persons 
        Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus', 
        which authorized the imposition of sanctions against persons 
        responsible for--
                    ``(A) undermining democratic processes in Belarus; 
                or
                    ``(B) participating in human rights abuses related 
                to political repression in Belarus.
            ``(5) In March 2011, the Senate unanimously passed Senate 
        Resolution 105, which--
                    ``(A) condemned the December 2010 election in 
                Belarus as `illegitimate, fraudulent, and not 
                representative of the will or the aspirations of the 
                voters in Belarus'; and
                    ``(B) called on the Lukashenka regime `to 
                immediately and unconditionally release all political 
                prisoners in Belarus who were arrested in association 
                with the December 19, 2010, election'.
            ``(6) The Government of Belarus continues to engage in a 
        pattern of clear and persistent gross violations of 
        internationally recognized human rights, and basic principles 
        of democratic governance.
            ``(7) The Government of Belarus continues to subject 
        thousands of pro-democracy political activists and peaceful 
        protesters to harassment, beatings, and imprisonment, 
        particularly as a result of their attempts to peacefully 
        exercise their right to freedom of assembly and association.
            ``(8) The Government of Belarus continues to suppress 
        independent media and journalists and to restrict access to the 
        internet, including social media and other digital 
        communication platforms, in violation of the right to freedom 
        of speech and expression of those dissenting from the 
        dictatorship of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
            ``(9) The Government of Belarus continues a systematic 
        campaign of harassment, repression, and closure of 
        nongovernmental organizations, including independent trade 
        unions and entrepreneurs, creating a climate of fear that 
        inhibits the development of civil society and social 
        solidarity.
            ``(10) The Government of Belarus has pursued a policy 
        undermining the country's sovereignty and independence by 
        making Belarus' political, economic, cultural, and societal 
        interests subservient to those of Russia.
            ``(11) The Government of Belarus continues to reduce the 
        independence of Belarus through integration into a so-called 
        `Union State' that is under the control of Russia.
            ``(12) In advance of the August 2020 presidential elections 
        in Belarus, authorities acting on behalf of President 
        Lukashenka arrested journalists, bloggers, political activists, 
        and the leading political opposition candidates, leading to 
        demonstrations in support of democracy.
            ``(13) On August 9, 2020, the Government of Belarus 
        conducted a presidential election that was held under 
        undemocratic conditions, did not meet international standards, 
        involved government malfeasance and serious irregularities with 
        ballot counting and the reporting of election results, and 
        included restrictive measures that impeded the work of local 
        independent observers and did not provide sufficient notice to 
        the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
        to allow for the OSCE to monitor the elections, as is 
        customary.
            ``(14) Illegitimate president Alyaksandr Lukashenka 
        declared a landslide victory in the election and claimed to 
        have received more than 80 percent of the votes cast in the 
        election.
            ``(15) The leading opposition candidate, Sviatlana 
        Tsikhanouskaya, formally disputed the reported results and was 
        detained by government authorities before being forced into 
        exile in Lithuania.
            ``(16) Later in August, 2020, the United States Deputy 
        Secretary of State, Stephen Biegun, and European Union High 
        Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, 
        issued statements declaring the Belarus elections to be 
        fraudulent and neither free nor fair.
            ``(17) Following the illegitimate election results, tens of 
        thousands of Belarusian protestors took to the streets, led 
        predominately by women, resulting in the largest protest 
        rallies in Belarus' modern history, with over 1,400 reported as 
        injured by Belarusian police in August and September 2020, over 
        37,000 detained by May 2021, and several killed for protesting 
        the fraudulent election.
            ``(18) The Government of Belarus has consistently 
        restricted the free flow of information to silence the 
        opposition and to conceal the regime's violent crackdown on 
        peaceful protestors, including through the suppression of 
        independent media and journalists, and disruption of free 
        internet access.
            ``(19) After the employees of state media outlets walked 
        off the job in protest rather than help report misleading 
        government propaganda, Lukashenka confirmed that he `asked the 
        Russians' to send teams of Russian journalists to replace local 
        employees.
            ``(20) Following Alyaksandr Lukashenka's September 23, 
        2020, inauguration, the United States, the European Union, 
        numerous European states, the United Kingdom, and Canada 
        announced that they cannot consider Mr. Lukashenka as the 
        legitimately elected leader of Belarus.
            ``(21) As a result of the Lukashenka regime's violence 
        against the Belarusian people and deprivation of their 
        fundamental rights, the United States Congress passed and the 
        President signed into law the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, 
        and Sovereignty Act of 2020 to demand the rights of the 
        Belarusian people be respected and to hold accountable those 
        who undermine them.
            ``(22) As a result of the Lukashenka regime's violence 
        against its own people, in December 2020, Members of Congress 
        and transatlantic parliamentarians wrote a letter to the 
        International Ice Hockey Federation President demanding the 
        Championship be relocated from Belarus.
            ``(23) In response to the Government of Belarus' repressive 
        actions following the 2020 election, the United States, along 
        with the European Union, imposed various sanctions packages on 
        individuals and entities involved with the suppression of 
        democracy in Belarus, including--
                    ``(A) the Central Election Commission of the 
                Republic of Belarus and officials determined to be 
                responsible for undermining democracy in Belarus;
                    ``(B) entities and persons determined to be 
                involved in the violent suppression of protestors, such 
                as the Minsk Special Purpose Police Unit, the Main 
                Internal Affairs Directorate of the Minsk City 
                Executive Committee, and KGB Alpha; and
                    ``(C) state-owned enterprises that provide revenue 
                to support Lukashenka's authoritarian regime.
            ``(24) In April 2021, the House of Representatives passed 
        House Resolution 124 reaffirming that the August 2020 elections 
        were neither free nor fair and that the House of 
        Representatives does not recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as 
        Belarus' legitimate president.
            ``(25) On May 23, 2021, the Government of Belarus forced 
        Ryanair Flight 4978 to land in Belarus as it neared the border 
        of Lithuania after calling in a false bomb report and 
        subsequently arrested independent Belarusian opposition blogger 
        and political activist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend, 
        threatening the safety of every passenger aboard the civilian 
        flight, and ultimately detaining Pratasevich as a political 
        prisoner.
            ``(26) In May 2021, the European Union pledged a 
        comprehensive plan of economic support worth up to 3 billion 
        euros to assist in the development of a future, democratic 
        Belarus following a democratic transition.
            ``(27) As of April 2024, the Government of Belarus, led 
        illegally by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, unlawfully holds nearly 
        1,400 people as political prisoners, including dozens of 
        journalists such as Ihar Losik and Andrey Kuznechyk from Radio 
        Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
            ``(28) The Government of Belarus, led illegally by 
        Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has consistently weaponized migrants and 
        asylum seekers by transporting them to Belarus' borders with 
        the NATO and European Union countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and 
        Poland in an attempt to destabilize each country by creating 
        diplomatic border crises, and in violation of the migrant and 
        asylum seekers' human rights.
            ``(29) The Government of Belarus has been complicit in 
        Russia's illegal and full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
            ``(30) In advance of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression 
        against Ukraine, Alyaksandr Lukashenka opened Belarus' borders 
        to the Russian military, serving as a staging area, providing 
        bases for training and for launching air strikes and invasion 
        forces, and providing logistical support to the Russian 
        invasion force which attacked Ukraine in February 2022.
            ``(31) In February 2022, just days after Russia's 
        unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Alyaksandr Lukashenka held a 
        constitutional referendum described by the Department of State 
        as `not free or fair' which, among other provisions, would 
        endow Lukashenka with lifetime immunity from prosecution for 
        his crimes, allow Russian nuclear weapons to be stationed on 
        the territory of Belarus, and formally revoke Belarus' status 
        as a neutral nation.
            ``(32) Since the start of Russia's brutal and unprovoked 
        war of aggression in Ukraine, the Government of Belarus has 
        consistently worked to further the so-called `Union State' with 
        the Russian Federation and deepen joint military and economic 
        ties to support Russia's war effort.
            ``(33) Throughout Russia's brutal and unprovoked war of 
        aggression in Ukraine, the Government of Belarus has 
        participated in the abduction and illegal deportation of 
        Ukrainian civilians from territory occupied by the Russian 
        Federation, including thousands of children sent to facilities 
        in Belarus for `re-education' as detailed in a November 2023 
        report by the Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab's 
        Conflict Observatory.
            ``(34) The now-suspended Belarusian branch of the Red Cross 
        has publicly confirmed its involvement in transferring children 
        from Ukraine to the territory of Belarus, and the illegitimate 
        leader of the Government of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has 
        publicly confirmed that he permitted these transfers.
            ``(35) In Spring 2023, the Government of Belarus announced 
        plans for the deployment of nuclear weapons from the Russian 
        Federation to the territory of Belarus, which reportedly began 
        in the summer of this same year.
            ``(36) The Government of Belarus has harbored the Wagner 
        Group, a private military company the United States has 
        designated as a Transnational Criminal Organization, and 
        provided facilities, resources, and a staging ground for the 
        group's criminal operations.
            ``(37) The Government of Belarus has reportedly provided 
        the Government of the Russian Federation with tens of thousands 
        of tons of ammunition throughout Russia's unprovoked war of 
        aggression in Ukraine.
            ``(38) As a result of the Government of Belarus' support to 
        the Russian Federation during its unprovoked war of aggression 
        against Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, and the 
        United Kingdom have repeatedly issued further sanctions 
        packages against the Lukashenka regime to target Belarusian 
        military officers as well as individuals in the military 
        sector, restrictions on entities in Belarus' defense and 
        industrial sectors, and entities that provide support to 
        Belarus' military and industrial sectors.
            ``(39) The Government of Belarus is reportedly engaging in 
        the purchase of significant amount of military equipment from 
        the sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran.
            ``(40) On August 6, 2023, the Belarusian democratic 
        opposition issued a declaration expressing their objective of 
        developing democracy in Belarus and pursuing membership in the 
        European Union and, by extension, joining the Trans-Atlantic 
        community.
            ``(41) The democratic opposition of Belarus have called on 
        the Government of Belarus, led illegally by Alyaksandr 
        Lukashenka, to end its complicity and involvement in the war in 
        Ukraine, and urged against the conscription of men into the 
        Belarusian military.
            ``(42) On February 28, 2022, the Department of State 
        ordered the departure of United States Government employees and 
        the suspension of operations of the United States Embassy in 
        Minsk.
            ``(43) On August 21, 2023, the United States Government 
        directed all United States citizens to leave Belarus 
        immediately due to the illegitimate Belarusian authorities' 
        continued cooperation with the Russian military and 
        facilitation of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against 
        Ukraine, and the risk of detention and arbitrary enforcement of 
        local laws against United States citizens.
            ``(44) In September 2023, the Government of Belarus 
        deprived Belarusians living abroad of their ability to renew 
        their passports through Belarusian embassies in an attempt to 
        make life difficult for and to force exiles, critics, and 
        expats to return to Belarus for document renewal and possibly 
        face persecution.
            ``(45) In December 2023, the United States Government held 
        a Strategic Dialogue with the Belarusian democratic opposition 
        and civil society and subsequently announced a continuation of 
        efforts to hold Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his regime 
        accountable for their crimes, a commitment to supporting 
        Belarusian culture, sovereignty, and national identity, as well 
        as the need for future working groups with the democratic 
        opposition.''.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    Section 3 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-347; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    ``It is the policy of the United States--
            ``(1) to condemn--
                    ``(A) the conduct of the August 9, 2020, 
                presidential election in Belarus, which was neither 
                free nor fair;
                    ``(B) the Belarusian authorities' unrelenting 
                crackdown on, arbitrary arrests of, and violence 
                against opposition candidates, democratic opposition, 
                peaceful protestors, human rights activists, employees 
                from state-owned enterprises participating in strikes, 
                independent election observers, and independent 
                journalists and bloggers; and
                    ``(C) the unjustified detention and forced or 
                attempted deportation of members of the Coordination 
                Council and United Transitional Cabinet in Belarus;
            ``(2) to condemn the illegitimate Belarusian authorities' 
        allowance of Russian nuclear weapons to be deployed to 
        Belarusian territory, their continued political and material 
        support for Russia's unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, 
        and their continued participation in abducting and deporting 
        Ukrainian children from territory occupied by the Russian 
        Federation to the territory of Belarus;
            ``(3) to condemn the presence of Russian forces on 
        Belarusian territory and demand the cessation of the use of 
        Belarusian territory by Russian forces as a staging ground for 
        Russia's illegal, full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine 
        or for the prevention of a peaceful democratic transition in 
        Belarus;
            ``(4) to demand accountability for the illegal Lukashenka 
        regime's complicity in the crime of aggression against Ukraine 
        through international justice mechanisms;
            ``(5) to condemn the weaponization of migrants wherein the 
        Government of Belarus, led illegally by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, 
        has sent thousands of migrants to the borders of Poland and 
        Lithuania in an attempt to destabilize the border region;
            ``(6) to continue demanding the immediate release without 
        preconditions of all political prisoners in Belarus and those 
        arrested for peacefully protesting, including all those 
        individuals detained in connection with the August 9, 2020, 
        fraudulent presidential election;
            ``(7) to stand in solidarity with the people of Belarus, 
        including human rights defenders, bloggers, and journalists, 
        who are exercising their right to freedom of assembly, freedom 
        of expression, and rule of law and to continue supporting the 
        aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy, human 
        rights, and the rule of law;
            ``(8) to continue actively supporting the aspirations of 
        the people of the Republic of Belarus to preserve the 
        independence and sovereignty of their country;
            ``(9) to continue refusing to recognize Alyaksandr 
        Lukashenka's illegitimate regime and to continue supporting 
        calls for Belarusian presidential and parliamentary elections 
        to be conducted in a manner that is free and fair according to 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
        standards and under the supervision of OSCE observers and 
        independent domestic observers, including in the 2025 
        presidential elections;
            ``(10) to continue calling for the Government of Belarus to 
        fulfill its freely undertaken obligations as an OSCE 
        participating state and as a signatory of the Charter of the 
        United Nations;
            ``(11) to recognize the Coordination Council and the United 
        Transitional Cabinet as legitimate institutions to participate 
        in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power, and to support 
        these institutions prior to and during such a transition should 
        it take place;
            ``(12) to condemn the deprivation of consular services to 
        Belarusian citizens living abroad, including representatives of 
        the Belarusian democratic opposition, and urge the United 
        States to raise this to the United Nations High Commissioner 
        for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the 
        Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security and 
        Cooperation in Europe;
            ``(13) to encourage the United States Government to 
        continue working closely with the European Union, the United 
        Kingdom, Canada, and other countries and international 
        organizations to continue to impose targeted sanctions against 
        officials in Belarus who are responsible for--
                    ``(A) undermining democratic processes in Belarus;
                    ``(B) participating in gross violations of 
                internationally recognized human rights related to 
                political repression in Belarus and undermining rule of 
                law for the people of Belarus; or
                    ``(C) enabling or facilitating Russia's war in 
                Ukraine;
            ``(14) to call on the Government of Belarus to uphold its 
        human rights obligations, including those rights enumerated in 
        the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
            ``(15) to encourage the United States to expeditiously 
        appoint a U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus to fill the role 
        vacated in June 2022; and
            ``(16) to support the use of the Strategic Dialogue between 
        the United States Government as a means of furthering ties 
        between the United States Government and the representatives of 
        the democratic opposition of Belarus in pursuit of objectives, 
        including--
                    ``(A) accountability for the Lukashenka regime's 
                gross violations of internationally recognized human 
                rights and domestic repressions;
                    ``(B) increasing partnerships with the Belarusian 
                people by supporting investments such as the United 
                States Agency for International Development's dedicated 
                Belarus Country Representative Office in Vilnius, 
                Lithuania; and
                    ``(C) initiating cultural programming dedicated to 
                protecting Belarusian language, culture, and national 
                identity.''.

SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND SOVEREIGNTY 
              IN BELARUS.

    Section 4 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-347; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, the United 
                Transitional Cabinet, and the Coordination Council'' 
                after ``the Republic of Belarus''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) To assist in the cessation of Belarus' support for 
        the Government of Russia in Russia's unprovoked war of 
        aggression in Ukraine.'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end before the 
        period the following ``, including political party 
        strengthening'';
            (3) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
    ``(c) Activities Supported.--Activities that may be supported by 
assistance under subsection (b) include--
            ``(1) expanding independent radio and television 
        broadcasting to and within Belarus;
            ``(2) facilitating the development of independent 
        broadcast, print, and internet media working within Belarus and 
        from locations outside the country and supported by nonstate-
        controlled printing facilities;
            ``(3) countering internet censorship and repressive 
        surveillance technology that seek to limit free association, 
        control access to information, and prevent citizens from 
        exercising their rights to free speech;
            ``(4) raising awareness both within Belarus and globally 
        about Lukashenka's complicity in Russia's unprovoked war of 
        aggression in Ukraine, including how the Lukashenka regime is 
        providing support to the Russian military and committing crimes 
        against Ukrainian children;
            ``(5) aiding the development of civil society through 
        assistance to nongovernmental organizations promoting democracy 
        and supporting human rights, including youth groups, 
        entrepreneurs, and independent trade unions;
            ``(6) supporting programming that contributes to the 
        defense of Belarusian sovereignty and independence from 
        encroachment by the Russian Federation;
            ``(7) supporting the work of human rights defenders;
            ``(8) enhancing the development of democratic political 
        parties;
            ``(9) assisting the promotion of free, fair, and 
        transparent electoral processes;
            ``(10) enhancing international exchanges and advanced 
        professional training programs for leaders and members of the 
        democratic opposition in skill areas central to the development 
        of civil society;
            ``(11) supporting the work of women advocating for freedom, 
        human rights, and human progress in Belarus given the 
        significant and vital role women have played in the Belarus 
        democracy movement;
            ``(12) supporting the development of Belarusian language 
        and cultural education and exchanges to preserve and protect 
        Belarusian national identity;
            ``(13) supporting further iterations of the Strategic 
        Dialogue between the United States and the Belarusian 
        democratic opposition and civil society as a platform to work 
        on issues of mutual concern;
            ``(14) enhancing the development of the private sector, 
        particularly the information technology sector, and its role in 
        the economy of Belarus, including by increasing the capacity of 
        private sector actors, developing business support 
        organizations, offering entrepreneurship training, and 
        expanding access to finance for small and medium enterprises;
            ``(15) supporting political refugees in neighboring 
        European countries fleeing the crackdown in Belarus;
            ``(16) supporting the education of Belarusians in exile;
            ``(17) supporting the gathering of evidence on and 
        investigating of gross violations of internationally recognized 
        human rights in Belarus; and
            ``(18) other activities consistent with the purposes of 
        this Act.'';
            (4) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) by striking ``the Belarus Democracy, Human 
                Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020'' and inserting 
                ``the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty 
                Act of 2024''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end before the period the 
                following: ``as well as the methodology and benchmarks 
                used to assess the effectiveness of such funds''; and
            (5) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the President to carry out this section--
            ``(1) for fiscal year 2025 an amount equal to not less than 
        the amount made available to carry out this section for fiscal 
        year 2024; and
            ``(2) for fiscal year 2026 an amount equal to not less than 
        the amount made available to carry out this section for fiscal 
        year 2025.''.

SEC. 5. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING, INTERNET FREEDOM, AND ACCESS TO 
              INFORMATION IN BELARUS.

    Section 5 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 109-480; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``(a) Sense of Congress.--'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting the following: ``and advocate for the 
                release of journalists that are detained by political 
                reasons; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) the United States should also support independent 
        media outlets and other sources of information in providing 
        accurate and truthful information about Russia's unprovoked war 
        of aggression in Ukraine, and the illegitimate Lukashenka 
        regime's complicity in Russia's crimes of aggression.''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (b).

SEC. 6. SANCTIONS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF BELARUS.

    Section 6 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 109-480; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``The sanctions'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--The sanctions''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Maintenance of existing sanctions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any sanctions imposed pursuant 
                to the Executive orders described in subparagraph (B) 
                that were imposed in connection with conduct relating 
                to, concerning, or occurring in Belarus should remain 
                in effect until the President determines and certifies 
                to the appropriate congressional committees that the 
                Government of Belarus has made significant progress in 
                meeting the conditions described in subsection (c).
                    ``(B) Executive orders described.--The Executive 
                orders described in this subparagraph are the 
                following:
                            ``(i) Executive Order 13405 (71 Fed. Reg. 
                        35485; relating to blocking property of certain 
                        persons undermining democratic processes or 
                        institutions in Belarus).
                            ``(ii) Executive Order 14024 (86 Fed. Reg. 
                        20249; relating to blocking property with 
                        respect to specified harmful foreign activities 
                        of the Government of the Russian Federation).
                            ``(iii) Executive Order 14038 (86 Fed. Reg. 
                        43905; relating to blocking property of 
                        additional persons contributing to the 
                        situation in Belarus).'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``subsection (a)'' and inserting ``paragraphs 
                (1) and (2) of subsection (a)'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2);
                    (C) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) 
                as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) The withdrawal of the armed forces of the Russian 
        Federation from the Republic of Belarus and the cessation of 
        Belarusian support for the Russian Federation's war against 
        Ukraine.
            ``(6) The return of all Ukrainian children abducted and 
        deported to Belarus from the territory of Ukraine illegally 
        occupied by the Russian Federation.'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Complicit in the Crackdown That Occurred After the 
                August 9, 2020, Election'';
                    (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``inadmissible 
                under'' and inserting ``described in'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end before 
                the semicolon the following: ``, or future elections in 
                Belarus should they be determined to be neither free 
                nor fair'';
                    (E) in paragraph (5), by adding at the end before 
                the semicolon the following: ``, or future elections in 
                Belarus should they be determined to be neither free 
                nor fair'';
                    (F) by striking paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and (9) 
                and inserting the following:
            ``(6) is a government official or member of the security or 
        law enforcement services of Belarus and has participated in the 
        persecution or harassment of religious groups, human rights 
        defenders, democratic opposition groups, or independent media 
        or journalists;
            ``(7) is an individual determined by the President to be 
        interfering in the internal affairs of the Republic of Belarus 
        on behalf of or at the direction of the Government of the 
        Russian Federation;
            ``(8) is an official who provides for, facilitates, or 
        otherwise enables or engages with the abduction and deportation 
        of Ukrainian children from territories illegally occupied by 
        the Russian Federation to the territory of Belarus;
            ``(9) is an official who provides for, facilitates, or 
        otherwise enables the Russian Federation to use the territory 
        or Belarus to further its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine;
            ``(10) is an official of the so-called `Union State' 
        between Russia and Belarus (regardless of nationality of the 
        individual) or works toward the furtherance of such Union 
        State; or
            ``(11) is a Russian individual that has significantly 
        participated in the crackdown on independent press or human 
        rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus, 
        including the Russian propagandists sent to replace local 
        employees at Belarusian state media outlets.'';
            (4) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows:
    ``(f) Blocking of Assets and Other Prohibited Activities.--
            ``(1) Mandatory sanction.--The President shall impose the 
        sanction described in paragraph (3) with respect to each 
        foreign person that the President determines--
                    ``(A) is a member of the Central Election 
                Commission of Belarus or assisted the Commission in 
                manipulating elections in Belarus including the 
                presidential election of August 9, 2020;
                    ``(B) is a government official or member of the 
                security or law enforcement services of Belarus and has 
                participated in the persecution or harassment of 
                religious groups, human rights defenders, democratic 
                opposition groups, or independent media or journalists;
                    ``(C) is an individual determined by the President 
                to be knowingly interfering in the internal affairs of 
                the Republic of Belarus on behalf of or at the 
                direction of the Government of the Russian Federation;
                    ``(D) is an official who knowingly engages in the 
                abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children from 
                territories illegally occupied by the Russian 
                Federation to the territory of Belarus;
                    ``(E) is an official who knowingly supports and 
                provides for, the Russian Federation's use of the 
                territory or Belarus to further its unprovoked invasion 
                of Ukraine; or
                    ``(F) is an official in the so-called `Union State' 
                between Russia and Belarus (regardless of nationality 
                of the individual) or works toward the furtherance of 
                such `Union State'.
            ``(2) Discretionary sanction.--The President may impose the 
        sanction described in paragraph (3) with respect to each 
        foreign person that the President determines--
                    ``(A) holds a position in the senior leadership of 
                the Government of Belarus;
                    ``(B) is an immediate family member of a person 
                described in subparagraph (A); or
                    ``(C) through his or her business dealings with a 
                person described in subparagraph (A) derives 
                significant financial benefit from policies or actions, 
                including electoral fraud, gross violations of 
                internationally recognized human rights, or corruption, 
                that undermine or injure democratic institutions or 
                impede the transition to democracy in Belarus.
            ``(3) Sanction described.--The President shall exercise all 
        of the powers granted to the President under the International 
        Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the 
        extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in 
        property and interests in property of the foreign person if 
        such property and interests in property are in the United 
        States, come within the United States, or are or come within 
        the possession or control of a United States person.
            ``(4) Exceptions.--
                    ``(A) Exception relating to the provision of 
                humanitarian assistance.--The sanction described in 
                paragraph (3) may not be imposed with respect to 
                transactions or the facilitation of transactions for--
                            ``(i) the sale of agricultural commodities, 
                        food, medicine, or medical devices;
                            ``(ii) the provision of humanitarian 
                        assistance;
                            ``(iii) financial transactions relating to 
                        humanitarian assistance; or
                            ``(iv) transporting goods or services that 
                        are necessary to carry out operations relating 
                        to humanitarian assistance.
                    ``(B) Exception for intelligence, law enforcement, 
                and national security activities.--The sanction 
                described in paragraph (3) shall not apply to any 
                authorized intelligence, law enforcement, or national 
                security activities of the United States.
            ``(5) Waiver.--The President may, on a case-by-case basis 
        and for periods not to exceed 180 days each, waive the 
        application of the sanction described in paragraph (3) imposed 
        with respect to a foreign person under this subsection if the 
        President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees 
        not later than 15 days before such waiver is to take effect 
        that the waiver is important to the national security interests 
        of the United States.
            ``(6) Penalties.--Any person who violates, attempts to 
        violate, or causes a violation of this subsection or any 
        regulation, license, or order issued to carry out this 
        subsection shall be subject to the penalties under section 206 
        of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
        1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful 
        act under that Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
            ``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `air carrier' has the meaning given 
                that term in section 40102 of title 49, United States 
                Code;
                    ``(B) the term `foreign person' means a person that 
                is not a United States person; and
                    ``(C) the term `United States person' means--
                            ``(i) any United States citizen or alien 
                        admitted for permanent residence to the United 
                        States;
                            ``(ii) any entity organized under the laws 
                        of the United States; and
                            ``(iii) any person in the United States.''.

SEC. 7. MULTILATERAL COOPERATION.

    Section 7 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 109-480; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) to halt the Government of Belarus, led illegally by 
        Alyaksandr Lukashenka, from supporting and assisting the 
        Russian Federation's unprovoked war of aggression against 
        Ukraine including the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian 
        children.''.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

    Section 8 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 109-480; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a);
            (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (a);
            (3) in subsection (a) (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``the Belarus Democracy, Human 
                        Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020'' and 
                        inserting ``the Belarus Democracy, Human 
                        Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2024''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the 
                        end before the period the following: ``, and 
                        whether the United States has imposed sanctions 
                        with respect to such senior foreign political 
                        figures'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2); and
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
                (2); and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Report on Crimes and Other Actions Committed by Belarus in 
Support of Russia's Unprovoked War of Aggression in Ukraine.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and 
        Sovereignty Act of 2024, the Director of National Intelligence, 
        in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the 
        Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a report on the following:
                    ``(A) An assessment of the Russian military 
                presence in Belarus, including the presence of Russian 
                nuclear forces, and the impact this presence has on 
                North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) security.
                    ``(B) The degree to which the Government of 
                Belarus, led illegally by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, 
                continues to provide support to and harbor the forces 
                of the Wagner Group or other Russian paramilitary 
                groups and enables their destabilizing actions on the 
                borders of NATO allies, such as Latvia, Lithuania, and 
                Poland.
                    ``(C) Which actors in the Government of Belarus, 
                led illegally by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, are most 
                responsible for the illegal abduction and deportation 
                of Ukrainian children from Ukrainian territory occupied 
                by the Russian Federation to the territory of Belarus, 
                as well as to what extent organizations such as the 
                now-suspended Belarus branch of the Red Cross are 
                involved in these transfers, and provide a strategy for 
                holding those involved in these crimes accountable 
                including through the use of sanctions.
                    ``(D) The degree to which the Government of 
                Belarus, led illegally by Alyaksandr Lukashenka has 
                purchased weapons from the governments of the Russian 
                Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and 
                whether any purchases of such weapons violate the 
                provisions of section 107 or 231 of the Countering 
                America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 
                9406 or 9525).
                    ``(E) The extent to which the Government of 
                Belarus, led illegally by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, is 
                aiding the Russian Federation is circumventing export 
                controls and evading sanctions, including with an 
                accounting and estimated value of dual-use goods and an 
                identification of the officials or other persons 
                involved in facilitating this sanctions evasion.
                    ``(F) The impact of the Government of Belarus' use 
                of illegal migrants to destabilize the borders of NATO 
                countries, such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, on 
                NATO security.
            ``(2) Form.--The report required under this subsection 
        shall be transmitted in unclassified form, but may contain a 
        classified annex.''.

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 9 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 109-480; 
22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)(A), by adding at the end before the 
        semicolon the following: ``, led illegally by Alyaksandr 
        Lukashenka''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Union state.--The term `Union State' means the 
        supranational union of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian 
        Federation as outlined in the December 1999 Treaty on the 
        establishment of the Union State between the governments of the 
        Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.''.
                                 <all>