[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 97 (Wednesday, June 7, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3340-S3341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 221. Mr. BARRASSO (for himself and Mr. Markey) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 722, to impose
sanctions with respect to Iran in relation to Iran's ballistic missile
program, support for acts of international terrorism, and violations of
human rights, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the
table; as follows:
Add at the end the following new section:
SEC. 13. UKRANIAN ENERGY SECURITY.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United
States--
[[Page S3341]]
(1) to support the Government of Ukraine in restoring its
sovereign and territorial integrity;
(2) to condemn and oppose all of the destabilizing efforts
by the Government of the Russian Federation in Ukraine in
violation of its obligations and international commitments;
(3) to never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by
the Government of the Russian Federation or the separation of
any portion of Ukrainian territory through the use of
military force;
(4) to deter the Government of the Russian Federation from
further destabilizing and invading Ukraine and other
independent countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the
Caucuses;
(5) to assist in promoting reform in regulatory oversight
and operations in Ukraine's energy sector, including the
establishment and empowerment of an independent regulatory
organization;
(6) to encourage and support fair competition, market
liberalization, and reliability in Ukraine's energy sector;
(7) to help Ukraine and United States allies and partners
in Europe reduce their dependence on Russian energy
resources, especially natural gas, which the Government of
the Russian Federation uses as a weapon to coerce,
intimidate, and influence other countries;
(8) to work with European Union member states and European
Union institutions to promote energy security through
developing diversified and liberalized energy markets that
provide diversified sources, suppliers, and routes;
(9) to continue to oppose the NordStream 2 pipeline given
its detrimental impacts on the European Union's energy
security, gas market development in Central and Eastern
Europe, and energy reforms in Ukraine; and
(10) that the United States Government should prioritize
the export of United States energy resources in order to
create American jobs, help United States allies and partners,
and strengthen United States foreign policy.
(b) Plan to Promote Energy Security in Ukraine.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development and the Secretary of Energy, shall
work with the Government of Ukraine to develop a plan to
increase energy security in Ukraine, increase the amount of
energy produced in Ukraine, and reduce Ukraine's reliance on
energy imports from the Russian Federation.
(2) Elements.--The plan developed under paragraph (1) shall
include strategies for market liberalization, effective
regulation and oversight, supply diversification, energy
reliability, and energy efficiency, such as through
supporting--
(A) the promotion of advanced technology and modern
operating practices in Ukraine's oil and gas sector;
(B) modern geophysical and meteorological work followed by
international tenders to help attract qualified investment
into exploration and development of areas with untapped
resources in Ukraine;
(C) a broadening of Ukraine's electric power transmission
interconnection with Europe;
(D) the strengthening of Ukraine's capability to maintain
electric power grid stability and reliability;
(E) independent regulatory oversight and operations of
Ukraine's gas market and electricity sector;
(F) the implementation of primary gas law including
pricing, tariff structure, and legal regulatory
implementation;
(G) privatization of government owned energy companies
through credible legal frameworks and a transparent process
compliant with international best practices;
(H) procurement and transport of emergency fuel supplies,
including reverse pipeline flows from Europe;
(I) provision of technical assistance for crisis planning,
crisis response, and public outreach;
(J) repair of infrastructure to enable the transport of
fuel supplies;
(K) repair of power generating or power transmission
equipment or facilities; and
(L) improved building energy efficiency and other measures
designed to reduce energy demand in Ukraine.
(3) Reports.--
(A) Implementation of ukraine freedom support act of 2014
provisions.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing the
status of implementing the provisions required under section
7(c) of the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (Public Law
113-272), including detailing the plans required under that
section, the level of funding that has been allocated to and
expended for the strategies set forth under that section, and
progress that has been made in implementing the strategies
developed pursuant to that section.
(B) Reports on implementation of new requirements.--Not
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report detailing the plan developed under paragraph (1), the
level of funding that has been allocated to and expended for
the strategies set forth in paragraph (2), and progress that
has been made in implementing the strategies.
(C) Briefings.--The Secretary of State, or a designee of
the Secretary, shall brief the appropriate committees of
Congress not later than 30 days after the submission of each
report under subparagraph (A). In addition, the Department of
State shall make relevant officials available upon request to
brief the appropriate committees of Congress on all available
information that relates directly or indirectly to Ukraine or
energy security in Eastern Europe.
(D) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this
paragraph, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(i) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(ii) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated for the Department of State a total of
$30,000,000 for fiscal years 2018 through 2019 to carry out
the strategies set forth in subsection (b)(2) and other
activities under this section related to the promotion of
energy security in Ukraine.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed as affecting the responsibilities required and
authorities provided under section 7 of the Ukraine Freedom
Support Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-272).
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