Sec. 5. Russians in Exile Affairs Unit
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/bill/118/s/5116/is/section-5·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID, in coordination with the heads of other relevant agencies and departments, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees on a plan to establish a Russians in Exile Affairs Unit (referred to in this subsection as the Unit ). The report required under subsection
(a)shall include— a plan for establishing and staffing the Unit; a description of how the Department of State and USAID will carry out the responsibilities described in subsection (c); the estimated annual appropriations required to carry out such responsibilities; 3 potential locations in Europe at which the headquarters of the Unit could be located; the advantages and disadvantages of establishing the Unit; an estimate of the number of Russian individuals in exile; and an assessment of Russian individuals in exile, including— the reasons such individuals left the Russian Federation, particularly in relation to— the invasion of Ukraine in 2022; and increased political repression in the Russian Federation; how such individuals have been engaged since leaving the Russian Federation; and how United States officials and intermediaries have communicated with such individuals since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The primary duties of the Unit shall be— to facilitate communication and engagement with pro-democracy activists who are Russian individuals in exile; to report on human rights issues that impact Russian individuals in exile; to coordinate interagency and international efforts to combat Russian Federation-sponsored transnational repression; to support Russian individuals in exile who remain outside the Russian Federation because of fear for their safety; to lead engagement with European and Eurasian governments and private sector companies to resolve issues impacting Russian individuals in exile; to assess challenges and develop solutions to problems faced by Russian individuals in exile, including— access to bank accounts, credit cards, and online payment platforms; issuance of travel documents, visas, and work permits; and the ability to use technology platforms owned by companies in the United States and Europe to communicate with Russian individuals; to evaluate the feasibility of developing a whitelist — to which a Russian pro-democracy activist can apply to be recognized by the Department of State as a credible Russian non-state actor; and that the Secretary shall provide to social media companies, technology companies, financial institutions, academic institutions, and other stakeholders in the United States to encourage institutional engagement with the Russian pro-democracy activist community, including by— facilitating financial transactions; monetizing media content produced by pro-democratic activists in the Russian Federation; and purchasing political advertisements for distribution inside the Russian Federation; and to collect and facilitate the consideration and assessment of evidence, presented by members of the Russian pro-democracy activist community, regarding significant human rights violations and corruption perpetrated by individuals connected to Vladimir Putin, including individuals who are responsible for implementing and supporting war by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and undermining democracy in the Russian Federation.