Sec. 6. Supporting operations of independent media and civil society
200 words·~1 min read·
/bill/118/s/5116/is/section-6·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— state-sponsored Russian-language propaganda and disinformation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia sows discord and instrumentalizes Russian-speaking individuals to further disseminate propaganda and disinformation; professional independent journalism informed by local voices can provide Russian-speaking individuals with reliable, accurate information that will mitigate the harmful influence of Kremlin-aligned propaganda and disinformation; and because there is no clear dividing line between Russian individuals residing inside the Russian Federation and Russian individuals in exile because they are part of the same community of pro-democracy activists, assistance in the interest of benefitting future democracy in the Russian Federation may be channeled through Russian pro-democracy activists in exile, including support for the development and expansion of pro-democracy grassroots initiatives and a civic infrastructure that is no longer legally possible within the Russian Federation.
There is authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000, for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 2028 to USAID and the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of State to support independent media and civil society in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia that are providing reliable and fact-based news to Russian-speaking populations and furthering the development of civic activity within the country.