S. 1221 — what changed

Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated for the Countering Russian Influence Fund $250,000,000 for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

Management of the Fund— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and, as appropriate, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a working group to administer the Countering Russian Influence Fund in order to facilitate the achievement of the goals described in subsection (c) while minimizing the expense to United States taxpayers.

Mandatory use of funds— Amounts in the Countering Russian Influence Fund shall be used for the following:

To assist in protecting critical infrastructure and electoral mechanisms from cyberattacks in the following countries:

Countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the European Union that the Secretary of State determines—

are vulnerable to influence by the Russian Federation; and

lack the economic capability to effectively respond to aggression by the Russian Federation without the support of the United States.

Countries that are participating in the enlargement process of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the European Union, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Kosovo, Serbia, and Ukraine.

To combat corruption, improve the rule of law, and otherwise strengthen independent judiciaries and prosecutors general offices in the countries described in subparagraph (A).

Discretionary use of funds— Amounts in the Countering Russian Influence Fund may be used to seek to achieve the following, to the extent practicable and as appropriate:

Responding to the humanitarian crises and instability caused or aggravated by the invasions and occupations of Georgia and Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

Improving participatory legislative processes and legal education, political transparency and competition, and compliance with international obligations in the countries described in paragraph (1)(A).

Building the capacity of civil society, media, and other nongovernmental organizations countering the influence and propaganda of the Russian Federation in the countries described in paragraph (1)(A).

In general— The Secretary of State, acting through Coordinator of United States Assistance to Europe and Eurasia (authorized pursuant to section 601 of the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989 (22 U.S.C. 5461) and section 102 of the Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5812)), shall coordinate efforts to implement the goals described in subsection (c) and establish metrics relating to efforts to achieve those goals.

In general— Not later than April 1 of each year, the Secretary of State, acting through the Coordinator of United States Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the programs and activities carried out to achieve the goals described in subsection (c) during the preceding fiscal year.

Elements— Each report required by subparagraph (A) shall include, with respect to each program or activity described in that subparagraph—

the amount of funding for the program or activity;

the goal described in subsection (c) to which the program or activity relates; and

an assessment of whether or not the goal was met.