,i #aaeth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fdbf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ah1 #bjah,mr4 ,espaillat introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committees on the ,judiciary1 and ,armed ,services1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to provide for measures to strengthen dialogue with the ,russian people and support ,russian civil society1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this title may be cited as the ,,cpr for ,russian ,civil ,society ,act4 #b4 ,strengthening dialogue with the ,russian people 7a7 ,improved visa screening procedures for ,russian visitors ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 shall conduct a study on how to streamline and simplify visa procedures for ,russian students and persons involved in professional and cultural exchanges in order to reduce the overall visa processing period and facilitate people-to-people exchanges4 ,such study shall examine average visa wait times for successful visa applicants from ,russia and overall rejection rates of ,russian nationals applying for visas4 7b7 ,enhanced screening for ,putin allies ,in conjunction with the study undertaken pursuant to subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of ,state1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security and the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 shall develop enhanced visa screening procedures for the following individuals3 7#a7 ,persons identified as the most significant senior foreign political figures and oligarchs in the ,russian ,federation1 as listed in a classified annex to a report issued on ,january #bi1 #bjah1 pursuant to section #bda7;a77#a7 of the ,countering ,america's ,adversaries ,through ,sanctions ,act1 but who are not already included in the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the ,office of ,foreign ,assets ,control of the ,department of the ,treasury4 7#b7 ,persons who are not otherwise included in the specially designated nationals list but who promote ,russian ,president ,vladimir ,putin's policies of repression1 as determined by the ,secretary of ,state4 7#c7 ,persons who benefit from or act as agents of ,russian persons on the specially designated nationals list4 7c7 ,improved tracking of exchange programs ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a report on current cultural exchange and educational programs with ,russia4 ,such report shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a list of existing programs funded by the ,united ,states ,government dedicated to ,united ,states-,russia cultural and educational exchange and research1 including funding levels for each program4 7#b7 ,information relating to funding of the programs specified in paragraph 7#a71 including overall history of such funding since #aiia1 relative to funding for other regions with such exchange and research programs4 7d7 ,strategic stability 7#a7 ,report ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense1 in concurrence with the ,secretary of ,state1 shall submit to ,congress a report on efforts to strengthen strategic stability with ,russia4 7#b7 ,annual meetings ,the ,secretary of ,defense1 in concurrence with the ,secretary of ,state1 shall host an annual bilateral meeting1 through #bjbc1 with ,russian counterparts in order to discuss relevant issues of common interest1 including maintaining strategic stability and open lines for crisis communications4 #c4 ,support ,russian civil society 7a7 ,fight ,putin's censorship ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall convene a meeting of senior leaders of ,united ,states technology companies that sell1 license1 or otherwise facilitate the installation of tools that allow the ,government of ,russia to censor1 harass1 or suppress the activities of civil society activists4 ,such meeting shall focus on developing a common code of conduct to restrain ,united ,states companies aiding and abetting the ,government of ,russia's efforts to suppress ,russian civil society1 fundamental freedoms in ,russia1 and efforts to expose corruption on the part of the ,government of ,russia4 7b7 ,international broadcasting operations fund 7#a7 ,in general ,in addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the ,broadcasting ,board of ,governors' ,international ,broadcasting ,operations ,fund1 there is authorized to be appropriated #aj1jjj1jjj to expand ,russian language programming and to provide for the dissemination of accurate and independent information to the ,russian people through online media1 radio1 television1 cellular telephone1 short message service1 and other communications4 ,the ,broadcasting ,board of ,governors shall identify those countries that serve as ,russian vacation destinations and further target ,united ,states international broadcasting and programming activities towards such countries4 7#b7 ,use of amounts ,to achieve the objectives described in paragraph 7#a71 amounts in the ,international ,broadcasting ,operations ,fund referred to in such subparagraph may be used to develop-- 7,a7 additional transmission capability for ,radio ,free ,europe_/,radio ,liberty1 including through additional shortwave and medium wave transmissions1 satellite1 and ,internet mechanisms2 7,b7 additional proxy server capability and anti-censorship technologies to counter efforts by the ,government of ,russia to censor political and civil society activities1 such as blocking of the ,telegram app1 and investigations into corruption on the part of the ,government of ,russia2 7,c7 technologies to counter efforts to block ,,sms text message exchange over cellular phone networks2 and 7,d7 additional digital programs and operations for ,voice of ,america in ,russia4 7#c7 ,conforming amendment to expanded broadcasting in countries of the former ,soviet ,union ,paragraph 7#a7 of section #h7;e7 of the ,ukraine ,freedom ,support ,act of #bjad 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #hibg7;e72 ,public ,law #aah-bgb7 is amended by striking #bjah and inserting #bjbj4 #d4 ,publicize ,russian misdeeds 7a7 ,donbass recruitment 7#a7 ,report ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall compile and publicly release a list of ,russian-based persons1 including organizations and their executives1 who recruited or otherwise facilitated the transfer of ,russian personnel for-- 7,a7 the war in the ,donbass2 or 7,b7 targeting of civilians in ,syria4 7#b7 ,visa ban ,notwithstanding any other provision of law any persons identified in the list required under paragraph 7#a7 shall be prohibited from entry to the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,report on actions by ,russian proxies ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to ,congress a list of the following3 7#a7 ,persons1 including corporations with ,united ,states subsidiaries1 acting in ,europe and the ,united ,states as front companies or intermediaries of the ,government of ,russia1 and the executives of such persons4 7#b7 ,politicians serving or acting as proxies of the ,government of ,russia4 7#c7 ,russian media entities1 including producers and reporters1 who-- 7,a7 traffic in forgeries1 fabrications1 and altered media products with intent to obfuscate factual reporting2 or 7,b7 instigate conflict and violence in ,europe or the ,united ,states4 7#d7 ,non-,russian persons that have knowingly or negligently provided hardware or other forms of assistance to the ,government of ,russia that has furthered ,russia's efforts to-- 7,a7 filter online political content2 7,b7 disrupt cell phone and ,internet communications2 7,c7 monitor the online activities of ,russian citizens2 or 7,d7 discriminate against or suppress the activities of independent civil society institutions4 7#e7 ,each person that-- 7,a7 receives subsidies from the ,government of ,russia1 thereby eroding market opportunities for private businesses2 7,b7 provides financial or material support to ,russia-backed forces actively involved in aggression against ,russia's neighbors2 7,c7 provides financial or material support to propaganda outlets of the ,government of ,russia that legitimize ,russian aggression2 or 7,d7 provides financing or material support to political and nongovernmental persons or entities1 including the ,united ,russia political party1 determined by the ,secretary of ,state to be engaged in the suppression of fundamental freedoms in ,russia4 7c7 ,previously listed entities ,the lists required under this section may also include entities already identified in the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the ,office of ,foreign ,assets ,control of the ,department of the ,treasury4 7d7 ,form ,the lists required under this section shall be unclassified but may be submitted in classified form4 7e7 ,provision ,the ,secretary of ,state shall transmit the unclassified lists required under this section to the heads of state of-- 7#a7 ,,nato member states2 7#b7 ,sweden2 7#c7 ,finland2 and 7#d7 ,ireland4