,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hdie ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #a1 #bjbj,mr4 ,sherman 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,waters1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 and ,mr4 ,san ,nicolas7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,foreign ,affairs1 ,intelligence 7,permanent ,select71 and ,rules1 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 prohibit ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions relating to ,russian sovereign debt4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,safeguarding ,elections by ,countering ,unchallenged ,russian ,efforts ,act or ,,secure ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the intelligence community's assessment of ,russia's ,influence ,campaign ,targeting the #bjaf ,,us ,presidential ,election1 produced by the ,central ,intelligence ,agency1 the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation1 and the ,national ,security ,agency and published by the ,office of the ,director of ,national ,intelligence on ,january #f1 #bjag1 found that the following3 7,a7 ,russian ,president ,vladimir ,putin ordered an influence campaign in #bjaf aimed at the ,united ,states presidential election4 7,b7 ,russian operations to influence the #bjaf ,united ,states presidential election demonstrated a significant escalation in directness1 level of activity1 and scope of effort compared to previous operations aimed at undermining ,united ,states democratic institutions and order4 7,c7 ,russia will apply lessons learned from its ,putin-ordered campaign aimed at the ,united ,states presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide1 including against the ,united ,states and its allies and their election processes4 7#b7 ,in ,july #bjah1 ,director of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation ,christopher ,wray publicly stated1 ,my view has not changed1 which is that ,russia attempted to interfere with the last election and that it continues to engage in malign influence operations to this day4 ,director ,wray also stated that ,russia's malign influence operations represent a threat that we need to take extremely seriously and respond to with fierce determination and focus4 7#c7 ,in ,august #bjah1 ,director of ,national ,intelligence ,dan ,coates publicly stated that ,we continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by ,russia to try to weaken and divide the ,united ,states44 ,in ,december #bjah1 ,director ,coates submitted the report of the intelligence community on foreign interference in the #bjah midterm elections1 which found that ,russia continued to conduct influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the ,united ,states to promote its strategic interests4 7#d7 ,special ,counsel ,robert ,mueller's report1 released in ,april #bjai1 concluded that1 ,the ,russian government interfered in the #bjaf presidential election in a sweeping and systemic fashion4 ,on ,july #bd1 #bjai1 during congressional testimony1 ,mueller noted that ,russia's malign efforts to interfere in ,united ,states elections were continuing as we sit here4 7#e7 ,on ,august #g1 #bjbj1 in an ,election ,threat ,update for the ,american ,public1 ,national ,counterintelligence and ,security ,center ,director ,william ,evanina included ,russia among foreign states of primary concern that continue to use covert and overt influence measures in its attempts to sway ,u4,s4 voters' preferences and perspectives1 shift ,u4,s4 policies1 increase discord in the ,united ,states1 and undermine the ,american people's confidence in our democratic process4 7#f7 ,on ,september #aj1 #bjbj1 the ,department of the ,treasury issued sanctions targeting a ,russian agent and other ,russia-linked individuals for interference in ,united ,states elections1 including efforts to influence the #bjbj ,united ,states presidential election4 7#g7 ,on ,september #ag1 #bjbj1 during congressional testimony1 ,,fbi ,director ,wray stated that the intelligence community has observed very active1 very active1 efforts by the ,russians to influence our election in #bjbj1 and that this has been done to primarily to denigrate ,vice ,president ,biden in what the ,russians see as a kind of an anti-,russian establishment4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress on ,russian interference in ,united ,states elections ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,government of ,russia has continued to interfere in the #bjbj ,united ,states presidential election2 7#b7 to date the ,united ,states has not subjected the ,government of ,russia to meaningful consequences for its interference in ,united ,states elections2 and 7#c7 the imposition of significant economic sanctions against the ,government of ,russia is appropriate to deter continued ,russian interference in ,united ,states elections4 #d4 ,prohibition on ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions relating to ,russian sovereign debt 7a7 ,prohibition 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall issue regulations to prohibit ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions with1 providing financing for1 or in any other way dealing in ,russian sovereign debt that is issued on or after the date that is #fj days after such date of enactment4 7#b7 ,russian sovereign debt defined ,in this subsection1 the term ,russian sovereign debt means-- 7,a7 bonds issued by the ,russian ,central ,bank1 the ,russian ,national ,wealth ,fund1 the ,russian ,federal ,treasury1 or agents or affiliates of any such institution1 regardless of the currency in which they are denominated and with a maturity of more than #ad days2 7,b7 foreign exchange swap agreements with the ,russian ,central ,bank1 the ,russian ,national ,wealth ,fund1 or the ,russian ,federal ,treasury1 regardless of the currency in which they are denominated and with a duration of more than #ad days2 and 7,c7 any other financial instrument1 the maturity or duration of which is more than #ad days1 that the ,president determines represents the sovereign debt of ,russia4 7#c7 ,requirement to publish guidance ,the ,president shall publish guidance on the implementation of the regulations issued pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 concurrently with the publication of such regulations4 7b7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the regularly scheduled general election for ,federal office in #bjbb1 and each regularly scheduled general election for ,federal office thereafter1 the ,director of ,national ,intelligence1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation1 the ,director of the ,national ,security ,agency1 and the ,director of the ,central ,intelligence ,agency1 shall submit to the ,president1 the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 and the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report on whether there is or is not significant evidence available for the ,director to determine that the ,government of ,russia1 or any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of that government1 knowingly engaged in interference in such general election or any other election for ,federal office held since the most recent prior regularly scheduled general election for ,federal office1 including an identification of any officials of that government1 or persons acting as agents of or on behalf of that government1 that knowingly engaged in interference in any such election4 7#b7 ,additional report ,if the ,director of ,intelligence-- 7,a7 determines in a report submitted under paragraph 7#a7 that there is not significant evidence available for the ,director to determine that the ,government of ,russia1 or any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of that government1 knowingly engaged in interference in any election described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7,b7 subsequently determines that there is significant evidence available for the ,director to make such a determination1 the ,director shall submit to the ,president1 the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 and the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report on such subsequent determination not later than #cj days after making that determination4 7#c7 ,form ,each report required by this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may include a classified annex4 7c7 ,suspension authority 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,president may1 for the period of time described in paragraph 7#c71 suspend the application of any prohibition on ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions described in subsection 7a7 if1 not later than #cj days after the date on which a report described in subsection 7b7 is submitted to the officials described in subsection 7b7 and the appropriate congressional committees and leadership with respect to a regularly scheduled general election for ,federal office1 the ,president-- 7,a7 determines that there is not significant evidence available for the ,president to determine that the ,government of ,russia1 or any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of that government1 knowingly engaged in interference in such general election or any other election for ,federal office held since the most recent prior regularly scheduled general election for ,federal office2 and 7,b7 submits to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report that contains the determination of the ,president under subparagraph 7,a7 and a justification for the determination4 7#b7 ,clarification regarding suspension ,if-- 7,a7 the ,president suspends the application of any prohibition on ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions described in subsection 7a72 7,b7 such ,united ,states persons engage in transactions described in subsection 7a7 involving ,russian sovereign debt that is issued during the period of time in which the suspension is in effect2 and 7,c7 such ,united ,states persons are subject to the application of any prohibition on ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions described in subsection 7a7 after such period of time in which the suspension is in effect1 such ,united ,states persons may not be subject to any prohibition on ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions described in subsection 7a7 with respect to engaging in transactions involving ,russian sovereign debt described in subparagraph 7,b74 7#c7 ,time period described ,the period of time described in this paragraph is the period-- 7,a7 beginning after the #fj-;day period described in paragraph 7#a77;,b72 and 7,b7 ending on or before the date that is #fj days after the date of the next regularly scheduled general election for ,federal office4 7d7 ,waiver authority ,the ,president may waive the application of any prohibition on ,united ,states persons from engaging in transactions described in subsection 7a7 if-- 7#a7 the ,president-- 7,a7 determines that the waiver is in the vital national security interests of the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 submits to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report that contains the determination of the ,president under subparagraph 7,a72 and 7#b7 in the case of such waiver authority exercised on or before ,february #a1 #bjba1 a joint resolution of approval with respect to such determination is enacted into law pursuant to subsection 7e74 7e7 ,expedited procedures for joint resolution of approval 7#a7 ,definition ,the term joint resolution of approval means only a joint resolution of either ,house of ,congress1 the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows3 ,that ,congress approves the determination of the ,president under subparagraph 7,a7 of section #d7;d77#a77;,a7 of the ,election ,protection and ,russian ,sanctions ,act on 41 with the blank space being filled with the appropriate date4 7#b7 ,expedited procedures ,a joint resolution of approval introduced in either ,house of ,congress shall be considered in accordance with the procedures of section #fja7;b7 of the ,international ,security ,assistance and ,arms ,export ,control ,act of #aigf4 ,if such a joint resolution should be vetoed by the ,president1 the time for debate in consideration of the veto message on such measure shall be limited to twenty hours in the ,senate and in the ,house shall be determined in accordance with the ,rules of the ,house4 7#c7 ,rules of ,house of ,representatives and ,senate ,this subsection is enacted by ,congress-- 7,a7 as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the ,senate and ,house of ,representatives1 respectively1 and as such it is deemed a part of the rules of each ,house1 respectively1 but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that ,house in the case of a joint resolution1 and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules2 and 7,b7 with full recognition of the constitutional right of either ,house to change the rules 7so far as relating to the procedure of that ,house7 at any time1 in the same manner1 and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that ,house4 7f7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,finance1 the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and the ,committee on ,rules and ,administration of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and the ,committee on ,house ,administration of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,appropriate congressional committees and leadership ,the term appropriate congressional committees and leadership means-- 7,a7 the appropriate congressional committees2 7,b7 the majority leader and minority leader of the ,senate2 and 7,c7 the ,speaker1 the majority leader1 and the minority leader of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,elections for ,federal office ,the term elections for ,federal office has the meaning given such term in the ,federal ,election ,campaign ,act of #aiga 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #cjaja et seq471 except that such term does not include a special election4 7#d7 ,interference in elections for ,federal office ,the term interference1 with respect to an election for ,federal office3 7,a7 ,means any of the following actions of the government of a foreign country1 or any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of such a government1 undertaken with the intent to influence the election3 7i7 ,obtaining unauthorized access to election and campaign infrastructure or related systems or data and releasing such data or modifying such infrastructure1 systems1 or data4 7ii7 ,blocking or degrading otherwise legitimate and authorized access to election and campaign infrastructure or related systems or data4 7iii7 ,contributions or expenditures for advertising1 including on the internet4 7iv7 ,using social or traditional media to spread significant amounts of false information to individuals in the ,united ,states4 7,b7 ,does not include communications clearly attributable to news and media outlets which are publicly and explicitly either controlled or in large part funded by the government of a foreign country4 7#e7 ,knowingly ,the term knowingly1 with respect to conduct1 a circumstance1 or a result1 means that a person has actual knowledge1 or should have known1 of the conduct1 the circumstance1 or the result4 7#f7 ,person ,the term person means an individual or entity4 7#g7 ,united ,states person ,the term ,united ,states person means-- 7,a7 a ,united ,states citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the ,united ,states2 or 7,b7 an entity organized under the laws of the ,united ,states or of any jurisdiction within the ,united ,states1 including a foreign branch of such an entity4