H.R. 36 · 119th Congress

Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act

MEGOBARI Act

Introduced Jan 3, 2025Policy area: International Affairs

Status: Passed House

  1. Introduced (done)
  2. Committee (done)
  3. Passed House (current)
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To President
  6. Law

Latest action

: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 70.

Summary

Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act or the MEGOBARI Act

This bill requires the President to impose sanctions on certain foreign persons, including Georgian government officials, who are undermining Georgia's security or stability.

Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa-blocking sanctions and authorizes the President to impose property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person the President determines is involved with actions or policies to undermine Georgia's security or stability. Immediate family members of a sanctioned individual are also subject to these sanctions if they benefited from the sanctioned individual's conduct.

  • The bill also requires the President to impose visa-blocking sanctions on the following foreign persons if the President determines such persons knowingly engaged in significant acts of corruption or acts of violence or intimidation in relation to the blocking of Euro-Atlantic integration in Georgia:
  • any individual who served as a member of the Georgian parliament or as a senior official of a Georgian political party on or after January 1, 2014;
  • any individual who is serving as an official in a leadership position on behalf of the Georgian government; and
  • any immediate family member of such officials who benefited from their conduct.

Additionally, for the purpose of potential imposition of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the President must determine whether there are foreign persons who, on or after the bill's enactment, have engaged in (1) significant corruption in Georgia, or (2) acts to undermine Georgia's security or stability.

Summary by the Congressional Research Service.

Actions

  1. Senate

    Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 70.

  2. House

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  3. House

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 349 - 42 (Roll no. 116). (text: CR H1824-1826)

  4. House

    Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1840-1841)

  5. House

    At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

  6. House

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 36.

  7. House

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1823-1828)

  8. House

    Mr. Mast moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

  9. House

    Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  10. Introduced in House