MEGOBARI Act
Latest Action
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 70.
Official 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; andany 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.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The MEGOBARI Act mandates the President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals, including Georgian government officials, who undermine Georgia's security or stability. The sanctions include visa-blocking and potentially property-blocking measures. The bill targets individuals involved in corruption, violence, or intimidation related to blocking Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration, including members of the Georgian parliament, senior political party officials, government leaders, and their immediate family members if they benefit from such conduct. The President is also required to identify foreign persons engaging in significant corruption or destabilizing actions in Georgia for potential sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The MEGOBARI Act establishes a framework for sanctioning foreign persons undermining Georgia's security and stability, focusing on corruption and obstruction of Euro-Atlantic integration.
- Requires the President to impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons undermining Georgia's security or stability.
- Authorizes property-blocking sanctions on such foreign persons at the President's discretion.
- Targets Georgian officials and their immediate family members involved in corruption or acts blocking Euro-Atlantic integration since January 1, 2014.
- Mandates the President to determine if foreign persons have engaged in significant corruption or destabilizing acts for potential sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
['The government and people of Georgia, through enhanced efforts to address corruption and security threats.', 'U.S. policymakers and agencies involved in foreign policy and national security, by providing tools to respond to destabilizing actions in Georgia.', "International organizations supporting Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration."]
['Implementation challenges in accurately identifying and verifying individuals subject to sanctions.', 'Potential diplomatic repercussions or tensions arising from sanctioning foreign officials and their families.', "Oversight mechanisms for the President's discretionary authority to impose property-blocking sanctions are not detailed.", 'Costs related to monitoring, enforcement, and potential legal challenges associated with sanctions.']
The bill passed the House and was received in the Senate, where it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. It addresses U.S. foreign policy interests in supporting Georgia's security and Euro-Atlantic integration by targeting corruption and destabilizing activities through sanctions. The bill reflects ongoing U.S. legislative efforts to influence foreign governance and security conditions.
High concern review — 3 hidden impact flags detected
GovScope reviewed 3 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['May influence political behavior in Georgia by increasing pressure on officials involved in corruption or destabilizing actions.', "Could impact Georgia's internal political dynamics and its relationship with Euro-Atlantic institutions.", 'Potentially affects U.S. diplomatic engagement strategies in the region due to the imposition of sanctions on foreign officials and their families.']
The bill grants significant discretionary authority to the President for imposing sanctions, with limited publicly available details on oversight or criteria for property-blocking sanctions. Transparency regarding the identification process of sanctioned individuals and their families, as well as the mechanisms for review or appeal, would be important for accountability. The absence of the full bill text limits detailed analysis of enforcement and procedural provisions.
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