Moldova Support Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8176 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8176

To require the Secretary of State to facilitate strategic dialogue with
   Moldova and submit a report on support for Moldova, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 2, 2026

  Mr. Keating (for himself, Mr. Lawler, and Ms. Ross) introduced the
following bill; which was 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To require the Secretary of State to facilitate strategic dialogue with
   Moldova and submit a report on support for Moldova, and for other
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Moldova Support Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that:
            (1) For more than 3 decades, the Republic of Moldova has
        demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing democracy,
        strengthening civil society, furthering accession to the
        European Union, and deepening cooperation with the North
        Atlantic Treaty Organization through the Partnership for Peace
        Program.
            (2) The Russian Federation's illegal invasion of Ukraine
        has threatened the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
        Moldova by destabilizing the country's economy as well as its
        energy security.
            (3) The reelection of Moldovan President Maia Sandu further
        cements Moldova's pro-European path and Moldova's expedient
        accession to the European Union is in the direct interest of
        the United States.
            (4) Moldova represents a United States foreign assistance
        success story with United States foreign assistance to Moldova
        contributing to Moldova's energy security, economic
        development, and democratic values as well as furthering the
        United States-Moldova bilateral relationship, all which benefit
        the people and businesses of the United States and strengthen
        the transatlantic relationship.
            (5) The United States-Moldova Strategic Dialogue is an
        important platform for strengthening the United States-Moldova
        bilateral relationship.
            (6) The Russian Federation has historically targeted
        Moldova, seeking to undermine its democratic institutions,
        weaponize energy supplies in Moldova (including through
        Transnistria), and use Moldova as a lynchpin of a wider
        campaign to expand its malign influence and promote broader
        instability across Europe and the world.

SEC. 3. UNITED STATES-MOLDOVA STRATEGIC DIALOGUE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall facilitate a
strategic dialogue between the United States and the Republic of
Moldova to--
            (1) advance bilateral priorities, including defense and
        security cooperation;
            (2) discuss Moldova's progress towards European Union
        integration and ways the United States can facilitate, through
        foreign assistance, investment, and public-private partnership,
        Moldova's process of accession to the European Union;
            (3) strengthen economic and energy ties between Moldova and
        the United States, including expanding United States Government
        support for the Straseni-Gutinas transmission line project that
        will provide opportunities for United States businesses,
        strengthen Moldova's energy independence, and enhance Moldovan
        and European energy security;
            (4) reaffirm support for Moldova's sovereignty and
        territorial integrity within its internationally recognized
        borders;
            (5) expand support for the State Partnership Program
        between Moldova and North Carolina; and
            (6) expand and support State Department facilitated
        American Spaces in Moldova.
    (b) Frequency of Dialogue.--The Secretary, in partnership with the
Government of Moldova, shall facilitate the strategic dialogue required
in subsection (a) not less frequently than annually.

SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PROMOTE MOLDOVA'S PRO-EUROPEAN FUTURE.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate Congressional
Committees a report that includes--
            (1) a 4-year strategy to--
                    (A) bolster United States-Moldovan bilateral
                relations, including to advance the priorities outlined
                in the strategic dialogue required in section 3; and
                    (B) support Moldova's process of accession to the
                European Union and Moldova's goal of becoming a member
                of the European Union by the year 2030, including
                through United States foreign assistance that avoids
                conflicts with Moldova's obligations related to
                European Union accession or agreements with
                international financial institutions or other official
                creditors;
            (2) a description of actions taken by the Department of
        State to counter malign influence by the Russian Federation and
        the People's Republic of China in Moldova since January 20,
        2025;
            (3) a list of active and cancelled foreign assistance
        programs in or related to Moldova since January 20, 2025; and
            (4) a description of actions taken by the Department to
        support the accession of Moldova to the European Union and
        expand, where appropriate and within the interests of both the
        United States and Moldova, Moldova's cooperation with the North
        Atlantic Treaty Organization.

SEC. 5. MAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
sanction imposed by the United States and in effect on the date of the
enactment of this Act with respect to a person described in subsection
(c) may not be terminated until the Secretary of State and the
Secretary of the Treasury have, in addition to any other measure
required by law--
            (1) submitted to the appropriate congressional committees a
        written certification that the person (or the immediate family
        member of such person, as appropriate) is no longer engaging in
        the behavior that caused the person to be subject to the
        sanction;
            (2) briefed the appropriate congressional committees
        regarding such certification; and
            (3) consulted with the appropriate congressional committees
        regarding such certification.
    (b) Ineligibility for Entry.--Notwithstanding any other provision
of law, including paragraph (3) of section 7031(c) of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note), the Secretary may not
waive or terminate the application of paragraph (1) of such section
with respect to an individual described in subsection (c) unless the
Secretary has--
            (1) submitted to the appropriate congressional committees a
        written certification that the individual (or the immediate
        family member of the individual, as appropriate) is no longer
        engaging in significant corruption or a gross violation of
        human rights described in such section 7031(c)(1);
            (2) provided to the appropriate congressional committees a
        briefing regarding such certification; and
            (3) consulted with the appropriate congressional committees
        regarding such certification.
    (c) Persons Described.--A person described in this subsection is
any of the following:
            (1) Former member of the Moldovan Parliament Ilan Shor.
            (2) The Shor Party.
            (3) Former member of the Moldovan Parliament Vlad
        Plahotniuc.
            (4) Igor Yuryevich Chayka.
            (5) Ivan Alesksandrovich Zavorotnyi.
            (6) Yuriy Igorevich Gudilin.
            (7) Olga Yurievna Grak.
            (8) Leonid Mikhailovich Gonin.
            (9) Aleksei Valeryevich Troshin.
            (10) Maksim Yakubets.
            (11) The National Engineering Corporation (commonly known
        as ``NIK'').
            (12) Any person with respect to whom sanctions have been
        imposed by the United States due to the relationship between
        such person and an individual described in paragraphs (1)
        through (11).

SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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