US officials were in close contact with the Russian authorities over a Kremlin move to tighten controls on human rights and other non-governmental groups, a State Department spokesman said on Wednesday.
Spokesman Tom Casey said that Washington was keeping a close eye on the bill that would allow the Moscow government to control the funding and expenses of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
US President George W. Bush spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's push to close down foreign-funded NGOs when they met outside an Asian regional conference last week in South Korea.
"We have made our concerns known to the Russian government on this issue and remain in close contact with them," Casey said.
"This is only the first step in a multi-step process before any proposal could become law," he said.
The bill had its first reading in the Russian parliament on Wednesday after more than 1,000 NGOs urged the legislature to reject the measure they say will severely curb their activities.
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