I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6910 

To prohibit United States assistance from being made available before the 

implementation of conditions under the 2013 Brussels Agreement, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 2, 2024 

Ms. TENNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To prohibit United States assistance from being made available before the implementation of conditions under the 

2013 Brussels Agreement, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Backing the Agreed5 upon Compromises by Kosovo Imposed by the Negotiated 

6 Guarantees of the 2013 Brussels Agreement’’ or the 

7 ‘‘BACKING the 2013 Brussels Agreement Act’’. 

8 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

9 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) In 2013, the European Union moderated 

2 talks between Kosovo and Serbia to normalize rela3 tions between the two countries which required— 

4 (A) the establishment of an Association/ 

5 Community of Serb-majority Municipalities to 

6 ensure the rights of Kosovo Serbs; 

7 (B) one police force for all of Kosovo, with 

8 regional commanders in Serb-majority areas to 

9 be a Kosovo Serb chosen from a list provided 

10 by the municipality; and 

11 (C) Kosovo Serbs comprise a majority of 

12 certain judicial panels in Serb-majority areas. 

13 (2) After a decade, the Association/Community 

14 of Serb-majority Municipalities has still not been 

15 created by Kosovo in violation of the 2013 Brussels 

16 Agreement. 

17 (3) Kosovo Serbs are frustrated by the lack of 

18 progress in establishing this Association/Community 

19 of Serb-majority Municipalities and as a result pro20 tested local elections in April 2023. 

21 (4) In Serb-majority municipalities the turnout 

22 rate reached only 3.39 percent, with most voters 

23 being Kosovo Albanians. 


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1 (5) Despite the lack of turnout, Kosovo Alba2 nian mayors were installed by special police, in viola3 tion of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. 

4 (6) The United States has provided Kosovo 

5 with over $2,000,000,000 in foreign aid since 1999. 

6 (7) As the United States Ambassador to 

7 Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, put it, this aid was ‘‘to 

8 ensure that all Kosovans can access effective and ac9 countable services from their institutions, are em10 powered to demand accountability for these services, 

11 and can thrive through strong economic and demo12 cratic opportunities’’. 

13 (8) Despite this intention, Kosovo has repeat14 edly discriminated against Kosovo Serbs including— 

15 (A) repossessing cars with Serbian license 

16 plates; 

17 (B) removing clothing with Serbian lan18 guage on it from Kosovo Serbs; 

19 (C) harassment of Kosovo Serbs by the 

20 Kosovo Security Force; 

21 (D) prejudice against Kosovo Serbs in the 

22 civil service and labor markets; 

23 (E) denial of fair public trials and lengthy 

24 pre-trial sentences; and 


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1 (F) failing to execute court rulings in favor 

2 of Kosovo Serbs, particularly in property re3 lated disputes. 

4 (9) Kosovo Serb civil society organizations have 

5 raised concerns about the criminalization of ‘‘the ex6 pression of political views, which is a universal 

7 human right guaranteed by international conven8 tions, as well as the constitution and laws of 

9 Kosovo’’. 

10 (10) Kosovo’s refusal to uphold the 2013 Brus11 sels Agreement is contributing to the destabilization 

12 of the region and increasing tensions within the Bal13 kans. 

14 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

15 It is the sense of Congress that— 

16 (1) the actions by the Kosovan Government and 

17 Prime Minister Albin Kurti including the forcible 

18 implementation of mayors, oppression of human 

19 rights, and discrimination against Kosovo-Serbs in 

20 the justice system, labor market, and civil service 

21 is— 

22 (A) in violation of international conven23 tions; 

24 (B) in violation of Kosovan laws; 


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1 (C) in violation of the 2013 Brussels 

2 Agreement; and 

3 (D) contrary to the ideals of the United 

4 States such as rule of law, democracy, self-de5 termination, and minority rights; 

6 (2) the actions by Kosovo undermine global ef7 forts to achieve peace and stability in Eastern Eu8 rope and the Balkans; 

9 (3) Kosovo’s destabilization of the Balkans 

10 could lead to a regional war; and 

11 (4) the United States rejects these undemo12 cratic actions that repress human rights and polit13 ical freedoms. 

14 SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

15 It is the policy of the United States not to support 

16 the Government of Kosovo’s— 

17 (1) failure to implement and adhere to the 

18 2013 Brussels Agreement; 

19 (2) ethnic discrimination of Kosovo Serbs 

20 through unequal treatment in the justice system, 

21 and lack of access to the labor market in violation 

22 of international law; 

23 (3) the seizure or appropriation of Kosovo 

24 Serbs’ private property; and 


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1 (4) repression of the human right to freedom of 

2 speech, including the right to express political views. 

3 SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE. 

4 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no 

5 United States assistance is authorized to be appropriated 

6 or otherwise made available to the Government of Kosovo 

7 until each of the following conditions are met: 

8 (1) The Government of Kosovo implements the 

9 conditions required be the 2013 Brussels Agreement, 

10 including the creation of the Association/Community 

11 of Serb-majority Municipalities. 

12 (2) Special police are removed from northern 

13 Kosovo. 

14 (3) New mayoral elections are held in northern 

15 Kosovo. 

16 (4) The seizure of Kosovo Serb’s private prop17 erty, such as cars and clothing, is halted. 

18 (5) Freedom of political expression is respected 

19 and upheld for all ethnicities in Kosovo. 

20 SEC. 6. OVERSIGHT AND ADDITIONAL REPORTING. 

21 Beginning with the first report submitted pursuant 

22 to section 116 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 

23 U.S.C. 2151n) after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

24 the Secretary of State shall include in each report required 

25 by such section a description of the nature and extent— 


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1 (1) of discrimination and harassment faced by 

2 Kosovo Serbs by the government and police forces of 

3 Kosovo; and 

4 (2) of the progress made by the Government of 

5 Kosovo in meeting the requirements established by 

6 section 5 of this Act. 

Æ 


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