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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1519

To provide for humanitarian assistance for Kosovar Albanian refugees, and

for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 21, 1999

Mrs. WILSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, 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 provide for humanitarian assistance for Kosovar Albanian

refugees, 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 ‘‘Kosovar Albanian Ref5 ugee Humanitarian Assistance Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) As of April 1999, large numbers of Kosovar

2 Albanians have been driven from their homes and

3 from their country.

4 (2) A humanitarian disaster currently exists in

5 the Balkans.

6 (3) The existence of large numbers of Kosovar

7 Albanian refugees in Albania, Macedonia, and other

8 countries in the Balkan region threatens the sta9 bility of the region.

10 (4) It is the principal responsibility of the Eu11 ropean governments to provide for humanitarian as12 sistance and to reduce the threat of instability in

13 Europe.

14 (5) It is the responsibility of the United States

15 to assist with the relief efforts to ease the suffering

16 of those who have lost everything.

17 (6) The allies of the United States also have

18 the obligation to assist Kosovar Albanian refugees

19 SEC. 3. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR KOSOVAR ALBA20 NIAN REFUGEES.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall provide hu22 manitarian assistance for Kosovar Albanian refugees.

23 (b) FUNDING.—Amounts appropriated or otherwise

24 made available for fiscal year 1999 to carry out section

25 2(c) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962,
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1 or amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for

2 fiscal year 1999 to the Secretary of State for other migra3 tion and refugee assistance, are authorized to be available

4 to carry out subsection (a).

5 SEC. 4. USE OF ARMED FORCES SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT FOR

6 TRANSPORTATION OF REFUGEES.

7 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the

8 President is authorized to use ships and aircraft of the

9 Armed Forces, and private ships and aircraft contracted

10 by the Armed Forces, for the transportation of Kosovar

11 Albanian refugees.

12 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND FOR RELIEF AND RE13 COVERY IN THE BALKAN REGION.

14 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the

15 President shall establish a fund for private contributions

16 for the relief and recovery effort in the Balkan region.

17 SEC. 6. ADMISSION OF KOSOVAR ALBANIAN REFUGEES

18 INTO UNITED STATES; ADDITIONAL FUNDING

19 FOR PROGRAMS FOR DOMESTIC RESETTLE20 MENT OF AND ASSISTANCE TO KOSOVAR AL21 BANIAN REFUGEES.

22 (a) ADMISSION INTO UNITED STATES.—The Presi23 dent shall exercise the authority under section 207(b) of

24 the Immigration and Nationality Act to admit to the

25 United States up to 100,000 Kosovar Albanian refugees.
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1 (b) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—In addition to amounts

2 appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out

3 chapter 2 of title IV of the Immigration and Nationality

4 Act for fiscal year 1999, there are authorized to be appro5 priated such additional sums as may be necessary to carry

6 out chapter 2 of title IV of such Act for fiscal year 1999

7 with respect to domestic resettlement of and assistance to

8 Kosovar Albanian refugees.

9 SEC. 7. MULTINATIONAL KOSOVAR ALBANIAN REFUGEE

10 PROGRAM.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall es12 tablish a program to assist Kosovar Albanian refugees.

13 (b) CONDUCT OF PROGRAM.—In carrying out the

14 program established under subsection (a), the Secretary—

15 (1) shall work with European and non-Euro16 pean allies to ensure the establishment of a multi17 national humanitarian effort to assist Kosovar Alba18 nian refugees; and

19 (2) shall negotiate financial contributions for

20 the cost of the relief efforts from countries that can21 not or will not accept Kosovar Albanian refugees.

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