I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2091
To designate the Republic of Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, and the Republic of Albania under section 244 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act in order to render nationals of these
foreign states eligible for temporary protected status under such section.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 9, 1999
Mrs. BIGGERT (for herself, Mr. ENGEL, Mrs. KELLY, Mrs. WILSON, Mr. MAN-
ZULLO, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. CROWLEY, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To designate the Republic of Montenegro, the Former Yugo-
slav Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic of Albania
under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act in order to render nationals of these foreign states
eligible for temporary protected status under such sec-
tion.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) An estimated 780,000 Kosovar refugees
have been driven out of their homes to the Republic
of Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, and the Republic of Albania as a result
of ethnic cleansing.
(2) The influx of refugees into these areas has
placed a significant burden on these countries and
their ability to process and house additional inhab-
itants.
(3) The United States Immigration and Natu-
ralization Service continues to process and detain
immigrants for deportation to these countries, de-
spite the instability created by the ethnic cleansing
in Kosovo.
(4) The stability of the countries surrounding
Kosovo and their ability to process refugees is of
vital national interest to the United States and is in-
tegrally related to the success of the ongoing North
Atlantic Treaty Organization campaign.
(5) It is in the national interest of the United
States to lessen the burden of burgeoning populace
by granting temporary protected status to aliens
from these countries.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEM-
PORARY 
PROTECTED 
STATUS 
TO
MONTENEGRINS, MACEDONIANS, AND ALBA-
NIANS.
(a) DESIGNATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 244
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1254a), the Republic of Montenegro, the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic
of Albania shall each be treated as if it had been
designated under subsection (b) of such section, sub-
ject to the provisions of this section.
(2) PERIOD OF DESIGNATION.—Such designa-
tion shall take effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act and shall remain in effect until such time
as the President certifies to the Congress that condi-
tions are sufficiently improved to allow aliens to re-
turn to these countries, or such time as the designa-
tion with respect to Kosovar expires and is not ex-
tended, whichever occurs later.
(b) ALIENS ELIGIBLE.—In applying section 244 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act pursuant to the des-
ignation under this Act, subject to section 244(c)(3) of
such Act, an alien who is a national of the Republic of
Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
or the Republic of Albania meets the requirement of sec-
tion 244(c)(1) of such Act only if—
(1) the alien has been continuously physically
present in the United States since March 24, 1999;
(2) the alien is admissible as an immigrant, ex-
cept 
as 
otherwise 
provided 
under 
section
244(c)(2)(A) of such Act, and is not ineligible for
temporary 
protected 
status 
under 
section
244(c)(2)(B) of such Act; and
(3) the alien registers for temporary protected
status in a manner which the Attorney General shall
establish.
(c) CONSENT TO TRAVEL ABROAD.—The Attorney
General shall give the prior consent to travel abroad de-
scribed in section 244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act to an alien who is granted temporary pro-
tected status pursuant to the designation under this Act,
if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Attorney
General that emergency and extenuating circumstances
beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart
for a brief, temporary trip abroad. An alien returning to
the United States in accordance with such an authoriza-
tion shall be treated the same as any other returning alien
provided temporary protected status under section 244 of
such Act.
Æ