I
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 Com-
mittee 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 juris-
diction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide for humanitarian assistance for Kosovar Albanian
refugees, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Kosovar Albanian Ref-
ugee Humanitarian Assistance Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) As of April 1999, large numbers of Kosovar
Albanians have been driven from their homes and
from their country.
(2) A humanitarian disaster currently exists in
the Balkans.
(3) The existence of large numbers of Kosovar
Albanian refugees in Albania, Macedonia, and other
countries in the Balkan region threatens the sta-
bility of the region.
(4) It is the principal responsibility of the Eu-
ropean governments to provide for humanitarian as-
sistance and to reduce the threat of instability in
Europe.
(5) It is the responsibility of the United States
to assist with the relief efforts to ease the suffering
of those who have lost everything.
(6) The allies of the United States also have
the obligation to assist Kosovar Albanian refugees
SEC. 3. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR KOSOVAR ALBA-
NIAN REFUGEES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall provide hu-
manitarian assistance for Kosovar Albanian refugees.
(b) FUNDING.—Amounts appropriated or otherwise
made available for fiscal year 1999 to carry out section
2(c) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962,
or amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for
fiscal year 1999 to the Secretary of State for other migra-
tion and refugee assistance, are authorized to be available
to carry out subsection (a).
SEC. 4. USE OF ARMED FORCES SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT FOR
TRANSPORTATION OF REFUGEES.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
President is authorized to use ships and aircraft of the
Armed Forces, and private ships and aircraft contracted
by the Armed Forces, for the transportation of Kosovar
Albanian refugees.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND FOR RELIEF AND RE-
COVERY IN THE BALKAN REGION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
President shall establish a fund for private contributions
for the relief and recovery effort in the Balkan region.
SEC. 6. ADMISSION OF KOSOVAR ALBANIAN REFUGEES
INTO UNITED STATES; ADDITIONAL FUNDING
FOR PROGRAMS FOR DOMESTIC RESETTLE-
MENT OF AND ASSISTANCE TO KOSOVAR AL-
BANIAN REFUGEES.
(a) ADMISSION INTO UNITED STATES.—The Presi-
dent shall exercise the authority under section 207(b) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act to admit to the
United States up to 100,000 Kosovar Albanian refugees.
(b) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—In addition to amounts
appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out
chapter 2 of title IV of the Immigration and Nationality
Act for fiscal year 1999, there are authorized to be appro-
priated such additional sums as may be necessary to carry
out chapter 2 of title IV of such Act for fiscal year 1999
with respect to domestic resettlement of and assistance to
Kosovar Albanian refugees.
SEC. 7. MULTINATIONAL KOSOVAR ALBANIAN REFUGEE
PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall es-
tablish a program to assist Kosovar Albanian refugees.
(b) CONDUCT OF PROGRAM.—In carrying out the
program established under subsection (a), the Secretary—
(1) shall work with European and non-Euro-
pean allies to ensure the establishment of a multi-
national humanitarian effort to assist Kosovar Alba-
nian refugees; and
(2) shall negotiate financial contributions for
the cost of the relief efforts from countries that can-
not or will not accept Kosovar Albanian refugees.
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