Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act

This bill aims to protect peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina by targeting foreign actors who threaten the Dayton Peace Agreement and the country’s democratic institutions. It sets U.S. policy to back Bosnia’s sovereignty and unity, push for practical reforms, urge the European Union to join sanctions on a Bosnian leader who undermines stability, and call out Russia’s role in fueling instability .

Within 180 days of enactment, and every 6 months after, the President must give Congress a list of foreign people tied to threats to Bosnia’s stability, efforts to weaken its institutions or the Dayton agreement, corruption related to Bosnia, running illegal parallel institutions, or helping those actors; certain adult family members can also be listed . People on the list face U.S. asset freezes and visa bans, including revoked visas, and Treasury may tighten rules on U.S. accounts for foreign banks that help them . Humanitarian trade and aid are protected, and the U.S. must still meet U.N. obligations; national security and law enforcement work are exempt. Existing Western Balkans sanctions stay in force, with a way to lift sanctions if behavior changes. If certain committee leaders ask, the President must decide within 60 days whether someone meets the criteria, and that review rule ends after 5 years; the Act itself ends after 7 years and does not add new import bans on goods .

Key points

• Who is affected: foreign individuals and entities who undermine peace or institutions in Bosnia, some of their adult family members, and foreign banks that assist them .
• What changes: regular naming of offenders; U.S. asset freezes and visa bans; existing sanctions kept; protections for humanitarian aid; no new import bans .
• When: first list due in 180 days, then every 180 days; regulations due in 180 days; one review rule ends after 5 years; the Act ends after 7 years .