Bill Summary
This legislation focuses on promoting democratic and economic development in the Western Balkans region by addressing challenges such as corruption, poverty, and dependence on Russian energy sources. It outlines initiatives and programs to support the region's economic growth and integration, combat disinformation campaigns, and promote cross-cultural engagement. It also authorizes funding for initiatives such as the Balkans Youth Leadership Initiative, which aims to provide training and support for young leaders in the region. The legislation also defines the role of Congress in promoting the United States' relationship with the Western Balkans and codifies sanctions related to obstructing the Dayton Accords and corruption.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation will support the Western Balkans region by promoting increased trade and investment, which will create job opportunities and boost economic growth for people living in the region.
2. By authorizing the establishment of a regional office for the United States International Development Finance Corporation in the Western Balkans, the legislation will provide support for startup companies and promote private sector growth, ultimately benefiting the people of the region.
3. The Balkans Youth Leadership Initiative (BOLD) will provide young leaders in the Western Balkans region with access to educational and professional development opportunities, empowering them to become future leaders in their communities and promote positive change.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4741 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4741
To encourage increased trade and investment between the United States
and the countries in the Western Balkans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 2, 2022
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr.
Cardin, and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To encourage increased trade and investment between the United States
and the countries in the Western Balkans, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Western Balkans
Democracy and Prosperity Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 4. Defined term.
Sec. 5. Codification of sanctions relating to the Western Balkans.
Sec. 6. Democratic and economic development and prosperity initiatives.
Sec. 7. Countering malign influence and promoting cross-cultural
engagement.
Sec. 8. Peace Corps in the Western Balkans.
Sec. 9. Balkans Youth Leadership Initiative.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The six countries of the Western Balkans (Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia,
and Serbia) form a pluralistic, multi-ethnic region in the
heart of Europe that is critical to Europe's peace, stability,
and prosperity.
(2) Continued peace, stability, and prosperity in the
Western Balkans is directly tied to opportunities for
democratic and economic advancement available to the citizens
and residents of those six countries.
(3) It is in the mutual interest of the United States and
the six countries of the Western Balkans to promote stable and
sustainable economic growth and development in the region.
(4) The reforms and integration with the European Union
pursued by countries in the Western Balkans have led to
significant democratic and economic progress in the region.
(5) Despite economic progress, rates of poverty and
unemployment in the Western Balkans remain higher than in
neighboring European Union countries.
(6) Out-migration, particularly of youth, is affecting
demographics in every country in the Western Balkans, resulting
in negative population growth in all six countries.
(7) Creating a welcoming environment for investment and
creating employment opportunities in the Western Balkans,
especially for youth, can provide powerful tools for economic
development and for encouraging broader participation in a
political process that increases prosperity for all.
(8) Offering opportunities for inclusive, transparent
economic growth and merit-based employment to people living in
the Western Balkans will encourage higher levels of trade and
direct investment and support positive economic and political
developments occurring throughout the region.
(9) Existing regional economic efforts, such as the Common
Regional Market and the Open Balkans initiative, have great
potential to improve the economic conditions in the Western
Balkans, while promoting inclusion and transparency.
(10) The Department of Commerce, through its Foreign
Commercial Service, plays an important role in promoting and
facilitating opportunities for United States trade and
investment.
(11) Corruption continues to plague the Western Balkans and
represents one of the greatest impediments to further economic
and political development in the region.
(12) Disinformation campaigns targeting the Western Balkans
threaten the credibility of Western democratic institutions,
the integrity of national elections, and the response to COVID-
19.
(13) Corruption and disinformation proliferate in political
environments marked by autocratic control or partisan conflict.
(14) Dependence on Russian sources of natural gas for the
countries of the Western Balkans ties their economies and
politics to the Russian Federation and inhibits their
aspirations for European integration.
(15) The Western Balkans reliance on fossil fuels for
energy sources causes damage to the environment and to human
health, while inhibiting economic development in the region.
(16) Reducing the Western Balkans' reliance on Russian
natural gas supplies and fossil fuels is in the national
interest of the United States.
(17) China's growing influence in the Western Balkans could
also have a deleterious impact on strategic competition,
democracy, and economic integration with Europe.
(18) The United States International Development Finance
Corporation plays an important role in the pursuit of United
States policy goals focused on economic development.
(19) In March 2022, the President launched the European
Democratic Resilience Initiative to bolster democratic
resilience, advance anti-corruption efforts, and defend human
rights in Ukraine and its neighbors in response Russia's war of
aggression.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States should--
(1) encourage increased trade and investment between the
United States and allies and partners in the Western Balkans;
(2) expand United States assistance to regional integration
efforts in the Western Balkans;
(3) strengthen and expand regional economic integration in
the Western Balkans, especially enterprises owned by and
employing women and youth;
(4) work with allies and partners committed to improving
the rule of law, energy resource diversification, democratic
and economic reform, and the eradication of poverty in the
Western Balkans;
(5) increase United States trade and investment with the
Western Balkans, particularly in ways that--
(A) decrease dependence on Russian energy sources
and fossil fuels;
(B) increase energy diversification, efficiency,
and conservation; and
(C) facilitate the transition to cleaner and more
reliable sources of energy, including renewables;
(6) facilitate the development of strong civil societies,
independent media, transparent, accountable, citizen-responsive
governance, and political stability in the Western Balkans;
(7) support the expeditious accession of the countries in
the Western Balkans to the European Union and to the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for those that desire
membership;
(8) support--
(A) maintaining the full European Union Force
(EUFOR) mandate in Bosnia and Herzegovina as being in
the national security interests of the United States;
(B) encouraging NATO and the European Union to
review their mission mandates and posture in Bosnia and
Herzegovina to ensure they are playing a proactive role
in establishing a safe and secure environment,
particularly the defense environment;
(C) using the voice of the United States in NATO to
encourage alliance planning and support of an
international military force to maintain a safe and
secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
especially if Russia blocks reauthorization of the
mission in the United Nations; and
(D) a strengthened NATO headquarters in Sarajevo;
(9) continue security cooperation with Albania, Montenegro,
and North Macedonia through the auspices of NATO and through
continued bilateral cooperation;
(10) continue to support Montenegro's ongoing accession
negotiations with the European Union, including by providing
assistance to Montenegro to help the country promptly meet
European Union membership criteria;
(11) continue to support North Macedonia's and Albania's
applications for European Union membership by supporting
improvement of their respective abilities to meet democracy
benchmarks required for accession;
(12) continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina's pursuit
of European Union candidate status by encouraging meaningful
advancement of its reform agenda;
(13) continue to support the cultural heritage, and
recognize the languages of the Western Balkans;
(14) coordinate closely with the European Union, the United
Kingdom, and other allies and partners on sanctions
designations and work to align efforts as much as possible to
demonstrate a clear commitment to upholding democratic values;
(15) expand bilateral security cooperation with non-NATO
member Balkan countries, particularly efforts focused on
regional integration and cooperation, including through the
Adriatic Charter, done at Tirana May 2, 2003;
(16) increase efforts to combat Russian disinformation
campaigns and any other malign, destabilizing, or disruptive
activities targeting the Western Balkans through engagement
with government institutions, political stakeholders,
journalists, civil society organizations, and industry leaders;
(17) articulate clearly and unambiguously the United States
commitment to supporting democratic values and respect for
international law as the sole path forward for the countries of
the Western Balkans; and
(18) support the mission of the Peace Corps to promote
world peace and friendship by helping the people of interested
countries to meet their need for trained men and women, which
provides an invaluable opportunity to connect the American
people with the people of the Western Balkans.
SEC. 4. DEFINED TERM.
In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 5. CODIFICATION OF SANCTIONS RELATING TO THE WESTERN BALKANS.
(a) In General.--The United States sanctions imposed through the
Executive orders specified in subsection (b) relating to obstructing
the Dayton Accords and corruption, including all sanctions imposed with
respect to persons under such Executive orders as of the date of the
enactment of this Act, shall remain in effect, except as provided in
subsection (c).
(b) Executive Orders Specified.--The Executive orders specified in
this subsection are--
(1) Executive Order 13219 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to
blocking property of persons who threaten international
stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans), as amended
before and in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act;
and
(2) Executive Order 14033 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to
blocking property and suspending entry into the United States
of certain persons contributing to the destabilizing situation
in the Western Balkans), as in effect on such date of
enactment.
(c) Termination of Sanctions.--The President may terminate the
application of sanctions described in subsection (a) with respect to a
person if the President certifies to the appropriate congressional
committees that--
(1) such person--
(A) is not engaging in the activity that was the
basis for such sanctions; or
(B) has taken significant verifiable steps toward
stopping such activity; and
(2) the President has received reliable assurances that
such person will not knowingly engage in activity subject to
such sanctions in the future.
SEC. 6. DEMOCRATIC AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY INITIATIVES.
(a) Anti-Corruption Initiative.--The Secretary of State, through
ongoing and new programs, shall develop an initiative that--
(1) seeks to expand technical assistance for the
development of national anti-corruption strategies to each
country of the Western Balkans, or for the support of national
anti-corruption strategies already created, taking into account
local conditions and contingent on the agreement of the host
country government;
(2) seeks to share best practices with, and provide
training to, law enforcement agencies and judicial
institutions, and other relevant administrative bodies, in
countries in the region to improve the efficiency,
transparency, and accountability of such agencies and
institutions;
(3) provides support to combat political corruption,
particularly in campaign finance, and to strengthen regulatory
and legislative oversight of critical governance areas, such as
freedom of information and public procurement; and
(4) includes the Western Balkans in the European Democratic
Resilience Initiative, and considers the region as a recipient
of anti-corruption funding for such initiative.
(b) Prioritizing Regional Trade and Economic Competitiveness.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) promoting stronger economic, civic, and
political relationships among the countries in the
Western Balkans will enable such countries to better
utilize existing resources and maximize their economic
security and resilience by increasing trade in goods
and services among other countries in the region; and
(B) United States investments in and assistance
toward creating a more integrated region ensures
political stability and security for the region.
(2) Comprehensive, 5-year strategy for economic development
and democratic resilience in the western balkans.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the
Chief Executive Officer of the United States International
Development Finance Corporation, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a regional economic
development and democratic resilience strategy for the Western
Balkans that--
(A) considers the full set of tools and resources
available from the agencies overseen by such Federal
officials;
(B) includes efforts to ensure coordination with
multilateral and bilateral partners, such as the
European Union, the World Bank, and other relevant
assistance frameworks;
(C) includes an initial public assessment of--
(i) economic opportunities for which United
States businesses, or those of other like-
minded partners, would be competitive;
(ii) legal, economic, governance,
infrastructural, or other barriers limiting
United States investment in the Western
Balkans;
(iii) the effectiveness of existing
regional cooperation initiatives, such as the
Open Balkan initiative and the Western Balkans
Common Regional Market; and
(iv) ways to increase United States trade
in the Western Balkans;
(D) develops human and institutional capacity and
infrastructure across multiple sectors of economies,
including clean energy, energy efficiency, agriculture,
small and medium-sized enterprise development, health,
and cybersecurity;
(E) assists with the development and implementation
of regional and international trade agreements;
(F) supports women-owned enterprises and gender
equality;
(G) promotes government policies that combat
corruption and encourage transparency, free and fair
competition, sound governance, judicial reform,
environmental protection, and business environments
conducive to sustainable and inclusive economic growth;
and
(H) includes a public diplomacy strategy that
describes the actions that will be taken by relevant
agencies to ensure that populations in the Western
Balkans are aware of the development activities of the
United States Government.
(3) Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall provide a
briefing for the appropriate congressional committees that
describes the progress made towards developing the strategy
required under paragraph (2).
(c) Regional Trade and Development Initiative.--
(1) Authorization.--The Secretary of State and the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, in coordination with the Chief Executive Officer
of the United States International Development Finance
Corporation and the Secretary of Commerce, is authorized to
coordinate a regional trade and development initiative in
accordance with this subsection.
(2) Initiative elements.--The initiative authorized under
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) promote private sector growth and
competitiveness and increase the capacity of
businesses, particularly small and medium-sized
enterprises;
(B) aim to increase interregional exports to other
countries in the Balkans and neighboring countries and
European Union member states;
(C) aim to increase United States exports to and
investments in countries in the Balkans;
(D) support startup companies by providing training
in business skills and leadership, providing
opportunities to connect to sources of capital, and by
encouraging startup companies that are led by youth or
women;
(E) encourage and promote inward and outward
investment through engagement with the Western Balkans
diaspora community in the United States and abroad;
(F) assist governments to develop--
(i) regulations to ensure fair and
effective investment; and
(ii) screening tools to identify and deter
malign investments and other coercive economic
practices;
(G) review existing assistance programming across
Federal agencies--
(i) to eliminate duplication; and
(ii) to identify areas of coordination
within the Balkans region, which shall include
the 6 Western Balkans countries and any country
that shares a border with any of such
countries;
(H) identify areas where application of additional
resources could expand successful programs to 1 or more
countries in the region by building on the existing
experience and program architecture;
(I) compare existing single-country sector analyses
to determine areas of focus that would benefit from a
regional approach; and
(J) promote intraregional trade through--
(i) programming, including grants,
cooperative agreements, and other forms of
assistance;
(ii) expanding awareness of the
availability of loans and other financial
instruments from the United States Government,
including from the United States International
Development Finance Corporation and the Export-
Import Bank of the United States; and
(iii) coordinating access to existing trade
instruments available through allies and
partners in the region, including the European
Union and international financial institutions.
(3) Support for regional infrastructure projects.--The
initiative authorized under paragraph (1), consistent with the
BUILD Act of 2018 (division F of Public Law 115-254) and the
European Energy Security and Diversification Act of 2019 (title
XX of division P of Public Law 116-94), should facilitate and
prioritize support for regional infrastructure projects,
including--
(A) transportation projects that build roads,
bridges, railways and other physical infrastructure to
facilitate travel of goods and people throughout the
Balkans region, particularly interstate travel;
(B) technical support and investments needed to
meet United States and European Union standards for air
travel, including screening and information sharing;
(C) the development of telecommunications networks
from trusted providers;
(D) infrastructure projects that connect Western
Balkan countries to each other and to countries with
which they share a border;
(E) the effective analysis of tenders and
transparent procurement processes;
(F) investment transparency programs that will help
countries in the Western Balkans analyze gaps and
establish institutional and regulatory reforms
necessary--
(i) to create an enabling environment for
trade and investment; and
(ii) to strengthen protections against
suspect investments through public procurement
and privatization and through foreign direct
investments;
(G) sharing best practices learned from the United
States and other international partners to ensure that
institutional and regulatory mechanisms for addressing
these issues are fair, nonarbitrary, effective, and
free from corruption;
(H) projects that reduce reliance on fossil fuels
and facilitate the transition to clean sources of
energy;
(I) technical assistance and generating private
investment in projects that promote connectivity and
energy-sharing in the Western Balkans region;
(J) technical assistance to support regional
collaboration on environmental protection that includes
governmental, political, civic, and business
stakeholders; and
(K) technical assistance to develop financing
options and help create linkages with potential
financing institutions and investors.
(4) Loans.--
(A) In general.--Amounts appropriated under the
headings ``Economic Support Fund'' and ``Assistance for
Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia'' in any Act making
appropriations for the Department of State, foreign
operations, and related programs may be made available
for the costs (as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 661a)), of
loan guarantees, including the cost of modifying loans
and loan guarantees, for programs, projects, or
activities in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,
Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Serbia, which are
authorized to be provided.
(B) Classification of loans and loan guarantees.--
Amounts made available under subparagraph (A) for the
costs of loans and loan guarantees, including the cost
of modifying loans and loan guarantees, shall not be
considered assistance for the purposes of any
provisions of law limiting assistance to a country.
(C) Consultation and notification.--Amounts made
available under this subsection shall be subject to--
(i) prior consultation with the appropriate
congressional committees; and
(ii) the regular notification procedures of
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate
and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
(5) Requirements.--All programming under the initiative
authorized under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) be open to the participation of all 6 Western
Balkan countries;
(B) be consistent with European Union accession
requirements;
(C) be focused on retaining talent within the
Western Balkans;
(D) promote government policies in Western Balkan
countries that encourage free and fair competition,
sound governance, environmental protection, and
business environments that are conducive to sustainable
and inclusive economic growth;
(E) include gender analysis and efforts to promote
gender equity; and
(F) include a public diplomacy strategy to inform
local and regional audiences in the Balkan region about
the initiative, including specific programs and
projects.
(d) United States International Development Finance Corporation.--
(1) Appointments.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Chief Executive Officer of the United
States International Development Finance Corporation (referred
to in this subsection as the ``DFC''), in collaboration with
the Secretary of State, should take steps to ensure that--
(A) a regional DFC office with responsibilities for
the Western Balkans is established in the region and is
operational; and
(B) sufficient full-time DFC employees, including
at least one permanent hire from the United States, are
stationed in the office to serve United States
interests in the Western Balkans.
(2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Chief Executive Officer of the DFC
shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional
committees that includes--
(A) a summary of the steps that have been taken to
fulfill the requirements under paragraph (1);
(B) an account of any additional resources and
authorities needed to complete the requirements under
paragraph (1); and
(C) a description of the initial outreach plan for
the new regional DFC office.
(3) Joint report.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Executive Officer of
the DFC and the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall submit a joint report to the
appropriate congressional committees that includes--
(A) an assessment of the benefits of providing
sovereign loan guarantees to countries in the Western
Balkans to support infrastructure and energy
diversification projects;
(B) an outline of additional resources, such as
tools, funding, and personnel, which may be required to
offer sovereign loan guarantees; and
(C) an assessment of how the DFC can deploy its
insurance products in support of bonds or other
instruments issued to raise capital through United
States financial markets.
SEC. 7. COUNTERING MALIGN INFLUENCE AND PROMOTING CROSS-CULTURAL
ENGAGEMENT.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) promoting university partnerships in the Western
Balkans, particularly in traditionally under-served
communities, advances United States foreign policy goals and
requires a whole of government approach, including the
utilization of public-private partnerships;
(2) such university partnerships will provide opportunities
for exchanging academic ideas, technical expertise, research,
and cultural understanding for the benefit of the United
States; and
(3) the six countries in the Western Balkans meet the
requirements under section 105(c)(4) of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151c(c)(4)).
(b) University Partnerships.--The President, working through the
Secretary of State, is authorized to provide assistance, consistent
with section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151c), to promote the establishment of university partnerships between
the United States and the Western Balkans, including--
(1) supporting research and analysis on foreign policy and
disinformation;
(2) working with partner governments to reform policies,
improve curricula, strengthen data systems, train teachers, and
provide quality, inclusive learning materials;
(3) providing individuals, particularly at-risk youth,
women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable,
marginalized, or underserved communities, with relevant
education, training, and skills for meaningful employment;
(4) removing barriers to entering formal education for out-
of-school individuals, assisting such individuals to stay in
school, and providing an opportunity for any individuals left
behind to catch up on schooling;
(5) promoting teaching and research exchanges between
institutions of higher education in the Western Balkans and in
the United States; and
(6) encouraging alliances and exchanges with like-minded
institutions of education within the Western Balkans and the
larger Europe continent.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.
SEC. 8. PEACE CORPS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Peace Corps should be reinstated in the Western
Balkans by reopening Peace Corps programs in as many Western
Balkans countries as safely possible, including where the Peace
Corps had previously operated, or has suspended operations due
to the COVID-19 pandemic;
(2) the Peace Corps should reopen its programs in as many
of the Western Balkans countries as possible, including where
the Peace Corps operated previously, but later suspended
operations; and
(3) the Peace Corps, whose mission is to promote world
peace and friendship, in part by helping the people of
interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and
women, provides an invaluable opportunity to connect the people
of the United States with the people of the Western Balkans.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps shall submit a
report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes--
(1) an analysis of current opportunities for Peace Corps
expansion in the Western Balkans region; and
(2) a plan and timeline for implementing the outcomes
described in subsection (a) to facilitate expansion of Peace
Corps presence in the Western Balkans region, as appropriate.
SEC. 9. BALKANS YOUTH LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that regular
people-to-people exchange programs that bring religious leaders,
journalists, civil society members, politicians, and other people from
the Western Balkans to the United States will strengthen existing
relationships and advance United States interests and shared values in
the Western Balkans region.
(b) Authorization.--The Secretary of State shall further develop
and implement a program, to be known as the ``Balkans Youth Leadership
Initiative'' (referred to in this section as ``BOLD'') that promotes
educational and professional development for young adult leaders and
professionals in the Western Balkans who have demonstrated a passion to
contribute to the continued development of the region.
(c) Conduct of Initiative.--BOLD shall seek--
(1) to build the capacity of young Balkan leaders in the
Western Balkans in the areas of business and information
technology, cyber security and digitization, agriculture, civic
engagement, and public administration;
(2) to support young Balkan leaders by offering
professional development, training, and networking
opportunities, particularly in the areas of leadership,
innovation, civic engagement, elections, human rights,
entrepreneurship, good governance, and public administration;
(3) to support young political, parliamentary, and civic
leaders in collaboration on regional initiatives related to
good governance, environmental protection, government ethics,
and minority inclusion; and
(4) to provide increased economic and technical assistance
to young Balkan leaders to promote economic growth and
strengthen ties between United States and Balkan businesses.
(d) Fellowships.--BOLD should award fellowships to young Balkans
leaders who--
(1) are between 25 and 35 years of age;
(2) have demonstrated strong capabilities in
entrepreneurship, innovation, public service, and leadership;
(3) have had a positive impact in their communities,
organizations, or institutions, including by promoting cross-
regional and multiethnic cooperation; and
(4) represent a cross-section of gender, regional, and
ethnic diversity.
(e) Public Engagement Center.--BOLD should seek to procure space,
hire staff, and develop programming for the establishment of a flagship
public engagement and leadership center in the Western Balkans that
seeks--
(1) to counter disinformation and malign influence;
(2) to promote cross-cultural engagement;
(3) to provide training for young Balkan leaders described
in subsection (d); and
(4) to harmonize the efforts of existing venues throughout
the Western Balkans established by the Office of American
Spaces.
(f) Briefing.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting
through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and
Cultural Affairs, shall provide a briefing to the appropriate
congressional committees that describes the status of exchange
programs involving the Western Balkans region.
(2) Elements.--The briefing required under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) assess the factors constraining the number and
frequency of International Visitor Leadership Program
participants from the 6 countries of the Western
Balkans;
(B) identify the resources that are necessary to
address the factors described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) describe a strategy for connecting alumni and
participants of the Department of State's professional
development exchange programs in the Western Balkans
with alumni and participants from other countries in
Europe, to enhance inter-region and intra-region
people-to-people ties.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.
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