,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #efaa ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #cj1 #bjbf,mr4 ,grassley 7for himself and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to authorize certain actions with respect to ,serbia4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,supporting the ,rule of law1 ,building ,institutional ,justice1 and ,accountability ,act or ,,srbija ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act-- 7#a7 the term ,european ,union means the political and economic union of that name1 including its member states and institutions2 7#b7 the term ,,nato means the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization2 and 7#c7 the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,state4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 ,serbia has experienced serious democratic backsliding1 as reflected in the #bjbd ,country ,report on ,human ,rights and ,european ,parliament's #bjbe report on ,serbia1 which cited significant problems with the rule of law1 judicial independence1 media freedom1 and corruption2 7#b7 the ,government of ,serbia1 under the leadership of ,president ,aleksandar ,vui and the ruling coalition1 has responded to sustained student-led and civic protests with measures that international observers1 the ,european ,parliament1 and ,united ,nations experts have characterized as including excessive use of force1 arrests of demonstrators1 and pressure on independent media2 7#c7 the ,government of ,serbia has simultaneously pursued a foreign policy deepening political1 economic1 and security ties with the ,russian ,federation and the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 even as it maintains formal candidate status for ,european ,union membership2 7#d7 the ,united ,states has an enduring interest in a stable1 democratic1 and sovereign ,serbia that is committed to regional peace and security and firmly anchored in ,euro-,atlantic institutions and free from malign external influence2 7#e7 the collapse of the renovated railway station canopy in ,novi ,sad on ,november #a1 #bjbd1 which killed #af people1 and which many ,serbian citizens attribute to corruption-linked negligence in state infrastructure contracting1 warrants a full1 transparent1 and independent accounting2 7#f7 the ,secretary should press the ,government of ,serbia to permit independent1 credible investigations into the ,novi ,sad disaster and into allegations of excessive force against peaceful protesters1 and to hold accountable any officials found responsible2 7#g7 ,serbia and ,iran have deepened technological and political ties despite extensive ,united ,states and international sanctions on ,iran1 signing a memorandum of understanding on information and communications technology and artificial intelligence cooperation in ,february #bjbe and holding bilateral political consultations in ,april #bjbe2 and 7#h7 in ,july #bjbf1 the ,government of ,serbia sent a cabinet minister to ,tehran as ,president ,vui's personal envoy to the funeral of former ,iranian ,supreme ,leader ,ali ,khamenei1 joining delegations from ,russia and ,china at a time when most ,european governments were not represented4 #d4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to support the aspirations of the citizens of ,serbia for transparent1 accountable1 and democratic governance and impress upon the ,government of ,serbia that deepened ,united ,states engagement depends on credible1 verifiable progress toward democratic accountability and rule of law2 7#b7 to impose financial and visa sanctions on malign actors who contribute to the destabilizing situation in the ,western ,balkans1 including in ,serbia under ,executive ,order #adjcc 7relating to blocking property and suspending entry into the ,united ,states of ,certain persons contributing to the destabilizing situation in the ,western ,balkans7 as well as those in the ,western ,balkans who support the ,russian ,federation's malign actions around the world under ,executive ,order #adjbd 7relating to ,blocking property with respect to specified harmful foreign activities of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation72 and 7#c7 to impose sanctions described in section #hcce of the ,western ,balkans ,democracy and ,prosperity ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgjd7 for foreign persons who the ,president determines have-- 7,a7 undertaken actions or policies that threaten the peace1 security1 stability1 or territorial integrity of any area or state in the ,western ,balkans2 7,b7 engaged or attempted to engage in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the ,western ,balkans2 7,c7 engaged or attempted to engage in corruption related to the ,western ,balkans1 including corruption by or on behalf of1 a government in the ,western ,balkans1 or a current or former government official in the ,western ,balkans2 7,d7 engaged or attempting to engage in serious human rights abuses in the ,western ,balkans2 or 7,e7 engaged or attempted to engage in1 acts that obstruct or threaten the implementation of any regional security1 peace1 cooperation1 or mutual recognition agreement or framework or accountability mechanism related to the ,western ,balkans1 including-- 7i7 the ,prespa ,agreement of #bjah2 7ii7 the ,ohrid ,framework ,agreement of #bjja2 7iii7 ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,resolution #abdd 7#aiii72 7iv7 the ,general ,framework ,agreement for ,bosnia and ,herzegovina1 done at ,dayton ,november #ba1 #aiie 7commonly known as the ,dayton ,accords72 7v7 the ,conclusions of the ,peace ,implementation ,conference ,council held in ,london in ,december #aiie1 including the decisions or conclusions of the ,high ,representative1 the ,peace ,implementation ,council1 or its ,steering ,board2 and 7vi7 the ,international ,criminal ,tribunal for the former ,yugoslavia1 or1 with respect to the former ,yugoslavia1 the ,international ,residual ,mechanism for ,criminal ,tribunals4 #e4 ,report and strategy 7a7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with the ,director of ,national ,intelligence and the ,secretary of ,defense1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an unclassified report1 which may include a classified annex1 examining-- 7,a7 the extent of ,russian political1 economic1 energy1 and security influence in ,serbia2 7,b7 the extent of investment1 infrastructure1 and political and security-sector ties between ,serbia and the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 including any implications for ,,nato and ,european ,union interests in the ,western ,balkans2 and 7,c7 the extent to which ,serbia's close economic1 political1 and other ties with the ,russian ,federation and the ,people's ,republic of ,china risk ,united ,states interests1 including when pursuing bilateral cooperation in the fields of defense1 telecommunications1 and national security4 7#b7 ,definition ,in this subsection1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,house of ,representatives4 7b7 ,strategy 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with the heads of other relevant ,federal departments and agencies1 shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives a detailed strategy that-- 7,a7 outlines specific objectives for bilateral engagement that reflect the current domestic political environment in ,serbia including an assessment of how the ,u4,s4-,serbia ,strategic ,dialogue will further these objectives2 7,b7 assesses the tools1 resources1 and foreign assistance funding available to support independent media1 civil society1 and judicial reform in ,serbia2 7,c7 assesses whether the ,government of ,serbia has taken credible steps to investigate the ,novi ,sad disaster and allegations of excessive force against protesters2 7,d7 assesses the extent to which the ,government of ,serbia's foreign and security policy remains aligned1 or has diverged1 from that of ,,nato and the ,european ,union1 including through its ties to ,russia and ,china2 7,e7 includes bilateral consultations on issues of corruption1 public procurement1 and rule of law including in the context of ,,expo #bjbg2 and 7,f7 includes a path forward for the ,united ,states to support continued progress in the ,european ,union-led dialogue between ,serbia and ,kosovo in accordance with section #hcdj of the ,western ,balkans ,democracy and ,prosperity ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgji74 7#b7 ,form ,the strategy required by paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 with a classified annex as necessary4 #f4 ,u4,s4-,serbia ,strategic ,dialogue 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall cease participation in the ,u4,s4-,serbia ,strategic ,dialogue unless the ,secretary1 at a minimum1 addresses the following issues during any iteration of the ,u4,s4-,serbia ,strategic ,dialogue3 7#a7 ,serbia's relations with ,russia1 ,china1 and ,iran4 7#b7 ,ensuring free and fair elections in ,serbia4 7#c7 ,anti-corruption1 public procurement1 and rule of law reform in ,serbia4 7#d7 ,strengthening democratic governance1 the freedom of the press1 and freedom of assembly in ,serbia4 7b7 ,certification required ,not less than #aj days prior to any iteration of the ,u4,s4-,serbia ,strategic ,dialogue1 the ,secretary shall submit in writing to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives a certification that the issues described in subsection 7a7 will be addressed and a detailed overview of how the ,secretary or the appropriate ,department of ,state representative at the ,dialogue plans to address the issues during that iteration of the ,dialogue4 7c7 ,cessation of funding ,if the ,secretary fails to provide the certification required by subsection 7b71 no ,department of ,state official or employee is authorized to participate in the ,u4,s4-,serbia ,strategic ,dialogue or expend any appropriations for that purpose4 #g4 ,additional assistance to ,serbia 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that1 after the submission of the certification described in subsection 7c71 should the ,government of ,serbia take steps to reinforce its ,euro-,atlantic path1 including a credible and independent accounting of the ,novi ,sad canopy collapse and accountability for excessive use of force against peaceful protesters-- 7#a7 the ,president should take steps to improve the bilateral relationship between the ,united ,states and ,serbia1 including actions to bolster ,serbia's democratic institutions and its resilience to malign foreign influence2 7#b7 the ,secretary1 in consultation with other heads of relevant ,federal departments and agencies1 should seek to further enhance people-to-people contacts and academic exchanges between the ,united ,states and ,serbia2 and 7#c7 the ,president1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,defense1 should maintain1 and as appropriate1 expand security and defense cooperation with ,serbia consistent with ,serbia's alignment with ,,nato and ,european ,union security priorities4 7b7 ,in general ,upon submission to ,congress of the certification described in subsection 7c71 additional assistance is authorized to be provided to ,serbia4 7c7 ,certification described ,the certification described in this subsection is a certification submitted to ,congress by the ,president that ,serbia has shown significant and sustained progress toward independent judicial accountability1 media freedom1 and alignment of its foreign and security policy with that of the ,european ,union and ,,nato4 #h4 ,sunset ,this ,act shall cease to have any force or effect beginning on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4