Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act

Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act would create a statutory framework for identifying and sanctioning foreign individuals who undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement (the core framework ending the Bosnian war) or threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina’s security. The bill aims to deter actors—political leaders, officials, and others—who disrupt BiH’s constitutional order, finance corruption, or support illegal parallel institutions, with targeted measures such as asset blocking and visa/citizenship restrictions. It also codifies existing Western Balkans sanctions authorities, authorizes sanctions enforcement through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and requires regular reporting to Congress on who is being sanctioned. The act expresses a U.S. policy to support BiH sovereignty, stability, and Euro-Atlantic integration, while encouraging EU participation in sanctioning certain BiH actors and condemning Russian destabilization efforts. The bill creates a formal, repeated process to identify and sanction targeted foreign individuals, includes several exceptions (humanitarian aid, UN-related admissions, etc.), provides for case-by-case waivers, and sets sunset provisions (a seven-year overall duration and a five-year reporting sunset for some information-related provisions). It also ties in alignment with existing executive orders and requires regulatory implementation within six months of enactment.