102nd Congress > Senate > Vote 154
Clerk session vote number: 154
Description: To strike funds for USIA's "Worldnet" television program.
Bill summary: Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 -
Title I: Department of State
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Part A: Authorization of Appropriations
- Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 and 1993 for the Department of State for: (1) the administration of foreign affairs; (2) the diplomatic security program; (3) international organizations and conferences; (4) international commissions; (5) migration and refugee assistance; (6) assistance for refugees resettling in Israel; (7) assistance to displaced
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ethnic Armenians resettling in Armenia; (8) assistance to unaccompanied minor children and other cases of special humanitarian concern that have been referred to special committees pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees in first asylum countries in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong; (9) humanitarian assistance to displaced Burmese; (10) bilateral science and technology agreements; (11) Soviet-East European research and training; (12) Near and Middle East research and training; and (13) the Asia Foundation.
Prohibits the disbursement of funds to the United Nations or any affiliated organization until the President reports to the Congress the elements of the plan by which the entity intends to use such funds.
Part B: Department of State Authorities and Activities
- Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize the Secretary of State to use funds to pay obligations arising under international agreements, conventions, and binational contracts.
Requires Federal agencies that obtain administrative services from the Department of State to make full and prompt payment for such services through an advance of funds or reimbursement. Directs the Secretary to terminate services to agencies that have not made payment within a specified deadline. Waives such suspension or termination as necessary to protect life and Government property.
Authorizes the transfer into the Buying Power Maintenance account of unobligated balances from accounts for the administration of foreign affairs. Prohibits the balance of such account from exceeding $100 million.
Permits funds appropriated for the Department of State in any account funded in the Department of State Appropriations Act to be transferred to any other appropriations account in an emergency situation (provided the annual budget deficit is not increased and the transfer does not violate the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990).
Prohibits an account from being increased by more than 15 percent (five percent for the salaries and expenses account and the acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad account). Exempts transfers to the emergencies in the consular and diplomatic service appropriation for evacuation purposes from such limitation. Prohibits an account from being increased by more than ten percent. Treats such transfers as a reprogramming of funds.
Prohibits, unless the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are notified, the reprogramming of Department of State funds in excess of $500,000 (currently, $250,000).
Extends the authorization of appropriations for grants to child care facilities at certain posts abroad.
Redesignates the Office of Munitions Control of the Department of State as the Office of Defense Trade Controls and increases the amount of registration fees collected by the Office that is required to be credited to a Department of State account.
Permits funds received by the Department of State in connection with Blair House (currently, funds received during FY 1990 and 1991) to be credited to the appropriate Department of State account.
Prohibits the denial of, or limitations on, a passport because of any belief or activity which, if held or conducted in the United States, would be protected by the first amendment to the Constitution.
Authorizes the Secretary to pay the expenses of any international meeting or conference in the United States that is hosted by the U.S. Government.
Amends the Foreign Service Buildings Act, 1926 to raise the limit on the amount of a lease authorized to be entered into by the Secretary for Foreign Service buildings abroad. Permits the Secretary to make advance payments for long term leases and lease-purchase agreements.
Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 to increase the amount authorized to be made available for the construction of Foreign Service Institute training facilities.
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to classify as a nonimmigrant an alien coming to the United States at the request of a Government agency for employment, subject to certain conditions and numerical limitations.
Directs the Secretary to notify the appropriate congressional committees each time a visa is denied to an alien for security reasons.
Prohibits the Secretary from including in the Automated Visa Lookout System or in any system that maintains information about the excludability of aliens the name of any alien who is not excludable under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Requires the Secretary to correct such systems by deleting the names of aliens who are not excludable under such Act. Authorizes the Secretary to add to or retain in such system the names of aliens who are not excludable only if they are included for law enforcement purposes or lawful purposes of the Department of State.
Permits the Secretary, subject to certain conditions, to enter into a multiyear (not to exceed five years) contract for the acquisition of property and construction of diplomatic facilities in Moscow. Sets forth contract provisions.
Requires Department of State employees to whom a question is addressed by a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to respond to such question within 15 days unless the Secretary explains why a timely response cannot be made.
Directs the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs to report to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Speaker of the House on criteria for international loans by which the United States can determine the likelihood of repayment by another nation or organization seeking to receive U.S. loans or guarantees. Requires the Secretary to report to such individuals at least 30 days prior to the issuance of any bilateral credit or loans or prior to a vote in any multilateral institution in which the United States is a contributor on: (1) the nation's or organization's creditworthiness in accordance with such criteria; and (2) the expectation of repayment of loans to the United States or the multilateral institution.
Declares that the Department of State should take advantage of evolving conditions in Eastern Europe by moving expeditiously to satisfy long-term property requirements which must be met in support of needs for effective overseas representation. Endorses recent efforts by the Department of State to develop a long-term assets management program to further efforts to acquire properties and support further initiatives in such area.
Commends the Administration's decision to establish a consular office in Leipzig to strengthen the U.S. presence in eastern Germany.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Department of State should expedite its efforts to implement this decision.
Part C: Diplomatic Reciprocity and Security
- Amends the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 to raise the threshold (from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000) on diplomatic construction or design projects on which only U.S. persons may bid.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) submit to specified congressional committees a plan which sets forth current and future space requirements for the U.S. mission in Moscow; and (2) make available to such committees copies of all agreements necessary to implement such plan.
Expresses the sense of the Senate that before submitting a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to the Senate for ratification, the President should provide a report on whether SS-23 INF missiles of Soviet manufacture (which the Soviets have confirmed existed in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria) constitute a violation of the INF Treaty and whether the United States has reliable assurances that the missiles will be destroyed.
Increases the amount authorized to be appropriated for the reimbursement of State and local governments in connection with Secret Service functions with respect to foreign diplomatic missions located in metropolitan areas.
Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a report and recommendations regarding whether special agents of the Diplomatic Security Service should be authorized to make arrests without warrants for offenses against the United States committed in their presence or for any felony if they have grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing a felony.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) report to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Speaker of the House on security needs for diplomatic construction; and (2) review the Inman Report and address whether changing budgetary and foreign policy priorities continue to justify the Report's recommendations.
Part D: Personnel
- Directs the Secretary to appoint seven individuals to: (1) examine and report to specified congressional committees on personnel issues affecting Foreign Service and civil service employees at the Department of State; and (2) report to such committees on compliance by the Department of State with recommendations of a commission established to study the Foreign Service personnel system.
Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to grant access to commissaries to American citizens hired to serve as teaching staff for dependents of employees abroad.
Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to extend the period of temporary storage of personal effects of Foreign Service employees for an additional 90 days in extraordinary circumstances.
Authorizes the Secretary to pay for the transport of the remains of a Foreign Service member to the designated home in the United States if the death of such member occurs in the United States. (Current law authorizes payment only for the transport of the remains of a member or family member who dies while abroad or in travel status.)
Provides for payment for up to 60 days to Federal employees whose families or dependents are required to evacuate a post (even if the employee remains at such post).
Revises Federal provisions regarding quarters, education, and cost-of-living allowances for Federal employees stationed in foreign countries.
Establishes in the Treasury a fund for separation pay for foreign national employees for agencies other than the Department of Defense.
Requires local compensation plans to be established for U.S. citizens employed in the Foreign Service abroad who were hired while residing abroad.
Includes within the definition of "grievance" under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 certain discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Bars a grievance based solely on allegations of discrimination under such Acts unless filed within 180 days after the occurrence giving rise to the grievance. Sets forth remedies, filing procedures, and judicial review provisions with respect to grievances based on discrimination.
Directs the Department of State to report to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Speaker of the House on a mechanism to compensate Department employees who have claims resulting from loss of personal property under circumstances set forth in the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees Claims Act of 1964 whose losses exceed the amounts covered in such Act.
Part E: International Organizations and Commissions
- Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations should ensure that in-kind contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping forces are included at their full value when calculating contributions to such forces.
Authorizes the President to withhold 20 percent of the funds allocated for the U.S. contribution to the United Nations if the United Nations has failed to implement decision-making procedures on budgetary matters which assure that attention is paid to the views of the United States and other major financial contributors. Requires the President to notify the Congress when a decision is made to withhold a contribution to the United Nations or to pay any previously withheld contribution. Permits payments of assessed contributions for prior years to the United Nations if such payment would further U.S. interests in such organization.
Repeals provisions of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 concerning United Nations budget procedures.
Repeals a provision of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 that requires the Secretary to report on the status of secondment within the United Nations by the Soviet Union and Soviet-bloc member nations.
Withholds the payment of all U.S. arrearages to Special Purpose International Organizations until the Secretary reports to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Speaker of the House on: (1) the purpose and activities of such organizations; (2) the political and economic benefits to the United States of membership in such organizations; and (3) the effect on American consumers and importers of the activities and policies of organizations dealing with economic commodities.
Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to add to the list of the Secretary's authorities the authority to make payments, in advance, of the U.S. share of expenses for international fisheries commissions.
Amends the Japan-United States Friendship Act to revise provisions concerning administrative expenses of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission.
Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on the activities (after April 30, 1990) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Earmarks amounts from funding authorized for international fisheries commissions for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
Sets forth U.S. policy with respect to Inter-American organizations.
Requires the Secretary to direct the Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs to review policies for the provision of housing benefits to U.S. Government personnel assigned to the U.S. mission to the United Nations.
Prohibits funds appropriated under any law from being available for further payments to the International Coffee Organization.
Part F: Foreign Relations of the United States Historical Series
- Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to set forth provisions concerning the "Foreign Relations of the United States" historical series, a documentary record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and diplomatic activity. Requires the series to be published within 30 years after the events recorded.
Makes the Historian of the Department of State responsible for the preparation of the series. Establishes an Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation to review and make recommendations concerning the selection of records to be included in the series.
Directs all Federal agencies engaged in foreign policy to develop procedures for their historical offices to coordinate with the Department of State in selecting and permitting access to records for purposes of inclusion in the series. Requires selected records to be submitted to the originating agency for declassification review. Directs the originating agency, if a record is not declassifiable, to make deletions in the text to make the record declassifiable. Requires the Historian, if the meaning of a record is so altered by such deletions that the series would be misleading, to request the originating agency to prepare an unclassified summary of the record.
Sets forth procedures to be followed if the originating agency refuses to prepare a declassified record or an unclassified summary.
Requires declassification of Department of State records within 30 years after such records were prepared. Makes such records available to the public at the National Archives. Exempts specified records (for security or privacy reasons) from such requirements.
Part G: Near and Middle East Research and Training Act
- Near and Middle East Research and Training Act - Establishes the Near and Middle Eastern Advisory Committee within the Department of State to recommend grant policies for carrying out the objectives of this part.
Declares that payments shall be made for: (1) a national research program at the postdoctoral level; (2) a program of graduate, postdoctoral, and teaching fellowships for advanced training in Near and Middle Eastern studies; (3) the dissemination of research and findings on such studies and related fields; (4) fellowship and research support for American specialists in such studies; (5) seminars and workshops to facilitate research collaboration between Government and private specialists in such studies; (6) advanced training and research on a reciprocal basis in Near and Middle Eastern countries; and (7) language training.
Sets forth application procedures for institutions seeking funding.
Part H: Miscellaneous Provisions
- Repeals a provision of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 concerning a travel advisory warning for Jalisco, Mexico.
Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress every 180 days on: (1) the progress made in rescinding United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 which maintains that Zionism is a form of racism; (2) the progress made by every member of the General Assembly in recognizing Israel; (3) the extent to which Arab nations which have refused to recognize Israel or have maintained a state of belligerency against Israel have taken steps to end the economic boycott and state of belligerency and to negotiate with Israel; and (4) the means utilized by the United States to encourage the Arab states allied with the United States in the Persian Gulf War to achieve such objectives.
Redesignates the Iraq Sanctions Act of 1990 as the Iraq International Law Compliance Act.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) coordinate the U.S. Government response to international water resource disputes and needs; (2) represent the U.S. Government in fora in discussions concerning access to fresh water; and (3) formulate U.S. policy to assist in the resolution of international problems posed by the lack of fresh water supplies.
Repeals a provision of the Soviet-East European Research and Training Act that terminates Soviet-East European training by a specified date.
Title II: United States Informational, Educational, and Cultural Programs - Part A: United States Information Agency
- Authorizes appropriations for the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) for FY 1992 and 1993. Earmarks an amount for the establishment and operation of a USIA office in Vientiane, Laos.
Amends the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to prohibit funds in excess of $500,000 (currently, $250,000) from being made available to USIA through a reprogramming unless the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are notified.
Adds to the authorities of the USIA Director the authority to purchase, rent, construct, improve, and operate facilities for television transmission and reception.
Permits the Director or other authorized Government agencies to: (1) incur expenses authorized by the Foreign Service Act of 1980; and (2) furnish living quarters and provide specified allowances for government employees in foreign countries. Authorizes the Director or such agencies to pay to or for participants in programs under the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 the costs of: (1) emergency medical expenses; (2) the preparation and transportation of remains of participants' dependents who die while away from home during such participation; and (3) health and accident insurance premiums.
Requires the Director to: (1) establish a cultural center in the capital of the province of Kosovo in Yugoslavia; and (2) establish Croatian and Serbian programs within the Yugoslavian section of Voice of America (VOA).
Authorizes appropriations for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Sets forth specified reporting requirements with respect to NED grant management. Amends the National Endowment for Democracy Act to require (currently, authorizes) USIA to audit NED financial transactions.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the NED should make efforts to solicit private contributions.
Part B: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
- Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 and 1993 to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for: (1) salaries and expenses; (2) the Fulbright Academic Exchange programs; (3) the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program; (4) the International Visitors Program; (5) the Arts America Program; (6) East Europe training projects; (7) citizen exchange programs; (8) the Congress-Bundestag Exchange Program; (9) the Vietnam Scholarship Program; and (10) academic exchange programs involving Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Authorizes appropriations to the Bureau for FY 1992 for the World University Games in Buffalo, New York.
Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 to extend the authorization of appropriations for scholarships for Tibetan and Burmese students and professionals. Authorizes (currently, requires) a specified amount of such scholarships to be made available.
Encourages USIA to work with its German counterparts in the Congress-Bundestag Exchange Program to emphasize the participation of former citizens of the German Democratic Republic and to insure that Germans from eastern Germany are given the opportunity to participate in German-American bilateral exchange programs.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 and 1993 to be made available to the Bureau for: (1) programs in Washington, D.C., to expose students from newly democratic countries to the workings of the U.S. Government; and (2) scholarships for scholars, businesspeople, and professionals from such countries for study of democratic and free market institutions and other aspects of U.S. society.
Authorizes the Director to establish an Endowment Fund to support an exchange program among secondary school students from the United States and from former Warsaw Pact countries in Eastern Europe. Authorizes appropriations.
Part C: Bureau of Broadcasting
- Authorizes appropriations for FY 1992 and 1993 to the USIA Bureau of Broadcasting for: (1) salaries and expenses; (2) television and film service; (3) acquisition and construction of radio facilities; and (4) broadcasting to Cuba.
Requires the President to submit to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Speaker of the House the report of the Policy Coordinating Committee on International Broadcasting. Directs the Task Force on United States Government International Broadcasting to submit to such individuals its report to the President on U.S. Government broadcasting.
Establishes a Commission on Broadcasting to the People's Republic of China to examine the feasibility, effect, and implications for U.S. foreign policy of instituting a radio broadcasting service to China to promote the dissemination of information and ideas.
Requires the Director, through VOA, to provide Kurdish language programming. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Director to hire Kurdish language speakers subject to certain conditions. Directs the chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting to submit a plan and budget to such individuals for the establishment of a surrogate home service under the auspices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for the Kurdish people.
Requires the Director to make available to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York master copies of USIA photographic works of Richard Saunders. Provides that the Center shall reimburse USIA for expenses in making such copies available.
Part D: The Educational Exchanges Enhancement Act of 1991
- Educational Exchanges Enhancement Act of 1991 - Provides for an increase in the number of USIA scholarships for foreign and U.S. students and scholars.
Makes such scholarships available only to: (1) foreign students and scholars from Eastern European democracies, the Soviet Union, and countries with fewer than 1,000 citizens studying in the United States; (2) students from economic, social, or ethnic backgrounds not represented in the U.S. foreign student population; and (3) U.S. students and scholars for study, research, and teaching in Eastern European democracies, the Soviet Union, and non-European countries. Authorizes appropriations.
Title III: Board for International Broadcasting
- Amends the Board for International Broadcasting Act to authorize appropriations for FY 1992 and 1993 to carry out such Act and the Inspector General Act of 1978. Provides that certain amounts of appropriations placed in reserve due to upward fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates shall be used to make payments to RFE/RL's U.S. and German pension plans to avoid future pension liabilities.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that RFE should not curtail broadcasts to any Eastern European nation until: (1) new sources of domestic and international information have supplanted and rendered redundant RFE broadcasts to such nation; and (2) a pattern of free and fair elections has demonstrated the successful consolidation of democratic rule.
Title IV: The Spoils of War Act of 1991
- Spoils of War Act of 1991 - Permits spoils of war in the possession or control of the United States to be transferred to any other party only to the extent and in the same manner that property of the same type, if otherwise owned by the United States, may be so transferred. Prohibits such spoils of war from being transferred to any nation whose government has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.
Requires the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees on spoils of war obtained subsequent to August 2, 1990, that were transferred to any party.
Title V: Anti-Boycott Passport Act of 1991
- Anti-Boycott Passport Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary to: (1) instruct the U.S. Middle Eastern diplomatic corps to seek an end to the policy of the majority of Arab League nations of rejecting passports of, and denying entrance visas to, persons whose passports or other documents reflect that they have visited Israel; and (2) report to specified congressional committees on the status of efforts to secure an end to such policy.
Prohibits the Secretary from issuing any passport that is designated for travel only to Israel. Requires the Secretary to cancel existing passports designated for travel only to Israel.
Prohibits the Secretary from issuing more than one official or diplomatic passport to any U.S. Government official for purposes of enabling such official to acquiesce in or comply with the Arab League's passport policy concerning persons who have visited Israel.
Title VI: Southeast Asia - Part A: Laotian-American Relations
- Laotian-American Relations Act - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) upgrade the current American diplomatic representation in Vientiane, Laos, to the level of ambassador; (2) ensure that an American military attache is permanently assigned to the U.S. mission in Vientiane to assist in the recovery of American prisoners of war and missing in action; and (3) ensure that Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) personnel are permanently assigned to such mission to accelerate cooperative efforts in narcotics eradication and interdiction.
Requires the USIA Director to establish an office in Vientiane, Laos, to assist in the propagation of American economic and political values.
Part B: Free Market Democracy Promotion for Vietnamese Act
- Free Market Democracy Promotion for Vietnamese Act - Requires the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to make available 15 scholarships during FY 1992 to enable Vietnamese residents in Vietnam to study at a U.S. college or university. Gives preference to candidates intending to pursue studies in economics and commercial law.
Part C: Miscellaneous Provisions
- Expresses the sense of the Congress that the goals of U.S. policy in Vietnam and Cambodia would be advanced by normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with such countries, provided that certain conditions concerning American prisoners of war or missing in action, reeducation camps, and a resolution of the Cambodian conflict are met.
Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to accounting for American prisoners of war or missing in action in Southeast Asia.
Title VII: Persian Gulf War Criminals Prosecution Act of 1991- Part A: General Provisions
- Persian Gulf War Criminals Prosecution Act of 1991 - Sets forth findings regarding Iraq's violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Part B: Actions By United States Agencies and Courts
- Requires the President to direct Government agencies to collect and maintain evidence of crimes committed by Persian Gulf war criminals. Directs the President to consult with the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense to determine the appropriate jurisdiction for the prosecution of such criminals.
Part C: International Criminal Tribunal
- Urges the President, acting through the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, to propose to the Security Council the establishment of an international criminal tribunal for the prosecution of Persian Gulf war criminals. Urges the President to work with the coalition of nations participating in Operation Desert Storm to establish such tribunal if the Secretary Council fails to take action to do so.
Establishes the Office for the Prosecution of Persian Gulf War Criminals within the Department of State.
Part D: Congressional Oversight
- Requires the President to report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on: (1) the proposal developed by the Office for the establishment of an international criminal tribunal; (2) evidence of crimes under international law that justifies the prosecution of Persian Gulf war criminals; and (3) Iraqi authorities who should be prosecuted for committing such crimes.
Title VIII: Arms Suppliers Regime
- Arms Suppliers Regime Act of 1991 - Declares that the Secretary should undertake to convene a conference of appropriate nations to establish an arms suppliers regime.
States that the purpose of such regime should be to: (1) halt the flow of unconventional arms and technologies necessary to produce such arms to nations in the Middle East; (2) limit and control the proliferation of advanced conventional arms to such nations; and (3) provide incentives for regional arms control agreements in the Middle East.
Lists actions to be taken to carry out such purposes.
Authorizes the President to negotiate and commit the United States to participating in a multilateral moratorium prohibiting the transfer of advanced conventional arms to the Middle East.
Requires the President to report annually to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on: (1) all transfers of arms to the Middle East over the previous five years; (2) the current military balance in the region; (3) the current and projected military threat to allied and friendly nations in the Middle East and the military equipment needed to deter and defend against such threat; (4) the operation of agreements comprising the arms suppliers regime; (5) the supplier nations that have refused to participate in such regime; and (6) specific actions of supplier nations that have engaged in conduct that violates or undermines the regime.
Prohibits the sale of defense articles or services, or the issuance of export licenses for such articles or services, to any nation in the Middle East unless the President: (1) certifies that the Secretary has undertaken to convene the conference for the establishment of an arms suppliers regime; and (2) submits a specified report on such regime.
Title IX: Miscellaneous Foreign Affairs Provisions
- Requires the President to report to the Speaker of the House and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on specified issues involving the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) all U.S. law enforcement personnel serving in Mexico should be accorded the same status as U.S. diplomatic and consular personnel serving at U.S. posts in Mexico; and (2) all Mexican narcotics law enforcement personnel serving in the United States should be accorded the same status as DEA personnel serving in Mexico.
Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the establishment of a U.S.-Baltic Development Program and the stationing of overseas cultural/informational and commercial representatives in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on the status of discussions with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia regarding an enhanced U.S. presence in the Baltic Republics.
Amends the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1991 to provide that the period of entitlement to benefits for U.S. hostages in Lebanon shall be the period of an individual's hostage status and the 60 months following the termination of such status.
Requires the President to study and report to the Congress on the feasibility of constructing a library building for the Polish Parliament (Sejm) and the availability of funds for a U.S. contribution to such project.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that Tibet is an occupied country under the principles of international law whose true representatives are the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile.
Prohibits the President from lifting U.S. economic sanctions against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, and directs the President to make every effort to ensure that the multinational coalition maintains the full range of economic sanctions, until such regime has released all prisoners of war and has accounted as fully as possible for all those missing in action, including Kuwaitis captured during the Iraqi occupation.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) maintain a list of Kuwaiti residents believed to have been captured or detained by the Iraqi Government; and (2) report to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Speaker of the House on actions to effect the release of remaining prisoners.
Expresses the sense of the Senate regarding the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee and a framework convention on global climate change.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should encourage the Government of the United Kingdom to provide the people of Hong Kong all civil liberties to bequeath a self-governing democracy to China in 1997.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should support Taiwan's role in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.
Sets forth U.S. policy with respect to arms sales to the Middle East.
Amends the Arms Export Control Act to authorize the President to extend guarantees in connection with the sale of defense articles and services to NATO countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. Limits the total amount of such guarantees in any fiscal year. Authorizes appropriations.
Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to human rights abuses in East Timor, Indonesia.
Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) support democratization within the Soviet Union and support self-determination and independence for all Soviet republics which seek such status; (2) support restoration of independence for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; (3) shape foreign assistance and other programs to support republics whose governments are democratically elected; and (4) support peaceful resolution of conflicts within the Soviet Union and between the central Soviet Government and the Baltic States and Soviet republics, condemn the use of force to suppress democracy and self-determination, and view the use of force for such purposes as an obstacle to fully normalized U.S.-Soviet relations.
Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on actual and threatened uses of force against the Baltic States, the Soviet republics, and autonomous regions within the Soviet Union. Requires such report to be included in the Department of State's annual country reports on human rights practices.
Amends the Arms Export Control Act to impose sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly engage in the trade of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) equipment or technology that contributes to the acquisition of missiles in a country that is not an MTCR adherent.
Congratulates the people of the Russian Republic and their president, Boris Yeltsin, for the first democratic election held in Russia. Encourages the Russian people and President Yeltsin to continue reforms leading to a free and democratic society.
Requires the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, and USIA to ensure that the precepts for promotion of Foreign Service employees provide that end-of-training reports for employees in full-time language training shall be weighed as heavily as the annual employee efficiency reports to ensure that employees in such training are not disadvantaged in the promotion process.
Prohibits any future member of the Board of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) from simultaneously serving on the Board and being an active member of the leadership of any grantee receiving more than five percent of NED funds.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Government of Kuwait, Kuwaiti firms, and U.S. Government agencies should: (1) award contracts for the rebuilding of Kuwait with preferences for U.S. goods and firms; and (2) encourage the participation of U.S. small and disadvantaged businesses.
Middle East Security and Democracy Initiative Act of 1991 - Requires the President, when submitting certifications to the Congress with respect to arms sales or arms export licenses to a country in the Middle East, to include a certification that: (1) the country is maintaining, or making progress toward developing, institutions that embody democratic principles; (2) the country, if an oil exporter, has a record of making contributions, in amounts commensurate with its wealth, to the economic development of the region; or (3) the transfer would serve U.S. national interests.
Directs the President to: (1) report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Chinese nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile proliferation practices (such report shall describe China's actions to improve the military capabilities of nations in the Middle East and South Asia); and (2) report to the appropriate congressional committees, prior to the announcement of most-favored-nation trading status for China, on progress by China in the area of human rights, weapons proliferation, restrictions on trade between China and the United States, and certain actions taken after the Tiananmen Square massacre, as well as on actions taken by the U.S. Government to underscore U.S. concerns about Chinese policies.
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report annually to specified congressional committees on the nature and extent of assets held in the United States by terrorist countries, nationals of such countries, and organizations and individuals engaged in terrorist activities.
Makes governments of Latin American or Caribbean countries for which the United States has reduced debt owed as a result of loans made pursuant to foreign economic assistance legislation ineligible for loans under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for five years from the date the reduction was initiated. Makes such a country eligible for loans after such period only if the President has certified to the Speaker of the House and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the country has the ability to repay the loan throughout the term of the loan.
Declares that, with regard to assistance to nations in transition from communism to democracy, it is U.S. policy to provide foreign aid to, and encourage expanded trade with, democratic governments at the republic level in countries that include a ruling communist majority in other republic governments or at the Federal level.
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States should support the right of the people of Slovenia and Croatia to establish new governments that honor the rights of their citizens.
Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the release of political prisoners in South Africa.
Declares that it is the policy of the Senate that the U.S. Government should not proceed with the research or development of any tactical nuclear system designed solely for deployment in Europe until the NATO Council has announced how, when, and where such systems will be deployed.
Requires the Secretary of State to certify annually to the Congress that an international organization which had a geographic distribution formula in effect on January 1, 1991, is making progress in increasing American staffing or that it has met its distribution formula. Prohibits funds appropriated for paying arrearages for U.S. contributions for prior years from being made available unless such condition is met.
Title X: Chemical and Biological Weapons Proliferation
- Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 -
Subtitle A: Measures to Prevent the Proliferation of Chemical and Biological Weapons
- Declares it is U.S. policy to: (1) seek multilaterally coordinated efforts with other countries to control the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons; and (2) strengthen efforts to control chemical agents, precursors, and equipment.
Requires the President to use the U.S. export control laws to control the export of defense articles, defense services, goods, and technologies that he determines would assist a country in acquiring the capability to produce or use such weapons.
Amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a list of goods and technology that would assist a foreign government or group in acquiring chemical or biological weapons. Requires a validated export license for the export of such items to another country.
Requires the President to prohibit procurement of goods or services from foreign persons that who knowingly contributed to the efforts of a country to acquire, use, or stockpile chemical or biological weapons. Authorizes the President to waive imposition of such sanction if he determines that is in the national security interests of the United States.
Amends the Arms Export Control Act to set forth similar provisions.
Subtitle B: Sanctions Against the Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons
- Requires the President to make a determination with respect to whether a country has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals. Authorizes specified congressional committees to request the President to make such determination with respect to the use of such weapons.
Requires the President to impose certain sanctions against foreign countries that have been found to have used such weapons. Declares such sanctions to include: (1) termination of assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (except humanitarian assistance and agricultural commodities); (2) termination of arms sales and arms sales financing; (3) opposition to the extension of multilateral development bank assistance; (4) denial of U.S. credit; (5) prohibition of U.S. bank loans (except for loans for purchasing agricultural commodities); (6) prohibition of the export of certain goods and technology; (7) suspension of diplomatic relations; and (8) termination of air carrier landing rights. Provides for the removal and waiver of such sanctions.
Subtitle C: Reporting Requirements
- Requires the President to submit to the Congress annual reports on the efforts of countries to acquire chemical or biological weapons.
Title XI: Procompetitiveness and Antiboycott Act of 1991
- Procompetitiveness and Antiboycott Act of 1991 - Directs the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to discuss with representatives from other OECD member nations and to report to the Congress on: (1) the extent to which companies obey the secondary and tertiary boycotts of Israel by Arab nations; (2) the effectiveness of antiboycott laws of nations that have them; (3) the extent to which such boycotts have skewed global trade and investment, as well as in the Middle East; (4) the extent to which companies not obeying the boycotts are placed at a competitive disadvantage; (5) the extent to which such boycotts contradict OECD trade and investment policy; and (6) the development of guidelines, using the Arrangement on Export Credits as a model, that OECD nations can agree on to eliminate compliance with such boycotts.
Requires the United States Trade Representative to enter into discussions with representatives from member nations of the GATT and to report to the Congress on the extent to which: (1) the Arab boycotts of Israel have distorted trade; (2) members of and observers to the GATT encourage actions, including the furnishing of information or entering into agreements, which support such boycotts; (3) the GATT should work to eliminate the boycotts; and (4) GATT articles can be used to eliminate compliance with such boycotts.
Requires the President to report to the Congress on progress made to end such boycotts.
Title XII: United States Law and Business Training Program for Soviet Graduate Students
- United States Law and Business Training Program for Soviet Graduate Students Act - Directs the President, acting through the U.S. Information Agency, to provide scholarships for study at U.S. institutions of higher education, coupled with private and public internships, by nationals of the Soviet Union who have completed their undergraduate education and could not otherwise study in the United States.
Provides that such scholarships shall be in the form of loans, with repayment to be forgiven: (1) entirely, upon the student's prompt return to the Soviet Union for a period at least one year longer than that of U.S. study; or (2) by one-half, if the student is granted asylum in or is admitted as a refugee to the United States.
Sets forth scholarship program guidelines. Limits scholarship opportunities to fields that are critical to economic and political reforms in the Soviet Union, particularly business administration, economics, law, or public administration.
Authorizes appropriations.
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Bill titles: An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1992 and 1993 for the Department of State, and for other purposes.
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
