104th Congress > Senate > Vote 672
Clerk session vote number: 59
Description: A bill to consolidate the foreign affairs agencies of the United States; to authorize appropriations for the Department of State and related agencies for fiscal years 1996 and 1997; to responsibly reduce the authorizations of appropriations for United States foreign assistance programs for fiscal years 1996 and 1997, and for other purposes.
Bill summary: TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Division A: Consolidation of Foreign Affairs Agencies
Title I: General Provisions
Title II: United States Arms Control and Disarmament
Agency
Title III: United States Information Agency
Title IV: Agency for International Development
Title V: Offices of Inspectors General
Title VI: Transition
Division B: Foreign Relations Authorizations
Title X (sic): General Provisions
Title XI: Authorization of Appropriations for
Department of State and Certain
(...show more)
International
Affairs Functions and Activities
Title XII: Department of State Authorities and Activities
Title XIII: Organization of the Department of State;
Department of State Personnel; The Foreign Service
Title XIV: United States Public Diplomacy: Authorities and
Activities for United States Informational, Educational,
and Cultural Programs
Title XV: International Organizations and Commissions
Title XVI: Foreign Policy Provisions
Title XVII: Congressional Statements
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1996 and 1997 -
Division A: Consolidation of Foreign Affairs Agencies - Title I: General Provisions
- Foreign Affairs Agencies Consolidation Act of 1996 - Specifies findings and purposes of this division, including to: (1) consolidate and reinvent U.S. foreign affairs agencies within the Department of State; and (2) assist congressional efforts to balance the Federal budget and reduce the Federal debt.
Title II: United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
- Abolishes the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency as of March 1, 1997, (or the date mandated in the reorganization plan required by this Act), and transfers all functions of the Director of such Agency to the Secretary of State.
(Sec. 213) Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to establish in the Office of the Secretary a Coordinator for Arms Control and Disarmament.
Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to authorize the Coordinator to attend and participate in meetings of the National Security Council.
(Sec. 222) Repeals sections of the Arms Control and Disarmament Act relating to the establishment of the Agency and appointment of officials.
Title III: United States Information Agency
- Abolishes the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) as of March 1, 1997 (or the date mandated in the reorganization plan required by this Act), and transfers all functions of the Director of the Agency to the Secretary. Transfers all functions of the Broadcasting Board of Governors of the USIA to the Broadcasting Board of Governors of the Department of State.
(Sec. 313) Establishes in the Department of State an Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.
(Sec. 323) Amends the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and other specified Federal law to make conforming amendments with respect to the transfer of functions to the Department of State.
Title IV: Agency for International Development
- Abolishes the Agency for International Development (AID) and the United States International Development Cooperation Agency as of March 1, 1997 (or the date mandated in the reorganization plan required by this Act). Transfers all their functions to the Secretary.
(Sec. 413) Establishes an Under Secretary for Development and for Economic and Commercial Affairs.
(Sec. 422) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and other specified Federal law to make conforming amendments with respect to the transfer of such agencies' functions to the Department of State and the Secretary of State, respectively.
Title V: Offices of Inspectors General
- Abolishes the Offices of Inspector General for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and the USIA, and transfers the functions of the latter (but not of the former) to the Office of Inspector General of the Department of State.
Title VI: Transition
- Sets forth transition administrative provisions regarding: (1) the President's reorganization plan for the abolition, and transfer of functions, of the four agencies; (2) presidential waiver of the application of up to two of titles II, III, or IV to the agency or agencies concerned, subject to specified conditions and certifications; (3) the Secretary's reorganization authorities; (4) the transfer and allocation of appropriations and personnel; (5) specified incidental transfers of personnel, liabilities, records, and funds; and (6) effects of terminations and transfers of functions on personnel.
(Sec. 615) Establishes the Foreign Affairs Reorganization Transition Fund.
(Sec. 620) Requires the President to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a final accounting of the finances and operations of the agencies abolished under this Act.
Division B: Foreign Relations Authorizations
- Department of State and Related Agencies Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1996 and 1997 -
Title X (sic): General Provisions
- Sets forth definitions.
Title XI: Authorization of Appropriations for Department of State and Certain International Affairs Functions and Activities
- Authorizes appropriations for the Department of State for FY 1996 through 1999 for: (1) the administration of foreign affairs; (2) contributions to international organizations and international peacekeeping activities; (3) international conferences and contingencies; (4) purposes of offsetting adverse fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; (5) international commissions; (6) migration and refugee assistance (including refugees resettling in Israel, humanitarian assistance for displaced Burmese, and resettlement of Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians); (7) the Asia Foundation; (8) specified international information activities and educational and cultural exchange programs; (9) activities carrying out the Arms Control and Disarmament Act; (10) operating expenses of AID; (11) narcotics control assistance; (12) the Peace Corps; and (13) administrative expenses of the housing guarantee program.
(Sec. 1102) Sets forth specified limits on the U.S. voluntary contribution to the United Nations Development Program.
Title XII: Department of State Authorities and Activities
- Revises the program of Department of State rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual in connection with acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property or with certain narcotics-related offenses. Adds conspiracy, attempt to commit such acts, and aiding or abetting to the list of crimes for which information rewards may be paid. Requires Secretary of State approval of all rewards (currently, only those over $100,000).
(Sec. 1201) Authorizes appropriations for such awards, with limitations.
Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of State should pursue additional means of funding the rewards program, including the authority: (1) to seize and dispose of assets used in the commission of certain criminal offenses, and retain the proceeds derived from the disposition of such assets; (2) to participate in asset sharing programs conducted by the Department of Justice; and (3) to retain earnings accruing on all assets of foreign countries blocked by the President pursuant to the International Emergency Powers Act.
(Sec. 1202) Repeals the authority of the Secretary of State to transfer to the Buying Power Maintenance fund any unobligated balances earmarked for the administration of foreign affairs up to five fiscal years after the original appropriation.
(Sec. 1203) Amends the Department of State Appropriation Act, 1937, as amended by the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989, to authorize the Secretary to accept, in certain cases, reimbursement from private sector claimants for ordinary (currently, only extraordinary) expenses incurred in pursuing a claim on their behalf against a foreign government or other foreign entity.
Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize the Secretary to procure personal services in prosecuting such a claim or a proceeding before an international tribunal.
(Sec. 1204) Authorizes the Secretary to refuse to issue, or to revoke, restrict, or limit a passport if the Secretary determines, or is informed by competent authority, that the applicant or passport holder is a noncustodial parent who is the subject of an outstanding State arrest warrant for nonpayment of child support, where the amount in controversy is not less than $10,000.
(Sec. 1205) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to authorize the Secretary to provide appropriate training through the Foreign Service Institute to U.S. company employees and their families (as well as job-related training to the employees of State Department contractors) that are engaged in business abroad, when such training is in the national interest. Authorizes the Secretary to provide on a reimbursable basis foreign language training programs to Members of Congress.
(Sec. 1206) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to allow use of the Capital Investment Fund for updates of information technology and other related capital investments. Repeals the requirement that subjects money in the Fund to certain reprogramming requirements before it is obligated.
(Sec. 1207) Authorizes the Secretary to lease-purchase housing and other facilities for overseas Department of State personnel.
(Sec. 1208) Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to: (1) allow fees collected for commercial services to remain available for obligation until expended, but only in amounts provided in advance in an appropriations Act; and (2) authorize the Secretary to charge a fee for the use of Department of State diplomatic reception rooms.
(Sec. 1211) Amends the International Center Act to authorize the Secretary to deposit international center maintenance and security reserve funds in interest bearing accounts.
(Sec. 1212) Authorizes certain joint funds under international agreements for cooperation in environmental, scientific, and cultural areas to be deposited in interest bearing accounts, such interest to be used for program and administrative purposes.
(Sec. 1213) Requires U.S. agencies performing functions at diplomatic and consular posts abroad to avoid duplicative acquisition actions to the maximum extent practicable. Authorizes contracts awarded in accordance with the Competition in Contracting Act by a U.S. agency performing such functions abroad to be amended without competition to permit other such agencies to obtain goods or services under such contract, provided prices are not increased as a result of such amendment.
(Sec. 1214) Bars the use of funds for opening or expanding U.S. diplomatic or consular posts in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, or increasing the number of personnel at such posts, unless the President makes a certain certification with respect to U.S. POW-MIA's to the Congress.
(Sec. 1215) Amends the Department of State and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1995 to limit funding to the Diplomatic Telecommunications Service (DTS).
(Sec. 1231) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to limit the amount of fees collected from processing machine readable visas that may be deposited as an offsetting collection to any State Department appropriation to recover the costs of the Department's border security program. Repeals the prohibition against the charging of fees to citizens of countries that are signatories to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
(Sec. 1232) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995, as amended by the Department of State and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1995, to require visa applicants from the ten countries with the highest volume of immigrant visa issuance who have a criminal history record, have been present in the United States, and are more than 16 years of age to provide a fingerprint record for submission with the application. Directs the State Department to submit such record to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for analysis to determine whether the applicant has been convicted of a felony under State or Federal law.
(Sec. 1233) Requires that a percentage of the fees collected in FY 1996 and 1997 for expedited passport processing be set aside for enhancing passport services, investigating passport fraud, and deterring entry into the United States by terrorists and other criminals.
(Sec. 1235) Authorizes the Secretary to establish a fee to be paid by each diversity immigrant issued a visa under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
(Sec. 1236) Amends Federal law to authorize the Secretary by regulation to authorize State Department officials or the U.S. Postal Service to retain fees for the execution and issuance of passports.
(Sec. 1237) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude from admission into the United States any alien who: (1) is a member of a terrorist organization or who actively supports or advocates terrorist activity; or (2) has, under circumstances indicating an intent to cause death or serious bodily harm, advocated terrorism, or has incited targeted racial vilification, or has advocated the death or destruction of U.S. citizens or U.S. officials, or the overthrow of the U.S. Government.
(Sec. 1238) Directs the Secretary to establish within each U.S. Embassy a Terrorist Lookout Committee.
(Sec. 1251) Directs the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees on Cuba's methods for enforcing the U.S.-Cuba agreement of September 1994 to restrict Cuban emigration to the United States, and the treatment by the Cuban Government of persons who have been returned to Cuba pursuant to the U.S.-Cuba agreement of May 1995.
(Sec. 1252) Amends the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990 to extend through FY 1997 a provision ("Lautenberg Amendment") which authorizes admission into the United States of a specified number of refugees from the independent states of the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania who are Jews or Evangelical Christians or members of the Ukrainian Catholic or Orthodox churches.
Extends through FY 1997 the latest allowable entry date for specified aliens from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for purposes of qualifying for adjustment of status to permanent resident.
(Sec. 1253) Prohibits the availability of funds to effect the involuntary return of any person to a country in which the person has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
(Sec. 1254) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on procedures for determining eligibility for resettlement of Iraqi nationals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to the United States.
(Sec. 1255) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise the definition of "refugee" to provide that a person who has been forced to have an abortion or undergo involuntary sterilization, or who has been persecuted for refusing to do so, or for other resistance to a coercive population control program, shall be deemed to have been persecuted on account of political opinion. States that anyone with a well-founded fear that he or she will be forced to undergo such a procedure, or be subjected to persecution for failure, refusal, or resistance to doing so, shall be deemed to have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of political opinion.
(Sec. 1256) Prohibits the availability of funds to expel, extradite, or otherwise effect the involuntary return of any person to a country in which there are substantial grounds for believing the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
Title XIII: Organization of the Department of State; Department of State Personnel; The Foreign Service
- Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to establish a Coordinator for Counterterrorism within the office of the Secretary.
(Sec. 1303) Urges the President to appoint within the Department of State a U.S. Special Envoy for Tibet.
(Sec. 1305) Repeals provisions of law which provide for: (1) an Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs; (2) a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Burdensharing; and (3) a Bureau and Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
(Sec. 1306) Requires either the head or next most senior person of the State Department bureau or office with principal responsibility for management of Department human resources and personnel policies to have over 15 years experience as a human resources management professional, of which at least five years shall have been gained in the private sector or in government service outside the Foreign Service.
(Sec. 1351) Establishes limits on the number of Foreign Service personnel (including noncareer limited appointments) in the Department of State, USIA, and AID during FY 1996 and 1997. Provides for a waiver of such limitations as necessary to carry out foreign affairs functions.
(Sec. 1352) Amends Federal criminal law to subject to both criminal and civil penalties any person who serves in the position of chief of mission and who, within one year after termination from such position, engages in certain lobbying activities.
(Sec. 1355) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to authorize the Secretary, under the State Department health care program, to collect from a third party payer the reasonable costs incurred by the Department on behalf of covered beneficiaries for health care services to the same extent that such a beneficiary would be eligible to receive indemnification from the third party payer for such costs.
(Sec. 1357) Revises provisions relating to Foreign Service performance pay, meritorious and distinguished service awards, and expedited separation of low-ranking employees from the Service.
Title XIV: United States Public Diplomacy: Authorities and Activities for United States Informational, Educational, and Cultural Programs
- Authorizes the USIA Director to make available, upon request, computer readable Voice of America and Radio Marti multilingual text and recorded speech in various languages to the Linguistic Data Consortium of the University of Pennsylvania.
(Sec. 1402) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 to decrease the authorization of appropriations for each fiscal year for the Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange Between North and South.
(Sec. 1403) Expands the Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship Program (graduate law and business training program) to bring to the United States for study students from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, the former Soviet Union, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Adds to the selection criteria academic and leadership potential in the fields of journalism, library and information science, public administration, and public policy.
(Sec. 1404) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to revise requirements for the Mansfield Fellowship Program to subject allowances and benefits to criteria established by the Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs.
(Sec. 1405) Directs the Director of USIA to carry out a pilot program to determine the feasibility and advisability of permitting advertisements on USIA television and radio broadcasts.
(Sec. 1406) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 to authorize the Director of USIA to enter into a contract for the construction of the Voice of America Tinian.
Amends the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to extend through March 1, 1997, the authority permitting the second fiscal year of a two-year authorization for any account of the USIA to be appropriated to any other USIA account.
Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to authorize the USIA Director to appoint, during 1995, up to five otherwise qualified U.S. citizens employed in the Office of the Vice President for Engineering and Technical Operations of RFE-RL, Incorporated, to the competitive service or the career Foreign Service of USIA. Requires that prior service with RFE-RL, Incorporated, by an individual so appointed be credited in determining the individual's length of service for reduction in force purposes and toward establishing the individual's career tenure.
(Sec. 1407) Authorizes grantees of the National Endowment for Democracy to deposit their grant funds in interest bearing accounts and use the interest for grant purposes.
(Sec. 1408) Requires the USIA Director, in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy (including but not limited to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Tibet, and Burma), to take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.
(Sec. 1409) Authorizes the Director of USIA to continue to administer an au pair program on a world-wide basis through FY 1999.
(Sec. 1410) Requires the USIA Director to establish programs of educational and cultural exchange between the United States and the people of Tibet. Provides for scholarships for each of FY 1996 and 1997 to Tibetan and Burmese students and professionals who are outside their countries. (Sec. 1411) Directs Radio Free Asia to initiate broadcasts to China, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, North Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam.
(Sec. 1412) Authorizes the USIA Director to make available for distribution within the United States the documentary "The Fragile Ring of Life," a film about coral reefs around the world.
Title XV: International Organizations and Commissions
- Prohibits the use of funds for payment of U.S. membership in: (1) the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); (2) the Pan American Railway Congress Association; (3) the International Cotton Advisory Committee; (4) the World Tourism Organization; (5) the Inter-American Indian Institute; and (6) the International Tropical Timber Organization.
(Sec. 1502) Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission, to make improvements to the Rio Grande Canalization Project.
(Sec. 1503) Prohibits the use of funds: (1) to pay the U.S. contribution to any international organization which engages in the direct or indirect promotion of the doctrine of one world government or one world citizenship; or (2) for the direct or indirect promotion of such doctrine.
(Sec. 1504) Prohibits, until the President makes a certain certification to the Congress, the obligation of funds for: (1) reporting to the Human Rights Committee in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; or (2) responding to any Committee's effort to use such covenant to resolve claims by other covenant parties that the United States is not fulfilling its obligations under it. Requires such presidential certification to be that the Human Rights Committee has revoked its General Comment No. 24 adopted on November 2, 1994, which: (1) claims for the Committee the power to judge the validity under international law of reservations to the Covenant; (2) asserts that reservations of the type included in the Senate resolution of ratification (approved April 2, 1992) are invalid; and (3) asserts that invalid reservations will be read out of instruments of ratification, treating the Covenant as operative for the reserving party without benefit of such reservations. Requires such certification also to state that the Human Rights Committee has expressly recognized the validity as a matter of international law of the reservations, understandings, and declarations contained in the U.S. instrument of ratification of the International Covenant.
(Sec. 1505) Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on U.S. participation in single-commodity international organizations, including the feasibility and desirability of the privatization of such organizations, and options for achieving it.
(Sec. 1521) Permits the President to withhold 20 percent of the funds appropriated for the U.S. assessed contribution to the United Nations if the United Nations has failed to implement consensus-based decisionmaking procedures on budgetary matters which assure that sufficient attention is paid to the views of the United States and other member states which are major financial contributors.
(Sec. 1522) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the management of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
(Sec. 1523) Amends the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 to require that specified percentages of funds made available for a fiscal year for U.S. assessed contributions for the U.N. budget and U.N. peacekeeping activities be withheld from obligation unless the President certifies to the Congress, among other things, that the United Nations has: (1) an independent office of Inspector General to conduct audits of U.N. programs, with an Inspector General duly appointed; (2) implemented certain whistleblower protection policies with respect to staff members who complain or disclose information to, or cooperate in any investigation or inspection by, the Inspector General; (3) implemented a system requiring the timely notice of certain contract opportunities and awards with the United Nations; (4) implemented regulations prohibiting punitive actions against contractors who challenge contract awards or complain about delayed payments; and (5) established a review process for such contract challenges.
(Sec. 1524) Urges the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to make every effort to: (1) ensure that the United Nations completes a review and reassessment of each nation's assessed contributions for U.N. peacekeeping operations; and (2) advance, as part of the review, the concept that host governments in the region where such operations are carried out should bear a greater burden of its financial cost. Limits the U.S. assessed contribution for U.N. peacekeeping operations.
(Sec. 1525) Requires the President in the submission of the annual budget request to the Congress to submit to designated congressional committees a report on U.S. contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities.
(Sec. 1526) Requires the President to notify designated congressional committees five days before any vote in the Security Council to initiate, expand, or modify U.N. peacekeeping activities which would involve U.S. Armed Forces, including a cost assessment of the action and the source of funding for the U.S. share of its cost.
(Sec. 1528) Prohibits the sharing of U.S. intelligence information with the United Nations or any affiliated organization unless the President certifies to appropriate congressional committees that the Director of Central Intelligence has required, and such organization has established, certain procedures to protect from unauthorized disclosure intelligence sources and methods no less stringent than procedures maintained by nations with which the United States regularly shares similar types of intelligence information.
Title XVI: Foreign Policy Provisions
- Amends the Taiwan Relations Act to declare that the Act's requirement that the United States make available to Taiwan sufficient defense articles and services to maintain Taiwan's self-defense capability supersedes any provision of the Joint Communique of the United States and China of August 17, 1982.
(Sec. 1602) Requires the Secretary to report annually to specified congressional officials on conditions in Tibet and on the state of relations between the United States and those recognized by the Congress as the true representatives of the Tibetan people, the Dalai Lama, his representatives, and the Tibetan government in exile.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that whenever an executive branch report is transmitted to the Congress on a country-by-country basis there should be included a separate report on Tibet.
(Sec. 1603) Renames the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office the Taipei Representative Office.
(Sec. 1604) Directs the President to outline to the Congress a U.S. strategic plan to identify and respond to the threat of emerging infectious diseases to the health of the U.S. people.
(Sec. 1605) Amends the Arms Control and Disarmament Act to declare that nothing in such Act shall be construed to authorize any Government action which would interfere with, restrict, or prohibit the acquisition, possession, or use of firearms by an individual for the lawful purpose of personal defense, sport, recreation, education, or training.
(Sec. 1606) Amends the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 to require the Secretary to report annually to the Congress after the current March 31, 2000, deadline on conditions in Hong Kong of interest to the United States. Sets forth additional requirements with respect to such report.
(Sec. 1607) Declares the sense of the Congress about minimum conditions relating to nuclear nonproliferation that the President should uphold in negotiations with North Korea.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) South Korea should play the central role in the project to provide light water reactors to North Korea; and (2) the President should not take steps toward upgrading diplomatic relations with North Korea beyond opening liaison offices or relaxing trade and investment barriers without action by North Korea to engage in a dialogue with South Korea, significant progress toward implementation of the North-South Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and progress toward achievement of certain long-standing U.S. policy objectives regarding North Korea and the Korean Peninsula.
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit the provision of assistance to North Korea or the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization unless: (1) such assistance is provided on the same terms that govern such assistance under such Act; and (2) the President satisfies certain congressional notification requirements.
(Sec. 1608) Prohibits the United States from participating in an international criminal court except as authorized by a treaty or U.S. law in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.
(Sec. 1609) Prohibits the United States from transferring certain arms to Indonesia until the Secretary reports to specified congressional committees that significant progress has been made on human rights in East Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia.
(Sec. 1610) Authorizes the President to enter into an international agreement with eligible countries to establish the Multilateral Bosnia and Herzegovina Self-Defense Fund as an international mechanism for the procurement of military equipment and training for transfer to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the exercise of its right of self-defense. Sets forth requirements with respect to the administration of such fund.
Authorizes the Secretary of State to transfer to the custody of the international board responsible for the Fund certain defense services of and defense articles from the stocks of Department of Defense.
Requires the President to report to the Congress details of the administration's plan to assist the Federation of Bosnia to provide for its own defense, including the role of other countries in providing such assistance.
(Sec. 1611) Directs the President to submit bimonthly reports to the Congress on the status of the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces (including nonmilitary aspects) under the General Framework Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(Sec. 1612) Directs the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency to report to the Congress on U.S. capability to verify the Missile Technology Control Regime.
(Sec. 1613) Repeals termination provisions of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1994 (thus making it permanent).
(Sec. 1614) Establishes the Iraq Claims Fund for the payment of private or U.S. Government claims. Vests in the President for liquidation and transfer to such Fund all nondiplomatic accounts of the Government of Iraq in the United States that have been blocked under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
(Sec. 1615) Earmarks specified amounts of economic support fund assistance for FY 1996 and 1997 for the U.S. contribution to the International Fund for Ireland.
Amends the Anglo-Irish Agreement Support Act of 1986 to urge the use of U.S. contributions to increase employment opportunities in communities with high unemployment in Northern Ireland.
(Sec. 1616) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the President, with specified exceptions, to deobligate and return to the Treasury certain economic assistance funds that have not been expended for an activity for a period of more than three years.
(Sec. 1617) Prohibits the availability of funds for foreign assistance for any country whose government prohibits or restricts the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance. Waives such prohibition if the President notifies the Congress that providing such assistance is in the national security interest.
Title XVII: Congressional Statements
- Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to calling upon the Chinese Government to dismantle the Laogai (system of forced labor camps).
(Sec. 1702) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should take specified actions with respect to promoting human and worker rights in China and Tibet.
(Sec. 1703) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should be eligible for all U.S. foreign assistance programs if it continues to respect the rights of all ethnic minorities.
(Sec. 1704) Expresses the sense of the Congress that specified amounts made available to the United Nations Development Program (and United Nations Development Program-Administered Funds) during FY 1996 and 1997 should be made available for programs and services conducted in cooperation with specified international and nongovernmental organizations for persons who are displaced within their countries of nationality.
(Sec. 1705) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Government should not impose a border crossing fee along its borders with Canada and Mexico.
(Sec. 1706) Urges the Secretary to make every effort to pay the full U.S. assessed funding levels for the Organization of American States and the Pan American Health Organization so that they may contribute effectively to U.S. foreign policy initiatives.
(Sec. 1707) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the executive branch should cease obligating the United States to pay for international peacekeeping operations in excess of authorized appropriations.
(Sec. 1708) Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President of Taiwan should be admitted to the United States for a visit in 1996.
(Sec. 1709) Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to Taiwan's and China's applications for membership in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), specifying conditions for U.S. support of each application.
(Sec. 1710) Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the establishment of an industrial park in Gaza or the West Bank, including presidential appointment of a special coordinator to coordinate the park's rapid development.
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Bill titles: To consolidate the foreign affairs agencies of the United States; to authorize appropriations for the Department of State and related agencies for fiscal years 1996 and 1997; to responsibly reduce the authorizations of appropriations for United States foreign assistance programs for fiscal years 1996 and 1997, and for other purposes.; Department of State and Related Agencies Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1996 and 1997; Foreign Affairs Agencies Consolidation Act of 1996
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
