[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4710 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4710

 To require the inclusion of provisions relating to worker rights and 
 environmental standards in any trade agreement entered into under any 
                  future trade negotiating authority.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 1994

    Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Bonior, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Frank of 
Massachusetts, Mr. Brown of California, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Hinchey, Mrs. 
    Bentley, Mr. Evans, Mr. Dellums, and Mr. Olver) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the inclusion of provisions relating to worker rights and 
 environmental standards in any trade agreement entered into under any 
                  future trade negotiating authority.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fair International Standards in 
Trade (FIST) Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR FUTURE TRADE AGREEMENTS.

    The authority of the President to enter into any trade agreement 
under subsection (b) or (c) of section 1102 of the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 2902) after October 1, 1994, or 
other authority provided by statute to enter into trade agreements to 
which such subsections apply, may be exercised only if the trade 
agreement contains provisions that require each party to the agreement 
to--
            (1) adopt and enforce laws to afford internationally 
        recognized worker rights to workers in that country (including 
        any designated zone in that country);
            (2) adopt and enforce laws to promote respect for 
        internationally recognized environmental standards in that 
        country (including any designated zone in that country; and
            (3) treat as an actionable unfair trade practice the 
        systematic denial or practical nullification denial of 
        internationally recognized worker rights or internationally 
        recognized environmental standards as a means for any signatory 
        country or its industries to gain a competitive advantage in 
        international trade, commerce, or finance.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``internationally-recognized worker rights'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 502(a)(4) of the 
        Trade Act of 1974;
            (2) the term ``internationally-recognized environmental 
        standards'' includes--
                    (A) mitigation of global climate change;
                    (B) reduction in the consumption and production of 
                ozone-depleting substances;
                    (C) reduction in ship pollution of the oceans from 
                such sources as oil, noxious bulk liquids, hazardous 
                freight, sewage, and garbage;
                    (D) ban on international ocean dumping of high-
                level radioactive waste, chemical warfare agents, and 
                hazardous substances;
                    (E) government control of the transboundary 
                movement of hazardous waste materials and their 
                disposal for the purpose of reducing global pollution 
                on account of such materials;
                    (F) preservation of endangered species;
                    (G) conservation of biological diversity;
                    (H) promotion of biodiversity; and
                    (I) preparation of oil-spill contingency plans; and
            (3) the term ``actionable unfair trade practice'' means, 
        under the laws of the United States, an act, policy, or 
        practice that, under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, is 
        unjustifiable and burdens or restricts United States commerce.
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