[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2714 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2714

 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

                            December 5, 1995

  Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Miller of 
California, Mr. Yates, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Owens, Ms. Norton, Ms. Kaptur, 
 Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Stark, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Traficant, Ms. 
  Velazquez, Mr. Evans, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Dellums, Mr. Brown of 
   California, Mr. Watt of North Carolina, Ms. Rivers, Mrs. Mink of 
 Hawaii, Mr. Filner, Mr. Vento, Mr. Bonior, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Spratt, 
Mr. Rahall, Mr. Nadler, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Holden, Mr. Olver, 
 Ms. Brown of Florida, and Ms. Roybal-Allard) 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 January 1, 1995, or 
other authority provided by statute to enter into trade agreements 
described in such subsections, 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 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) a 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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