[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1804 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1804

   To make Technical and Other Changes to the Laws Dealing with the 
     Territories and Freely Associated States of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 23, 1996

Mr. Murkowski (for himself, Mr. Johnston, and Mr. Akaka) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To make Technical and Other Changes to the Laws Dealing with the 
     Territories and Freely Associated States of the United States.

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

SECTION 1. MARSHALL ISLANDS AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PROGRAMS.

    Paragraph (2) of subsection (h) of section 103 of Public Law 99-
239, as amended, is further amended by striking the work ``ten'' and 
inserting in lieu thereof the word ``fifteen'' and by adding at the end 
of subparagraph (B) ``Such technical assistance, programs and services 
shall ensure, on an ongoing basis, that the commodities provided 
reflect the changes in the population that have occurred since the 
effective date of the Compact.''.

SEC. 2. AMERICAN MEMORIAL PARK.

    Section 5 of Public Law 95-348 is amended by striking subsection 
(f), and renumbering subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (f) and 
(g), respectively.

SEC. 3. TERRITORIAL LAND GRANT COLLEGES--TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

    Subsection (b) of section 1361 of Public Law 96-374 is amended by 
striking the words ``August 30, 1980 (7 U.S.C. 327), commonly referred 
to as the Second'' and inserting in lieu thereof the words ``July 2, 
1862 (7 U.S.C. 305), commonly referred to as the First''.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENT TO THE GUAM ORGANIC ACT.

    The Organic Act of Guam (48 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), as amended, is 
further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:
    ``Sec. 36. (a) At least 180 days before transferring to any Federal 
agency excess real property located in Guam, the Administrator of 
General Services shall notify the government of Guam that the property 
is available under this section.
    ``(b) The Administrator shall transfer to the government of Guam 
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to excess 
real property located in Guam, by quit claim deed and without 
reimbursement, if the government of Guam, within 180 days after 
receiving notification under subsection (a) regarding the property, 
notifies the Administrator that the government of Guam intends to 
acquire the property under this section.
    ``(c) For purposes of this section, the term `excess real property' 
means excess property (as that term is defined in section 3 of the 
Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as in effect 
on the date of enactment of the Guam Land Return Act) that is real 
property.''.

SEC. 5. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON USE OF LANDS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GUAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 818(b)(2) of Public Law 96-418 (94 Stat. 
1782), is repealed.
    (b) Execution of Instruments.--The Secretary of the Navy and the 
Administrator General Services shall execute all instruments necessary 
to implement this section.

SEC. 6. CLARIFICATION OF ALLOTMENT FOR TERRITORIES.

    Section 901(a), Part 1, title I of the Act of June 19, 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 3791(a)), as amended, is further amended in paragraph (2) by 
changing the proviso to read as follows: ``(2) ``State'' means any 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, The Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.''

SEC. 7. AMENDMENTS TO THE REVISED ORGANIC ACT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

    (a) Section 7(a) of Public Law 90-496 (82 Stat. 839), as amended, 
is further amended by adding at the end thereof ``As used in this 
section, the term `temporary absence' shall not be construed as being 
physically absent from the territory while on official Government 
business.'''
    (b) Section 3 of Public Law 94-392 (90 Stat. 1195), as amended, is 
further amended to read as follows--
            (1) by inserting ``hereinafter'' between ``obligations'' 
        and ``issued'';
            (2) by deleting ``priority for payment'' and inserting in 
        lieu thereof ``a parity lien with every other issue of bonds or 
        other obligations hereinafter issued for payment''; and
            (3) by deleting ``in the order of the date of issue''.
    (c) The provisions of section 149(d)(3)(A)(i)(I) and 149(d)(2) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, shall not apply to bonds 
issued--
            (1) by an authority created by statute of the Virgin 
        Islands legislature, the proceeds of which will be used to 
        advance refund certain bonds issued by such authority on July 
        8, 1992; or
            (2) by an authority created by statute of the Virgin 
        Islands legislature, the proceeds of which will be used to 
        advance refund certain bonds issued by such authority on 
        November 3, 1994.
    (d) The amendments made by subsections (b) and (c) shall apply to 
obligations issued on or after the date of enactment of this section.

SEC. 8. COMMISSION ON THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

    (a) Establishment and Membership.--
            (1) There is hereby established a Commission on the 
        Economic Future of the Virgin Islands (the ``Commission''). The 
        Commission shall consist of six members appointed by the 
        President, two of whom shall be selected from nominations made 
        by the Governor of the Virgin Islands. The President shall 
        designate one of the members of the Commission to be Chairman.
            (2) In addition to the six members appointed under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior shall be an ex-
        officio member of the Commission.
            (3) Members of the Commission appointed by the President 
        shall be persons who by virtue of their background and 
        experience are particularly suited to contribute to achievement 
        of the purposes of the Commission.
            (4) Members of the Commission shall serve without 
        compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence 
        and other necessary expenses incurred by them in the 
        performance of their duties.
            (5) Any vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
        same manner as the original appointment was made.
    (b) Purpose and Report.--
            (1) The purpose of the Commission is to make 
        recommendations to the President and Congress on the policies 
        and programs necessary to provide for a secure and self-
        sustaining future for the local economy of the Virgin Islands 
        through 2020 and on the role of the Federal Government in 
        providing for that future. In developing recommendations, the 
        Commission shall--
                    (A) solicit information and advice from persons and 
                entities that the Commission determines have expertise 
                to assist the Commission in its work;
                    (B) examine and analyze historical data since 1970 
                on expenditures for infrastructure and services;
                    (C) analyze the sources of funds for such 
                expenditures;
                    (D) assemble relevant demographic and economic 
                data, including trends and projects for the future; and
                    (E) estimate future needs of the Virgin Islands, 
                including needs for capital improvements, educational 
                needs and social, health and environmental 
                requirements.
            (2) The recommendations of the Commission shall be 
        transmitted to the President, the Committee on Energy and 
        Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee 
        on Resources of the United States House of Representatives no 
        later than December 1, 1997. The recommendations shall be 
        accompanied by a report that sets forth the basis for the 
recommendations and includes an analysis of the capability of the 
Virgin Islands to meet projected needs based on reasonable alternative 
economic, political and social conditions in the Caribbean, including 
the opening in the near future of Cuba to trade, tourism and 
development.
    (c) Powers.--
            (1) The Commission may--
                    (A) hold such hearings, sit and act at such times 
                and places, take such testimony and receive such 
                evidence as it may deem advisable;
                    (B) use the United States mail in the same manner 
                and upon the same conditions as other departments and 
                agencies of the United States;
                    (C) enter into contracts or agreements for studies 
                and surveys with public and private organizations and 
                transfer funds to Federal agencies to carry out such 
                aspects of the Commission's functions as the Commission 
                determines can best be carried out in such manner; and
                    (D) incur such necessary expenses and exercise such 
                other powers as are consistent with and reasonably 
                required to perform its functions.
            (2) The Secretary of the Interior shall provide such office 
        space, furnishings and equipment as may be required to enable 
        the Commission to perform its functions. The Secretary shall 
        also furnish the Commission with such staff, including clerical 
        support, as the Commission may require and shall provide to the 
        Commission financial and administrative services, including 
        those relating to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, 
        personnel and procurement.
            (3) The President, upon request of the Commission, may 
        direct the head of any Federal agency or department to assist 
        the Commission and if so directed such head shall--
                    (A) furnish the Commission to the extent permitted 
                by law and within available appropriations such 
                information as may be necessary for carrying out the 
                functions of the Commission and as may be available to 
                or procurable by such department or agency; and
                    (B) detail to temporary duty with the Commission on 
                a reimbursable basis such personnel within his 
                administrative jurisdiction as the Commission may need 
                or believe to be useful for carrying out its functions, 
                each such detail to be without loss of seniority, pay 
                or other employee status.
    (d) Chairman.--Subject to general policies that the Commission may 
adopt, the Chairman of the Commission shall be the chief executive 
officer of the Commission and shall exercise its executive and 
administrative powers. The Chairman may make such provisions as he may 
deem appropriate authorizing the performance of his executive and 
administrative functions by the staff of the Commission.
    (e) Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
    (f) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate three months after 
the transmission of the report and recommendations under subsection 
(b)(2).
                                 <all>