[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1370 Reported in House (RH)]





                                                 Union Calendar No. 132

105th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1370

                          [Report No. 105-224]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

      To reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 31, 1997

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed





                                                 Union Calendar No. 132
105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1370

                          [Report No. 105-224]

      To reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 1997

    Mr. Castle (by request) (for himself, Mr. Flake, Mr. Leach, Mr. 
  Gonzalez, Mr. Bereuter, Mr. LaFalce, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Bentsen, Mr. 
   Gejdenson, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Metcalf, and Mr. Gilman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                     Banking and Financial Services

                             July 31, 1997

             Additional sponsor: Mr. Maloney of Connecticut

                             July 31, 1997

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 
                               17, 1997]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To reauthorize the Export-Import Bank 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. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.

    Section 7 of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635f) is 
amended by striking ``1997'' and inserting ``2001''.

SEC. 2. TIED AID CREDIT FUND AUTHORITY.

    (a) Section 10(c)(2) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 
U.S.C. 635i-3(c)(2)) is amended by striking ``through September 30, 
1997''.
    (b) Section 10(e) of such Act (12 U.S.C. 635i-3(e)) is amended by 
striking the first sentence and inserting the following: ``There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Fund such sums as may be necessary 
to carry out the purposes of this section.''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE FINANCING FOR THE EXPORT OF 
              NONLETHAL DEFENSE ARTICLES OR SERVICES THE PRIMARY END 
              USE OF WHICH WILL BE FOR CIVILIAN PURPOSES.

    Section 1(c) of Public Law 103-428 (12 U.S.C. 635 note; 108 Stat. 
4376) is amended by striking ``1997'' and inserting ``2001''.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF PROCEDURES FOR DENYING CREDIT BASED ON THE 
              NATIONAL INTEREST.

    Section 2(b)(1)(B) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 
635(b)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in the last sentence, by inserting ``, after 
        consultation with the Committee on Banking and Financial 
        Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
        Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate,'' after 
        ``President''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following: ``Each such 
        determination shall be delivered in writing to the President of 
        the Bank, shall state that the determination is made pursuant 
        to this section, and shall specify the applications or 
        categories of applications for credit which should be denied by 
        the Bank in furtherance of the national interest.''.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE COUNSEL.

    Section 3(e) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 
635a(e)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(e)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) The General Counsel of the Bank shall ensure that the 
directors, officers, and employees of the Bank have available 
appropriate legal counsel for advice on, and oversight of, issues 
relating to ethics, conflicts of interest, personnel matters, and other 
administrative law matters by designating an attorney to serve as 
Assistant General Counsel for Administration, whose duties, under the 
supervision of the General Counsel, shall be concerned solely or 
primarily with such issues.''.

SEC. 6. ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.

    (a) In General.--Section 2(b) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 
(12 U.S.C. 635(b)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (8) the 
following:
    ``(9)(A) The Board of Directors of the Bank shall take prompt 
measures, consistent with the credit standards otherwise required by 
law, to promote the expansion of the Bank's financial commitments in 
sub-Saharan Africa under the loan, guarantee, and insurance programs of 
the Bank.
    ``(B)(i) The Board of Directors shall establish and use an advisory 
committee to advise the Board of Directors on the development and 
implementation of policies and programs designed to support the 
expansion described in subparagraph (A).
    ``(ii) The advisory committee shall make recommendations to the 
Board of Directors on how the Bank can facilitate greater support by 
United States commercial banks for trade with sub-Saharan Africa.
    ``(iii) The advisory committee shall terminate 4 years after the 
date of the enactment of this subparagraph.''.
    (b) Reports to the Congress.--Within 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually for each of the 4 years thereafter, 
the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States 
submit to the Congress a report on the steps that the Board has taken 
to implement section 2(b)(9)(B) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 
and any recommendations of the advisory committee established pursuant 
to such section.

SEC. 7. INCREASE IN LABOR REPRESENTATION ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF 
              THE EXPORT-IMPORT BANK.

    Section 3(d)(2) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 
635a(d)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(2)''; and
            (2) by adding after and below the end the following:
    ``(B) Not less than 2 members appointed to the Advisory Committee 
shall be representative of the labor community.''.

SEC. 8. OUTREACH TO COMPANIES.

    Section 2(b)(1) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 
635(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(I) The Chairman of the Bank shall design and implement a program 
to provide information about Bank programs to companies which have not 
participated in Bank programs. Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this subparagraph, the Chairman of the Bank shall 
submit to the Congress a report on the activities undertaken pursuant 
to this subparagraph.''.

SEC. 9. FIRMS THAT HAVE SHOWN A COMMITMENT TO REINVESTMENT AND JOB 
              CREATION IN THE UNITED STATES TO BE GIVEN PREFERENCE IN 
              FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DETERMINATIONS.

    Section 2(b)(1) of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 
635(b)(1)), as amended by section 8 of this Act, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(J) The Board of Directors of the Bank shall prescribe such 
regulations and the Bank shall implement such procedures as may be 
appropriate to ensure that, in selecting from among firms to which to 
provide financial assistance, preference be given to any firm that has 
shown a commitment to reinvestment and job creation in the United 
States.''.