[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3654 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 402
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3654

                      [Report No. 105-631, Part I]

To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to require the President to 
      report to Congress on any selective embargo on agricultural 
commodities, to provide a termination date for the embargo, to provide 
   greater assurances for contract sanctity, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 1, 1998

Mr. Ewing (for himself, Mr. Condit, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, 
Mr. Bereuter, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Minge, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Moran of Kansas, 
and Mr. Kolbe) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

                             July 16, 1998

      Reported with an amendment and referred to the Committee on 
 International Relations for a period ending not later than August 7, 
1998, for consideration of such provisions of the bill and amendment as 
fall within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to clause 1(i), 
                                 rule X
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

                             August 6, 1998

  Referral to the Committee on International Relations extended for a 
            period ending not later than September 11, 1998

                           September 11, 1998

Additional sponsors: Mr. Barrett of Nebraska, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Smith of 
   Michigan, Mr. Poshard, Mr. Towns, Mr. Nethercutt, Mr. Foley, Mr. 
Weller, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Thune, Mr. Boswell, Mrs. Clayton, 
 Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. Canady of Florida, Mr. Costello, Mr. Lewis 
 of Kentucky, Mr. Hastert, Mr. Gutknecht, and Mr. Peterson of Minnesota

                           September 11, 1998

   Committee on International Relations discharged; committed to the 
 Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to 
                               be printed
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 
                                1, 1998]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to require the President to 
      report to Congress on any selective embargo on agricultural 
commodities, to provide a termination date for the embargo, to provide 
   greater assurances for contract sanctity, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Selective Agricultural Embargoes Act 
of 1998''.

SEC. 2. REPORTING ON SELECTIVE EMBARGOES.

    The Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5711 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end of title VI:

``SEC. 604. REPORTING ON SELECTIVE EMBARGOES.

    ``(a) Report.--If the President takes any action, pursuant to 
statutory authority, to embargo the export under an export sales 
contract (as defined in subsection (e)) of an agricultural commodity to 
a country that is not part of an embargo on all exports to the country, 
not later than 5 days after imposing the embargo, the President shall 
submit a report to Congress that sets forth in detail the reasons for 
the embargo and specifies the proposed period during which the embargo 
will be effective.
    ``(b) Approval of Embargo.--If a joint resolution approving the 
embargo becomes law during the 100-day period beginning on the date of 
receipt of the report provided for in subsection (a), the embargo shall 
terminate on the earlier of--
            ``(1) a date determined by the President; or
            ``(2) the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment 
        of the joint resolution approving the embargo.
    ``(c) Disapproval of Embargo.--If a joint resolution disapproving 
the embargo becomes law during the 100-day period referred to in 
subsection (b), the embargo shall terminate on the expiration of the 
100-day period.
    ``(d) Exception.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
section, an embargo may take effect and continue in effect during any 
period in which the United States is in a state of war declared by 
Congress or national emergency, requiring such action, declared by the 
President.
    ``(e) Definitions.--As used in this section--
            ``(1) the term `agricultural commodity' includes plant 
        nutrient materials;
            ``(2) the term `under an export sales contract' means under 
        an export sales contract entered into before the President has 
        transmitted to Congress notice of the proposed embargo; and
            ``(3) the term `embargo' includes any prohibition or 
        curtailment.''.

SEC. 3. ADDITION OF PLANT NUTRIENT MATERIALS TO PROTECTION OF CONTRACT 
              SANCTITY.

    Section 602(c) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 
5712(c)) is amended by inserting ``(including plant nutrient 
materials)'' after ``agricultural commodity'' each place it appears.

SEC. 4. EXEMPTION FROM SANCTIONS FOR PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              AGRICULTURE.

    Section 102(b)(2)(D) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2799aa-1(b)(2)(D)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (ii) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``, or''; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
                    ``(iii) to any credit, credit guarantee, or other 
                financial assistance provided by the Department of 
                Agriculture for the purchase or other provision of food 
                or other agricultural commodities.''.




                                                 Union Calendar No. 402

105th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3654

                      [Report No. 105-631, Part I]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to require the President to 
      report to Congress on any selective embargo on agricultural 
commodities, to provide a termination date for the embargo, to provide 
   greater assurances for contract sanctity, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 11, 1998

   Committee on International Relations discharged; committed to the 
 Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to 
                               be printed