[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1558 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1558

  To authorize expenditures by the Panama Canal Commission for fiscal 
                   year 2000, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 1999

     Mr. Bateman (for himself and Mr. Underwood) (both by request) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize expenditures by the Panama Canal Commission for fiscal 
                   year 2000, 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; REFERENCES TO PANAMA CANAL ACT OF 1979.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Panama Canal 
Commission Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000''.
    (b) References to Panama Canal Act of 1979.--Except as otherwise 
expressly provided, whenever in this title an amendment or repeal is 
expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other 
provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
other provision of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 (22 U.S.C. 3601 et 
seq.).

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF EXPENDITURES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Panama Canal 
Commission is authorized to use amounts in the Panama Canal Revolving 
Fund to make such expenditures within the limits of funds and borrowing 
authority available to it in accordance with law, and to make such 
contracts and commitments, as may be necessary under the Panama Canal 
Act of 1979 (22 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) for the operation, maintenance, 
improvement, and administration of the Panama Canal for fiscal year 
2000 through noon on December 31, 1999, at which point responsibility 
for such maintenance, improvement, and administration will be 
transferred to the Republic of Panama by authority of the Panama Canal 
Treaty of 1977.
    (b) Limitations.--For fiscal year 2000 through noon on December 31, 
1999, the Panama Canal Commission may expend from funds in the Panama 
Canal Revolving Fund not more than $100,000 for official reception and 
representation expenses, of which--
            (1) not more than $28,000 may be used for official 
        reception and representation expenses of the Supervisory Board 
        of the Commission;
            (2) not more than $14,000 may be used for official 
        reception and representation expenses of the Secretary of the 
        Commission; and
            (3) not more than $58,000 may be used for official 
        reception and representation expenses of the Administrator of 
        the Commission.

SEC. 3. PURCHASE OF VEHICLES.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the funds available to 
the Commission shall be available for the purchase and transportation 
to the Republic of Panama of passenger motor vehicles, the purchase 
price of which shall not exceed $26,000 per vehicle.

SEC. 4. OFFICE OF TRANSITION ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Expenditures From Panama Canal Commission Dissolution Fund.--
The office established under section 1305 of the Panama Canal Act of 
1979 as amended (22 U.S.C. 3714a) to close out the affairs of the 
Commission, known as the Office of Transition Administration, is hereby 
authorized to expend or obligate funds from the Panama Canal Commission 
Dissolution Fund established under such section for the purposes 
enumerated in such section until October 1, 2004, the termination date 
of said Fund.
    (b) Operation of the Office of Transition Administration.--Relevant 
provisions of the Panama Canal Act of 1979, as amended (22 U.S.C. 3601 
et seq.), shall continue to govern the Office of Transition 
Administration. For purposes of exercising authority under the 
procurement laws of the United States, the director of such offices 
shall have the status of the head of an agency. The Office of 
Transition Administration shall have offices in the Republic of Panama 
and in Washington, D.C. Such Office in Panama shall be subject to the 
Chief of Mission authority of the United States Embassy in Panama.
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