[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 212 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 212

To require the General Accounting Office to prepare a report assessing 
   the impact and effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed by the 
 United States, to prohibit the imposition of unilateral sanctions on 
  exports of food, other agricultural products, medicines, or medical 
             supplies or equipment, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 1999

 Mr. Nethercutt (for himself and Mr. Serrano) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, 
  and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned.

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the General Accounting Office to prepare a report assessing 
   the impact and effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed by the 
 United States, to prohibit the imposition of unilateral sanctions on 
  exports of food, other agricultural products, medicines, or medical 
             supplies or equipment, 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 ``Freedom to Market Act''.

SEC. 2. GAO REPORT.

    Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General shall--
            (1) conduct--
                    (A) a detailed examination of all economic 
                sanctions affecting United States businesses, 
                differentiating between unilateral and multilateral 
                economic sanctions;
                    (B) an assessment of comparable measures undertaken 
                by other countries in each instance;
                    (C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of both 
                unilateral and multilateral economic sanctions in 
                meeting stated policy goals;
                    (D) an assessment on humanitarian conditions within 
                sanctioned countries, evaluating how sanctions have 
                affected particular states;
                    (E) an assessment of the relationship with United 
                States allies as a consequence of unilateral economic 
                sanctions;
                    (F) an examination of the economic impact of 
                sanctions on United States producers and exporters; and
                    (G) an assessment of potential countries that may 
                be sanctioned under existing United States law or 
                executive authority, but which are not now subject to 
                sanctions (whether because of presidentially exercised 
                waivers, or statutes or executive orders not being 
                applied); and
            (2) submit to the Committee on International Relations and 
        the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
        and to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on 
        the matters addressed in paragraph (1).

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNILATERAL AGRICULTURAL OR MEDICAL SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
President shall not restrict or otherwise prohibit any exports 
(including restricted commercial or Federal financing) of food, other 
agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, or medical 
supplies or equipment as part of any policy of existing or future 
unilateral economic sanctions imposed against a foreign government.
    (b) National Security Waiver.--The President may waive, for periods 
of not more than 1 year each, the applicability of any sanction under 
subsection (a) with respect to a foreign country or entity if the 
President, with respect to each such waiver--
            (1) determines that the national security so requires; and
            (2) transmits to the Congress that determination, together 
        with a detailed description of the reasons therefor, including 
        an explanation of how the sanction will further the national 
        security.

SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORTS BY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Congress, by not 
later than May 1 of each year, a report containing the following:
            (1) The Secretary's assessment of all markets where United 
        States exports of agricultural commodities are limited because 
        of multilateral or unilateral economic sanctions, including 
        specific commodities affected.
            (2) The economic impact on producers of the commodities 
        specified under paragraph (1).
            (3) An assessment of the extent to which displaced United 
        States commodities are being supplied by foreign competitors.
            (4) The expected longer-term consequences of interrupting 
        United States exports.
            (5) Any assistance provided by the Foreign Agricultural 
        Service to offset lost markets due to such sanctions.

SEC. 5. ACTIONS BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall expand agricultural export 
assistance under United States market development, food assistance, or 
export promotion programs to offset all projected losses of 
agricultural commodity markets from unilateral or multilateral 
sanctions identified under section 4, to the maximum extent permitted 
by law and by the obligations of the United States under the Agreement 
on Agriculture referred to in section 101(d)(2) of the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(2)).

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

    As used in this Act, the term ``unilateral economic sanction'' 
means any restriction or condition on economic activity with respect to 
a foreign country or foreign entity that is imposed by the United 
States for reasons of foreign policy or national security, except in a 
case in which the United States imposes the measure pursuant to a 
multilateral regime and the other members of that regime have agreed to 
impose substantially equivalent measures.
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