[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2715 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2715

To amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide 
 for duty-free treatment of personal effects of participants entering 
the United States to participate in international athletic events, and 
               items used in connection with such events.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 5, 1999

 Mr. Crane (for himself and Mr. Rangel) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide 
 for duty-free treatment of personal effects of participants entering 
the United States to participate in international athletic events, and 
               items used in connection with such events.

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

SECTION 1. TREATMENT OF PERSONAL EFFECTS OF PARTICIPANTS IN 
              INTERNATIONAL ATHLETIC EVENTS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter XVII of chapter 98 of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by inserting in 
numerical sequence the following new heading:
      

``       9817.60.00       Any of the             .................  Free                 Free
                           following articles                                                                 ''
                           not intended for                                                                    .
                           sale or
                           distribution to
                           the public:
                           personal effects
                           of aliens who are
                           participants in,
                           officials of, or
                           accredited members
                           of delegations to,
                           an international
                           athletic event
                           held in the United
                           States, such as
                           the Olympics, the
                           Goodwill Games,
                           the Special
                           Olympics World
                           Games, the World
                           Cup Soccer Games,
                           or any similar
                           international
                           athletic event as
                           the Secretary of
                           the Treasury may
                           determine, and of
                           persons who are
                           immediate family
                           members of or
                           servants to any of
                           the foregoing
                           persons; equipment
                           and materials
                           imported in
                           connection with
                           any such foregoing
                           event by or on
                           behalf of the
                           foregoing persons
                           or the organizing
                           committee of such
                           an event, articles
                           to be used in
                           exhibitions
                           depicting the
                           culture of a
                           country
                           participating in
                           such an event;
                           and, if consistent
                           with the
                           foregoing, such
                           other articles as
                           the Secretary of
                           the Treasury may
                           allow.............

    (b) Taxes, Fees, Inspection.--The U.S. Notes to chapter XVII of 
chapter 98 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is 
amended by adding at the end the following new note:
``6. Any article exempt from duty under heading 9817.60.00 shall be 
        free of taxes and fees that may otherwise be applicable, but 
        shall not be free or otherwise exempt or excluded from routine 
        or other inspections as may be required by the Customs 
        Service.''
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section apply to 
goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Termination of Temporary Provisions.--Heading 9902.98.08 of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States shall, notwithstanding 
any provision of such heading, cease to be effective on the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>