[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4602 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4602

To protect United States citizens against expropriations of property by 
              the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2000

 Mr. Gilman (for himself, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Burton of Indiana, 
   Mr. McCollum, Mr. King, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Deutsch, and Mr. Gonzalez) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Banking 
 and Financial Services, 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 protect United States citizens against expropriations of property by 
              the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua.

    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 ``Property Protection Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS AGAINST EXPROPRIATIONS OF 
              PROPERTY BY NICARAGUA.

    (a) Bilateral Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 527(g) of the 
        Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 
        1995, assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or 
        the Arms Export Control Act for fiscal year 2001 or 2002 may 
        only be provided to the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua 
        if the President first makes a certification under subsection 
        (d) for the fiscal year involved.
            (2) Exception.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the term 
        ``assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961'' shall 
        not include--
                    (A) assistance under chapter 1 or chapter 10 of 
                part I of such Act for child survival, basic education, 
                assistance to combat tropical and other diseases, and 
                related activities;
                    (B) assistance under section 481 of such Act 
                (relating to international narcotics control 
                assistance); and
                    (C) assistance under chapter 9 of part I of such 
                Act (relating to international disaster assistance).
    (b) Multilateral Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall instruct the United 
        States Executive Director at each multilateral development bank 
        and international financial institution to which the United 
        States is a member to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 
        United States to oppose any loan or other utilization of the 
        funds of such bank or institution for the benefit of the 
        Republic of Nicaragua for fiscal year 2001 or 2002 unless the 
        President first makes a certification under subsection (d) for 
        the fiscal year involved.
            (2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect 
        to assistance that is directed specifically to programs which 
        serve the basic human needs of the citizens of Nicaragua.
    (c) Report.--Not later than September 1, 2000, or the date of the 
enactment of this Act (whichever occurs later), and not later than 
September 1, 2001, the President shall prepare and transmit to Congress 
a detailed report listing the 50 most urgent property claims by United 
States citizens against the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua 
which shall include, but not be limited to, all property claims in 
which Nicaraguan courts have ruled in favor of United States citizens, 
and property claims by United States citizens involving Public Sector 
National Corporations (CORNAP).
    (d) Certification.--A certification under this subsection is a 
certification to the Congress that the Government of the Republic of 
Nicaragua has returned the nationalized or expropriated property of 
each United States citizen who has a formally-documented claim against 
the Government of Nicaragua listed in the report under subsection (c), 
or has provided adequate and effective compensation in convertible 
foreign exchange or other mutually acceptable compensation equivalent 
to the full value of the nationalized or expropriated property of each 
United States citizen who has a formally-documented claim against the 
Government of Nicaragua listed in the report under subsection (c).
                                 <all>