[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4782 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4782

  To provide for the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal 
 trade relations treatment) to the products of the Republic of Georgia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2000

  Mr. Crane introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal 
 trade relations treatment) to the products of the Republic of Georgia.

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

SECTION 1. NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA.

    (a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds that the Republic 
of Georgia has--
            (1) made considerable progress toward respecting 
        fundamental human rights consistent with the objectives of 
        title IV of the Trade Act of 1974;
            (2) adopted administrative procedures that accord its 
        citizens the right to emigrate, travel freely, and to return to 
        their country without restriction;
            (3) been found to be in full compliance with the freedom of 
        emigration provisions in title IV of the Trade Act of 1974;
            (4) made progress toward democratic rule and creating a 
        free market economic system since its independence from the 
        Soviet Union;
            (5) committed to developing a system of governance in 
        accord with the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference 
        on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the 
        ``Helsinki Final Act'') regarding human rights and humanitarian 
        affairs;
            (6) endeavored to address issues related to its national 
        and religious minorities and, as a member state of the 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 
        committed to adopting special measures for ensuring that 
        persons belonging to national minorities have full equality 
        individually as well as in community with other members of 
        their group;
            (7) also committed to enacting legislation to provide 
        protection against incitement to violence against persons or 
        groups based on national, racial, ethnic or religious 
        discrimination, hostility, or hatred, including anti-Semitism;
            (8) continued to return communal properties confiscated 
        from national and religious minorities during the Soviet 
        period, facilitating the reemergence of these communities in 
        the national life of Georgia and establishing the legal 
        framework for completion of this process in the future;
            (9) concluded a bilateral investment treaty with the United 
        States in 1994;
            (10) demonstrated a strong desire to build a friendly and 
        cooperative relationship with the United States; and
            (11) acceded to the World Trade Organization on June 14, 
        2000, and the extension of unconditional normal trade relations 
        treatment to the products of Georgia will enable the United 
        States to avail itself of all rights under the World Trade 
        Organization with respect to Georgia.

SEC. 2. NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA.

    (a) Presidential Determination and Extension of Nondiscriminatory 
Treatment.--Notwithstanding any provision of title IV of the Trade Act 
of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.), the President may--
            (1) determine that such title should no longer apply to the 
        Republic of Georgia; and
            (2) after making a determination under paragraph (1) with 
        respect to the Republic of Georgia, proclaim the extension of 
        nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) 
        to the products of that country.
    (b) Termination of Application of Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 
to the Republic of Georgia.--On and after the effective date of the 
extension under subsection (a)(2) of nondiscriminatory treatment to the 
products of the Republic of Georgia, title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 
shall cease to apply to that country.
                                 <all>