[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5487 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5487

   To establish the W. John Child Memorial Foreign Language Award to 
   recognize foreign language proficiency by members of the Foreign 
      Service who are employees of the Department of Agriculture.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 18, 2000

 Mr. Ehrlich introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the W. John Child Memorial Foreign Language Award to 
   recognize foreign language proficiency by members of the Foreign 
      Service who are employees of the Department of Agriculture.

    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 ``W. John Child Memorial Foreign 
Language Award Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The late W. John Child was an exemplary Foreign 
        Agricultural Service Officer of the Department of Agriculture 
        who worked tirelessly for decades to open the Japanese market 
        to United States agricultural products.
            (2) For 27 and a half years, Mr. Child served the United 
        States with the utmost distinction and honor and made an 
        extraordinary contribution to the cause of American agriculture 
        in the Japanese market.
            (3) Much of Mr. Child's success was due to his remarkable 
        command of the Japanese language, whereby he was able to make 
        the case for United States agriculture directly to the Japanese 
        people.
            (4) Mr. Child's efforts have demonstrated the importance of 
        foreign language proficiency for Foreign Service officers 
        serving in the United States Department of Agriculture.
            (5) Congress finds it appropriate to memorialize Mr. 
        Child's acomplishments by establishing a foreign language 
        proficiency award for Foreign Service officers who are 
        employees of the Department of Agriculture.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF W. JOHN CHILD MEMORIAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE AWARD.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an award designated the 
``W. John Child Memorial Foreign Language Award'' (hereinafter in this 
Act referred to as ``the Award'') for the recognition of distinguished 
foreign language proficiency by members of the Foreign Service who are 
career officers or employees of the Department of Agriculture.
    (b) Award Citation.--Recipients of the Award shall receive a 
citation which shall be of such design as shall be determined by the 
Secretary of Agriculture.
    (c) Authority.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall designate 
annually one or more recipients of the Award from among individuals 
nominated for the Award pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary 
may prescribe, after consultation with the Administrator of the Foreign 
Agricultural Service and the Administrator of the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture.
    (d) Posthumous Award.--An Award may be made to an individual who is 
a former employee of the Department of Agriculture or to an individual 
who is deceased. The presentation of an award may be made to an 
individual's next of kin or representative, as designated by the 
Secretary.
    (e) Definition of Member of the Foreign Service.--In this Act, the 
term ``member of the Foreign Service'' means any individual described 
under section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
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