[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 743 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 743

   To require prior congressional approval before the United States 
supports the admission of the People's Republic of China into the World 
  Trade Organization, and to provide for the withdrawal of the United 
States from the World Trade Organization if China is accepted into the 
             WTO without the support of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 1999

Mr. Hollings (for himself and Mr. Helms) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require prior congressional approval before the United States 
supports the admission of the People's Republic of China into the World 
  Trade Organization, and to provide for the withdrawal of the United 
States from the World Trade Organization if China is accepted into the 
             WTO without the support of the United States.

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

SECTION 1. PRIOR CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FOR SUPPORTING ADMISSION OF 
              CHINA INTO THE WTO.

    (a) In General.--The United States may not support the admission of 
the People's Republic of China as a member of the World Trade 
Organization unless a provision of law is passed by both Houses of 
Congress and enacted into law after the enactment of this Act that 
specifically allows the United States to support such admission.
    (b) Procedures for Congressional Approval of United States Support 
for Admission of China Into the WTO.--
            (1) Notification of congress.--The President shall notify 
        the Congress in writing if he determines that the United States 
        should support the admission of the People's Republic of China 
        into the World Trade Organization.
            (2) Support of china's admission into the wto.--The United 
        States may support the admission of the People's Republic of 
        China into the World Trade Organization if a joint resolution 
        is enacted into law under subsection (c) and the Congress 
        adopts and transmits the joint resolution to the President 
        before the end of the 90-day period (excluding any day 
        described in section 154(b) of the Trade Act of 1974), 
        beginning on the date on which the Congress receives the 
        notification referred to in paragraph (1).
    (c) Joint Resolutions.--
            (1) Joint resolutions.--For purposes of this section, the 
        term ``joint resolution'' means only a joint resolution of the 
        2 Houses of Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of 
        which is as follows: ``That the Congress approves the support 
        of the United States for the admission of the People's Republic 
        of China into the World Trade Organization.''.
            (2) Procedures.--(A) A joint resolution may be introduced 
        at any time on or after the date on which the Congress receives 
        the notification referred to in paragraph (1), and before the 
        end of the 90-day period referred to in subsection (b)(2). A 
        joint resolution may be introduced in either House of the 
        Congress by any Member of such House.
            (B) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, the 
        provisions of subsections (b), (d), (e), and (f) of section 152 
        of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2192 (b), (d), (e), and 
        (f)) apply to joint resolutions to the same extent as such 
        provisions apply to resolutions under such section.
            (C) If the committee of either House to which a joint 
        resolution has been referred has not reported it by the close 
        of the 45th day after its introduction (excluding any day 
        described in section 154(b) of the Trade Act of 1974), such 
        committee shall be automatically discharged from further 
        consideration of the joint resolution and it shall be placed on 
        the appropriate calendar.
            (D) It is not in order for--
                    (i) the Senate to consider any joint resolution 
                unless it has been reported by the Committee on Finance 
                or the committee has been discharged under subparagraph 
                (C); or
                    (ii) the House of Representatives to consider any 
                joint resolution unless it has been reported by the 
                Committee on Ways and Means or the committee has been 
                discharged under subparagraph (C).
            (E) A motion in the House of Representatives to proceed to 
        the consideration of a joint resolution may only be made on the 
        second legislative day after the calendar day on which the 
        Member making the motion announces to the House his or her 
        intention to do so.
            (3) Consideration of second resolution not in order.--It 
        shall not be in order in either the House of Representatives or 
        the Senate to consider a joint resolution (other than a joint 
        resolution received from the other House), if that House has 
        previously adopted a joint resolution under this section.

SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF UNITED STATES FROM THE WTO.

    (a) Notification to Congress of Admission of PRC to the WTO.--If 
the People's Republic of China becomes a member of the World Trade 
Organization without the support of the United States, the President 
shall immediately so notify the Congress and shall, by no later than 
the date on which the membership of the People's Republic of China in 
the World Trade Organization becomes effective, submit written notice 
of the withdrawal of the United States from the WTO Agreement pursuant 
to Article XV of the WTO Agreement.
    (b) Withdrawal of United States Approval of the WTO Agreement.--The 
approval of the Congress, provided under section 101(a) of the Uruguay 
Round Agreements Act, of the WTO Agreement shall cease to be effective 
on the date that is 6 months after the date on which the President 
submits written notice of the withdrawal of the United States from the 
WTO Agreement under subsection (a).
    (c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``WTO 
Agreement'' means the Agreement Establishing the World Trade 
Organization, entered into on April 15, 1994.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 125(b)(1) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 
3535(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``, and only if,''.
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