[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 502 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 502

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish a coordinated 
    program to provide economic and development assistance for the 
                   countries of the Caribbean region.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish a coordinated 
    program to provide economic and development assistance for the 
                   countries of the Caribbean region.

    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 ``Caribbean Regional Assistance Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The 16 countries of the Caribbean region constitute a 
        ``third border'' with the United States because of the 
        proximity and importance of countries in this region as a 
        tourist destination.
            (2) Unemployment, weak judicial systems, environmental 
        degradation, and natural disasters in the Caribbean region 
        directly affect the well-being of the United States and the 
        future of the countries in this region will inevitably affect 
        the future of the United States.
            (3) The public sector in many Caribbean countries lacks 
        appropriate training and clearly defined authority and needs to 
        become more efficient.
            (4) In the 1990's economic growth in the Caribbean region 
        lagged seriously behind economic growth in the Latin American 
        region. This discrepancy will produce significantly lower 
        living standards and lower levels of tax revenues with which to 
        address critical social needs for the Caribbean region.
            (5) Highly trained labor is often unavailable in the 
        Caribbean region and governmental red tape limits the ability 
        of the private sector to take full advantage of opportunities 
        in the world marketplace.
            (6) Heavy reliance on relatively few exports and tourism 
        products and the relatively high cost of transportation and 
        telecommunications services further constrain growth in the 
        Caribbean region.
            (7) A more regional corporate strategy for business success 
        and competition in the global marketplace needs to be developed 
        for the Caribbean region.
            (8) Many small Caribbean countries are facing severe 
        economic and social stress due to the decline in banana 
        production and the prospective loss or curtailment of existing 
        European Union trade preferences.
            (9) Economic displacement of small farmers and individuals 
        employed in the supporting infrastructure of the banana 
        industry--individuals who comprise approximately 50 percent of 
        the workforce of some Caribbean countries--will continue and 
        will place added pressures on the economies of these countries.
            (10) In the small open economies of countries in the 
        Caribbean region, growth can only be achieved as the policies 
        and products of these countries, both goods and services, 
        become increasingly competitive in the global market.
            (11) Deterioration in economic, social, and political 
        conditions in the small countries of the Caribbean region is 
        leading to increased crime in the region and increased illegal 
        immigration to the United States.
            (12) The United States is also concerned about narcotics 
        trafficking in the Caribbean region, particularly with respect 
        to continuing bilateral cooperation with Caribbean governments 
        in drug interdiction and combating money laundering.
            (13) The economic and social development of the Caribbean 
        region depends on the efficiency and fairness of the legal 
        systems of this region. There is a widespread perception that 
        the legal systems in the Caribbean region are inefficient and 
        ineffective and that the administration of law and the quality 
        of justice that is rendered needs to be improved.
            (14) The ecosystems which sustain the economies of the 
        countries of the Caribbean region, whether based on 
        agriculture, fisheries, or tourism, are under severe and 
        increasing stress.
            (15) Environmental problems in the Caribbean region arise 
        from inadequate and inappropriate waste management, land use 
        practices, and coastal zone management.
            (16) The Caribbean region currently has the highest HIV/
        AIDS prevalence rate of any region in the world other than sub-
        Saharan Africa. Out of the 12 countries with the highest HIV/
        AIDS prevalence rates in Latin America and the Caribbean 
        region, 9 are in the Caribbean region. HIV/AIDS has spread to 
        the general population in 5 countries in the Caribbean region, 
        and in other Caribbean countries the epidemic is accelerating 
        rapidly and is poised to strike the remaining general 
        populations.
            (17) The enactment in 1983 of the Caribbean Basin Economic 
        Recovery Act represented a successful commitment by the United 
        States to encourage the development of strong democratic 
        governments and revitalized economies in neighboring countries 
        in the Caribbean region.
            (18) In May 1997, United States and Caribbean leaders met 
        in Bridgetown, Barbados, and pledged to strengthen cooperation 
        in responding to the challenges of the coming millennium.
            (19) The Bridgetown Barbados Summit commits the United 
        States and signatory Caribbean countries to a Plan of Action in 
        the areas of trade, economic development, and justice and 
        security.
            (20) In April 1998 leaders from the Western Hemisphere 
        nations met in Santiago, Chile, and noted in their summit 
        declaration that ``the real economic benefits in the Americas 
        [result] from more open trade, transparency in economic 
        regulations, sound market-based policies, as well as efforts by 
        the private sector to increase competitiveness''.
            (21) The United States is committed to completing a Free 
        Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process by 2005 in order to 
        expand markets for United States goods and services and to help 
        ensure safe destinations for United States foreign investment.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.

    Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

           ``CHAPTER 13--ASSISTANCE FOR THE CARIBBEAN REGION

``SEC. 499N. PURPOSE.

    ``The purpose of this chapter is to provide assistance for the 
countries of the Caribbean region to promote broad-based, sustainable, 
and successful economic development and growth that emphasizes small 
economy diversification, technical training, trade enhancement, 
judicial reform, environmental management, and other related goals.

``SEC. 499O. AUTHORIZATION.

    ``The President, acting through the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, is authorized to establish 
and carry out a coordinated program to provide assistance for the 
countries of the Caribbean region to support the economic and 
development activities described in section 499P.

``SEC. 499P. ACTIVITIES.

    ``Activities that may be supported by assistance under section 499O 
include the following:
            ``(1) Improvement of governmental institutions.--Activities 
        to improve the quality and capacity of governmental 
        institutions of countries of the Caribbean region, including 
        activities--
                    ``(A) to provide technical assistance and training 
                for institutions that provide customs services, revenue 
                collection, or institutions which promote investment 
                opportunities;
                    ``(B) to provide assistance for specialized 
                training to judges and magistrates in order to improve 
                efficiency and to reduce case backlogs of Caribbean 
                court systems; and
                    ``(C) to coordinate and consolidate administrative 
                procedures and to expand the use of alternative dispute 
                resolution mechanisms.
            ``(2) Economic diversification.--Activities to improve the 
        economic diversification of countries of the Caribbean region, 
        including activities--
                    ``(A) to provide technical assistance and training 
                to such countries to develop more focused regional 
                business strategies to increase the development of new 
                businesses and stimulate competition among businesses;
                    ``(B) to increase lending assistance to small and 
                micro-enterprises, to improve institutions that provide 
                training for such enterprises, and to enhance the 
                ability of such enterprises to market products and 
                increase production capacity;
                    ``(C) to promote compliance by such countries and 
                regional organizations with the World Trade 
                Organization (WTO) and the proposed Free Trade Area of 
                the Americas (FTAA);
                    ``(D) to promote the tourism industry of the 
                Caribbean region through the development of community-
                based tourism, sustainable tourism, and public-private 
                partnerships; and
                    ``(E) to promote the diversification of the 
                agricultural sector by improving the production and 
                marketing of competitive, non-traditional agricultural 
                commodities.
            ``(3) Environmental management.--Activities to increase the 
        capacity of governments of countries of the Caribbean region to 
        provide environmental management services, including 
        activities--
                    ``(A) to fund programs to strengthen environmental 
                management organizations and legal frameworks; and
                    ``(B) to increase public awareness of and encourage 
                public compliance with environmental regulations.
            ``(4) HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.--Activities to 
        reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS in countries of the Caribbean 
        region and to provide treatment for individuals with HIV/AIDS 
        in such region.

``SEC. 499Q. CREDIT ASSISTANCE.

    ``In carrying out the program authorized under section 499O, the 
President is encouraged to provide credit assistance to carry out the 
economic and development activities described in section 499P. The 
provisions of section 107A(d) (relating to general provisions 
applicable to development credit authority), as proposed to be added to 
this Act by section 306 of H.R. 1486 (as reported in the House of 
Representatives in the 105th Congress), shall apply with respect to 
credit assistance provided under the program.

``SEC. 499R. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this chapter:
            ``(1) Countries of the caribbean region.--The term 
        `countries of the Caribbean region'--
                    ``(A) means Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth 
                of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of 
                Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, the Co-
                operative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Haiti, 
                Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint 
                Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Suriname, 
                and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; and
                    ``(B) includes Montserrat.
            ``(2) HIV/AIDS.--The term `HIV/AIDS' means infection with 
        the human immunodeficiency virus. Such term includes the 
        acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

``SEC. 499S. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise available for 
the purposes of this chapter, there are authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this chapter $8,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 
through 2006.
    ``(b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) are authorized to 
remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 4. USAID OFFICE FOR THE CARIBBEAN REGION.

    The Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development is authorized to establish an office in Bridgetown, 
Barbados, or in another appropriate country in the Caribbean region, 
for the purpose of carrying out chapter 13 of part I of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961, as added by section 3 of this Act.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    (a) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United 
        States Agency for International Development shall prepare and 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
        that contains a proposed plan to implement chapter 13 of part I 
        of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by section 3 of 
        this Act.
            (2) Plan requirements.--The plan referred to in paragraph 
        (1) shall contain, at a minimum, the following:
                    (A) Key objectives for assistance to be provided 
                under chapter 13 of part I of the Foreign Assistance 
                Act of 1961 for countries in the Caribbean region.
                    (B) Actions required to support and achieve such 
                objectives, including a schedule and cost estimates for 
                implementing such actions.
                    (C) A description of the benchmarks to be used to 
                measure the progress toward such objectives.
                    (D) A description of how such objectives relate to 
                and affect the overall United States objectives for the 
                Western Hemisphere and worldwide.
    (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means the Committee on International 
Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate.
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