[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 219 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 219

  To suspend for two years the certification procedures under section 
490(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 in order to foster greater 
 multilateral cooperation in international counternarcotics programs, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2001

    Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Hollings, and Mr. Hagel) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To suspend for two years the certification procedures under section 
490(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 in order to foster greater 
 multilateral cooperation in international counternarcotics programs, 
                        and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION OF DRUG CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The international drug trade poses a direct threat to 
        the United States and to international efforts to promote 
        democracy, economic stability, human rights, and the rule of 
        law.
            (2) The United States has a vital national interest in 
        combating the financial and other resources of the 
        multinational drug cartels, which resources threaten the 
        integrity of political and financial institutions both in the 
        United States and abroad.
            (3) Illegal drug use occurs among members of every ethnic 
        and socioeconomic group in the United States.
            (4) Worldwide drug trafficking generates revenues estimated 
        at $400,000,000,000 annually.
            (5) The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 
        Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention 
        Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic 
        Substances form the legal framework for international dung 
        control cooperation.
            (6) The United Nations International Drug Control Program, 
        the International Narcotics Control Board, and the Organization 
        of American States can play important roles in facilitating the 
        development and implementation of more effective multilateral 
        programs to combat both domestic and international drug 
        trafficking and consumption.
            (7) The annual certification process required by section 
        490 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291j), 
        which has been in effect since 1986, does not currently foster 
        effective and consistent bilateral or multilateral cooperation 
        with United States counternarcotics programs because its 
        provisions are vague and inconsistently applied and in many 
        cases have been superseded by subsequent bilateral and 
        multilateral agreements and because it alienates the very 
        allies whose cooperation we seek.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) many governments are extremely concerned by the 
        national security threat posed by illicit drug production, 
        distribution, and consumption, and crimes related thereto, 
        particularly those in the Western Hemisphere;
            (2) an enhanced multilateral strategy should be developed 
        among drug producing, transit, and consuming nations designed 
        to improve cooperation with respect to the investigation and 
        prosecution of drug related crimes, and to make available 
        information on effective drug education and drug treatment;
            (3) the President should at the earliest feasible date in 
        2001 convene a conference of heads of state of major illicit 
        drug producing countries, major drug transit countries, and 
        major money laundering countries to present and review country 
        by country drug reduction and prevention strategies relevant to 
        the specific circumstances of each country, and agree to a 
        program and timetable for implementation of such strategies; 
        and
            (4) not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the President should transmit to Congress 
        legislation to implement a proposed multilateral strategy to 
        achieve the goals referred to in paragraph (2), including any 
        amendments to existing law that may be required to implement 
        that strategy.
    (c) Two-Year Suspension of Drug Certification Process.--(1) 
Subsections (a) through (g) of section 490 of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291j), relating to annual certification 
procedures for assistance for certain drug-producing countries and 
drug-transit countries, shall not apply in the first 2 calendar years 
beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (2) Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (1), section 489 of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h), relating to the 
international narcotics control strategy report, and section 490(h) of 
that Act (22 U.S.C. 2291j(h)), relating to determinations of major 
drug-transit countries and major illicit drug producing countries, 
shall continue to apply in the 2 calendar years referred to in that 
paragraph.
    (3) The President may waive the applicability of paragraph (1) to 
one or more countries in one or both of the calendar years referred to 
in that paragraph if the President determines that bilateral 
counternarcotics cooperation would be enhanced by the applicability of 
subsections (a) through (g) of section 490 of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 to such country or countries in such calendar year.
    (d) Applicability.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
provisions of subsection (c) shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act and apply with respect to certifications 
otherwise required under section 490 of the Foreign Assistance of 1961 
in the first two fiscal years beginning after that date.
    (2) If this Act is enacted on or before February 28, 2001, the 
provisions of subsection (c) shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act and apply with respect to certifications 
otherwise required under section 490 of the Foreign Assistance of 1961 
in fiscal years 2001 and 2002.
                                 <all>