[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.
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