[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 762 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 762

    To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for voluntary 
 contributions on a grant basis to the Organization of American States 
(OAS) to establish a Center for Caribbean Basin Trade and to establish 
     a skills-based training program for Caribbean Basin countries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 2007

  Mr. Fortuno (for himself and Mr. Burton of Indiana) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for voluntary 
 contributions on a grant basis to the Organization of American States 
(OAS) to establish a Center for Caribbean Basin Trade and to establish 
     a skills-based training program for Caribbean Basin countries.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Caribbean Basin 
Trade Enhancement Act of 2007''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
               TITLE I--CENTER FOR CARIBBEAN BASIN TRADE

Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Establishment.
Sec. 103. Activities.
Sec. 104. Administrative provisions.
Sec. 105. Sense of Congress.
        TITLE II--CARIBBEAN BASIN SKILLS-BASED TRAINING PROGRAM

Sec. 201. Findings.
Sec. 202. Establishment.
Sec. 203. Activities.
Sec. 204. Sense of Congress.
                     TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 301. Report.
Sec. 302. Definitions.
Sec. 303. Authorization of appropriations.

               TITLE I--CENTER FOR CARIBBEAN BASIN TRADE

SEC. 101. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Increased globalization and economic integration are 
        requiring countries throughout the world to rethink their 
        competitiveness strategies and to take affirmative steps to 
        improve their trade capacities.
            (2) Countries of the Caribbean Basin can benefit from 
        assistance to improve their trade capacities.
            (3) The Organization of American States (OAS) has relevant 
        experience in developing trade capacity initiatives and 
        programs of countries of the Western Hemisphere. In particular, 
        the Department of Trade, Tourism and Competitiveness of the OAS 
        has successfully trained trade negotiators, particularly within 
        the context of negotiations to conclude a Free Trade Area of 
        the Americas (FTAA).

SEC. 102. ESTABLISHMENT.

    The Secretary of State is authorized to make a voluntary 
contribution on a grant basis to the Organization of American States to 
establish a Center for Caribbean Basin Trade (hereinafter in this title 
referred to as the ``Center'') in accordance with the provisions of 
this title.

SEC. 103. ACTIVITIES.

    The Center shall carry out the following activities:
            (1) Provide government officials of Caribbean Basin 
        countries, including trade negotiators, with technical 
        assistance in developing and implementing trade agreements.
            (2) Assist government officials and private sector 
        representatives of Caribbean Basin countries to further assist 
        firms in developing export readiness, such as developing firms' 
        commitment, identifying primary target markets, selecting 
        market entry strategies, developing an international market 
        plan, and developing distribution networks in other countries.
            (3) Provide training and consulting services to Caribbean 
        Basin countries to upgrade port facilities, strengthen security 
        measures, upgrade customs procedures, and modernize other 
        infrastructure critical to trade.
            (4) Provide training and consulting services to government 
        officials and private sector representatives of Caribbean Basin 
        countries on import requirements of major trading countries for 
        the Caribbean Basin region, including the United States, as 
        well as financing mechanisms.

SEC. 104. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    The Secretary of State, acting through the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and the United States Permanent 
Representative to the Organization of American States, shall work with 
the Organization of American States to determine the location, staffing 
requirements, programs, and working methodology of the Center.

SEC. 105. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that a thorough study and analysis 
should be undertaken to determine a permanent location of the Center.

        TITLE II--CARIBBEAN BASIN SKILLS-BASED TRAINING PROGRAM

SEC. 201. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Studies demonstrate that greater emphasis needs to be 
        given to secondary education in countries of the Western 
        Hemisphere, including Caribbean Basin countries, in order to 
        bridge the widening educational and technology gap in such 
        countries, which ultimately hinders job growth.
            (2) Access to education is fundamental in helping to 
        eradicate the poverty which limits economic growth in the 
        countries of the Caribbean Basin.
            (3) Countries of the Western Hemisphere have consistently 
        lagged behind the countries of Asia and other regions, 
        suffering a self-perpetuating cycle of low-growth and 
        increasing poverty.
            (4) The community college system in the United States 
        provides skills-based training for United States workers and is 
        a useful model for a skills-based training system for Caribbean 
        Basin countries.
            (5) A skills-based training program established under the 
        management of the Organization of American States (OAS) would 
        be an effective means of addressing the needs of individuals 
        and economic concerns in the Caribbean Basin region.
            (6) Such a program would provide individuals with the 
        skills required to improve their standard of living and, 
        together with employers, would further facilitate the economic 
        integration of the countries of the Western Hemisphere.

SEC. 202. ESTABLISHMENT.

    The Secretary of State is authorized to make a voluntary 
contribution on a grant basis to the Organization of American States to 
establish a skills-based training program for Caribbean Basin countries 
(hereinafter in this title referred to as the ``program'') in 
accordance with the provisions of this title.

SEC. 203. ACTIVITIES.

    The program shall carry out activities to support a productive 
workforce in Caribbean Basin countries.

SEC. 204. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the program should focus on mid-
level technical education and training for the workforce in Caribbean 
Basin countries, utilizing existing educational facilities, cooperative 
private sector and government entities, and Internet-based training.

                     TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 301. REPORT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 302. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
            (2) Caribbean basin countries; countries of the caribbean 
        basin.--The term ``Caribbean Basin countries'' or ``countries 
        of the Caribbean Basin'' means the countries and territories 
        specified in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of section 
        212(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 
        2702(b)).
            (3) OAS.--The term ``OAS'' means the Organization of 
        American States.

SEC. 303. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of State to carry out this Act such sums 
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--Of the amount appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a), it is the sense 
of Congress that up to $10,000,000 should be available to carry out 
title I of this Act and up to $10,000,000 should be available to carry 
out title II of this Act.
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