IIB 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3940 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 8, 2009 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources AN ACT To amend Public Law 96–597 to clarify the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to extend grants and other assistance to facilitate political status public education programs for the peoples of the non-self-governing territories of the United States.

1.

Sense of Congress

Congress reaffirms that it is the responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior to advance the economic, social, and political development of the territories of the United States.

2.

Assistance for political status public education programs

(a)

In general

Section 601 of the Act entitled An Act to authorize appropriations for certain insular areas of the United States, and for other purposes, approved December 24, 1980 (48 U.S.C. 1469d), is amended— (1)by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) as subsections (c) through (e), respectively; and (2)by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection: (b)The Secretary of the Interior may extend to the governments of American Samoa, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands, and their agencies and instrumentalities, assistance, including assistance in the form of grants, research, planning assistance, studies, and agreements with Federal agencies, to facilitate public education programs regarding political status options for their respective territories. . (b)

Conforming amendment

Section 19(a)(2)(C) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(C)) is amended by striking section 601(c) of Public Law 96–597 (48 U.S.C. 1469d(c)) and inserting section 601(d) of Public Law 96–597 (48 U.S.C. 1469d(d)).

Passed the House of Representatives December 7, 2009. Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk