[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3157-S3160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. KERREY (for himself, Mr. Dole, Mr. Exon, and Mrs. 
        Kassebaum):
  S. 1649. A bill to extend contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation 
and irrigation districts in Kansas and Nebraska, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


         the irrigation project contract extension act of 1996

 Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, I introduce legislation to extend 
the water service contracts for irrigation projects in Nebraska and 
Kansas.
  Mr. President, a little over 50 years ago, Congress authorized 
construction of a set of water management projects as a part of the 
Flood Control Act of 1944. These projects were designed to provide 
control, conservation, and use of water resources throughout the 
Missouri River basin. Known as the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, 
the system has provided flood control, power generation and irrigation 
to over 3.7 million acres, as well as stream pollution abatement, 
sediment control, water supplies for cities and industry, enhancement 
of fish and wildlife, and recreation opportunities.
  Each of the projects had 40-year water service contracts for 
irrigation with the Bureau of Reclamation, in the Department of the 
Interior. These contracts are beginning to expire. In fact, three of 
those 40-year contracts will expire on December 31 of this year. Though 
the procedures for contract renewal were not spelled out, it is clear 
that contract renewal was considered when the original agreements were 
made. It is also clear that an immediate extension of the service 
contracts is necessary. Extending these contracts will give the Bureau 
of Reclamation the necessary time to complete the contract renewal 
process as well as provide us time to collect input to fully evaluate 
our options and maximize the benefits of the best option.
  The legislation I introduce today is straight-forward and simple: It 
would extend each of 10 water service contracts upon expiration for a 
period of 4 years. The terms of each contract would be the same as 
those originally negotiated.
  I am glad to be able to say that this legislation has the full and 
bipartisan support of each Senator from both of the affected States, 
Nebraska and Kansas. It has been a real pleasure to work with each of 
my cosponsors on an issue where we found such clear and easy agreement, 
both about what needed to be done and how to get there. So, on behalf 
of myself, the majority leader, Bob Dole, my friend and fellow 
Nebraskan Jim Exon, Nancy Kassebaum, and the thousands of Nebraskans, 
Kansans, and visitors who benefit from these projects, I introduce the 
Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1996.
                                 ______

      By Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Simon, Mr. Leahy, Ms. 
        Mikulski, and Mr. Inouye):
  S. 1650. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to 
prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, 
race, or national origin, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Labor and Human Resources.


                        THE FAIR PAY ACT OF 1996

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, the Equal Pay Act, passed in 1963, 
made it illegal to discriminate against women when determining pay 
levels for the same job. Since then, we have made some progress in 
reducing employment discrimination against women. But we cannot have 
equality of opportunity in the workplace without equality and fairness 
in wages and salary. Even though many women have moved up and out of 
traditionally female jobs, stereotypes and historical discrimination 
remain firmly imbedded in pay scales.
  Current law has not done enough to combat wage discrimination when 
employers routinely pay lower wages to jobs that are dominated by 
women. That is why I am introducing the Fair Pay Act of 1996. The Fair 
Pay Act is designed to pick up where the Equal Pay Act left off by 
paying women equally for equivalent work.
  The heart of the Fair Pay Act will make it illegal to discriminate 
against employees on the basis of sex, race, and national origin by 
requiring equal pay for work in jobs that are comparable in skill, 
effort, responsibility, and working conditions. Women and minorities 
make up 57 percent of the workforce and their salaries are an essential 
component of family income. It is a fundamental issue of fairness to 
provide equal pay for work that is of equal value to an employer.
  Wage gaps can result from differences in education, experience, or 
time in the workforce and the Fair Pay Act does not interfere with 
that. But, just as there is a glass ceiling in the American workplace, 
there is also what I call a glass wall--where women are on the exact 
same level as their male coworkers. They have the same skills, they 
have the same type of responsibilities, but they are still obstructed 
from receiving the same pay. It is a hidden barrier, but a barrier all 
the same. And it is keeping out equality, opportunity, and above all 
fairness. The Fair Pay Act is about knocking down the glass wall.
  To illustrate, consider a study done in the county of Los Angeles 
that compared the job requirements and salaries of children's social 
service workers who were mostly women and probation officers who were 
mostly men. The two jobs required the same skills and education, and 
the working conditions were similar. However, the social service 
workers were paid an average of $35,000 a year while the probation 
officers were paid an average of $55,000 a year--a $20,000 difference 
in salary.
  Over a lifetime, that kind of wage gap adds up. The average woman 
loses $420,000 over a lifetime due to unequal pay practices. Such gaps 
in income are life changing: it can mean the difference between welfare 
and self-sufficiency, owning a home or renting, sending your kids to 
college or to flip burgers, or having a decent retirement instead of an 
uncertain old age.
  The Fair Pay Act is a commonsense business issue. Women and 
minorities make up over half of the work force and fair pay is 
essential to attract and keep good workers.
  The Fair Pay Act is an economic issue. Working women, after all, 
don't get special discounts when they buy milk. They can't get a 
special rate buying clothes for their kids. Bread and gasoline don't 
cost less for working women than working men. And women and minorities 
are certainly taxed at the same rate as men are, yet they don't get any 
break when April 15 rolls around.
  The Fair Pay Act is a family issue. Family budgets are getting 
squeezed by the day. When women are discriminated against in their pay, 
they aren't the only ones who lose. When women aren't paid what they're 
worth, husbands and children get cheated too.
  Now, I've heard the critics. Some say there is no discrimination in 
the workplace. It's just the natural economic forces paying workers 
their fair share.
  Others say that this is a decision that should be left to the private 
sector alone. If the private sector wants to discriminate, they say, 
that should be their right. Well, we as a society have said 
discrimination in any form should not be tolerated and that's what this 
bill is about.
  There is perhaps no other form of discrimination that has as direct 
an impact on the day-to-day lives of workers as economic 
discrimination. The Equal Pay Act was designed to end that. And it has 
helped. But we need to go further to address economic discrimination 
for equivalent work.
  And most importantly, the American people want fair pay legislation. 
The Fair Pay Act has already been endorsed by a wide variety of groups 
and organizations. In addition, polling data consistently show that 
over 70 percent of the American people support a law requiring the same 
pay for men and women in jobs requiring similar skills

[[Page S3158]]

and responsibilities. Please join me in supporting the Fair Pay Act of 
1996. I welcome your ideas and suggestions.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                      We Support the Fair Pay Act

       A. Philip Randolph Institute.
       Adams National Bank.
       AFL-CIO.
       AFSCME.
       American Association of Retired Persons.
       American Association of University Women.
       American Civil Liberties Union.
       American Federation of Government Employees.
       American Library Association.
       American Nurses Association.
       American Physical Therapy Association.
       Americans for Democratic Action.
       Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers International Union.
       B'nai B'rith Women.
       Business and Professional Women/USA.
       Center for the Advancement of Public Policy.
       Coal Employment Project.
       Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
       Coalition of Labor Union Women.
       Dulles Area NOW.
       Episcopal Church Center, Women in Mission & Ministry.
       Equal Rights Advocates.
       Federally Employed Women.
       Federation of Organizations for Professional Women (FOPW).
       Financial Women International Fund for the Feminist 
     Majority.
       General Federation of Women's Clubs.
       Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO.
       Institute for Research on Women's Health.
       International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
       Int'l Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine & 
     Furn. Workers Union.
       International Union, United Auto Workers.
       Hubbard and Revo-Cohen, Inc.
       Kentucky Commission on Women.
       League of United Latin American Citizens.
       MANA: A National Latina Organization.
       National Association for Commissions for Women.
       National Association for Girls and Women in Sport.
       National Association of Social Workers.
       National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
       National Committee on Pay Equity.
       National Council of Jewish Women.
       National Council of Negro Women.
       National Education Association.
       National Federation of Federal Employees.
       National Organization for Women.
       National Treasury Employees Union.
       National Urban League.
       National Women's Law Center.
       Network: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.
       Office and Professional Employees Int'l Union.
       Self Help for Equal Rights.
       Service Employees International Union.
       The Newspaper Guild.
       UNITE! Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile 
     Employees.
       United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
       United Methodist Church.
       Utility Workers Union of America.
       Wider Opportunities for Women.
       Women Employed.
       Women in Communications, Inc.
       Women on the Job.
       Women of the Job Taskforce.
       Women Work! The National Network for Women's Employment.
       Women's Information Network.
       Women's Legal Defense Fund.
       Women's Self Employment Project.
       YWCA of the USA.

 Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, more than half our population 
faces discrimination every day. Hard to believe, but it is true.
  Women currently earn, on average, 28 percent less than men. That 
means for every dollar a man earns, a woman earns only 72 cents. Over a 
lifetime, the average woman will earn $420,000 less than the average 
man based solely on her sex. This is unacceptable. We must correct this 
gross inequity, and we must correct it now.
  How is this possible with our Federal laws prohibiting 
discrimination? It is possible because we in Congress have failed to 
protect one of the most fundamental human rights--the right to be paid 
fairly for an honest day's work.
  Unfortunately, our laws ignore wage discrimination against women and 
minorities, which continues to fester like a cancer in workplaces 
across the country. The Fair Pay Act of 1996 would close this legal 
loophole by prohibiting discrimination based on wages.
  I do not pretend that this act will solve all the problems that women 
and minorities face in the workplace. It is, however, an essential 
piece of the puzzle.
  Equal pay for equal work is often a subtle problem that is difficult 
to combat. And it does not stand alone as an issue that women and 
minorities face in the workplace. It is deeply intertwined with the 
problem of unequal opportunity. Closing this loophole is not enough if 
we fail to provide the opportunity for women and minorities, regardless 
of their merit, to reach higher paying positions.
  The Government, by itself, cannot change the attitudes and 
perceptions of individuals or private businesses in hiring and 
advancing women and minorities, but it can set an example. Certainly, 
President Clinton has shown great leadership by appointing an 
unprecedented number of women to his administration. Earlier this week, 
the Department of Defense, the Nation's largest employer of women, 
reached a milestone when President Clinton appointed the first female 
three-star general, Maj. Gen. Carol Mutter of the U.S. Marine Corps. I 
share her sentiment when she said she could not wait until there were 
no more firsts for women. The Government has a long way to go, however, 
since General Mutter will be the lone woman out of more than 100 three-
star officers.
  The private sector also has a long way to go to provide equal 
opportunity. The report released by the Glass Ceiling Commission last 
year found that 95 percent of the senior managers of Fortune 1000 
industrial and Fortune 500 companies are white males. The Glass Ceiling 
Commission also found that when there are women and minorities in high 
places, their compensation is lower than white males in similar 
positions. This wage inequality is the issue we seek to address today.
  In the next decade, the changing nature of the workplace--women and 
minority men will make up 62 percent of the work force by the year 
2005--will force businesses to look at the larger pool of qualified 
Americans to continue to be competitive in the marketplace. As this 
change occurs, we must demand fair pay for equal work.
  For the first time in our country's long history, this bill outlaws 
discrimination in wages paid to employees in equivalent jobs solely on 
the basis of a worker's sex, race, or national origin. I say it is 
about time. I commend Senator Harkin for introducing the Fair Pay Act, 
and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of it.
  The Fair Pay Act would remedy gender and race wage gaps under a 
balanced approach that takes advantage of the employment expertise of 
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], while providing 
flexibility to small employers . In addition, it would safeguard 
legitimate wage differences caused by a seniority or merit pay system. 
And the legislation directs the EEOC to provide educational materials 
and technical assistance to help employers design fair pay policies.
  It is a basic issue of fairness to provide equal pay for work of 
equal value. The Fair Pay Act makes it possible for women and 
minorities to finally achieve this fundamental fairness. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
                                 ______

      By Mr. WARNER:
  S. 1651. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit 
covered beneficiaries under the military health care system who are 
also entitled to medicare to enroll in the Federal Employees Health 
Benefits program; to the Committee on Armed Services.


             military retirees health benefits legislation

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation which will return a sense of fairness to the military 
health care system by providing Medicare-eligible uniformed services 
retirees the same health care plan that is currently available to every 
other retired federal employee. This proposed legislation would allow 
all Medicare-eligible military retirees and family members to 
participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan [FEHBP].
  Under the current system, military retirees are the only group of 
Federal employees whose health plan is taken away at age 65, requiring 
them to rely exclusively on Medicare. This is a broken promise, one 
made as they took their oath of office. I am sure that my colleagues 
would agree that this situation is not only inherently unfair, but that 
it also breaks a long standing health care commitment to our military 
retirees. It is worth noting that

[[Page S3159]]

nearly all of the largest U.S. corporations, such as General Motors, 
IBM and Exxon, provide their retirees with substantial employer-paid 
health coverage in addition to Medicare. The commonly held belief that 
the health care provided for military retirees is second to none is a 
myth. The truth is that when compared to what is provided by other 
large employers including the rest of the Federal Government, the 
health care that is provided to our Medicare-eligible military retirees 
and their family members has become second to almost all others.
  This legislation is a major step toward the application of equitable 
standards of health care for all Federal Employees and honors our 
commitments to those veterans who served our Nation faithfully through 
many years of arduous military service. I invite my colleagues to join 
me as cosponsors of this bill. I would like to thank Jack Hoggard, 
Commander, USN(RET) and Mike Matthes, Commander, USN for their efforts 
in producing this important legislation.
                                 ______

      By Mr. McCONNELL:
  S. 1652. A bill to amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a national resource center and 
clearinghouse to carry out training of State and local law enforcement 
personnel to more effectively respond to cases involving missing or 
exploited children, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.


  the jimmy ryce law enforcement training center establishment act of 
                                  1996

 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce a bill 
to establish the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center for the 
Recovery of Missing and Exploited Children.

  Each year tens of thousands of children are reported missing from 
their homes. The Department of Justice estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 
children are taken coercively by nonfamily members. And the National 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children gets involved with almost 300 
cases a year which involve children abducted by strangers intending 
harm. Many of these children are never seen again.
  This is the most critical factor in a missing child investigation. 
And too, often, local law enforcement officials lack the experience and 
the resources to conduct a swift and effective investigation which will 
maximize the chances for a safe recovery.
  The Jimmy Ryce Center, which will be established by this bill, will 
combine the resources of the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
Children with those the F.B.I.'s National Crime Information Center and 
Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit, as well as the Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The Jimmy Ryce Center will 
be a national training center for law enforcement officials from all 
over the United States and its programs will address: identifying the 
elements of a missing and exploited child case investigations; applying 
research regarding missing and exploited child case investigations and 
analyzing successful and unsuccessful investigative techniques; and 
educating about the national resources available to assist local 
efforts in a missing and exploited child case investigation.
  The Jimmy Ryce Center will also make it a priority to provide 
comprehensive nationwide training for law enforcement regarding report 
taking and NCIC entry of missing child information. And, the training 
center will expand current training done by the Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention and coordinate programs in all 50 
States and the District of Columbia.
  I am confident the bill will have the support of the Department of 
Justice. It already has the support of the Fraternal Order of Police, 
and I ask unanimous consent that the FOP's letter, as well a copy of 
the bill, be included in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1652

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) an investigation to find a missing child presents 
     unique circumstances for law enforcement agencies, including 
     the need for specialized training and the capability of swift 
     response to maximize the chances for the safe recovery of the 
     child;
       (2) local law enforcement officials often lack experience 
     and are unaware of the Federal resources available to assist 
     in the investigation of cases involving a missing child; and
       (3) a national training facility should be established to 
     assist State and local law enforcement agencies in--
       (A) providing comprehensive training in investigations of 
     cases involving missing or exploited children;
       (B) ensuring uniform, consistent, and meaningful use of 
     reporting systems and processes; and
       (C) promoting the use of vital national resources.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.

       Section 404(b)(2)(D) of the Juvenile Justice and 
     Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 is amended by striking 
     ``children; and'' and inserting ``children, including--
       ``(i) the establishment of an onsite training center at the 
     national clearinghouse to be known as the Jimmy Ryce Law 
     Enforcement Training Center for the Recovery of Missing 
     Children, designed to--
       ``(I) assist high-level law enforcement leaders from across 
     the country, selected by State officials, to develop 
     effective protocols and policies for the investigation and 
     prosecution of cases involving a missing or exploited child; 
     and
       ``(II) introduce those officials to resources available 
     from the clearinghouse and Federal agencies to assist in 
     cases involving a missing or exploited child;
       ``(ii) nationwide training in report-taking and data entry 
     in cases involving missing or exploited children for 
     information specialists, conducted at State and local law 
     enforcement facilities by employees of the national 
     clearinghouse and the National Crime Information Center of 
     the Federal Bureau of Investigation, designed to ensure that 
     necessary information regarding cases involving missing or 
     exploited children is gathered and entered at the local level 
     in a timely and effective manner; and
       ``(iii) State-based basic investigation training in cases 
     involving missing or exploited children for State and local 
     police investigators selected by State officials, conducted 
     by employees of the national clearinghouse and the Office of 
     Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department 
     of Justice, designed to provide practical instruction in the 
     investigation of cases involving missing or exploited 
     children; and''.
                                                                    ____

                                        Fraternal Order of Police,


                                 National Legislative Program,

                                   Washington, DC, March 27, 1996.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

     Hon. Peter Deutsch,
     U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Gentlemen: On behalf of the 270,000 members of the 
     Fraternal Order of Police, this is to express our strong 
     support for your legislation to provide funding and 
     facilities to train state and local law enforcement officers 
     in investigative techniques for utilization in missing and 
     exploited children case.
       As a member of the Board of the National Center for Missing 
     and Exploited Children (NCMEC), I am thoroughly familiar with 
     the wonderful work of the Center, and with the strong bond 
     which the NCMEC has forged with state and local officers. The 
     proposed Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center for the 
     Recovery of Missing Children, which would operate within the 
     framework of the NCMEC, can only enhance that relationship, 
     and will make it even more productive.
       We thank both of you for your leadership on this issue, and 
     in the many other areas where both of you have weighed in on 
     the side of tough yet progressive law enforcement.
           Sincerely,
                                              Gilbert G. Gallegos,
                                       National President.
                                 ______

      By Mr. CONRAD:
  S. 1653. A bill to prohibit imports into the United States of grain 
and grain products from Canada, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Finance.


                   the import prohibition act of 1996

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, on another matter, we learned yesterday 
that Canada is banning all imports of United States durum as a result 
of the karnal bunt fungus found in Arizona. Mr. President, this ban 
means that no durum may be exported to Canada. Durum is the wheat that 
makes pasta. So all the pasta lovers should understand most of the 
durum that makes pasta in this country is grown in North Dakota. 
Eighty-seven percent of the durum wheat that makes pasta is grown in 
North Dakota. And our Canadian friends from the north have now banned 
all imports of U.S. durum wheat. What does that mean? Well, it means a 
lot.
  It means that our durum is not going to be able to leave through the 
Great Lakes. That is where the grain that is grown in North Dakota and 
the rest of the Midwest is transferred to what we call lakers, ships 
that go on the lake to

[[Page S3160]]

transoceanic vessels. Those transfers are made in Canadian ports.
  This ban will mean that our grain cannot leave through those Canadian 
ports. That means our grain is going to have to go south through the 
gulf adding a lot of cost and expense. That means we are going to be 
less competitive against the Canadians.
  Mr. President, one might understand what the Canadians are doing here 
if in some way they were threatened. They themselves have acknowledged 
they are not threatened. They themselves have acknowledged that karnal 
bunt cannot survive in the cold of Canada. And there is no karnal bunt 
that has been found in the Midwest. The only place it was found was on 
isolated farms in some southwestern States.
  So the Canadians are engaged, I believe, in a deception. They are 
saying they are banning our exports of durum wheat through their ports 
to protect their producers. But by their own statements they know--and 
they have acknowledged--that they are not threatened.
  So what is really going on, Mr. President? I believe it is an attempt 
to secure a competitive advantage, and we should not allow it. We 
should fight back.
  Today, I am introducing two bills: One that will ban imports of 
Canadian durum until Canada drops its restriction on our grain. And the 
second bill would ban the imports of all cattle and beef from Canada 
given the fact that we have seen the mad cow disease develop in 
England. We know there have been shipments of cattle from England to 
Canada in the past.
  If they are going to threaten us because of karnal bunt found in 
Arizona, we can threaten them in the same way and shut off all imports 
from Canada of their beef and their cattle because of the mad cow 
syndrome in England when we know there have been shipments of beef from 
that country to Canada.
  It makes just as much sense to ban imports of cattle and beef from 
Canada where there is no known BSE as it does to ban imports of wheat 
from the upper midwest where there are no known outbreaks of karnal 
bunt.
  That is equivalent treatment. That is standing up for America. I hope 
that other of my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation 
to send a clear message to our neighbors to the north that we are not 
going to accept their refusal to take our exports of durum through 
their markets.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1653

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The Canadian Government has imposed a ban on the 
     importation of durum wheat from the United States because of 
     an outbreak of karnal bunt in Arizona.
       (2) The ban applies to all imports of durum wheat from the 
     United States, including wheat from States where no evidence 
     of karnal bunt has been found.
       (3) No karnal bunt has been found in any wheat produced in 
     Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, or in the 
     Great Lakes region.
       (4) The Canadian Government has stated that due to the cold 
     climate in Canada there is no risk of an outbreak of karnal 
     bunt in Canada.
       (5) Canada's ban on shipments of durum wheat through the 
     Great Lakes ports is unjustifiable and the ban places 
     unnecessary restrictions on shipments of other wheat through 
     the Great Lakes ports.

     SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST ENTRY OF CERTAIN CANADIAN GRAIN 
                   PRODUCTS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 15 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall prohibit the 
     entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, of all 
     grain products (described in heading 1001 or 1101.00.00 of 
     the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States) which 
     are produced, grown, or manufactured in Canada.
       (b) Duration.--The prohibition imposed under subsection (a) 
     shall remain in full force and effect until the Secretary of 
     Agriculture and the United States Trade Representative--
       (1) determine that Canada has removed the prohibition on 
     imports described in subsection (c), and that durum wheat 
     products produced in the United States are permitted full and 
     fair access to the markets of such country; and
       (2) submit to the Congress the determination under 
     paragraph (1), together with the reasons underlying the 
     determination.
       (c) Prohibition Described.--The prohibition described in 
     this subsection is a prohibition on the importation of durum 
     wheat products produced in the United States where there is 
     not sufficient evidence that karnal bunt exists with respect 
     to such wheat.
                                 ______

      By Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. Bradley):
  S. 1654. A bill to apply equal standards to certain foreign made and 
domestically produced handguns; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


              the junk gun violence protection act of 1996

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am introducing, along with my 
distinguished colleague from New Jersey, Senator Bradley, a bill to 
give equal treatment to the manufacture, transfer, and possession of 
both foreign made and domestically produced junk guns.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1654

       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 ``Junk Gun Violence Protection 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) the prohibition on the importation of handguns that are 
     not generally recognized as particularly suitable for or 
     readily adaptable to sporting purposes, often described as 
     junk guns or Saturday night specials, has led to the creation 
     of a high-volume market for these weapons that are 
     domestically manufactured;
       (2) traffic in junk guns constitutes a serious threat to 
     public welfare and to law enforcement officers, and the use 
     of such firearms is increasing;
       (3) junk guns are used disproportionately in the commission 
     of crimes;
       (4) of the firearms traced in 1995, the 3 firearms most 
     commonly traced to crimes were junk guns; and
       (5) the domestic manufacture, transfer, and possession of 
     junk guns should be restricted.

     SEC. 3. RESTRICTION ON MANUFACTURE, TRANSFER, AND POSSESSION 
                   OF CERTAIN HANDGUNS.

       (a) Restriction.--Section 922 of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(y)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person to manufacture, 
     transfer, or possess a junk gun that has been shipped or 
     transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
       ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to--
       ``(A) the possession or transfer of any junk gun otherwise 
     lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of the 
     enactment of the Junk Gun Violence Protection Act;
       ``(B) any firearm or replica of a firearm that has been 
     rendered permanently inoperative;
       ``(C) the manufacture for, transfer to, or possession by 
     the United States or a State or a department or agency of the 
     United States, or a State or a department, agency, or 
     political subdivision of a State, or a transfer to or 
     possession by a law enforcement officer employed by such an 
     entity for law enforcement purposes (whether on or off duty); 
     or
       ``(D) the manufacture, transfer, or possession of a junk 
     gun by a licensed manufacturer or licensed importer for the 
     purposes of testing or experimentation authorized by the 
     Secretary.''.
       (b) Definition of Junk Gun.--Section 921(a) of title 18, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new paragraph:
       ``(33)(A) The term `junk gun' means any firearm that is not 
     described in section 925(d)(3), and any regulations issued 
     under such section.''.

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