[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 138 (Tuesday, October 6, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11579-S11580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SECTION 371 OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 
                                  1999

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to clarify 
one section of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act 
with my colleague, Senator Thurmond.
  I want to clarify further the intent of the language in section 371. 
This section deals with the ability of the children of U.S. Customs 
employees living in Puerto Rico to attend the Department of Defense 
school in Puerto Rico. It is my understanding that the Customs Service 
will not be required to reimburse the Department of Defense for the 
cost of dependents attending the DOD school in Puerto Rico. Is this the 
Senator's understanding?
  Mr. THURMOND. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the intent of 
this provision. The Conference Report authorizes children of Customs 
Service employees to attend the Department of Defense school in Puerto 
Rico during the period of their assignment in Puerto Rico. Our intent 
was to remove the five-year limit on the eligibility for children of 
non-Department of Defense personnel to attend the DOD school in Puerto 
Rico since Customs employees are routinely stationed in locations like 
Puerto Rico longer than five years. The provision does not require the 
Customs Service to pay tuition costs for these children to attend the 
DOD school; however, the Secertary of Defense may work with the 
Secretary of the Treasury to provide reimbursement for the tuition 
costs for children of Customs Service employees.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. That was my understanding as well. I would like to make 
one additional point which I believe

[[Page S11580]]

you just made in your comments. I understand that the intention of the 
Conference was that the children of all Customs Service employees would 
be eligible to attend the DOD school in Puerto Rico. The Conferees did 
not intend to limit this eligibility to a single category of Customs 
Service employee. The Statement of Managers language in the Conference 
Report refers to Customs Agents. Some may interpret this to mean that 
only children of agents were eligible to attend the DOD school.
  Mr. THURMOND. The Senator is correct in pointing this out. The term 
``agent'' in the Statement of Managers is not used in the technical 
sense, but was intended to be a generic reference to all Customs 
Service employees stationed in Puerto Rico.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I thank my colleague for clarifying the intent of this 
provision.

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