[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4395-S4396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   BRING THEM HOME ALIVE ACT OF 1999

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 560, S. 484.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 484) to provide for the granting of refugee 
     status in the United States to nationals of certain foreign 
     countries in which American Vietnam War POW/MIAs or American 
     Korean POW/MIAs may be present, if those nationals assist in 
     the return to the United States of those POW/MIAs alive.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.


                           Amendment No. 3171

                (Purpose: To make technical amendments)

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, Senators Helms and Biden have an 
amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Alabama [Mr. Sessions], for Mr. Helms, for 
     himself and Mr. Biden, proposes an amendment numbered 3171.

  The amendment is as follows:

       On page 6, line 23, after ``Radio'' insert the following: 
     ``, VOA-TV, VOA Radio,''.
       On page 7, line 12, strike ``the 10-day period that begins 
     on'' and insert ``the 30-day period that begins 15 days 
     after''.

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
amendment be agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 3171) was agreed to.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill, 
as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Voinovich). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The bill (S. 484) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 484

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

[[Page S4396]]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Bring Them Home Alive Act of 
     2000''.

     SEC. 2. AMERICAN VIETNAM WAR POW/MIA ASYLUM PROGRAM.

       (a) Asylum for Eligible Aliens.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the Attorney General shall grant refugee 
     status in the United States to any alien described in 
     subsection (b), upon the application of that alien.
       (b) Eligibility.--Refugee status shall be granted under 
     subsection (a) to--
       (1) any alien who--
       (A) is a national of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, or any 
     of the independent states of the former Soviet Union; and
       (B) personally delivers into the custody of the United 
     States Government a living American Vietnam War POW/MIA; and
       (2) any parent, spouse, or child of an alien described in 
     paragraph (1).
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) American vietnam war pow/mia.--
       (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
     the term ``American Vietnam War POW/MIA'' means an 
     individual--
       (i) who is a member of a uniformed service (within the 
     meaning of section 101(3) of title 37, United States Code) in 
     a missing status (as defined in section 551(2) of such title 
     and this subsection) as a result of the Vietnam War; or
       (ii) who is an employee (as defined in section 5561(2) of 
     title 5, United States Code) in a missing status (as defined 
     in section 5561(5) of such title) as a result of the Vietnam 
     War.
       (B) Exclusion.--Such term does not include an individual 
     with respect to whom it is officially determined under 
     section 552(c) of title 37, United States Code, that such 
     individual is officially absent from such individual's post 
     of duty without authority.
       (2) Missing status.--The term ``missing status'', with 
     respect to the Vietnam War, means the status of an individual 
     as a result of the Vietnam War if immediately before that 
     status began the individual--
       (A) was performing service in Vietnam; or
       (B) was performing service in Southeast Asia in direct 
     support of military operations in Vietnam.
       (3) Vietnam war.--The term ``Vietnam War'' means the 
     conflict in Southeast Asia during the period that began on 
     February 28, 1961, and ended on May 7, 1975.

     SEC. 3. AMERICAN KOREAN WAR POW/MIA ASYLUM PROGRAM.

       (a) Asylum for Eligible Aliens.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the Attorney General shall grant refugee 
     status in the United States to any alien described in 
     subsection (b), upon the application of that alien.
       (b) Eligibility.--Refugee status shall be granted under 
     subsection (a) to--
       (1) any alien--
       (A) who is a national of North Korea, China, or any of the 
     independent states of the former Soviet Union; and
       (B) who personally delivers into the custody of the United 
     States Government a living American Korean War POW/MIA; and
       (2) any parent, spouse, or child of an alien described in 
     paragraph (1).
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) American korean war pow/mia.--
       (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
     the term ``American Korean War POW/MIA'' means an 
     individual--
       (i) who is a member of a uniformed service (within the 
     meaning of section 101(3) of title 37, United States Code) in 
     a missing status (as defined in section 551(2) of such title 
     and this subsection) as a result of the Korean War; or
       (ii) who is an employee (as defined in section 5561(2) of 
     title 5, United States Code) in a missing status (as defined 
     in section 5561(5) of such title) as a result of the Korean 
     War.
       (B) Exclusion.--Such term does not include an individual 
     with respect to whom it is officially determined under 
     section 552(c) of title 37, United States Code, that such 
     individual is officially absent from such individual's post 
     of duty without authority.
       (2) Korean war.--The term ``Korean War'' means the conflict 
     on the Korean peninsula during the period that began on June 
     27, 1950, and ended January 31, 1955.
       (3) Missing status.--The term ``missing status'', with 
     respect to the Korean War, means the status of an individual 
     as a result of the Korean War if immediately before that 
     status began the individual--
       (A) was performing service in the Korean peninsula; or
       (B) was performing service in Asia in direct support of 
     military operations in the Korean peninsula.

     SEC. 4. BROADCASTING INFORMATION ON THE ``BRING THEM HOME 
                   ALIVE'' PROGRAM.

       (a) Requirement.--
       (1) In general.--The International Broadcasting Bureau 
     shall broadcast, through WORLDNET Television and Film Service 
     and Radio, VOA-TV, VOA Radio, or otherwise, information that 
     promotes the ``Bring Them Home Alive'' refugee program under 
     this Act to foreign countries covered by paragraph (2).
       (2) Covered countries.--The foreign countries covered by 
     paragraph (1) are--
       (A) Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, and North Korea; and
       (B) Russia and the other independent states of the former 
     Soviet Union.
       (b) Level of Programming.--The International Broadcasting 
     Bureau shall broadcast--
       (1) at least 20 hours of the programming described in 
     subsection (a)(1) during the 30-day period that begins 15 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act; and
       (2) at least 10 hours of the programming described in 
     subsection (a)(1) in each calendar quarter during the period 
     beginning with the first calendar quarter that begins after 
     the date of enactment of this Act and ending five years after 
     the date of enactment of this Act.
       (c) Availability of Information on the Internet.--
     International Broadcasting Bureau shall ensure that 
     information regarding the ``Bring Them Home Alive'' refugee 
     program under this Act is readily available on the World Wide 
     Web sites of the Bureau.
       (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free Asia, and any other 
     recipient of Federal grants that engages in international 
     broadcasting to the countries covered by subsection (a)(2) 
     should broadcast information similar to the information 
     required to be broadcast by subsection (a)(1).
       (e) Definition.--The term ``International Broadcasting 
     Bureau'' means the International Broadcasting Bureau of the 
     United States Information Agency or, on and after the 
     effective date of title XIII of the Foreign Affairs Reform 
     and Restructuring Act of 1998 (as contained in division G of 
     Public Law 105-277), the International Broadcasting Bureau of 
     the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

     SEC. 5. INDEPENDENT STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION 
                   DEFINED.

       In this Act, the term ``independent states of the former 
     Soviet Union'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of 
     the FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5801).

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