[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E936-E937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2559, AGRICULTURAL RISK PROTECTION ACT OF 
                                  2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. LARRY COMBEST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2000

  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1504, as amended was included in the 
Conference Report accompanying H.R. 2559, the Agriculture Risk 
Protection Act of 2000 as title IV of this Act. As introduced, H.R. 
1504 was referred primarily to the House Committee on Agriculture, and 
in addition, to the Committees on Judiciary, Resources, and Ways and 
Means for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker. To 
expedite consideration of H.R. 1504, and to allow it to be included in 
this conference report, the following letters were exchanged between 
the Committee on Agriculture and the other committees of jurisdiction 
waiving further consideration of the bill.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                     Washington, DC, May 23, 2000.
     Hon. Bill Archer,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing with regard to H.R. 1504, a 
     bill that was primarily referred to the Committee on 
     Agriculture and additionally to the Committee on Ways and 
     Means. This bill modernizes and enhances the authority of the 
     Secretary of Agriculture relating to plant protection and 
     quarantine.
       Please find the enclosed copy of H.R. 1504, as amended, 
     along with a side-by-side comparison showing current law. In 
     order to allow the timely consideration by the entire House 
     of Representatives during the remaining period in the 106th 
     Congress, I am requesting that you waive your Committee's 
     referral of H.R. 1504.
       I understand that such an action is not intended to waive 
     your Committee's jurisdiction over this subject matter or any 
     similar legislation now or in the future and look forward to 
     working with you on matters of shared interest.
       Thank you for your consideration of this request.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Larry Combest,
                                                         Chairman.



                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Ways and Means,

                                     Washington, DC, May 25, 2000.
     Hon. Larry Combest,
     Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, 
         Longworth Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Combest: I am writing concerning the 
     Conference Report to H.R. 2559 (Report), the Agricultural 
     Risk Protection Act of 1999, which includes an amendment to 
     H.R. 1504, the Plant Protection Act, offered by Mr. Canady. 
     Section 413 of the Report contains an item of jurisdictional 
     interest to the Committee on Ways and Means. This Act is 
     intended to consolidate existing laws relating to plant 
     safety.
       Specifically, section 413 of the Report, ``Notification and 
     Holding Requirements Upon Arrival,'' would require the 
     Secretary of the Treasury to notify promptly the Secretary of 
     Agriculture of the arrival of any plant, plant product, 
     biological control organism, plant pest, or noxious weed at a 
     port of entry. This provision also requires the Secretary of 
     the Treasury to hold those products until they are inspected 
     and authorized for entry into or transit movement through the 
     United States, or otherwise released by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture.
       Current section 156 of title 7 of the United States Code 
     requires the Secretary of the Treasury to notify the 
     Secretary of Agriculture of the arrival of any nursery stock 
     at a port of entry. Section 413 repeals current section 156, 
     and instead, requires such notification for all of the above 
     referenced products, including nursery stock. The statutory 
     requirement that the Secretary of the Treasury hold such 
     shipments until released by the Secretary of Agriculture and 
     the authority for the Secretary of Treasury to release a 
     shipment from the port of entry without necessarily requiring 
     an inspection are new. The U.S. Customs Service already 
     follows similar procedures, and it is our understanding that 
     section 413 does not change current law, with respect to such 
     imports, but only enhances enforcement of the current laws 
     relating to those imports.
       Normally, the Committee on Ways and Means would meet to 
     consider such legislation. In order to expedite consideration 
     of H.R. 2559, I will not object to the inclusion of section 
     413 of the amendment, and, for this reason, it will not be 
     necessary for the Committee on Ways and Means to meet to 
     consider the legislation.
       However, this action is being done with the understanding 
     that it will not prejudice the jurisdictional prerogatives of 
     the Committee on Ways and Means on these provisions or any 
     other similar legislation and will not be considered as 
     precedent for consideration of matters of jurisdictional 
     interest to my Committee in the future.
       Finally, I would ask that you include a copy of our 
     exchange of letters on this matter in the Record. Thank you 
     for your assistance and cooperation in this matter. With best 
     personal regards,
           Sincerely,
                                                      Bill Archer,
                                                         Chairman.

                                  ____
                                  

                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                     Washington, DC, May 23, 2000.
     Hon. Henry Hyde,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing with regard to H.R. 1504, a 
     bill that was primarily referred to the Committee on 
     Agriculture and additionally to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary. This bill modernizes and enhances the authority of 
     the Secretary of Agriculture relating to plant protection and 
     quarantine.
       Please find the enclosed copy of H.R. 1504, as amended, 
     along with a side-by-side comparison showing current law. In 
     order to allow the timely consideration by the entire House 
     of Representatives during the remaining period in the 106th 
     Congress, I am requesting that you waive your Committee's 
     referral of H.R. 1504.
       I understand that such an action is not intended to waive 
     your Committee's jurisdiction over this subject matter or any 
     similar legislation now or in the future and look forward to 
     working with you on matters of shared interest.
       Thank you for your consideration of this request.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Larry Combest,
                                                         Chairman.


                                  ____
                                  

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                     Washington, DC, May 24, 2000.
     Hon. Larry Combest,
     Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing with regard to H.R. 1504, 
     ``The Plant Protection Act'', which was referred to your 
     committee and to this committee for such matters within our 
     respective Rule X jurisdictions.
       Since the bill was referred to this committee, there is no 
     question that there are provisions of the bill which fall 
     within our jurisdiction. It is my understanding that due to 
     the exigencies of time, and the leadership's desire to 
     process this legislation in the near future you are 
     requesting this committee waive its consideration of the 
     bill.
       Pursuant to your request, I am willing to waive this 
     committee's further consideration of the bill, recognizing 
     that this will not affect our subject matter jurisdiction 
     over this matter, and that I will insist on Members of our 
     committee being named conferees should this bill go to 
     conference.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Henry J. Hyde,
                                                         Chairman.

                                  ____
                                  

                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                     Washington, DC, May 23, 2000.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Chairman, Committee on Resources, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing with regard to H.R. 1504, a 
     bill that was primarily referred to the Committee on 
     Agriculture and additionally to the Committee on Resources. 
     This bill modernizes and enhances the authority of the 
     Secretary of Agriculture relating to plant protection and 
     quarantine.
       Please find the enclosed copy of H.R. 1504, as amended, 
     along with a side-by-side comparison showing current law. In 
     order to allow the timely consideration by the entire House 
     of Representatives during the remaining period in the 106th 
     Congress, I am requesting that you waive your Committee's 
     referral of H.R. 1504.
       I understand that such an action is not intended to waive 
     your Committee's jurisdiction over this subject matter or any 
     similar legislation now or in the future and look forward to 
     working with you on matters of shared interest.
       Thank you for your consideration of this request.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Larry Combest,
                                                         Chairman.



[[Page E937]]


                                  ____
                                  

                                         House of Representatives,


                                       Committee on Resources,

                                     Washington, DC, May 15, 2000.
     Hon. Larry Combest,
     Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     1504, the Plant Protection Act, authored by our colleague 
     Congressman Canady. This bill was primarily referred to the 
     Committee on Agriculture and additionally referred to the 
     Committee on Resources, among others.
       After reviewing the amendments to the bill, I have no 
     objection to it going forward and will not object to the 
     Committee on Resources being discharged from further 
     consideration of the measure. As you note in your letter, 
     this action is not intended to waive jurisdiction over this 
     or similar provisions. I would also ask you to support the 
     Committee on Resources request to be represented on any 
     conference on this bill, or a similar measure, if one should 
     become necessary. Finally, I ask that you include our 
     exchange of letters on H.R. 1504 in the Committee on 
     Agriculture's report on the bill or in the official file on 
     the bill.
       Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to help expedite 
     consideration of this bill. I appreciate your cooperation and 
     that of John Goldberg of your staff, and look forward to 
     working together on other matters of mutual interest in the 
     future.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Don Young,
                                                         Chairman.

     

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