[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10703-H10704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   BRING THEM HOME ALIVE ACT OF 2000

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from 
the Speaker's table the Senate 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 War POW/MIAs may be present, if those nationals assist in the 
return to the United States of those POW/MIAs alive, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, 
and I will not object, I ask the gentleman from Texas for an 
explanation.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding, and let me explain the purpose of this bill.
  It would grant refugee status to foreign nationals who personally 
deliver a living American POW/MIA from either the Vietnam War or the 
Korean War to the United States. This bill is the good work of Senator 
Ben Nighthorse Campbell and our colleague, the gentleman from Colorado 
(Mr. Hefley), and I hope that that answers the gentlewoman's question 
about the contents of the bill.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank 
the gentleman very much. Let me add my support to the legislation. I 
believe that the explanation is satisfactory.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 484

       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 ``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

[[Page H10704]]

     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).

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, and passed, and 
a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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