[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1426. Ms. HIRONO submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1221 proposed by Mr. Hatch to the bill H.R. 1314, to amend
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a right to an
administrative appeal relating to adverse determinations of tax-exempt
status of certain organizations; which was ordered to lie on the table;
as follows:
On page 64, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following:
(f) Consultations With Trade Advisory Committees.--
(1) In general.--Section 135 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
U.S.C. 2155) is amended by striking subsection (m) and
inserting the following:
``(m) Congressional Consultations With Advisory
Committees.--
``(1) Consultations by congressional committees.--An
appropriate congressional committee may request consultations
with an advisory committee established under subsection (b)
or (c) with respect to trade agreements in effect or
negotiations for trade agreements.
``(2) Consultations by members of congress and
congressional staff.--Members of Congress and staff of such
Members with proper security clearances may consult with
individual members of an advisory committee established under
subsection (b) or (c) with respect to negotiations for trade
agreements in effect or negotiations for trade agreements.
``(3) Applicability of certain faca requirements.--The
approval of the designated Federal officer for an advisory
committee established under subsection (b) or (c) shall not
be required with respect to consultations under paragraphs
(1) and (2).
``(n) Reports.--
``(1) In general.--An advisory committee established under
subsection (b) or (c) may at any time submit to the President
a report on matters being considered by the committee without
the approval of the designated Federal officer for that
committee.
``(2) Submission to congress.--A report submitted to the
President under paragraph (1), including any dissenting or
minority views, shall be submitted to the appropriate
congressional committees and Members of Congress and staff of
such Members with proper security clearances.
``(3) Public availability.--If a report of an advisory
committee submitted to the President under paragraph (1) does
not include any classified information, the advisory
committee may request the designated Federal officer for that
committee to make the report available to the public.
``(o) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
`appropriate congressional committees' means--
``(A) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
and
``(B) any other committee of the House or the Senate with
jurisdiction over laws that are or could be affected by a
trade agreement.
``(2) Designated federal officer.--The term `designated
Federal officer' means an officer or employee of the Federal
Government designated to chair or attend each meeting of each
advisory committee under section 10(e) of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
``(3) Non-federal government.--The term `non-Federal
government' means--
``(A) any State, territory, or possession of the United
States, or the District of Columbia, or any political
subdivision thereof; or
``(B) any agency or instrumentality of any entity described
in subparagraph (A).
``(4) Proper security clearances.--The term `proper
security clearances' has the meaning of that term as used in
section 104 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities
and Accountability Act of 2015.''.
(2) Requirements for meetings.--Section 135 of such Act is
amended--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (2), by striking the first sentence; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) The committee shall meet as needed at the call of the
chairman of the committee or at the call of one-third of the
members of the committee. The designated Federal officer
shall be notified of any such meeting and shall provide
notice of the meeting in accordance with section 10 of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), but,
notwithstanding any provision of that Act, the attendance of
such officer at the meeting is not required.''; and
(B) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
``(5) A committee established under paragraph (1), (2), or
(3) shall meet as needed at the call of the chairman of the
committee or at the call of one-third of the members of the
committee. The designated Federal officer shall be notified
of any such meeting and shall provide notice of the meeting
in accordance with section 10 of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), but, notwithstanding any
provision of that Act, the attendance of such officer at the
meeting is not required.''.
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