[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16735]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         CLARIFYING AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the Energy Committee be 
discharged from H.R. 3940, and the Senate then proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3940) to amend Public Law 96-597 to clarify 
     the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to extend 
     grants and other assistance to facilitate political status 
     public education programs for people of the non-self-
     governing territories of the United States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the Bingaman substitute 
amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to; the bill, 
as amended, be read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table; that the title amendment at the desk be 
considered and agreed to; and that any statements relating to the 
measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4669) was agreed to, as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING POLITICAL STATUS 
                   EDUCATION IN GUAM.

       It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the 
     Interior may provide technical assistance to the Government 
     of Guam under section 601(a) of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
     authorize appropriations for certain insular areas of the 
     United States, and for other purposes'', approved December 
     24, 1980 (48 U.S.C. 1469d(a)), for public education regarding 
     political status options only if the political status options 
     are consistent with the Constitution of the United States.

     SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE IN AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE COMMONWEALTH 
                   OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

       (a) Delayed Effective Date.--Section 8103(b) of the Fair 
     Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (29 U.S.C. 206 note) (as amended by 
     section 520 of division D of Public Law 111-117) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``(except 2011 when 
     there shall be no increase)'' after ``thereafter'' the second 
     place it appears; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``except that, 
     beginning in 2010'' and inserting ``except that there shall 
     be no such increase in 2010 or 2011 and, beginning in 2012''.
       (b) GAO Report.--Section 8104 of such Act (as amended) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(a) Report.--The Government Accountability Office shall 
     assess the impact of minimum wage increases that have 
     occurred pursuant to section 8103, and not later than 
     September 1, 2011, shall transmit to Congress a report of its 
     findings. The Government Accountability Office shall submit 
     subsequent reports not later than April 1, 2013, and every 2 
     years thereafter until the minimum wage in the respective 
     territory meets the federal minimum wage.''; and
       (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill read a third 
time.
  The bill (H.R. 3940), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
  The amendment (No. 4670) was agreed to, as follows:

       Amend the title so as to read: ``To clarify the 
     availability of existing funds for political status education 
     in the Territory of Guam, and for other purposes.''.

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