[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29731-29732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13953]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 3056]


Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs; Guidelines Implementing 
Title XXII, Section 2225(a) of the Foreign Affairs Reform and 
Restructuring Act of 1998

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Section 2225(a), of the Foreign Affairs Reform and 
Restructuring Act of 1998 (``Act''), provides that

    Except as otherwise provided in section 401 of the Cuban Liberty 
and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-
114), and subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of State may deny 
the issuance of a visa to any alien who--
    (1) through the abuse of position, including a governmental or 
political party position, converts or has converted for personal 
gain real property that has been confiscated or expropriated, a 
claim to which is owned by a national of the United States, or who 
is complicit in such a conversion; or
    (2) induces any of the actions or omissions described in 
paragraph (1) by any person.

    The following guidelines will be used by the Department of State 
for the purpose of implementing Sec. 2225 of the Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice is effective on June 2, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Watts, Office of Investment 
Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State, 
2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520, 202-736-4012.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Department of State Guidelines for 
Implementation of Title XXII, Section 2225 of the Foreign Affairs 
Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998.
    1. Purpose and Authority. These guidelines will be used by the 
Department of State (``Department'') for the purpose of implementing 
Section 2225 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 
1998, P.L. 105-277, and other applicable legislation as appropriate.
    2. Delegation of Authority. The Secretary of State has delegated 
authority to the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business 
Affairs to make determinations under section 2225(a) of the Act, in 
consultation with the Assistant Secretary of State for the regional 
bureau or bureaus with jurisdiction over the country where the 
confiscation or expropriation took place and the country of which the 
alien who is to be denied a visa is a national, and others as 
appropriate.
    3. Point of Contact. The Office of Investment Affairs in the Bureau 
of Economic and Business Affairs at the Department is the central point 
of contact for all inquiries about implementation of Sec. 2225 of the 
Act. The Office may be contacted in Room 3336, U.S. Department of 
State, Washington, DC 20520; telephone number 202-736-4012.
    4. Collection of Information:
    a. The Department will collect information from available sources 
on whether property abroad, a claim to which is owned by a U.S. 
national, has been confiscated or expropriated and converted for 
personal gain by a person in a position covered by the Act. U.S. 
Embassies will also collect information and provide information and 
recommendations to the responsible bureaus in the Department of State

[[Page 29732]]

concerning activities relevant to Section 2225.
    b. As appropriate, the Department will request claimants to provide 
additional information related to ownership and confiscation or 
expropriation of the property concerned.
    c. The Department will consult as appropriate with other agencies 
of the U.S. government regarding the identity persons whose actions may 
be covered by Sec. 2225(a)(1) or Sec. 2225(a)(2).
    5. Determinations under Section 2225. Determinations under Section 
2225 will be made when facts or circumstances exist that lead the 
Department to conclude that a person has committed an act covered by 
Sec. 2225(a)(1) or Sec. 2225(a)(2).
    6. Prior Notification:
    a. An alien who is the subject of a determination under Sec. 2225 
will be sent notification by registered mail that his/her name will be 
entered in the appropriate consular visa and immigration lookout 
systems, and that he/she will be denied a visa upon application and/or 
have his/her visa revoked, 45 days after the date of the notification 
letter. The Department may inform the government of the alien's country 
of nationality in confidence through diplomatic channels of the pending 
action.
    b. If no information is received within the 45 day period above 
that leads the Department to conclude that the person should not be 
denied a visa pursuant to Sec. 2225(a), the Department will enter the 
alien's name, including the names of the alien's agents, if applicable, 
in the appropriate consular visa and immigration lookout systems. Any 
then-pending visa application from the named alien will be denied, and 
any visa previously issued to the alien will be revoked in accordance 
with law.
    7. Review of Determinations: The Department may review a 
determination made under Section 2225 at any time, as appropriate in 
its discretion.
    8. Exceptions: Section 2225 subsection (a) will not be applied to 
property in (1) any country established by international mandate 
through the United Nations; or (2) any territory recognized by the 
United States Government to be in dispute.
    9. Relationship to Section 527 of P.L. 103-236: This section 
supplements Section 527 of the 1994-1995 Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act, P.L. 103-326 (April 30, 1994), and is not meant to 
revise or otherwise detract from the substantive requirements of that 
section of law.

    Dated: May 27, 1999.
Wesley S. Scholz,
Director, Office of Investment Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-13953 Filed 6-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P