Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act of 1999

Summary: Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act of 1999 - Amends Federal aviation law to require congressional review, according to a specified procedure, of civil aviation agreements establishing air navigation (including air routes and services) between the United States and a foreign country.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Aviation Bilateral Accountability 
Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. CIVIL AVIATION AGREEMENTS.

    Section 40105 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(e) Congressional Review.--
            ``(1) In general.--A civil aviation agreement that is 
        entered into under this section after the date of enactment of 
        this subsection shall enter into force with respect to the 
        United States only if--
                    ``(A) the Secretary involved transmits to Congress 
                a document containing a copy of the final text of the 
                agreement, together with an explanation of the 
                agreement; and
                    ``(B)(i) a disapproval resolution is not introduced 
                in either House of Congress on or before the last day 
                of a 20-day period of continuous session of Congress 
                following the date on which Congress receives the 
                agreement under subparagraph (A);
                    ``(ii) if a disapproval resolution is introduced in 
                either House, the disapproval resolution is not enacted 
                on or before the last day of a 90-day period of 
                continuous session of Congress following the date on 
                which Congress receives the agreement under 
                subparagraph (A) and is not vetoed by the President; or
                    ``(iii) if the President vetoes the disapproval 
                resolution, both Houses of Congress do not vote to 
                override the veto on or before the later of the last 
                day of the 90-day period referred to in clause (ii) or 
                the last day of a 30-day period of continuous session 
                of Congress following the date Congress receives the 
                veto message from the President.
            ``(2) Computing number of days.--For purposes of paragraphs 
        (1) and (6), the continuity of a session of Congress is broken 
        only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and the number 
        of days on which either House is not in session because of an 
        adjournment of more than 3 days to a day certain are excluded 
        in the computation of the period specified.
            ``(3) Rules of house of representatives and senate.--This 
        subsection is enacted by Congress--
                    ``(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
                House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, 
                and as such these provisions are deemed a part of the 
                rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only 
                with respect to the procedure to be followed in that 
                House in the case of disapproval resolutions described 
                in paragraph (4); and they supersede other rules only 
                to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
                    ``(B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
                right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
                relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
                in the same manner and to the same extent as in the 
                case of any other rule of that House.
            ``(4) Disapproval resolution defined.--The term 
        `disapproval resolution' means only a joint resolution of the 
        two Houses of Congress, the matter after the resolving clause 
        of which is as follows: `That Congress disapproves the civil 
        aviation agreement between the United States and 
        ________________ transmitted by ________________ to the 
        Congress on ________________.', the first blank space being 
        filled with the name of the country involved, the second blank 
        space being filled with the title of the Secretary involved, 
        and the third blank space being filled with the appropriate 
        date.
            ``(5) Referral.--A disapproval resolution introduced in the 
        House of Representatives shall be referred to the Committee on 
        Transportation and Infrastructure and a disapproval resolution 
        introduced in the Senate shall be referred to the Committee on 
        Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
            ``(6) Automatic discharge.--If the committee of either 
        House to which a disapproval resolution has been referred has 
        not reported the resolution on or before the 45th day after its 
        introduction, the committee shall be automatically discharged 
        from further consideration of the resolution.
            ``(7) Amendments prohibited.--No amendment to a disapproval 
        resolution shall be in order in either the House of 
        Representatives or the Senate; and no motion to suspend the 
        application of this subsection shall be in order in either 
        House, nor shall it be in order in either House for the 
        Presiding Officer to entertain a request to suspend the 
        application of this paragraph by unanimous consent.
            ``(8) Prior action by other house.--If prior to the passage 
        by one House of a disapproval resolution of that House, that 
        House receives the same disapproval resolution from the other 
        House, then--
                    ``(A) the procedure in that House shall be the same 
                as if no disapproval resolution had been received from 
                the other House; but
                    ``(B) any vote on final passage shall be on the 
                disapproval resolution of the other House.
            ``(9) Floor consideration in the house.--
                    ``(A) Motion to proceed.--A motion in the House of 
                Representatives to proceed to the consideration of a 
                disapproval resolution that has been reported by the 
                Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or 
                received by the other House shall be highly privileged 
                and not debatable. An amendment to the motion shall not 
                be in order, nor shall it be in order to move to 
                reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or 
                disagreed to.
                    ``(B) Debate.--Debate in the House of 
                Representatives on a disapproval resolution shall be 
                limited to not more than 5 hours, which shall be 
                divided equally between those favoring and those 
                opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit 
                debate shall not be debatable. It shall not be in order 
                to move to recommit a disapproval resolution or to move 
                to reconsider the vote by which a disapproval 
                resolution is agreed to or disagreed to.
                    ``(C) Motions to postpone.--Motions to postpone, 
                made in the House of Representatives with respect to 
                the consideration of a disapproval resolution, and 
                motions to proceed to the consideration of other 
                business, shall be decided without debate.
                    ``(D) Appeals.--All appeals from the decisions of 
                the Chair relating to the application of the Rules of 
                the House of Representatives to the procedure relating 
                to a disapproval resolution shall be decided without 
                debate.
                    ``(E) Applicability of other rules.--Except to the 
                extent specifically provided in the preceding 
                provisions of this subsection, consideration of a 
                disapproval resolution shall be governed by the Rules 
                of the House of Representatives applicable to other 
                bills and resolutions in similar circumstances.
            ``(10) Floor consideration in the senate.--
                    ``(A) Motion to proceed.--A motion in the Senate to 
                proceed to the consideration of a disapproval 
                resolution that has been reported by the Committee on 
                Commerce, Science, and Transportation or received by 
                the other House shall be privileged and not debatable. 
                An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, nor 
                shall it be in order to move to reconsider the vote by 
                which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to.
                    ``(B) Debate.--Debate in the Senate on a 
                disapproval resolution, and all debatable motions and 
                appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited to 
                not more than 10 hours. The time shall be equally 
                divided between, and controlled by, the majority leader 
                and the minority leader or their designees.
                    ``(C) Appeals.--Debate in the Senate on any 
                debatable motion or appeal in connection with a 
                disapproval resolution shall be limited to not more 
                than 1 hour, to be equally divided between, and 
                controlled by, the mover and the manager of the 
                resolution, except that in the event the manager of the 
                resolution is in favor of any such motion or appeal, 
                the time in opposition thereto, shall be controlled by 
                the minority leader or his designee. Such leaders, or 
                either of them, may, from time under their control on 
                the passage of a disapproval resolution, allot 
                additional time to any Senator during the consideration 
                of any debatable motion or appeal.
                    ``(D) Motion to limit debate; motion to recommit.--
                A motion in the Senate to further limit debate is not 
                debatable. A motion to recommit a disapproval 
                resolution is not in order.''.