Promoting Transparency in Trade Act

Summary: Promoting Transparency in Trade Act This bill amends the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 to require the President to publish on a publicly available website the U.S. negotiating position and each new U.S. proposal for a proposed trade agreement at the conclusion of each negotiating round. Trade authorities procedures (fast track) shall not apply to any implementing bill with respect to a trade agreement if during the 60-day period that one House of Congress passes a resolution of disapproval for the President's failure to publish U.S. positions with respect to each trade negotiation round, the other House separately agrees to a resolution of disapproval. The bill amends the Trade Act of 1974 to direct the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to ensure that the Chief Transparency Officer of the Office of the USTR does not have, or appear to have, any conflict of interest in ensuring the transparency of the activities of the Office, including trade negotiations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Transparency in Trade 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PUBLICATIONS OF TEXTS OF TRADE AGREEMENTS AFTER EACH ROUND OF 
              NEGOTIATIONS.

    (a) Negotiations.--Section 105(a)(1) of the Bipartisan 
Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (19 
U.S.C. 4204(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) publish the United States position on a 
                publicly available Internet website at the conclusion 
                of each negotiating round for the proposed 
                agreement.''.
    (b) Procedural Disapproval Resolution.--Section 106(b) of the 
Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 
2015 (19 U.S.C. 4205(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in the heading, by striking ``or 
                Consultations'' and inserting ``, Consultations, or 
                Publication of Positions''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) in clause (i)--
                                    (I) by striking ``to notify or 
                                consult'' and all that follows through 
                                ``on negotiations'' and inserting ``, 
                                in accordance with the Bipartisan 
                                Congressional Trade Priorities and 
                                Accountability Act of 2015, to notify 
                                or consult on, or publish United States 
                                positions with respect to, 
                                negotiations''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``notify or 
                                consult.'' and inserting ``notify, 
                                consult, or publish United States 
                                positions.''; and
                            (ii) in clause (ii)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding 
                                subclause (I), by striking ``has 
                                `failed or refused to notify or consult 
                                in accordance with the Bipartisan 
                                Congressional Trade Priorities and 
                                Accountability Act of 2015' on 
                                negotiations'' and inserting ``has 
                                `failed, in accordance with the 
                                Bipartisan Congressional Trade 
                                Priorities and Accountability Act of 
                                2015, to notify or consult on, or 
                                publish United States positions with 
                                respect to,' negotiations'';
                                    (II) in subclause (III), by 
                                striking ``or'' at the end;
                                    (III) in subclause (IV), by 
                                striking the period at the end and 
                                inserting ``; or''; and
                                    (IV) by adding at the end the 
                                following:
                                    ``(V) the President has failed, 
                                under section 105(a)(1)(E), to publish 
                                the United States position at the 
                                conclusion of each negotiating round of 
                                the parties on the agreement.''; and
            (2) in paragraphs (3)(C) and (4)(C), by striking ``to 
        notify or consult'' and all that follows through ``on 
        negotiations'' and inserting ``, in accordance with the 
        Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability 
        Act of 2015, to notify or consult on, or publish United States 
        positions with respect to, negotiations''.
    (c) Definitions.--Section 111 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade 
Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (19) through (23) as 
        paragraphs (20) through (24), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (18) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(19) United states position.--The term `United States 
        position' means, with respect to a negotiating round, the full 
        text of each proposal comprising the negotiating position of 
        the United States at the conclusion of such negotiating round 
        and includes each new proposal offered by the United States at 
        such negotiating round.'';
            (3) by redesignating paragraphs (21) through (24) (as so 
        designated under paragraph (1)) as paragraphs (22) through 
        (25); and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (20) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(21) Negotiating round.--The term `negotiating round' 
        means, with respect to the parties to negotiations on an 
        agreement under section 103(b), a meeting of the trade 
        ministers (or designees) of every party to such 
        negotiations.''.

SEC. 3. USTR TRANSPARENCY OFFICER.

    Section 141(b)(3) of the Trade Act of 1974 is amended by adding at 
the end the following: ``The Trade Representative shall ensure that the 
individual who is appointed the Chief Transparency Officer does not, 
because of any other position the individual holds or otherwise, have, 
or appear to have, any conflict of interest in ensuring the 
transparency of the activities of the Office of the Trade 
Representative, including trade negotiations.''.