A bill to amend section 490 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish an additional certification with respect to major drug-producing and drug-transit countries, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION REGARDING DRUG-PRODUCING AND DRUG-
              TRANSIT COUNTRIES.

    (a) Additional Certification.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (b)(1) of section 490 of the 
        Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291j) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (A);
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
                subparagraph (C);
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 
                following new subparagraph (B):
                    ``(B) during the previous year, the country--
                            ``(i) has cooperated with the United 
                        States, or has taken steps on its own, to 
                        achieve compliance with the goals and 
                        objectives established by the United Nations 
                        Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic 
                        Drugs and Psychotropic Substances; but;
                            ``(ii) has not made adequate progress 
                        toward meeting certain plans, programs, or 
                        timetables (including plans, programs, or 
                        timetables relating to the Convention) 
                        identified in the most recent report of the 
                        President under section 489(a)(4); or''; and
                    (D) in subparagraph (C), as so redesignated, by 
                inserting ``or (B)'' after ``subparagraph (A)''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--That section is further 
        amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ``paragraph 
                (1)(B)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1)(C)'';
                    (B) in subsection (c), by striking ``subsection 
                (b)(1)(A)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (A) or (B) of 
                subsection (b)(1)''; and
                    (C) in subsection (f)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by striking 
                        ``subsection (b)(1)(A) or (b)(1)(B)'' and 
                        inserting ``subsection (b)''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (2)--
                                    (I) by striking ``subsection 
                                (b)(1)(B)'' each place it appears and 
                                inserting ``subsection (b)(1)(C)''; and
                                    (II) in clause (ii)(I), by striking 
                                ``subsection (b)(1)(A)'' and inserting 
                                ``subsection (b)(1)(A) or (b)(1)(B)''.
    (b) Additional Requirements Relating to Qualified Certification.--
That section is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Additional Requirements Relating to Qualified 
Certification.--
            ``(1) High-level contact group.--In the event of a 
        certification with respect to a country under subsection 
        (b)(1)(B), a high-level contact group should be convened 
        consisting of, but not limited to, the following officials (or 
        their designees) from the United States and their counterparts 
        from the country:
                    ``(A) The Attorney General.
                    ``(B) The Director of the Office of National Drug 
                Control Policy.
                    ``(C) The Secretary of the Treasury.
                    ``(D) The Secretary of State.
                    ``(E) The Administrator of the Drug Enforcement 
                Administration.
                    ``(F) The Director of the Federal Bureau of 
                Investigation.
                    ``(G) The Commissioner of Customs.
            ``(2) Responsibilities.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each high-level contact group 
                with respect to a country should establish specific, 
                achievable benchmarks for the country for each plan, 
                program, and timetable referred to in subsection 
                (b)(1)(B)(ii) for which inadequate progress has been 
                made.
                    ``(B) Purpose.--The purpose of a benchmark under 
                this paragraph is to permit the United States and the 
                country concerned to verify in an objective manner the 
                progress of the country under the plan, program, or 
                timetable concerned.
                    ``(C) Elements.--Each benchmark under this 
                paragraph shall--
                            ``(i) establish one or more specific, 
                        measurable goals or objectives with respect 
                        each plan, program, or timetable concerned, 
                        including a goal or objective relating to 
                        arrests, extradition, eradication of drug-
                        related crops, money-laundering, and other 
                        appropriate matters; and
                            ``(ii) fix the time in which each such goal 
                        or objective is to be met.
            ``(3) Deadline.--A high-level contact group with respect to 
        a country should complete its activities under paragraph (2) 
        not later than 60 days after the date of the certification with 
        respect to the country under subsection (b)(1)(B).
            ``(4) Benchmark report.--
                    ``(A) Requirement.--Not later than September 1 each 
                year, the President shall, after consultation with the 
                Attorney General, submit to Congress a report setting 
                forth the benchmarks established under this subsection 
                during that year.
                    ``(B) Elements.--A report under subparagraph (A) 
                shall--
                            ``(i) identify each country covered by the 
                        report;
                            ``(ii) set forth each benchmark established 
                        with respect to the country; and
                            ``(iii) describe any progress made by the 
                        country in meeting each such benchmark.
            ``(5) Report on progress.--With respect to each country for 
        which benchmarks are established under this subsection in a 
        year, the President shall, after consultation with the Attorney 
        General, include in the report submitted to Congress under 
        section 489(a) in the following year a report that describes 
        the progress made by the country in meeting such benchmarks.
    ``(j) Use of Benchmarks in Future Certifications.--In the case of a 
country for which benchmarks are established under subsection (i) in a 
year, the President shall place the greatest emphasis on the progress 
made by the country with respect to each such benchmark (as described 
in the report under paragraph (5) of that subsection) in making a 
certification with respect to the country under this section in the 
following year.''.
    (c) Applicability to Mexico.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) a high-level contact group should be convened with 
        respect to Mexico in 1998, as described in subsection (i) of 
        section 490 of the Foreign Assistance of 1961, as added by 
        subsection (b);
            (2) the provisions of such subsection (i) should apply to 
        the activities of the contact group; and
            (3) the provisions of subsection (j) of that section, as so 
        added, should apply to the certification of Mexico in 1999 
        under such section.

Summary: Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to revise certification standards for waiver of the requirements that: (1) bilateral assistance be withheld from a major illicit drug producing country or major drug-transit country. And (2) the Secretary of the Treasury instruct the US Executive Director of each multilateral development bank to vote against the provision of assistance to such countries under the international narcotic control program. Allows waiver of such requirements, in addition to other certification standards, if during the previous year such a country has cooperated with the United States, or has taken steps on its own, to achieve compliance with the goals and objectives established by the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, but has not made adequate progress toward meeting certain plans, programs, or timetables identified in a specified report of the President to the Congress. Declares that, with respect to such a country, a high-level contact group should be convened consisting of, but not limited to, specified US officials and their counterparts from the country. Requires each high-level group to establish specific, achievable benchmarks for the country for each plan, program, and timetable for which inadequate progress has been made. Directs the President to place the greatest emphasis on the progress made by the country with respect to such benchmarks in making certifications for such country in the following year. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) a high-level contact group should be convened with respect to Mexico in 1998. And (2) any benchmarks the group establishes should be used in its certification in 1999.