I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2714

To require the inclusion of provisions relating to worker rights and environmental standards in any trade agreement entered into under any future

trade negotiating authority.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DECEMBER 5, 1995

Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. MILLER of California, Mr. YATES, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. OWENS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. STARK, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. CONYERS, Mr.

TRAFICANT, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Ms. RIVERS, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. FILNER, Mr. VENTO, Mr. BONIOR, Ms.

MCKINNEY, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. NADLER, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr.

FATTAH, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. OLVER, Ms. BROWN of Florida, and Ms.

ROYBAL-ALLARD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To require the inclusion of provisions relating to worker

rights and environmental standards in any trade agreement entered into under any future trade negotiating

authority.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair International

3 Standards in Trade (FIST) Act’’.

4 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR FUTURE TRADE AGREE5 MENTS.

6 The authority of the President to enter into any trade

7 agreement under subsection (b) or (c) of section 1102 of

8 the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19

9 U.S.C. 2902) after January 1, 1995, or other authority

10 provided by statute to enter into trade agreements de11 scribed in such subsections, may be exercised only if the

12 trade agreement contains provisions that require each

13 party to the agreement to—

14 (1) adopt and enforce laws to afford inter15 nationally recognized worker rights to workers in

16 that country (including any designated zone in that

17 country);

18 (2) adopt and enforce laws to promote respect

19 for internationally recognized environmental stand20 ards in that country (including any designated zone

21 in that country); and

22 (3) treat as an actionable unfair trade practice

23 the systematic denial or practical nullification of

24 internationally recognized worker rights or inter25 nationally recognized environmental standards as a

26 means for any signatory country or its industries to
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1 gain a competitive advantage in international trade,

2 commerce, or finance.

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

4 For purposes of this Act—

5 (1) the term ‘‘internationally recognized worker

6 rights’’ has the meaning given that term in section

7 502(a)(4) of the Trade Act of 1974;

8 (2) the term ‘‘internationally recognized envi9 ronmental standards’’ includes—

10 (A) mitigation of global climate change;

11 (B) reduction in the consumption and pro12 duction of ozone-depleting substances;

13 (C) reduction in ship pollution of the

14 oceans from such sources as oil, noxious bulk

15 liquids, hazardous freight, sewage, and garbage;

16 (D) a ban on international ocean dumping

17 of high-level radioactive waste, chemical warfare

18 agents, and hazardous substances;

19 (E) government control of the

20 transboundary movement of hazardous waste

21 materials and their disposal for the purpose of

22 reducing global pollution on account of such

23 materials;

24 (F) preservation of endangered species;

25 (G) conservation of biological diversity;
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1 (H) promotion of biodiversity; and

2 (I) preparation of oil-spill contingency

3 plans; and

4 (3) the term ‘‘actionable unfair trade practice’’

5 means, under the laws of the United States, an act,

6 policy, or practice that, under section 301 of the

7 Trade Act of 1974, is unjustifiable and burdens or

8 restricts United States commerce.

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