I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4782

To provide for the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade

relations treatment) to the products of the Republic of Georgia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 29, 2000

Mr. CRANE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Ways and Means

A BILL

To provide for the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment

(normal trade relations treatment) to the products of

the Republic of Georgia.

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

3 SECTION 1. NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR THE REPUB4 LIC OF GEORGIA.

5 (a) CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.—The Congress finds

6 that the Republic of Georgia has—

7 (1) made considerable progress toward respect8 ing fundamental human rights consistent with the

9 objectives of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974;
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1 (2) adopted administrative procedures that ac2 cord its citizens the right to emigrate, travel freely,

3 and to return to their country without restriction;

4 (3) been found to be in full compliance with the

5 freedom of emigration provisions in title IV of the

6 Trade Act of 1974;

7 (4) made progress toward democratic rule and

8 creating a free market economic system since its

9 independence from the Soviet Union;

10 (5) committed to developing a system of govern11 ance in accord with the provisions of the Final Act

12 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in

13 Europe (also known as the ‘‘Helsinki Final Act’’) re14 garding human rights and humanitarian affairs;

15 (6) endeavored to address issues related to its

16 national and religious minorities and, as a member

17 state of the Organization for Security and Coopera18 tion in Europe (OSCE), committed to adopting spe19 cial measures for ensuring that persons belonging to

20 national minorities have full equality individually as

21 well as in community with other members of their

22 group;

23 (7) also committed to enacting legislation to

24 provide protection against incitement to violence

25 against persons or groups based on national, racial,
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1 ethnic or religious discrimination, hostility, or ha2 tred, including anti-Semitism;

3 (8) continued to return communal properties

4 confiscated from national and religious minorities

5 during the Soviet period, facilitating the reemer6 gence of these communities in the national life of

7 Georgia and establishing the legal framework for

8 completion of this process in the future;

9 (9) concluded a bilateral investment treaty with

10 the United States in 1994;

11 (10) demonstrated a strong desire to build a

12 friendly and cooperative relationship with the United

13 States; and

14 (11) acceded to the World Trade Organization

15 on June 14, 2000, and the extension of uncondi16 tional normal trade relations treatment to the prod17 ucts of Georgia will enable the United States to avail

18 itself of all rights under the World Trade Organiza19 tion with respect to Georgia.

20 SEC. 2. NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR THE REPUBLIC OF

21 GEORGIA.

22 (a) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION AND EXTEN23 SION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT.—Notwith24 standing any provision of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974

25 (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.), the President may—
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1 (1) determine that such title should no longer

2 apply to the Republic of Georgia; and

3 (2) after making a determination under para4 graph (1) with respect to the Republic of Georgia,

5 proclaim the extension of nondiscriminatory treat6 ment (normal trade relations treatment) to the prod7 ucts of that country.

8 (b) TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE IV OF

9 THE TRADE ACT OF 1974 TO THE REPUBLIC OF GEOR10 GIA.—On and after the effective date of the extension

11 under subsection (a)(2) of nondiscriminatory treatment to

12 the products of the Republic of Georgia, title IV of the

13 Trade Act of 1974 shall cease to apply to that country.

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