I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5487

To establish the W. John Child Memorial Foreign Language Award to recognize foreign language proficiency by members of the Foreign Service

who are employees of the Department of Agriculture.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 18, 2000

Mr. EHRLICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

A BILL

To establish the W. John Child Memorial Foreign Language

Award to recognize foreign language proficiency by members of the Foreign Service who are employees of the

Department of Agriculture.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘W. John Child Memo5 rial Foreign Language Award Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress makes the following findings:
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1 (1) The late W. John Child was an exemplary

2 Foreign Agricultural Service Officer of the Depart3 ment of Agriculture who worked tirelessly for dec4 ades to open the Japanese market to United States

5 agricultural products.

6 (2) For 27 and a half years, Mr. Child served

7 the United States with the utmost distinction and

8 honor and made an extraordinary contribution to the

9 cause of American agriculture in the Japanese mar10 ket.

11 (3) Much of Mr. Child’s success was due to his

12 remarkable command of the Japanese language,

13 whereby he was able to make the case for United

14 States agriculture directly to the Japanese people.

15 (4) Mr. Child’s efforts have demonstrated the

16 importance of foreign language proficiency for For17 eign Service officers serving in the United States

18 Department of Agriculture.

19 (5) Congress finds it appropriate to memorialize

20 Mr. Child’s acomplishments by establishing a foreign

21 language proficiency award for Foreign Service offi22 cers who are employees of the Department of Agri23 culture.
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF W. JOHN CHILD MEMORIAL

2 FOREIGN LANGUAGE AWARD.

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an award

4 designated the ‘‘W. John Child Memorial Foreign Lan5 guage Award’’ (hereinafter in this Act referred to as ‘‘the

6 Award’’) for the recognition of distinguished foreign lan7 guage proficiency by members of the Foreign Service who

8 are career officers or employees of the Department of Ag9 riculture.

10 (b) AWARD CITATION.—Recipients of the Award

11 shall receive a citation which shall be of such design as

12 shall be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

13 (c) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall

14 designate annually one or more recipients of the Award

15 from among individuals nominated for the Award pursu16 ant to such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe,

17 after consultation with the Administrator of the Foreign

18 Agricultural Service and the Administrator of the Animal

19 and Plant Health Inspection Service of the Department

20 of Agriculture.

21 (d) POSTHUMOUS AWARD.—An Award may be made

22 to an individual who is a former employee of the Depart23 ment of Agriculture or to an individual who is deceased.

24 The presentation of an award may be made to an individ25 ual’s next of kin or representative, as designated by the

26 Secretary.
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1 (e) DEFINITION OF MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN

2 SERVICE.—In this Act, the term ‘‘member of the Foreign

3 Service’’ means any individual described under section 103

4 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.

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