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107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 948

To express the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should

field currently available weapons and other technologies, and use tactics

and operational concepts, that provide suitable alternatives to anti-personnel mines and mixed anti-tank mine systems and that the United

States should end its use of such mines and join the Convention on

the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines as soon as possible, to expand

support for mine action programs including mine victim assistance, and

for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 8, 2001

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. QUINN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mrs.

MALONEY of New York, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. LUTHER, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr.

BARRETT, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Ms. WATERS, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr.

GUTIERREZ, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. FILNER, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. HALL of

Ohio, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. ALLEN, Mrs.

MORELLA, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr.

COOKSEY, Mr. NADLER, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mrs. MINK

of Hawaii, and Mr. MOAKLEY) introduced the following bill; which was

referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to

the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To express the sense of Congress that the Department of

Defense should field currently available weapons and

other technologies, and use tactics and operational concepts, that provide suitable alternatives to anti-personnel

mines and mixed anti-tank mine systems and that the
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United States should end its use of such mines and

join the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel

Mines as soon as possible, to expand support for mine

action programs including mine victim assistance, and

for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Landmine Elimination

5 and Victim Assistance Act of 2001’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress makes the following findings:

8 (1) The threat posed by tens of millions of

9 unexploded landmines to innocent civilians is a glob10 al problem requiring strong United States leadership

11 in cooperation with other governments.

12 (2) Landmines continue to maim and kill thou13 sands of people, mostly civilians, each year, and

14 most mine victims lack the care and rehabilitation

15 services they need.

16 (3) Landmines, which remain active for hours,

17 days or years, impede the mobility and threaten the

18 safety of United States Armed Forces, North Atlan19 tic Treaty Organization forces, and other friendly

20 forces in combat and other military operations.
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1 (4) At least 139 countries have signed, and 110

2 countries have ratified, the Convention on the Prohi3 bition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and

4 Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their De5 struction (opened for signature at Ottawa, Canada,

6 on December 3 and 4, 1997, and at the United Na7 tions Headquarters beginning December 5, 1997).

8 Many of these countries are former producers, ex9 porters, and users of anti-personnel mines. World10 wide adherence to the Convention would greatly re11 duce the threat to future generations from anti-per12 sonnel mines.

13 (5) It is United States Government policy that

14 the United States will search aggressively for alter15 natives to anti-personnel mines and mixed anti-tank

16 mine systems and that the United States will join

17 that convention if suitable alternatives are fielded by

18 then.

19 (6) Since 1992, United States law has prohib20 ited the export or transfer of anti-personnel mines.

21 (7) Since 1997, the United States has capped

22 its inventory of anti-personnel mines and has not

23 produced anti-personnel mines.

24 (8) The United States Government has contrib25 uted hundreds of millions of dollars to the costly,
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1 dangerous, and arduous task of humanitarian

2 demining around the world.

3 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

4 It is the sense of Congress that—

5 (1) the Department of Defense should field cur6 rently available weapons and other technologies, and

7 use tactics and operational concepts, that provide

8 suitable alternatives to anti-personnel mines and

9 mixed anti-tank mine systems; and

10 (2) the United States should end its use of such

11 mines and join the Convention on the Prohibition of

12 the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of

13 Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction as

14 soon as possible.

15 SEC. 4. PERMANENT PROHIBITION ON TRANSFER OF ANTI16 PERSONNEL LANDMINES.

17 Section 1365(c) of the National Defense Authoriza18 tion Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (22 U.S.C. 2778 note) is

19 amended by striking ‘‘During’’ and all that follows

20 through ‘‘1992—’’ and inserting ‘‘Beginning on October

21 23, 1992—’’.

22 SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON MINE ACTION

23 PROGRAMS.

24 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact25 ment of this Act, the President shall establish an inter-
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1 agency working group to develop a comprehensive plan for

2 expanded mine action programs, including mine victim re3 habilitation, social support, and economic reintegration.

4 The working group shall be composed of the Secretaries

5 of State, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs,

6 Defense, and Education and the Administrator of the

7 Agency for International Development. The comprehensive

8 plan shall be developed in close consultation with relevant

9 nongovernmental organizations. As part of the develop10 ment of the comprehensive plan, the working group shall

11 determine an estimated cost of carrying out the plan.

12 SEC. 6. REPORT BY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ON AL13 TERNATIVES TO MINES.

14 (a) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.—Not later than

15 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the

16 Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional de17 fense committees a report describing actions taken by the

18 Department of Defense to field currently available weap19 ons and other technologies, and to use tactics and oper20 ational concepts, that provide suitable alternatives to anti21 personnel mines and mixed anti-tank mine systems.

22 (b) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DE23 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘congressional defense

24 committees’’ means the following:
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1 (1) The Committee on Armed Services and the

2 Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

3 (2) The Committee on Armed Services and the

4 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep5 resentatives.

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