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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1558

To authorize expenditures by the Panama Canal Commission for fiscal year

2000, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 26, 1999

Mr. BATEMAN (for himself and Mr. UNDERWOOD) (both by request) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed

Services

A BILL

To authorize expenditures by the Panama Canal Commission

for fiscal year 2000, 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; REFERENCES TO PANAMA

4 CANAL ACT OF 1979.

5 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the

6 ‘‘Panama Canal Commission Authorization Act for Fiscal

7 Year 2000’’.

8 (b) REFERENCES TO PANAMA CANAL ACT OF

9 1979.—Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever

10 in this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms
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1 of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi2 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a

3 section or other provision of the Panama Canal Act of

4 1979 (22 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.).

5 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF EXPENDITURES.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the

7 Panama Canal Commission is authorized to use amounts

8 in the Panama Canal Revolving Fund to make such ex9 penditures within the limits of funds and borrowing au10 thority available to it in accordance with law, and to make

11 such contracts and commitments, as may be necessary

12 under the Panama Canal Act of 1979 (22 U.S.C. 3601

13 et seq.) for the operation, maintenance, improvement, and

14 administration of the Panama Canal for fiscal year 2000

15 through noon on December 31, 1999, at which point re16 sponsibility for such maintenance, improvement, and ad17 ministration will be transferred to the Republic of Panama

18 by authority of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.

19 (b) LIMITATIONS.—For fiscal year 2000 through

20 noon on December 31, 1999, the Panama Canal Commis21 sion may expend from funds in the Panama Canal Revolv22 ing Fund not more than $100,000 for official reception

23 and representation expenses, of which—
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1 (1) not more than $28,000 may be used for of2 ficial reception and representation expenses of the

3 Supervisory Board of the Commission;

4 (2) not more than $14,000 may be used for of5 ficial reception and representation expenses of the

6 Secretary of the Commission; and

7 (3) not more than $58,000 may be used for of8 ficial reception and representation expenses of the

9 Administrator of the Commission.

10 SEC. 3. PURCHASE OF VEHICLES.

11 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the

12 funds available to the Commission shall be available for

13 the purchase and transportation to the Republic of Pan14 ama of passenger motor vehicles, the purchase price of

15 which shall not exceed $26,000 per vehicle.

16 SEC. 4. OFFICE OF TRANSITION ADMINISTRATION.

17 (a) EXPENDITURES FROM PANAMA CANAL COMMIS18 SION DISSOLUTION FUND.—The office established under

19 section 1305 of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 as amend20 ed (22 U.S.C. 3714a) to close out the affairs of the Com21 mission, known as the Office of Transition Administra22 tion, is hereby authorized to expend or obligate funds from

23 the Panama Canal Commission Dissolution Fund estab24 lished under such section for the purposes enumerated in
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1 such section until October 1, 2004, the termination date

2 of said Fund.

3 (b) OPERATION OF THE OFFICE OF TRANSITION AD4 MINISTRATION.—Relevant provisions of the Panama

5 Canal Act of 1979, as amended (22 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.),

6 shall continue to govern the Office of Transition Adminis7 tration. For purposes of exercising authority under the

8 procurement laws of the United States, the director of

9 such offices shall have the status of the head of an agency.

10 The Office of Transition Administration shall have offices

11 in the Republic of Panama and in Washington, D.C. Such

12 Office in Panama shall be subject to the Chief of Mission

13 authority of the United States Embassy in Panama.

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