106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 17

AN ACT

To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to

sanctity, and for other purposes.bargo, to provide greater assurances for contractities, to provide a termination date for the emany selective embargo on agricultural commodrequire the President to report to Congress on
106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 17

AN ACT

To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to require

the President to report to Congress on any selective

embargo on agricultural commodities, to provide a termination date for the embargo, to provide greater assurances for contract sanctity, and for other purposes.
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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 ‘‘Selective Agricultural

5 Embargoes Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. REPORTING ON SELECTIVE EMBARGOES.

7 The Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5711

8 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end of title VI:

9 ‘‘SEC. 604. REPORTING ON SELECTIVE EMBARGOES.

10 ‘‘(a) REPORT.—If the President takes any action,

11 pursuant to statutory authority, to embargo the export

12 under an export sales contract (as defined in subsection

13 (e)) of an agricultural commodity to a country that is not

14 part of an embargo on all exports to the country, not later

15 than 5 days after imposing the embargo, the President

16 shall submit a report to Congress that sets forth in detail

17 the reasons for the embargo and specifies the proposed

18 period during which the embargo will be effective.

19 ‘‘(b) APPROVAL OF EMBARGO.—If a joint resolution

20 approving the embargo becomes law during the 100-day

21 period beginning on the date of receipt of the report pro22 vided for in subsection (a), the embargo shall terminate

23 on the earlier of—

24 ‘‘(1) a date determined by the President; or
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1 ‘‘(2) the date that is 1 year after the date of

2 enactment of the joint resolution approving the em3 bargo.

4 ‘‘(c) DISAPPROVAL OF EMBARGO.—If a joint resolu5 tion disapproving the embargo becomes law during the

6 100-day period referred to in subsection (b), the embargo

7 shall terminate on the expiration of the 100-day period.

8 ‘‘(d) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding any other provi9 sion of this section, an embargo may take effect and con10 tinue in effect during any period in which the United

11 States is in a state of war declared by Congress or na12 tional emergency, requiring such action, declared by the

13 President.

14 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section—

15 ‘‘(1) the term ‘agricultural commodity’ includes

16 plant nutrient materials;

17 ‘‘(2) the term ‘under an export sales contract’

18 means under an export sales contract entered into

19 before the President has transmitted to Congress no20 tice of the proposed embargo; and

21 ‘‘(3) the term ‘embargo’ includes any prohibi22 tion or curtailment.’’.
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1 SEC. 3. ADDITION OF PLANT NUTRIENT MATERIALS TO

2 PROTECTION OF CONTRACT SANCTITY.

3 Section 602(c) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978

4 (7 U.S.C. 5712(c)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(including

5 plant nutrient materials)’’ after ‘‘agricultural commodity’’

6 each place it appears.

Passed the House of Representatives June 15, 1999.

Attest:

Clerk.