I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3808

To establish the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas and to

provide for participation in the Assembly by the United States Delegation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 12, 1996

Mr. MOORHEAD (for himself, Mr. HYDE, Mrs. SCHROEDER, and Mr. CONYERS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on International Relations

A BILL

To establish the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas and to provide for participation in the Assembly

by the United States Delegation.

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

3 SECTION 1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSEMBLY OF THE

4 AMERICAS.

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND MEETINGS.—Not to ex6 ceed 13 Members of Congress shall be appointed to meet

7 jointly and at least annually and when Congress is not

8 in session (except that this restriction shall not apply to

9 meetings held in the United States) with representative
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1 parliamentary groups from other countries in the Ameri2 cas for the purposes of—

3 (1) discussing common problems and interests

4 in intellectual and industrial property; and

5 (2) initiating and promoting such national and

6 multilateral measures as may further common inter7 ests in intellectual and industrial property.

8 (b) APPOINTMENT OF UNITED STATES DELEGA9 TION.—For each meeting of the Intellectual Property As10 sembly of the Americas, there shall be appointed a United

11 States Delegation, as follows:

12 (1) In 1998 and every even-numbered year

13 thereafter—

14 (A) 7 members shall be appointed by the

15 Speaker of the House of Representatives from

16 Members of the House of Representatives (3 of

17 whom, including the Chairperson of the United

18 States Delegation, shall be from the Committee

19 on International Relations and 4 of whom shall

20 be from the Committee on the Judiciary); and

21 (B) 6 members shall, upon recommenda22 tions of the majority and minority leaders of

23 the Senate, be appointed by the President pro

24 tempore of the Senate from Members of the

25 Senate (2 of whom, including the Vice Chair-
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1 person of the United States Delegation, shall be

2 from the Committee on Foreign Relations and

3 4 of whom shall be from the Committee on the

4 Judiciary, unless the President pro tempore of

5 the Senate, upon recommendations of the ma6 jority and minority leaders of the Senate, deter7 mines otherwise).

8 Such appointments shall be for the period of each

9 meeting of the Intellectual Property Assembly of the

10 Americas.

11 (2) In every odd-numbered year beginning in

12 1999—

13 (A) 7 members shall, upon recommenda14 tions of the majority and minority leaders of

15 the Senate, be appointed by the President pro

16 tempore of the Senate from Members of the

17 Senate (3 of whom, including the Chairperson

18 of the United States Delegation, shall be from

19 the Committee on Foreign Relations and 4 of

20 whom shall be from the Committee on the Judi21 ciary, unless the President pro tempore of the

22 Senate, upon recommendations of the majority

23 and minority leaders of the Senate, determines

24 otherwise); and
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1 (B) 6 members shall be appointed by the

2 Speaker of the House of Representatives from

3 Members of the House of Representatives (2 of

4 whom, including the Vice Chairperson of the

5 United States Delegation, shall be from the

6 Committee on the Judiciary).

7 Such appointments shall be for the period of each

8 meeting of the Intellectual Property Assembly of the

9 Americas.

10 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—For the purpose of

11 providing general staff support, each United States Dele12 gation shall have 2 secretaries (1 of whom shall be ap13 pointed by the Chairperson of the Delegation and 1 of

14 whom shall be appointed by the Vice Chairperson of the

15 Delegation).

16 (d) FUNDING.—

17 (1) UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION.—There is

18 authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year

19 the sum of $60,000 to assist in meeting the ex20 penses of the United States Delegation. For each

21 fiscal year for which an appropriation is made under

22 this subsection, half of such appropriation may be

23 disbursed on vouchers to be approved by the Chair24 person and half of such appropriation may be dis-
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1 bursed on vouchers to be approved by the Vice

2 Chairperson.

3 (2) AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATIONS.—

4 Amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection

5 are authorized to remain available until expended.

6 (e) ANNUAL REPORT.—The United States Delega7 tion shall, for each fiscal year for which an appropriation

8 is made pursuant to this section, submit to the Congress

9 a report that includes its expenditures under such appro10 priation. The certificate of the Chairperson and Vice

11 Chairperson of the United States Delegation shall be final

12 and conclusive upon the accounting officers in the auditing

13 of the accounts of the United States Delegation.

14 (f) FUNDING FOR EXPENSES OF ANNUAL MEET15 INGS.—In addition to the amounts authorized by sub16 section (d), there is authorized to be appropriated the sum

17 of $100,000 for fiscal year 1998 to meet the expenses in18 curred by the United States Delegation in hosting the first

19 annual meeting of the Intellectual Property Assembly of

20 the Americas. Amounts appropriated under this sub21 section are authorized to remain available until expended.

22 SEC. 2. REPORTS OF EXPENDITURES; CONFORMING

23 AMENDMENT.

24 Section 105(b) of the Legislative Branch Appropria25 tions Act, 1961 (22 U.S.C. 276c–1), is amended by insert-
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1 ing ‘‘the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas,’’

2 after ‘‘the Mexico-United States Interparliamentary

3 Group,’’.

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