Union Calendar No. 26

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 757

[Report No. 105–38]

A BILL

To develop the economy of Samoa.

MARCH 20, 1997

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commitordered to be printed tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
IB

Union Calendar No. 26

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 757

[Report No. 105–38]

To develop the economy of Samoa.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 13, 1997

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

Committee on Resources

MARCH 20, 1997

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL

To develop the economy of Samoa.

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 ‘‘American Samoa De5 velopment Act of 1997’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a

3 Commission on the Economic Future of American Samoa

4 (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

5 The Commission shall consist of six members appointed

6 by the President, three of whom shall be selected from

7 nominations made by the Governor of American Samoa,

8 and the Secretary of Interior, ex officio. The President

9 shall designate one of the appointed members of the Com10 mission to be Chairman. Members of the Commission shall

11 be appointed for the life of the Commission.

12 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Commission

13 appointed by the President shall be persons who, by virtue

14 of their background and experience, are particularly suited

15 to contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the

16 Commission.

17 (c) EXPENSES.—Members of the Commission shall

18 serve without compensation, but shall may be reimbursed

19 for travel, subsistence and other necessary expenses in20 curred by them in the performance of their duties in ac21 cordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United

22 States Code.

23 (d) VACANCY.—Any vacancy in the Commission shall

24 be filled in the same manner as the original appointment

25 was made.
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1 SEC. 3. PURPOSE AND REPORT.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The purpose of the Commission

3 is to make recommendations to the President and Con4 gress on the policies and actions necessary to provide for

5 a secure and self-sustaining future for the local economy

6 of American Samoa through 2020 and on the role of the

7 Federal Government related thereto. In developing rec8 ommendations, the Commission shall—

9 (1) solicit and analyze information on projected

10 private sector development, including, but not lim11 ited to, tourism, manufacturing and industry, agri12 culture and transportation and shifting trends based

13 on alternative forecasts of economic, political and so14 cial conditions in the Pacific;

15 (2) analyze capital infrastructure, education, so16 cial, health and environmental needs in light of these

17 alternative forecasts;

18 (3) assemble relevant demographic, economic

19 and revenue and expenditure data from over the

20 past twenty-five years;

21 (4) review the application of Federal laws and

22 programs and the effects of such laws and programs

23 on the local economy and make such recommenda24 tions for changes in the application as the Commis25 sion deems advisable; and
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1 (5) consider the impact of Federal trade and

2 other international agreements, including, but not

3 limited to those related to marine resources, on

4 American Samoa and make such recommendations

5 as may be necessary to minimize or eliminate any

6 adverse effects on the local economy.

7 (b) REPORT.—The recommendations of the Commis8 sion shall be transmitted in a report to the President, the

9 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Unit10 ed States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the

11 United States House of Representatives no later than

12 June 30, 1999. The report shall set forth the basis for

13 the recommendations and shall include an analysis of the

14 capability of American Samoa to meet projected needs

15 based on reasonable alternative economic, political and so16 cial conditions in the Pacific Basin. The report shall also

17 include projections of the need for direct or indirect Fed18 eral assistance for operations and infrastructure over the

19 next decade and what additional assistance will be nec20 essary to develop the local economy to a level sufficient

21 to minimize or eliminate the need for direct Federal oper22 ational assistance.

23 (c) INCLUSION OF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW.—As part

24 of its report, the Commission shall also include an over25 view of the history of American Samoa and its relationship
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1 to the United States from 1872, with emphasis on those

2 events or actions that affect future economic development

3 and shall include, as an appendix to its report, copies of

4 the relevant documents, including, but not limited to, the

5 Tripartite Agreement signed on December 2, 1899, in

6 Washington, District of Columbia and the documents of

7 Cessions of 1900 and 1904.

8 SEC. 4. POWERS AND DUTIES.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—(1) The Commission may—

10 (A) hold such hearings, sit and act at such

11 times and places, take such testimony and receive

12 such evidence as it may deem advisable;

13 (B) use the United States mail in the same

14 manner and upon the same conditions as depart15 ments and agencies of the United States; and

16 (C) within available funds, incur such expenses

17 and enter into contracts or agreements for studies

18 and surveys with public and private organizations

19 and transfer funds to Federal agencies to carry out

20 the Commission’s functions.

21 (2) In carrying out paragraph (1)(A), the Commis22 sion shall conduct public meetings in Tutuila, Ofu,

23 Olosega and Ta’u.

24 (b) OFFICE SPACE AND STAFF.—Within funds avail25 able for the Commission, the Secretary of the Interior
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1 shall provide such office space, furnishings, equipment,

2 staff and fiscal and administrative services as the Commis3 sion may require.

4 (c) OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.—The President,

5 upon request of the Commission, may direct the head of

6 any Federal agency or department to assist the Commis7 sion and if so directed such head shall—

8 (1) furnish the Commission to the extent per9 mitted by law and within available appropriations

10 such information as may be necessary for carrying

11 out the functions of the Commission and as may be

12 available to or procurable by such department or

13 agency; and

14 (2) detail to temporary duty with the Commis15 sion on a reimbursable basis such personnel within

16 his administrative jurisdiction as the Commission

17 may need or believe to be useful for carrying out its

18 functions, each such detail to be without loss of se19 niority, pay or other employee status.

20 SEC. 5. CHAIRMAN.

21 Subject to general policies that the Commission may

22 adopt, the Chairman of the Commission shall be the chief

23 executive officer of the Commission and shall exercise its

24 executive and administrative powers. The Chairman may

25 make such provisions as he may deem appropriate author-
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1 izing the performance of his executive and administrative

2 functions by the staff of the Commission.

3 SEC. 6. FUNDING.

4 The Department of the Interior is authorized to pro5 vide up to $300,000 each in fiscal years 1997 and 1998

6 in technical assistance funding for the work of the Com7 mission.

8 SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

9 The Commission shall terminate three months after

10 the transmission of the report and recommendations under

11 section 3(b).