I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2112

To provide for the development and implementation of a national strategy

to encourage and promote opportunities for the United States private

sector to provide environmentally sound technology (including marine

biotechnology), goods, and services to the global market, and for other

purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 12, 1993

Mr. STUDDS (for himself, Ms. FURSE, Mr. OLVER, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr.

LAUGHLIN, Mrs. UNSOELD, Mr. MANTON, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. LANCASTER, Ms. ESHOO, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the

following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign

Affairs and Merchant Marine and Fisheries

A BILL

To provide for the development and implementation of a

national strategy to encourage and promote opportunities

for the United States private sector to provide environmentally sound technology (including marine biotechnology), goods, and services to the global market,

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,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Environ3 mental Trade Development Act of 1993’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

5 The Congress makes the following findings:

6 (1) The global market for environmental tech7 nology (including marine biotechnology), goods, and

8 services, is now $270,000,000,000, and is estimated

9 to grow to $500,000,000,000 by the year 2000.

10 (2) The global environmental market has been

11 stimulated by the increased environmental awareness

12 of developing nations, the emergence of new repub13 lics in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe,

14 increased public awareness of the importance of en15 vironmental protection, and the actions taken by na16 tions at the United Nations Conference on Environ17 ment and Development, which was held at Rio de

18 Janeiro on June 3–15, 1992.

19 (3) The United Nations Conference on Environ20 ment and Development adopted ‘‘Agenda 21’’, which

21 calls on all nations to develop and implement na22 tional strategies for sustainable development of their

23 natural resources, including the wise use of their

24 ocean and coastal resources, and urges developed

25 countries to enter into technology cooperation ar-
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1 rangements with developing countries for the provi2 sion of environmentally sound technologies.

3 (4) The United States private sector has devel4 oped regional clusters of environmental businesses,

5 nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions

6 in response to United States environmental laws and

7 regulations.

8 (5) The United States historically has domi9 nated in the development of environmentally sound

10 technology (including marine biotechnology), goods,

11 and services, but has never gained a corresponding

12 share of the market outside of the United States, in

13 part because other countries have more extensive

14 programs to assist the private sector in environ15 mental export promotion.

16 (6) Experts estimate that the United States

17 private sector could create over 300,000 new jobs by

18 the year 2000 based on an increased share of the

19 global market for environmental technology.

20 (7) At least 12 Federal agencies have some type

21 of export promotion program, but no single agency

22 has overall responsibility for export promotion and

23 no agency is clearly responsible for the promotion of

24 environmental technology exports.
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1 (8) Promoting United States environmental ex2 ports to the global market will create jobs, assist na3 tions to implement sustainable development pro4 grams, including the wise use of ocean and coastal

5 resources, and enhance the role of the United States

6 as a leader in global environmental policy.

7 SEC. 3. POLICY AND PURPOSE.

8 (a) POLICY.—The Congress declares that it is the

9 policy of the United States to maintain and enhance the

10 role of the United States as a leader in exporting environ11 mental technology (including marine biotechnology),

12 goods, and services to the global market for the benefit

13 of the global environment and to increase private sector

14 jobs in the field of environmental technology (including

15 marine biotechnology).

16 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act—

17 (1) to encourage the United States private sec18 tor to export, and assist the United States private

19 sector in exporting, environmental technology (in20 cluding marine biotechnology), goods, and services

21 in order to carry out the policy set forth in sub22 section (a);

23 (2) to authorize the President, acting through

24 the Office of Environmental Policy and the National

25 Economic Council, to coordinate the relevant policies
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1 and programs of Federal agencies to carry out the

2 policy set forth in subsection (a);

3 (3) to direct the Secretary of Commerce to en4 sure that the policies and programs of the Depart5 ment of Commerce, including those of the National

6 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are con7 sistent with and will help carry out the policy set

8 forth in subsection (a);

9 (4) to establish the Environmental Trade Pro10 motion Council of the United States, a public-private

11 partnership, and require the Council to develop a

12 national strategy to promote environmental exports;

13 (5) to authorize matching funds to qualified re14 gional environmental business and technology co15 operation centers to provide export assistance, edu16 cation, and training to small- and medium-sized

17 United States businesses entering the global environ18 mental market and to provide appropriate training

19 to foreign nationals;

20 (6) to establish a senior-level environmental

21 service corps within the Peace Corps through which

22 experienced environmental professionals would assist

23 developing countries and emerging democracies to

24 develop and implement their sustainable development
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1 programs, including programs to promote the wise

2 use of ocean and coastal resources; and

3 (7) to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to

4 establish American Business Centers, including En5 vironmental Business Centers, in nations that offer

6 promising new markets for United States environ7 mental technologies.

8 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL TRADE PRO9 MOTION STRATEGY.

10 The President, acting through the Office of Environ11 mental Policy and the National Economic Council, shall

12 coordinate the export promotion programs of Federal

13 agencies to ensure that these programs are consistent with

14 and implement the national strategy to increase environ15 mental exports that is developed by the Environmental

16 Trade Promotion Council under section 6.

17 SEC. 5. COMMERCE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATION IN ENVI18 RONMENTAL TRADE PROMOTION STRATEGY.

19 (a) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall review the applica20 ble policies and programs of the Department of Com21 merce, including those of the United States and Foreign

22 Commercial Service and other components of the Inter23 national Trade Administration, and those of the National

24 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to ensure that

25 these policies and programs are consistent with and imple-
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1 ment the national strategy to increase environmental ex2 ports that is developed by the Environmental Trade

3 Promotion Council under section 6.

4 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall re5 port to the Congress any policies and programs that are

6 found in the review conducted under subsection (a) to be

7 inconsistent with the national strategy developed under

8 section 6 and make recommendations for any legislative

9 changes needed in the authorities of those programs to

10 remove the inconsistency.

11 (c) 1-STOP SHOPS.—

12 (1) AT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.—The

13 Secretary shall establish at the Department of Com14 merce a 1-stop shop to provide information to Unit15 ed States businesses selling environmental tech16 nology (including marine biotechnology), goods, and

17 services on applicable technical and financial assist18 ance programs of the Department, potential global

19 market opportunities, including trade fairs, for those

20 businesses, and on international environmental regu21 lations.

22 (2) AT UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COMMER23 CIAL SERVICE OFFICES.—The Secretary shall estab24 lish at appropriate offices of the United States and

25 Foreign Commercial Service 1-stop shops to provide
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1 information described in paragraph (1) to United

2 States businesses selling environmental technology

3 (including marine biotechnology), goods, and services

4 in the district or area served by each such office. In

5 operating such shops outside the United States, the

6 Secretary shall cooperate with the Regional Environ7 mental Business and Technology Cooperation Cen8 ters described in section 7.

9 SEC. 6. ENVIRONMENTAL TRADE PROMOTION COUNCIL.

10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall establish

11 an Environmental Trade Promotion Council (hereafter in

12 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Council’’).

13 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall be composed of

14 the following members:

15 (1) The Secretary of Commerce.

16 (2) The Secretary of Energy.

17 (3) The Administrator of the Environmental

18 Protection Agency.

19 (4) The Administrator of the Agency for Inter20 national Development.

21 (5) The Director of the Trade and Development

22 Agency.

23 (6) The President of the Export-Import Bank

24 of the United States.
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1 (7) The President of the Overseas Private In2 vestment Corporation.

3 (8) 6 individuals appointed by the President

4 from among representatives of the United States en5 vironmental technology industry, including one rep6 resentative of the marine biotechnology industry.

7 (9) 3 individuals appointed by the President

8 from among representatives of labor, consumer pro9 tection, and environmental conservation organiza10 tions.

11 (10) 3 individuals appointed by the President

12 from among representatives of the States and asso13 ciations representing the States.

14 (c) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary shall serve as the

15 chairperson of the Council.

16 (d) FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.—The Council

17 shall—

18 (1) develop a national strategy to increase ex19 ports of United States environmental technology (in20 cluding marine biotechnology), goods, and services;

21 (2) work with the Environmental Trade Pro22 motion Working Group of the Trade Promotion Co23 ordinating Committee in developing the national

24 strategy referred to in paragraph (1);
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1 (3) prepare an action plan to implement the na2 tional strategy, including recommended guidelines

3 for agencies represented on the Council and the En4 vironmental Trade Promotion Working Group re5 ferred to in paragraph (2) to take action within their

6 respective agencies to promote exports of environ7 mental technologies;

8 (3) submit the national strategy and action

9 plan simultaneously to the President and the Con10 gress by April 30, 1994; and

11 (4) make periodic reports to the President and

12 the Congress on the achievement of the goals of the

13 national strategy and the action plan.

14 (e) STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION.—

15 (1) SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Secretary shall

16 provide to the Council such administrative and tech17 nical support services as are necessary for the effec18 tive functioning of the Council.

19 (2) OTHER SUPPORT.—The Administrator of

20 General Services shall furnish the Council with such

21 offices, equipment, supplies, and services as the Ad22 ministrator is authorized to furnish to any other

23 agency or instrumentality of the United States.

24 (3) COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.—
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1 (A) Except as provided in subparagraph

2 (B), members of the Council shall each be paid

3 the daily equivalent of the minimum rate of

4 basic pay payable for grade GS–15 of the Gen5 eral Schedule for each day during which they

6 are engaged in the actual performance of duties

7 vested in the Council.

8 (B) Members of the Council who are offi9 cers and employees of the United States may

10 not receive additional pay, allowances, or bene11 fits by reason of their service on the Council.

12 (C) Each member of the Council shall re13 ceive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu

14 of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702

15 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

16 (f) DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL INTEREST.—Each

17 member of the Council appointed under paragraph (8) or

18 (9) of subsection (b) shall file with the Secretary, before

19 serving on the Council, a statement of financial interest

20 that that individual, or the spouse, minor child, or partner

21 of that individual may have in an activity that may be

22 addressed by the national strategy or action plan devel23 oped under subsection (d).

24 (g) PROCEDURAL MATTERS.—
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1 (1) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The

2 Council is not an advisory committee for purposes of

3 the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.

4 App. 1.).

5 (2) OPEN MEETINGS.—The meetings of the

6 Council shall be open to the public and timely public

7 notice shall be provided in advance of each regular

8 meeting of the Council.

9 (h) SUNSET.—The Council shall cease to exist on

10 September 30, 1998.

11 SEC. 7. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS AND TECH12 NOLOGY COOPERATION CENTERS.

13 (a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to

14 provide matching funds for the establishment of regional

15 environmental business and technology cooperation cen16 ters that will draw upon their own expertise to provide

17 assistance, education, and training for United States and

18 foreign companies and organizations engaged in providing

19 and acquiring United States environmental technology

20 (including marine biotechnology), goods, and services.

21 (b) REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS AND

22 TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION CENTERS.—Eligible govern23 ment and private sector organizations that are actively en24 gaged in providing export assistance to small- and me25 dium-sized environmental businesses and environmental
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1 training to foreign nationals may apply to the Secretary,

2 in such form and manner as the Secretary may prescribe,

3 for designation as a Regional Environmental Business and

4 Technology Cooperation Center. Eligible organizations in5 clude State and local government agencies, small- and me6 dium-sized businesses, and appropriate programs imple7 mented by professional societies, worker organizations, in8 dustrial organizations, for-profit and nonprofit organiza9 tions, and institutions of higher education, including those

10 designated as sea grant colleges under the National Sea

11 Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 and follow12 ing).

13 (c) STANDARDS FOR DESIGNATION OF CENTERS.—

14 The Secretary shall establish standards for designating or15 ganizations or programs described in subsection (b) as Re16 gional Environmental Business and Technology Coopera17 tion Centers. In establishing such standards, the Secretary

18 shall give priority to—

19 (1) already existing centers and organizations

20 which have demonstrated competence in the areas of

21 environmental education and training and provision

22 of export assistance to small- and medium-sized

23 businesses; and

24 (2) any group of eligible organizations that

25 would be designated as a single Regional Environ-
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1 mental Business and Technology Cooperation Cen2 ter.

3 (d) GRANTS.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, subject

5 to the availability of appropriations, make grants to

6 Regional Environmental Business and Technology

7 Cooperation Centers designated under subsection

8 (b).

9 (2) USE OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under

10 paragraph (1) may be used by a Regional Environ11 mental Business and Technology Cooperation Cen12 ter—

13 (A) to identify the needs of specified for14 eign countries and areas for United States envi15 ronmental technology (including marine bio16 technology), goods, and services;

17 (B) to provide technical assistance on ex18 port development programs to small- and me19 dium-sized businesses, in the region served by

20 the Center, that have an interest in exporting

21 such environmental technology, goods, and serv22 ices;

23 (C) to conduct programs in the United

24 States of training and education of foreign na25 tionals in environmental management, coastal
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1 zone management, sustainable development,

2 marine pollution prevention and response, ma3 rine biotechnology, and environmental business

4 management; and

5 (D) to perform other services to promote

6 the export of United States environmental tech7 nology (including marine biotechnology), goods,

8 and services.

9 (3) TERMS OF GRANTS.—Each grant under this

10 subsection may be awarded for an initial period of

11 not more than 3 years and may be renewed for one

12 additional period of not more than 2 years. Each

13 such grant may not at any time exceed 50 percent

14 of the operating costs of the recipient Regional Envi15 ronmental Business and Technology Cooperation

16 Center and shall be matched by financial and

17 in-kind contributions of the Center.

18 (4) LIMITATION IN NUMBER OF GRANTS.—The

19 Secretary is authorized to make grants under this

20 section to not more than 6 Regional Environmental

21 Business and Technology Cooperation Centers.

22 SEC. 8. SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CORPS.

23 The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501–2523) is

24 amended by adding at the end the following:
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1 ‘‘SEC. 29. SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CORPS.

2 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL

3 SERVICE CORPS.—There is established within the Peace

4 Corps a division known as the ‘Senior Environmental

5 Service Corps’.

6 ‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Senior Environ7 mental Service Corps is to provide volunteers with experi8 ence in environmental management, environmental tech9 nology (including marine biotechnology), sustainable de10 velopment, coastal zone management, or marine pollution

11 and prevention, to countries requesting volunteers with

12 these skills.

13 ‘‘(c) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—Volunteers in

14 the Senior Environmental Service Corps shall provide ad15 vice to foreign governments, ministries, for-profit and non16 profit organizations, and others in environmental manage17 ment, strategies, and practices.

18 ‘‘(d) TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE.—The

19 President shall enroll volunteers in the Senior Environ20 mental Service Corps in the same manner and under the

21 same terms and conditions of service as other volunteers

22 are enrolled under section 5 of this Act, except that volun23 teers in the Senior Environmental Service Corps may be

24 provided with stipends sufficient to enable them to fulfill

25 the functions described in subsection (c) of this section.’’.
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1 SEC. 9. AMERICAN BUSINESS CENTERS.

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary is authorized

3 and encouraged to establish American Business Centers,

4 including Environmental Business Centers, in such coun5 tries that the Secretary determines offer promising new

6 market possibilities for the export of United States envi7 ronmental technology (including marine biotechnology),

8 goods and services. To the maximum extent practicable,

9 the Secretary shall use the private sector to establish such

10 Centers.

11 (b) POLICY GUIDANCE.—To the extent consistent

12 with the policy and purposes of this Act, the Secretary

13 shall comply with the directives set forth in paragraphs

14 (1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of section 301(c) of the Freedom

15 Support Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5821) in establishing

16 American Business Centers and Environmental Business

17 Centers under this section.

18 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

19 There are authorized to be appropriated—

20 (1) to the Secretary of Commerce—

21 (A) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years

22 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998, to carry

23 out sections 5, 6, and 9; and

24 (B) $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years

25 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998, to carry

26 out section 7; and
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1 (2) to the Director of the Peace Corps

2 $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 1994, 1995,

3 1996, 1997, and 1998 to carry out section 8.

4 Sums appropriated pursuant to paragraph (2) shall re5 main available for 2 fiscal years.

6 SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS.

7 As used in this Act—

8 (1) the term ‘‘export promotion program’’

9 means any activity of the Federal Government de10 signed to stimulate or assist United States busi11 nesses in marketing their goods and services, includ12 ing environmental technology, abroad;

13 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

14 of Commerce, and

15 (3) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several

16 States, the District of Columbia, and any common17 wealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

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