H. R. 3381
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
An Act
To reauthorize the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Trade and
Development Agency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Export Enhancement Act of
1999’’.
SEC. 2. OPIC ISSUING AUTHORITY.
Section 235(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2195(a)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘1999’’ and inserting
‘‘2003’’.
SEC. 3. IMPACT OF OPIC PROGRAMS.
(a) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—Section 231A of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2191a) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(b) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.—The Board of Directors of the
Corporation shall not vote in favor of any action proposed to be
taken by the Corporation that is likely to have significant adverse
environmental impacts that are sensitive, diverse, or unprece-
dented, unless for at least 60 days before the date of the vote—
‘‘(1) an environmental impact assessment or initial environ-
mental audit, analyzing the environmental impacts of the pro-
posed action and of alternatives to the proposed action has
been completed by the project applicant and made available
to the Board of Directors; and
‘‘(2) such assessment or audit has been made available
to the public of the United States, locally affected groups in
the host country, and host country nongovernmental organiza-
tions.’’; and
(3) in subsection (c), as so redesignated—
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Board’’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) In conjunction with each meeting of its Board of Directors,
the Corporation shall hold a public hearing in order to afford
an opportunity for any person to present views regarding the activi-
ties of the Corporation. Such views shall be made part of the
record.’’.
H. R. 3381—2
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection
(a) shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 4. BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF OPIC.
Section 233(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2193(b)) is amended—
(1) by striking the second and third sentences;
(2) in the fourth sentence by striking ‘‘(other than the
President of the Corporation, appointed pursuant to subsection
(c) who shall serve as a Director, ex officio)’’;
(3) in the second undesignated paragraph—
(A) by inserting ‘‘the President of the Corporation,
the Administrator of the Agency for International Develop-
ment, the United States Trade Representative, and’’ after
‘‘including’’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The United
States Trade Representative may designate a Deputy
United States Trade Representative to serve on the Board
in place of the United States Trade Representative.’’; and
(4) by inserting after the second undesignated paragraph
the following:
‘‘There shall be a Chairman and a Vice Chairman of the Board,
both of whom shall be designated by the President of the United
States from among the Directors of the Board other than those
appointed under the second sentence of the first paragraph of
this subsection.’’.
SEC. 5. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
(a) PURPOSE.—Section 661(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421(a)) is amended by inserting before the
period at the end of the second sentence the following: ‘‘, with
special emphasis on economic sectors with significant United States
export potential, such as energy, transportation, telecommuni-
cations, and environment’’.
(b) CONTRIBUTIONS OF COSTS.—Section 661(b) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421(b)) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
‘‘(5) CONTRIBUTIONS TO COSTS.—The Trade and Develop-
ment Agency shall, to the maximum extent practicable, require
corporations and other entities to—
‘‘(A) share the costs of feasibility studies and other
project planning services funded under this section; and
‘‘(B) reimburse the Trade and Development Agency
those funds provided under this section, if the corporation
or entity concerned succeeds in project implementation.’’.
(c) FUNDING.—Section 661(f ) of the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421(f )) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(A) by striking ‘‘$77,000,000’’ and all
that follows through ‘‘1996’’ and inserting ‘‘$48,000,000 for fiscal
year 2000 and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal
year thereafter’’; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘in fiscal years’’ and
all that follows through ‘‘provides’’ and inserting ‘‘in carrying
out its program, provide, as appropriate, funds’’.
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF TPCC.
The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee shall—
H. R. 3381—3
(1) report on the actions taken or efforts currently under-
way to eliminate the areas of overlap and duplication identified
among Federal export promotion activities;
(2) coordinate efforts to sponsor or promote any trade show
or trade fair;
(3) work with all relevant State and national organizations,
including the National Governors’ Association, that have estab-
lished trade promotion offices;
(4) report on actions taken or efforts currently underway
to promote better coordination between State, Federal, and
private sector export promotion activities, including co-location,
cost sharing between Federal, State, and private sector export
promotion programs, and sharing of market research data;
and
(5) by not later than March 30, 2000, and annually there-
after, include the matters addressed in paragraphs (1), (2),
(3), and (4) in the annual report required to be submitted
under section 2312(f ) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988
(15 U.S.C. 4727(f )).
SEC. 7. TIMING OF TPCC REPORTS.
Section 2312(f ) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15
U.S.C. 4727(f )) is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 1995, and
annually thereafter,’’ and inserting ‘‘March 30 of each year,’’.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.