tion, acceptance, accession, or approval with the Convention 
or Protocol’s relevant body, for that chemical substance or 
mixture, the Administrator shall publish in the Federal 
Register— 
‘‘(1)(A) a notice of a decision to initiate a rule-
making process regarding the chemical substance or 
mixture; or 
‘‘(B) a notice that a rulemaking process regard-
ing the chemical substance or mixture will not be ini-
tiated and the reason for this decision, including, as 
appropriate, a discussion of the relevant information 
obtained by the Administrator under this section as 
well as other factors that the Administrator may have 
evaluated; or 
‘‘(2) a notice indicating the status of the Admin-
istrator’s considerations on whether to publish a no-
tice under paragraph (1), and an estimate of the 
timeframe expected for such a decision. 
‘‘SEC. 504. AMENDMENTS AND CONSULTATION. 
‘‘(a) CONSENT TO BE BOUND.—It is the sense of the 
Congress that the United States shall consent to be bound 
by an amendment to Annex A, B, or C of the POPs Conven-
tion only after, pursuant to paragraph (4) of Article 25 
of the POPs Convention, the United States has declared that 
such amendment shall enter into force upon ratification, 
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acceptance, approval, or accession of the United States to 
such amendment. 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, as ap-
propriate, consult with Congress before consenting to 
bind the United States to an amendment to Annex A, 
B, or C of the POPs Convention. 
‘‘(2) REPORTING.—The President shall provide 
such other information relating to an amendment de-
scribed in paragraph (1) as the Congress may request 
in the fulfillment of its constitutional responsibilities 
with respect to the protection of public health and the 
environment. 
‘‘(3) CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.—Information 
provided pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be trans-
mitted to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works of the Senate for ap-
propriate action. 
‘‘SEC. 505. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND NOTICE OF 
MEETINGS. 
‘‘In cooperation with the Secretary of State and the 
head of any other appropriate Federal agency, the Adminis-
trator shall— 
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‘‘(1) participate and cooperate in any inter-
national efforts on chemical substances and mixtures; 
‘‘(2) participate in technical cooperation and ca-
pacity building activities designed to support imple-
mentation of— 
‘‘(A) the POPs Convention; 
‘‘(B) the LRTAP POPs Protocol; and 
‘‘(C) the PIC Convention; and 
‘‘(3) publish in the Federal Register timely ad-
vance notice of the known schedule and agenda of 
meetings on the POPs Convention, PIC Convention, 
and LRTAP POPs Protocol, and their subsidiary 
bodies, at which the United States will be represented. 
‘‘SEC. 506. EFFECT OF REQUIREMENTS. 
‘‘Any provision of this Act that establishes a require-
ment to comply with, or that is based on, a provision of 
the POPs Convention, the LRTAP POPs Protocol, or the 
PIC Convention shall be effective only to the extent that 
the United States has consented to be bound by that provi-
sion. 
‘‘SEC. 507. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 
‘‘Nothing in this title— 
‘‘(1) shall be construed to require the United 
States to register for a specific exemption available to 
the United States under Annex A or B to the POPs 
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Convention or an acceptable purpose available to the 
United States under Annex B to the POPs Conven-
tion; or 
‘‘(2) affects the authority of the Administrator to 
regulate a chemical substance or mixture under any 
other law or any provision of this Act.’’. 
SEC. 3. POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS). 
Section 6(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 
U.S.C. 2605(e)) is amended— 
(1) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) The Administrator may not, after the date of en-
actment of this subparagraph, issue a rule authorizing ac-
tivities, that were not previously authorized, under sub-
paragraph (B) unless the activities authorized are con-
sistent with the exemptions described in section 503(f) or 
(g), subject to section 503(h).’’; 
(2) by adding at the end of paragraph (3) the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) The Administrator may not, after the date of en-
actment of this subparagraph, grant an exemption under 
subparagraph (B) unless the manufacturing, processing, or 
distribution in commerce with respect to which such exemp-
tion applies is consistent with the exemptions described in 
section 503(f) or (g), subject to section 503(h).’’; and 
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