I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1224
To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade 
relations treatment) to the products of the Russian Federation, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 12, 2003
Mr. RANGEL (for himself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. CARDIN, and Mr. LEVIN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways 
and Means, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations 
and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment 
(normal trade relations treatment) to the products of 
the Russian Federation, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that—
(1) the Russian Federation has adopted con-
stitutional protections and statutory and administra-
tive procedures that accord its citizens the right and
opportunity to emigrate, free of anything more than 
a nominal tax on emigration or on the visas or other 
documents required for emigration and free of any 
tax, levy, fine, fee, or other charge on any citizens 
as a consequence of the desire of such citizens to 
emigrate to the country of their choice or to return 
to the Russian Federation; 
(2) the Russian Federation has been found to 
be in full compliance with the freedom of emigration 
requirements under title IV of the Trade Act of 
1974 since 1994; 
(3) the Russian Federation has taken important 
steps toward the creation of democratic institutions 
and a free-market economy and, as a participating 
state of the Organization for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe (in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘OSCE’’), is committed to developing a system of 
governance in accordance with the principles regard-
ing human rights and humanitarian affairs that are 
set forth in the Final Act of the Conference on Secu-
rity and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the 
‘‘Helsinki Final Act’’) and successive documents; 
(4) the Russian Federation is committed to ad-
dressing issues relating to its national and religious 
minorities as a participating state of the OSCE, to
adopting measures to ensure that persons belonging 
to national minorities have full equality both individ-
ually and communally, and to respecting the inde-
pendence of minority religious communities, al-
though problems still exist regarding the registration 
of religious groups, visa, and immigration require-
ments, and other laws, regulations, and practices 
that interfere with the activities or internal affairs 
of minority religious communities; 
(5) the Russian Federation has enacted legisla-
tion providing protection against discrimination or 
incitement to violence against persons or groups 
based on national, racial, ethnic, or religious dis-
crimination, including anti-Semitism; 
(6) the Russian Federation has committed 
itself, including through exchanges of letters, to en-
suring freedom of religion, equal treatment of all re-
ligious groups, and combating racial, ethnic, and re-
ligious intolerance and hatred, including anti-Semi-
tism; 
(7) the Russian Federation has engaged in ef-
forts to combat ethnic and religious intolerance by 
cooperating with various United States nongovern-
mental organizations;
(8) the Russian Federation is continuing the 
restitution of religious properties, including religious 
and communal properties confiscated from national 
and religious minorities during the Soviet era, facili-
tating the reemergence of these minority groups in 
the national life of the Russian Federation, and has 
committed itself, including through exchanges of let-
ters, to continue the restitution of such properties; 
(9) the Russian Federation has received normal 
trade relations treatment since concluding a bilateral 
trade agreement with the United States that entered 
into force on June 17, 1992; 
(10) the Russian Federation is making progress 
toward accession to the World Trade Organization, 
recognizing that many central issues remain to be 
resolved, including removal of unjustified restrictions 
on agricultural products of the United States, com-
mitments relating to tariff reductions for goods, 
trade in services, protection of intellectual property 
rights, reform of the industrial energy sector, elimi-
nation of export incentives for industrial goods, re-
form of customs procedures and technical, sanitary, 
and phytosanitary measures, and inclusion of trade 
remedy provisions;
(11) the Russian Federation has enacted some 
protections 
reflecting 
internationally 
recognized 
labor rights, but serious gaps remain both in the 
country’s legal regime and its enforcement record; 
(12) the Russian Federation has provided con-
stitutional guarantees of freedom of the press, al-
though infringements of this freedom continue to 
occur; and 
(13) the Russian Federation has demonstrated 
a strong desire to build a friendly and cooperative 
relationship with the United States. 
SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE IV OF 
THE TRADE ACT OF 1974 TO THE RUSSIAN 
FEDERATION. 
(a) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATIONS AND EXTEN-
SIONS OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT.—Notwith-
standing any provision of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 
(19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.), the President may—
(1) determine that such title should no longer 
apply to the Russian Federation; and 
(2) after making a determination under para-
graph (1) with respect to the Russian Federation, 
proclaim the extension of nondiscriminatory treat-
ment (normal trade relations treatment) to the prod-
ucts of that country.