I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7980 
To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to establish an Inspector 
General of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
Mr. PASCRELL (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. JUDY CHU 
of California, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. 
KAPTUR, and Mr. SERRANO) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to establish 
an Inspector General of the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘USTR Inspector Gen-
eral Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Section 8 of article I of the Constitution of 
the United States provides that Congress has the 
sole power to regulate international trade. 
(2) Congress established the Office of the 
United States Trade Representative in the Executive 
Office of the President under section 141 of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2171) with the pri-
mary responsibility for developing, and coordinating 
implementation of, the international trade policy of 
the United States. 
(3) The United States Trade Representative 
has primary responsibility for administering a vari-
ety of trade statutes and for monitoring the imple-
mentation and enforcement of trade agreements. 
(4) Section 141(c)(1)(F) of the Trade Act of 
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2171(c)(1)(F)) states that the 
United States Trade Representative shall ‘‘report di-
rectly to the President and the Congress regarding, 
and be responsible to the President and the Con-
gress for the administration of, trade agreements 
programs’’. 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE 
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REP-
RESENTATIVE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 12 of the Inspector Gen-
eral Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘;or the Direc-
tor of the National Reconnaissance Office;’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, the Director of the National Reconnais-
sance Office, or the United States Trade Represent-
ative,’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or the Na-
tional Reconnaissance Office’’ and inserting ‘‘the 
National Reconnaissance Office, or the Office of the 
United States Trade Representative’’. 
(b) APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Not 
later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the President shall appoint an individual to serve 
as the Inspector General of the Office for the United 
States Trade Representative in accordance with section 
3(a) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). 
SEC. 4. AUDIT OF PROCESS FOR SEEKING EXCLUSIONS 
FROM CERTAIN DUTIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General 
of the Office of the United States Trade Representative 
shall commence conducting an audit of the process estab-
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lished by the United States Trade Representative for ex-
cluding articles from duties imposed under section 301 of 
the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2411) with respect to 
articles imported from the People’s Republic of China. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the audit required by 
subsection (a), the Inspector General shall assess wheth-
er— 
(1) all information used to make determinations 
with respect to requests for or objections to such ex-
clusions was included in the official record; and 
(2) officials of the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative— 
(A) uniformly applied the criteria used to 
review such requests or objections to all persons 
that submitted such requests or objections, as 
the case may be; 
(B) changed the criteria used to review 
such requests or objections while such requests 
or objections, as the case may be, were pending; 
(C) met with any interested parties to dis-
cuss such requests or objections while such re-
quests or objections, as the case may be, were 
pending; 
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(D) at any time permitted the resubmis-
sion of a previously submitted request or objec-
tion after the submission deadline; and 
(E) uniformly allowed persons that sub-
mitted such requests or objections to submit ad-
ditional information at any time while such re-
quests or objections, as the case may be, were 
under review. 
Æ 
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