I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 757
To develop the economy of Samoa.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 13, 1997
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To develop the economy of Samoa.
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 ‘‘American Samoa De-
velopment Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a
Commission on the Economic Future of American Samoa
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).
The Commission shall consist of six members appointed
by the President, three of whom shall be selected from
nominations made by the Governor of American Samoa,
and the Secretary of Interior, ex officio. The President
shall designate one of the appointed members of the Com-
mission to be Chairman. Members of the Commission shall
be appointed for the life of the Commission.
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Commission
appointed by the President shall be persons who, by virtue
of their background and experience, are particularly suited
to contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the
Commission.
(c) EXPENSES.—Members of the Commission shall
serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for
travel, subsistence and other necessary expenses incurred
by them in the performance of their duties in accordance
with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States
Code.
(d) VACANCY.—Any vacancy in the Commission shall
be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
was made.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE AND REPORT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The purpose of the Commission
is to make recommendations to the President and Con-
gress on the policies and actions necessary to provide for
a secure and self-sustaining future for the local economy
of American Samoa through 2020 and on the role of the
Federal Government related thereto. In developing rec-
ommendations, the Commission shall—
(1) solicit and analyze information on projected
private sector development, including, but not lim-
ited to, tourism, manufacturing and industry, agri-
culture and transportation and shifting trends based
on alternative forecasts of economic, political and so-
cial conditions in the Pacific;
(2) analyze capital infrastructure, education, so-
cial, health and environmental needs in light of these
alternative forecasts;
(3) assemble relevant demographic, economic
and revenue and expenditure data from over the
past twenty-five years;
(4) review the application of Federal laws and
programs and the effects of such laws and programs
on the local economy and make such recommenda-
tions for changes in the application as the Commis-
sion deems advisable; and
(5) consider the impact of Federal trade and
other international agreements, including, but not
limited to those related to marine resources, on
American Samoa and make such recommendations
as may be necessary to minimize or eliminate any
adverse effects on the local economy.
(b) REPORT.—The recommendations of the Commis-
sion shall be transmitted in a report to the President, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Unit-
ed States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the
United States House of Representatives no later than
June 30, 1999. The report shall set forth the basis for
the recommendations and shall include an analysis of the
capability of American Samoa to meet projected needs
based on reasonable alternative economic, political and so-
cial conditions in the Pacific Basin. The report shall also
include projections of the need for direct or indirect Fed-
eral assistance for operations and infrastructure over the
next decade and what additional assistance will be nec-
essary to develop the local economy to a level sufficient
to minimize or eliminate the need for direct Federal oper-
ational assistance.
(c) INCLUSION OF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW.—As part
of its report, the Commission shall also include an over-
view of the history of American Samoa and its relationship
to the United States from 1872, with emphasis on those
events or actions that affect future economic development
and shall include, as an appendix to its report, copies of
the relevant documents, including, but not limited to, the
Tripartite Agreement signed on December 2, 1899, in
Washington, District of Columbia and the documents of
Cessions of 1900 and 1904.
SEC. 4. POWERS AND DUTIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) The Commission may—
(A) hold such hearings, sit and act at such
times and places, take such testimony and receive
such evidence as it may deem advisable;
(B) use the United States mail in the same
manner and upon the same conditions as depart-
ments and agencies of the United States; and
(C) within available funds, incur such expenses
and enter into contracts or agreements for studies
and surveys with public and private organizations
and transfer funds to Federal agencies to carry out
the Commission’s functions.
(2) In carrying out paragraph (1)(A), the Commis-
sion shall conduct public meetings in Tutuila, Ofu,
Olosega and Ta’u.
(b) OFFICE SPACE AND STAFF.—Within funds avail-
able for the Commission, the Secretary of the Interior
shall provide such office space, furnishings, equipment,
staff and fiscal and administrative services as the Commis-
sion may require.
(c) OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.—The President,
upon request of the Commission, may direct the head of
any Federal agency or department to assist the Commis-
sion and if so directed such head shall—
(1) furnish the Commission to the extent per-
mitted by law and within available appropriations
such information as may be necessary for carrying
out the functions of the Commission and as may be
available to or procurable by such department or
agency; and
(2) detail to temporary duty with the Commis-
sion on a reimbursable basis such personnel within
his administrative jurisdiction as the Commission
may need or believe to be useful for carrying out its
functions, each such detail to be without loss of se-
niority, pay or other employee status.
SEC. 5. CHAIRMAN.
Subject to general policies that the Commission may
adopt, the Chairman of the Commission shall be the chief
executive officer of the Commission and shall exercise its
executive and administrative powers. The Chairman may
make such provisions as he may deem appropriate author-
izing the performance of his executive and administrative
functions by the staff of the Commission.
SEC. 6. FUNDING.
The Department of the Interior is authorized to pro-
vide up to $300,000 each in fiscal years 1997 and 1998
in technical assistance funding for the work of the Com-
mission.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate three months after
the transmission of the report and recommendations under
section 3(b).
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