IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1208
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 1, 2003
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 
for United States contributions to the International 
Fund for Ireland, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Ireland 
Peace and Reconciliation Support Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States has been effectively en-
gaged in the Northern Ireland peace process through 
both participating in negotiations and contributing 
to the economic development of the region. 
(2) Both the Government of Ireland and the 
Irish people and the Government of the United 
Kingdom and the British people are long-standing 
friends of the United States and the American peo-
ple. 
(3) In 1986, the United States, in support of 
the Agreement Between the Government of Ireland 
and the Government of the United Kingdom 
(‘‘Anglo-Irish Agreement’’) dated November 15, 
1985, initiated annual contributions to the Inter-
national Fund for Ireland (‘‘International Fund’’) to 
help bolster economic development and support pro-
grams that would foster peace and reconciliation in 
Northern Ireland and the affected border areas of 
the Republic of Ireland. 
(4) The United States has been a generous and 
faithful donor to the International Fund, contrib-
HR 1208 RFS 
uting more than $386,000,000 to help improve rela-
tions between Catholics and Protestants in Northern 
Ireland through the creation of thousands of jobs 
and cross community business development. 
(5) More than 80 percent of the International 
Fund’s investments have been in disadvantaged 
areas offering work experience and important job 
training programs for disadvantaged and unem-
ployed youth through the economic, social, and phys-
ical regeneration of deprived areas. 
(6) The International Fund has also developed 
a series of community-building programs promoting 
greater dialogue and understanding between Catho-
lics and Protestants and leadership programs de-
signed to develop a new generation of leaders in 
Northern Ireland to bring about a more peaceful 
and prosperous future in the region. 
(7) Through the Anglo-Irish Agreement Sup-
port Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–415), the United 
States also seeks to ensure that its contributions 
promote ‘‘reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the 
establishment of a society in Northern Ireland in 
which all may live in peace, free from discrimination, 
terrorism, and intolerance, and with the opportunity
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for both communities to participate fully in the 
structures and processes of government.’’. 
(8) The Good Friday Agreement reached by the 
Government of Ireland, the Government of the 
United Kingdom, and political party leaders on April 
10, 1998, created the Northern Ireland Executive 
Assembly and Executive Committee and provided for 
a ‘‘democratically elected Assembly in Northern Ire-
land which is inclusive in its membership, capable of 
exercising executive and legislative authority, and 
subject to safeguards to protect the rights and inter-
ests of all sides of the community.’’. 
(9) The Good Friday Agreement also called for 
police reform and establishment of a ‘‘new begin-
ning’’ in policing in Northern Ireland with an effec-
tive, accountable, and fair police service capable of 
attracting and sustaining support from the commu-
nity as a whole, capable of maintaining law and 
order, and based on principles of protection of 
human rights. 
(10) In 1999, the Independent Commission on 
Policing in Northern Ireland, mandated by the Good 
Friday Agreement, made 175 recommendations for 
policing reform in Northern Ireland, some of which 
have been implemented.
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(11) In 2002, the Department of State, as re-
quired by section 701(d) of the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 
107–228), issued a ‘‘Report on Policing Reform and 
Human Rights in Northern Ireland’’ and concluded 
that among key areas of concern that had not been 
fully implemented was the establishment of a criti-
cally-needed new police training facility and an in-
crease in funding for training programs. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that—
(1) United States assistance for the Inter-
national Fund has contributed greatly to the eco-
nomic development of Northern Ireland and that 
both objectives of the Anglo-Irish Agreement Sup-
port Act of 1986, economic development and rec-
onciliation, remain critical to achieving a just and 
lasting peace in the region, especially in the eco-
nomically-depressed areas; 
(2) although there has been positive economic 
development in both the Republic of Ireland and 
Northern Ireland, International Fund contributions 
to support much-needed projects in economically-de-
pressed areas of Northern Ireland remain very im-
portant, and an expansion of efforts in reconciliation
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projects as a way to promote peace and economic 
stability is also encouraged; and 
(3) since policing reform is a significant part of 
winning public confidence and acceptance in the new 
form of government in Northern Ireland, the Inter-
national Fund is encouraged to support programs 
that enhance relations between communities, and be-
tween the police and the communities they serve, 
promote human rights training for police, and en-
hance peaceful mediation in neighborhoods of contin-
ued conflict. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT 
SUPPORT ACT OF 1986. 
(a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.—Section 2(b) of the 
Anglo-Irish Agreement Support Act of 1986 is amended 
by adding at the end the following: ‘‘Furthermore, the 
International Fund is encouraged to support programs 
that enhance relations between communities, and between 
the police and the communities they serve, promote human 
rights training for police, enhance peaceful mediation in 
neighborhoods of continued conflict, promote training pro-
grams to enhance the new district partnership police 
boards recommended by the Patten Commission, and as-
sist in the transition of former British military installa-
tions and prisons into sites for peaceful, community-sup-
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ported activities, such as housing, retail, and commercial 
development.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INTER-
NATIONAL FUND.—Section 3 of the Anglo-Irish Agree-
ment Support Act of 1986 is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(c) FISCAL
YEARS
2004 AND
2005.—Of the 
amounts made available for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 
to carry out chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 (relating to the economic support fund), there 
are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each 
such fiscal year for United States contributions to the 
International Fund. Amounts appropriated pursuant to 
the authorization of appropriations under the preceding 
sentence are authorized to remain available until ex-
pended. Of the amount authorized to be appropriated for 
fiscal years 2004 and 2005 under this subsection, it is 
the sense of Congress that not less than 20 percent of 
such amount for each such fiscal year should be used to 
carry out the last sentence of section 2(b).’’. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Section 6(1) of the Anglo-
Irish Agreement Support Act of 1986 is amended by add-
ing at the end before the semicolon the following: ‘‘, spe-
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cifically through improving local community relations and 
relations between the police and the people they serve’’.
Passed the House of Representatives March 31, 
2003. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.