To amend the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 to provide debt relief to developing countries that take action to protect tropical forests and coral reefs and associated coastal marine ecosystems, to reauthorize such Act through fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-hr-2185
Sponsor: Rep. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL-10]
Introduced: 2007-05-07 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Authorization
Congressional reporting requirements
Coral reefs
Debt agreements
Debt relief
Ecosystem management
Environmental Protection
Executive Office of the President
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Forest conservation
Government Operations and Politics
International agencies
International environmental cooperation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine ecology
Marine resources conservation
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Treaties
Tropical forests

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-07
text: 
Amends the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 to make forests, coral reefs, and associated coastal marine ecosystem activities eligible for U.S. debt reduction benefits for developing countries. (Currently, such provision applies to tropical forests.)
 
Renames: (1) the Tropical Forest Facility as the Conservation Facility; and (2) a Tropical Forest Agreement as a Conservation Agreement.
 
Extends authorization of appropriations for debt reduction.
 
Authorizes U.S. government representation on the administering body that oversees the implementation of grants arising from debt-for-nature swap or debt buy-back regardless of whether the United States is a party to any agreement between the purchaser and the beneficiary country government.

action_date: 2007-10-09
text: 
(Sec. 1) Amends the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 to include tropical forests and coral reefs and associated coastal marine ecosystems within the scope of such Act. (Current law refers to only tropical forests.) 
 
(Sec. 3) Renames the Tropical Forest Facility as the Conservation Facility.
 
(Sec. 4) Makes developing countries with tropical forests or coral reefs or associated coastal marine ecosystems eligible for benefits. (Current law refers only to tropical forests.)
 
(Sec. 5) Authorizes appropriations through FY2010 for specified credit and concessional loan debt reduction owed to the United States.
 
 Increases obligations for program administration, monitoring, and auditing. 
 
(Sec. 7) Authorizes U.S. government representation on the administering body that oversees the implementation of grants from a debt-for-nature swap or debt buy-back regardless of whether the United States is a party to any agreement between the eligible purchaser and the government of the beneficiary country.
 
(Sec. 8) Requires U.S. government and beneficiary country government review of Conservation Fund grants in excess of $250,000.
 
(Sec. 8) Renames the Tropical Forest Agreement as the Conservation Agreement.
 
(Sec. 9) Renames the Tropical Forest Fund as the Conservation Fund.
 
(Sec. 10) Repeals Enterprise for the Americas Board authority to carry out activities under the Act.
 
(Sec. 11) Revises certain reporting dates.
 
(Sec. 12) Renames the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 as the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act of 2007.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-15
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H11347-11348)
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H11347-11348)
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2185.
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H11347-11350)
action_date: 2007-10-09
text: Ms. Watson moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2007-05-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2007-05-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E975)
action_date: 2007-05-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-05-07
text: Introduced in House