Trade Transparency and Public Input Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-2310
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2018-01-16
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Government information and archives

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Trade agreements and negotiations
Latest action: action_date: 2018-01-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-01-16
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Trade Transparency and Public Input Act of 2018</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 to require the President, at least 30 days before initiating trade negotiations with a country, to publish on a publicly available website of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) an easily accessible portal that allows the public to electronically submit comments on the negotiations. The USTR shall also issue a request for comments through notice in the Federal Register.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2310 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 16, 2018 Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To require the United States Trade Representative to permit the public to submit comments on trade agreement negotiations through the Internet.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Trade Transparency and Public Input Act of 2018 . 2. Public comments on trade negotiations Section 105(a)(1) of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 ( 19 U.S.C. 4204(a)(1) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (E) at least 30 calendar days before initiating negotiations with a country, publish on a publicly available Internet website of the Office of the United States Trade Representative an easily accessible portal— (i) that allows the public to electronically submit comments on the negotiations for the duration of the negotiations; and (ii) which shall be in addition to requests for comments issued by the United States Trade Representative through notice in the Federal Register. .