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<PRE>[DOCID: f:h841ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 841

  To suspend for two years the certification procedures under section 
490(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 in order to foster greater 
 multilateral cooperation in international counternarcotics programs, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 1, 2001

  Mr. Reyes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To suspend for two years the certification procedures under section 
490(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 in order to foster greater 
 multilateral cooperation in international counternarcotics programs, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION OF DRUG CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Drug trafficking is a transnational phenomenon and thus 
        requires international cooperation to fight and defeat this 
        problem.
            (2) The international drug trade poses a direct threat to 
        the United States and to international efforts to promote 
        democracy, economic stability, human rights, and the rule of 
        law.
            (3) Illegal drug use occurs among members of every ethnic 
        and socioeconomic group in the United States.
            (4) Worldwide drug trafficking generates revenues estimated 
        at $400,000,000,000 annually.
            (5) The annual drug certification procedures under section 
        490 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is a unilateral 
        process that hampers international cooperation and its main 
        result has been confrontation between governments rather than 
        cooperation.
            (6) Such unilateral review is counter to the principle of 
        equality among nations and contradicts the spirit of 
        cooperation between nations.
            (7) Countries must address drug trafficking by coordinating 
        their efforts, particularly through periodic meetings of senior 
        government officials and developing appropriate anti-drug 
        strategies while respecting the sovereignty of nations.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) many governments are extremely concerned with the 
        national security threat posed by illicit drug production, 
        distribution, and consumption, and crimes related thereto, 
        particularly those in the Western Hemisphere;
            (2) an enhanced multilateral strategy should be developed 
        among drug producing, transit, and consuming nations designed 
        to improve cooperation with respect to the investigation and 
        prosecution of drug related crimes, and to make available 
        information on effective drug education and drug treatment;
            (3) the President should at the earliest feasible date in 
        2001 convene a conference of heads of state of major illicit 
        drug producing countries, major drug transit countries, and 
        major money laundering countries to present and review country 
        by country drug reduction and prevention strategies relevant to 
        the specific circumstances of each country, and agree to a 
        program and timetable for implementation of such strategies; 
        and
            (4) not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the President should transmit to Congress 
        legislation to implement a proposed multilateral strategy to 
        achieve the goals referred to in paragraph (2), including any 
        amendments to existing law that may be required to implement 
        that strategy.
    (c) Two-year Suspension of Drug Certification Process.--(1) 
Subsections (a) through (g) of section 490 of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291j), relating to annual certification 
procedures for assistance for certain drug producing countries and drug 
transit countries, shall not apply in the first two calendar years 
beginning after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (2) Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (1), section 489 of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h), relating to the 
international narcotics control strategy report, and section 490(h) of 
that Act (22 U.S.C. 2291j(h)), relating to determinations of major drug 
transit countries and major illicit drug producing countries, shall 
continue to apply in the two calendar years referred to in that 
paragraph.
                                 &lt;all&gt;

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