Library / Laws / 113th / s / S. 1114 / Introduced in Senate
II
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1114
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 7, 2013
Mr. Brown (for himself,
Mr. Sessions, Mr. Schumer, Mr.
Graham, Ms. Stabenow,
Mr. Burr, Ms.
Collins, and Mr. Casey)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs
A BILL
To provide for identification of misaligned
currency, require action to correct the misalignment, and for other
purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Currency Exchange Rate Oversight
Reform Act of 2013.
2.
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Administering authority
The term administering
authority means the authority referred to in section 771(1) of the
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677(1)).
(2)
Agreement on government
procurement
The term
Agreement on Government Procurement means the agreement referred
to in section 101(d)(17) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C.
3511(d)(17)).
(3)
Country
The term country means a
foreign country, dependent territory, or possession of a foreign country, and
may include an association of 2 or more foreign countries, dependent
territories, or possessions of countries into a customs union outside the
United States.
(4)
Exporting country
The term exporting country
means the country in which the subject merchandise is produced or
manufactured.
(5)
Fundamental misalignment
The term fundamental
misalignment means a significant and sustained undervaluation of the
prevailing real effective exchange rate, adjusted for cyclical and transitory
factors, from its medium-term equilibrium level.
(6)
Fundamentally misaligned
currency
The term
fundamentally misaligned currency means a foreign currency that is
in fundamental misalignment.
(7)
Real effective exchange rate
The term real effective exchange
rate means a weighted average of bilateral exchange rates, expressed in
price-adjusted terms.
(8)
Secretary
The term Secretary means the
Secretary of the Treasury.
(9)
Sterilization
The term sterilization means
domestic monetary operations taken to neutralize the monetary impact of
increases in reserves associated with intervention in the currency exchange
market.
(10)
Subject merchandise
The term subject merchandise
means the merchandise subject to an antidumping investigation, review,
suspension agreement, or order referred to in section 771(25) of the Tariff Act
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677(25)).
(11)
WTO agreement
The term WTO Agreement means
the agreement referred to in section 2(9) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act
(19 U.S.C. 3501(9)).
3.
Report on international monetary policy and
currency exchange rates
(a)
Reports required
(1)
In general
Not later than March 15 and September 15 of
each calendar year, the Secretary, after consulting with the Chairman of the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Advisory Committee on
International Exchange Rate Policy, shall submit to Congress and make public, a
written report on international monetary policy and currency exchange
rates.
(2)
Consultations
On or before March 30 and September 30 of
each calendar year, the Secretary shall appear, if requested, before the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Finance
of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Ways
and Means of the House of Representatives to provide testimony on the reports
submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(b)
Content of reports
Each report submitted under subsection (a)
shall contain the following:
(1) An analysis of currency market developments
and the relationship between the United States dollar and the currencies of
major economies and trading partners of the United States.
(2) A review of the economic and monetary
policies of major economies and trading partners of the United States, and an
evaluation of how such policies impact currency exchange rates.
(3) A description of any currency intervention
by the United States or other major economies or trading partners of the United
States, or other actions undertaken to adjust the actual exchange rate relative
to the United States dollar.
(4) An evaluation of the domestic and global
factors that underlie the conditions in the currency markets, including—
(A) monetary and financial conditions;
(B) accumulation of foreign assets;
(C) macroeconomic trends;
(D) trends in current and financial account
balances;
(E) the size, composition, and growth of
international capital flows;
(F) the impact of the external sector on
economic growth;
(G) the size and growth of external
indebtedness;
(H) trends in the net level of international
investment; and
(I) capital controls, trade, and exchange
restrictions.
(5) A list of currencies designated as
fundamentally misaligned currencies pursuant to section 4(a)(2), and a
description of any economic models or methodologies used to establish the
list.
(6) A list of currencies designated for
priority action pursuant to section 4(a)(3).
(7) An identification of the nominal value
associated with the medium-term equilibrium exchange rate, relative to the
United States dollar, for each currency listed under paragraph (6).
(8) A description of any consultations
conducted or other steps taken pursuant to section 5, 6, or 7, including any
actions taken to eliminate the fundamental misalignment.
(9) A description of any determination made
pursuant to section 9(a).
(c)
Consultations
(1)
In
general
The Secretary shall
consult with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System and the Advisory Committee on International Exchange Rate Policy with
respect to the preparation of each report required under subsection (a).
(2)
Comments
Not later than the date that is 15 days
before the date each report is due under subsection (a), the Chairman of the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Advisory Committee on
International Exchange Rate Policy shall submit to the Secretary any comments
of the Chairman or Advisory Committee on the report.
(3)
Consideration
The Secretary shall review and consider all
comments received from the Chairman and the Advisory Committee under paragraph
(2) before submitting the report required under subsection (a).
4.
Identification of fundamentally misaligned
currencies
(a)
Identification
(1)
In general
The Secretary shall analyze on a semiannual
basis the prevailing real effective exchange rates of foreign
currencies.
(2)
Designation of fundamentally misaligned
currencies
With respect to
the currencies of countries that have significant bilateral trade flows with
the United States, and currencies that are otherwise significant to the
operation, stability, or orderly development of regional or global capital
markets, the Secretary shall determine whether any such currency is in
fundamental misalignment and shall designate such currency as a fundamentally
misaligned currency.
(3)
Designation of currencies for priority
action
The Secretary shall
designate a currency identified under paragraph (2) for priority action if the
country that issues such currency is—
(A) engaging in protracted large-scale
intervention in the currency exchange market, particularly if accompanied by
partial or full sterilization;
(B) engaging in excessive and prolonged
official or quasi-official accumulation of foreign exchange reserves and other
foreign assets, for balance of payments purposes;
(C) introducing or substantially modifying for
balance of payments purposes a restriction on, or incentive for, the inflow or
outflow of capital, that is inconsistent with the goal of achieving full
currency convertibility; or
(D) pursuing any other policy or action that,
in the view of the Secretary, warrants designation for priority action.
(b)
Reports
The Secretary shall include a list of any
foreign currency designated under paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (a) and
the data and reasoning underlying such designations in each report required by
section 3.
5.
Negotiations and consultations
(a)
In general
Upon designation of a currency pursuant to
section 4(a)(2), the Secretary shall seek to consult bilaterally with the
country that issues such currency in order to facilitate the adoption of
appropriate policies to address the fundamental misalignment.
(b)
Consultations involving currencies
designated for priority action
With respect to each currency designated
for priority action pursuant to section 4(a)(3), the Secretary shall, in
addition to seeking to consult with a country pursuant to subsection
(a)—
(1) seek the advice of the International
Monetary Fund with respect to the findings of the Secretary in the report
submitted to Congress pursuant to section 3(a); and
(2) encourage other governments, whether
bilaterally or in appropriate multinational fora, to join the United States in
seeking the adoption of appropriate policies by the country described in
subsection (a) to eliminate the fundamental misalignment.
6.
Failure to adopt appropriate
policies
(a)
Determination and measures
required
(1)
Determination
Not later than 90 days after the date on
which a currency is designated for priority action pursuant to section 4(a)(3),
the Secretary shall determine whether the country that issues the currency has
adopted appropriate policies, and taken identifiable action, to eliminate the
fundamental misalignment.
(2)
Notification
and publication
The Secretary
shall promptly notify Congress of the determination under paragraph (1) and
publish notice of the determination in the Federal Register.
(3)
Measures
If the Secretary determines that the
country that issues the currency described in paragraph (1) has failed to adopt
appropriate policies, or take identifiable action, to eliminate the fundamental
misalignment, the measures specified in subsection (b) shall apply with respect
to the country until a notification described in section 7(b) is published in
the Federal Register.
(b)
Measures specified
The
measures specified in this subsection are, with respect to a country, the
following:
(1)
Adjustment under antidumping
law
For purposes of an
antidumping investigation under subtitle B of title VII of the Tariff Act of
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673 et seq.) or a review under subtitle C of such Act (19
U.S.C. 1675 et seq.), the following shall apply:
(A)
In general
The administering authority shall ensure a
fair comparison between the export price and the normal value by adjusting the
price used to establish export price or constructed export price to reflect the
fundamental misalignment of the currency of the country.
(B)
Sales subject to adjustment
The adjustment described in subparagraph
(A) shall apply with respect to subject merchandise sold on or after the date
that is 30 days after the date the currency of the country is designated for
priority action pursuant to section 4(a)(3).
(2)
Federal procurement
(A)
In general
The President shall prohibit the
procurement by the Federal Government of products or services from the
country.
(B)
Exception
The prohibition provided for in
subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect to a country that is a party to
the Agreement on Government Procurement.
(3)
Request for IMF action
The United States shall inform the Managing
Director of the International Monetary Fund of the failure of the country to
adopt appropriate policies, or to take identifiable action, to eliminate the
fundamental misalignment, and the actions the country is engaging in that are
identified in section 4(a)(3), and shall request that the Managing Director of
the International Monetary Fund—
(A) consult with the country regarding the
observance of the obligations of the country under article IV of the
International Monetary Fund Articles of Agreement, including through special
consultations, if necessary; and
(B) not later than 180 days after the date of
the request, formally report the results of such consultations to the Executive
Board of the International Monetary Fund.
(4)
OPIC
financing
The Overseas
Private Investment Corporation shall not approve any new financing (including
insurance, reinsurance, or guarantee) with respect to a project located within
the country.
(5)
Multilateral bank financing
(A)
In general
The Secretary shall instruct the United
States Executive Director at each multilateral bank to oppose the approval of
any new financing (including loans, other credits, insurance, reinsurance, or
guarantee) to the government of the country or for a project located within the
country.
(B)
Multilateral
bank
The term multilateral bank includes each of the
international financial institutions described in section 1701(c)(2) of the
International Financial Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r).
(c)
Waiver
(1)
In general
The President may waive any action provided
for under subsection (a) or (b) if the President determines that—
(A) taking the action would cause serious harm
to the national security of the United States; or
(B) it is in the vital economic interest of the
United States to do so and taking the action would have an adverse impact on
the United States economy greater than the benefits of the action.
(2)
Notification
The President shall promptly notify
Congress of a determination under paragraph (1) (and the reasons for the
determination, if made under paragraph (1)(B)) and shall publish notice of the
determination (and the reasons for the determination, if made under paragraph
(1)(B)) in the Federal Register.
(d)
Reports
The Secretary shall describe any action or
determination pursuant to subsection (a), (b), or (c) in the first semiannual
report required by section 3 after the date of the action or
determination.
7.
Persistent failure to adopt appropriate
policies
(a)
Determination and measures
required
(1)
Determination
Not later than 360 days after the date on
which a currency is designated for priority action pursuant to section 4(a)(3),
the Secretary shall determine whether the country that issues the currency has
adopted appropriate policies, and taken identifiable action, to eliminate the
fundamental misalignment.
(2)
Notification
and publication
The Secretary
shall promptly notify Congress of the determination under paragraph (1) and
shall publish notice of the determination in the Federal Register.
(3)
Measures
If the Secretary determines that the
country that issues the currency has failed to adopt appropriate policies, or
take identifiable action, to eliminate the fundamental misalignment, in
addition to the measures specified in section 6(b), the following measures
shall apply with respect to the country until a notification described in
subsection (b) is published in the Federal Register:
(A)
Action at the WTO
The United States Trade Representative
shall request consultations in the World Trade Organization with the country
regarding the consistency of the actions of the country with its obligations
under the WTO Agreement.
(B)
Remedial intervention
(i)
In general
The Secretary shall consult with the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to consider undertaking remedial
intervention in international currency markets in response to the fundamental
misalignment of the currency designated for priority action, and coordinating
the intervention with other monetary authorities and the International Monetary
Fund. In doing so, the Secretary shall consider the impact of the intervention
on domestic economic growth and stability, including the impact on interest
rates.
(ii)
Notice to country
At the same time the Secretary takes action
under clause (i), the Secretary shall notify the country that issues the
currency of the consultations under clause (i).
(b)
Notification
The Secretary shall promptly notify
Congress when a country that issues a currency designated for priority action
pursuant to section 4(a)(3) adopts appropriate policies, or takes identifiable
action, to eliminate the fundamental misalignment, and publish notice of the
action of that country in the Federal Register.
(c)
Waiver
(1)
In general
The President may waive any action provided
for under this section, or extend any waiver provided for under section 6(c),
if the President determines that—
(A) taking the action would cause serious harm
to the national security of the United States; or
(B) it is in the vital economic interest of the
United States to do so, and that taking the action would have an adverse impact
on the United States economy substantially out of proportion to the benefits of
the action.
(2)
Notification
The President shall promptly notify
Congress of a determination under paragraph (1) (and the reasons for the
determination, if made under paragraph (1)(B)) and shall publish notice of the
determination (and the reasons for the determination, if made under paragraph
(1)(B)) in the Federal Register.
(d)
Disapproval of waiver
If the President waives an action pursuant
to subsection (c)(1)(B), or extends a waiver provided for under section
6(c)(1)(B), the waiver shall cease to have effect upon the enactment of a
resolution of disapproval described in section 8(a)(2).
(e)
Reports
The Secretary shall describe any action or
determination pursuant to subsection (a), (b), or (c) in the first semiannual
report required by section 3 after the date of such action or
determination.
8.
Congressional disapproval of
waiver
(a)
Resolution of Disapproval
(1)
Introduction
If a resolution of disapproval is
introduced in the House of Representatives or the Senate during the 90-day
period (not counting any day which is excluded under section 154(b)(1) of the
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C.
2194(b)(1))), beginning on the date on which the President first notifies
Congress of a determination to waive action with respect to a country pursuant
to section 7(c)(1)(B), that resolution of disapproval shall be considered in
accordance with this subsection.
(2)
Resolution of disapproval
In this subsection, the term
resolution of disapproval means only a joint resolution of the two
Houses of the Congress, the sole matter after the resolving clause of which is
as follows: That Congress does not approve the determination of the
President under ___________ of the Currency
Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2013 with respect to
______, of which Congress was notified on _____., with the first blank
space being filled section 7(c)(1)(B) or section 6(c)(1)(B), whichever is
applicable, the second blank space being filled with the name of the
appropriate country, and the third blank space being filled with the
appropriate date.
(3)
Procedures for considering
resolutions
(A)
Introduction and referral
Resolutions of disapproval—
(i) in the House of Representatives—
(I) may be introduced by any Member of the
House of Representatives;
(II) shall be referred to the Committee on
Financial Services and to the Committee on Rules; and
(III) may not be amended by either Committee;
and
(ii) in the Senate—
(I) may be introduced by any Member of the
Senate;
(II) shall be referred to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and
(III) may not be amended.
(B)
Committee discharge and floor
consideration
The provisions
of subsections (c) through (f) of section 152 of the
Trade Act of 1974 (other than
paragraph (3) of subsection (f)) (19 U.S.C. 2192 (c) through (f)) (relating to
committee discharge and floor consideration of certain resolutions in the House
and Senate) apply to a resolution of disapproval under this section to the same
extent those subsections apply to joint resolutions under such section
152.
(b)
Rules of House of Representatives and
Senate
This section is
enacted by Congress—
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of
the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such is
deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, and the rules provided
for in this section supersede other rules only to the extent that they are
inconsistent with those other rules; and
(2) with the full recognition of the
constitutional right of either House to change the rules provided for in this
section (so far as relating to the procedures of that House) at any time, in
the same manner, and to the same extent as any other rule of that House.
9.
International financial institution
governance arrangements
(a)
Initial review
(1)
In
general
Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, before the United States approves a proposed change in
the governance arrangement of any international financial institution, as
defined in section 1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions Act
(22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2)), the Secretary shall determine whether any member of the
international financial institution that would benefit from the proposed
change, in the form of increased voting shares or representation, has a
currency that was designated a currency for priority action pursuant to section
4(a)(3) in the most recent report required by section 3.
(2)
Report
The Secretary shall submit to Congress the
determination required by paragraph (1).
(b)
Subsequent action
The United States shall oppose any proposed
change in the governance arrangement of the international financial institution
if the Secretary renders an affirmative determination pursuant to subsection
(a).
(c)
Further
action
The United States
shall continue to oppose any proposed change in the governance arrangement of
the international financial institution, pursuant to subsection (b), until the
Secretary determines and reports to Congress that the proposed change would not
benefit any member of the international financial institution, in the form of
increased voting shares or representation, that has a currency that is
designated a currency for priority action pursuant to section 4(a)(3).
10.
Adjustment for fundamentally misaligned
currency designated for priority action
(a)
In general
Subsection (c)(2) of section 772 of the
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677a(c)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking
and at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period
at the end and inserting , and; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
(C) if required by section 6(b)(1) of the
Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act
of 2013, the percentage by which the domestic currency of the
producer or exporter is undervalued in relation to the United States dollar as
determined under section
771(37).
.
(b)
Calculation methodology
Section 771 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19
U.S.C. 1677) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(37)
Percentage undervaluation
The administering authority shall determine
the percentage by which the domestic currency of the producer or exporter is
undervalued in relation to the United States dollar by comparing the nominal
value associated with the medium-term equilibrium exchange rate of the domestic
currency of the producer or exporter, identified by the Secretary pursuant to
section 3(b)(7) of the Currency Exchange Rate
Oversight Reform Act of 2013, to the official daily exchange rate
identified by the administering
authority.
.
11.
Currency undervaluation under
countervailing duty law
(a)
Investigation or review
Subsection (c) of section 702 of the Tariff
Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671a(c)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(6)
Currency undervaluation
For purposes of a countervailing duty
investigation under this subtitle where the determinations under clauses (i)
and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) are affirmative, or a review under subtitle C of
this title, the following shall apply:
(A)
In general
The administering authority shall initiate
an investigation to determine whether currency undervaluation by the government
of a country or any public entity within the territory of a country is
providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable subsidy as described in
section 771(5), if—
(i) a petition filed by an interested party
(described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 771(9))
alleges the elements necessary for the imposition of the duty imposed by
section 701(a); and
(ii) the petition is accompanied by information
reasonably available to the petitioner supporting those allegations.
(B)
Designation of fundamentally misaligned
currency for priority action
Upon designation of a currency as a
fundamentally misaligned currency for priority action pursuant to section
4(a)(3) of the Currency Exchange Rate
Oversight Reform Act of 2013, the administering authority shall
initiate an investigation to determine whether the country that issues such
currency is providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable subsidy as
defined in section 771(5), if—
(i) a petition filed by an interested party
(described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 771(9))
alleges the elements necessary for the imposition of the duty imposed by
section 701(a); and
(ii) the petition is accompanied by information
reasonably available to the petitioner supporting those
allegations.
.
(b)
Benefit calculation
methodology
Section 771 of
the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677), as amended by section 10(b), is
further amended by adding at the end the following:
(38)
Currency undervaluation
benefit
For purposes of a
countervailing duty investigation under subtitle A of this title, or a review
under subtitle C of this title, the following shall apply:
(A)
In general
If the administering authority determines
to investigate whether currency undervaluation is a countervailable subsidy as
defined in section 771(5), the administering authority shall determine whether
there is a benefit to the recipient and measure such benefit by comparing the
simple average of the real exchange rates derived from application of the
macroeconomic-balance approach and the equilibrium-real-exchange-rate approach
to the official daily exchange rate identified by the administering
authority.
(B)
Reliance on
data
In making the
determination under subparagraph (A), the administering authority shall rely
upon data that are publicly available, reliable, and compiled and maintained by
the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, or other international
organizations or national governments if data from the International Monetary
Fund or World Bank are not available.
(C)
Designation of fundamentally misaligned
currency for priority action
In the case of designation of a currency as
a fundamentally misaligned currency for priority action pursuant to section
4(a)(3) of the Currency Exchange Rate
Oversight Reform Act of 2013, the administering authority shall
determine whether there is a benefit to the recipient and measure that benefit
by comparing the nominal value associated with the medium-term equilibrium
exchange rate of the currency of the exporting country, identified by the
Secretary pursuant to section 3(b)(7) of such Act, to the official daily
exchange rate identified by the administering authority.
(D)
Definitions
In this
paragraph:
(i)
Macroeconomic-balance
approach
The term
macroeconomic-balance approach means a methodology under which the
level of undervaluation of the real effective exchange rate of the currency of
the exporting country is defined as the change in the real effective exchange
rate needed to achieve equilibrium in the balance of payments of the exporting
country, as such methodology is described in the guidelines of the
International Monetary Fund’s Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues, if
available.
(ii)
Equilibrium-real-exchange-rate
approach
The term
equilibrium-real-exchange-rate approach means a methodology under
which the level of undervaluation of the real effective exchange rate of the
currency of the exporting country is defined as the difference between the
observed real effective exchange rate and the real effective exchange rate, as
such methodology is described in the guidelines of the International Monetary
Fund’s Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues, if available.
(iii)
Real exchange
rates
The term real
exchange rates means the bilateral exchange rates derived from
converting the trade-weighted multilateral exchange rates yielded by the
macroeconomic-balance approach and the equilibrium-real-exchange-rate approach
into real bilateral
terms.
.
(c)
Export
subsidy
Section 771(5A)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
1677(5A)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence:
The fact that a subsidy may also be provided in circumstances that do
not involve export shall not, for that reason alone, mean that the subsidy
cannot be considered contingent upon export performance..
(d)
Effective
date
The amendments made by this section apply to countervailing
duty investigations initiated under subtitle A of title VII of the Tariff Act
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.) and reviews initiated under subtitle C of
title VII of such Act (19 U.S.C. 1675 et seq.)—
(1) before the date
of the enactment of this Act, if the investigation or review is pending a final
determination as of such date of enactment; and
(2) on or after such
date of enactment.
12.
Nonmarket economy status
Paragraph (18)(B) of section 771 of the
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677(18)(B)) is amended—
(1) in clause (v), by striking
and at the end;
(2) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause
(vii); and
(3) by inserting after clause (v) the
following:
(vi) whether the currency of the foreign country
is designated, or has been designated at any time over the 5 years prior to
review of nonmarket economy status, a currency for priority action pursuant to
section 4(a)(3) of the Currency Exchange Rate
Oversight Reform Act of 2013,
and
.
13.
Application to Canada and
Mexico
Pursuant to article
1902 of the North American Free Trade Agreement and section 408 of the North
American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3438), section
6(b)(1) and the amendments made by sections 10, 11, and 12 shall apply with
respect to goods from Canada and Mexico.
14.
Advisory committee on international
exchange rate policy
(a)
Establishment
(1)
In general
There is established an Advisory Committee
on International Exchange Rate Policy (in this section referred to as the
Committee) that shall be responsible for—
(A) advising the Secretary in the preparation
of each report to Congress on international monetary policy and currency
exchange rates, provided for in section 3; and
(B) advising Congress and the President with
respect to—
(i) international exchange rates and financial
policies; and
(ii) the impact of such policies on the economy
of the United States.
(2)
Membership
(A)
In general
The Committee shall be composed of 9
members as follows, none of whom shall be employees of the Federal
Government:
(i)
Congressional appointees
(I)
Senate appointees
Four members shall be appointed by the
President pro tempore of the Senate, upon the recommendation of the chairmen
and ranking members of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and
the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
(II)
House appointees
Four members shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives upon the recommendation of the chairmen
and ranking members of the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on
Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.
(ii)
Presidential appointee
One member shall be appointed by the
President.
(B)
Qualifications
Members shall be selected under
subparagraph (A) on the basis of their objectivity and demonstrated expertise
in finance, economics, or currency exchange.
(3)
Terms
(A)
In
general
Members shall be
appointed for a term of 4 years or until the Committee terminates.
(B)
Reappointment
An individual may be reappointed to the
Committee for additional terms.
(4)
Vacancies
Any vacancy in the Committee shall not
affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment.
(b)
Duration of committee
(1)
In
general
Notwithstanding
section 14(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the
Committee shall terminate on the date that is 4 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act unless renewed by the President pursuant to section 14 of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) for a subsequent 4-year
period.
(2)
Subsequent
renewals
The President may
continue to renew the Committee for successive 4-year periods by taking
appropriate action prior to the date on which the Committee would otherwise
terminate.
(c)
Public meetings
(1)
Public
comments
The Committee shall
hold at least 2 public meetings each year for the purpose of accepting public
comments, including comments from small business owners.
(2)
Call of
Secretary or members
The
Committee shall also meet as needed at the call of the Secretary or at the call
of two-thirds of the members of the Committee.
(d)
Chairperson
(1)
Election
The Committee shall elect from among its
members a chairperson for a term of 4 years or until the Committee
terminates.
(2)
Subsequent
terms
A chairperson of the
Committee may be reelected chairperson but is ineligible to serve consecutive
terms as chairperson.
(e)
Staff
The Secretary shall make available to the
Committee such staff, information, personnel, administrative services, and
assistance as the Committee may reasonably require to carry out its
activities.
(f)
Application of Federal advisory committee
Act
(1)
In general
The provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Committee.
(2)
Exception
Except for the 2 annual public meetings
required under subsection (c)(1), meetings of the Committee shall be exempt
from the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of sections 10 and 11 of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (relating to open meetings, public notice,
public participation, and public availability of documents) (5 U.S.C. App.),
whenever and to the extent it is determined by the President or the Secretary
that such meetings will be concerned with matters the disclosure of which would
seriously compromise the development by the United States Government of
monetary and financial policy.
15.
Repeal of the Exchange Rates and Economic
Policy Coordination Act of 1988
The Exchange Rates and International
Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 (22 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) is
repealed.