HR 212 IH

To require the General Accounting Office to prepare a report assessing the impact and effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed by the United States, to prohibit the imposition of unilateral sanctions on exports of food, other agricultural products, medicines, or medical supplies or equipment, and for other purposes.

To require the General Accounting Office to prepare a report assessing the impact and effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed by the United States, to prohibit the imposition of unilateral sanctions on exports of food, other agricultural products, medicines, or medical supplies or equipment, 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. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Freedom to Market Act'.

SEC. 2. GAO REPORT.

Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall--

(1) conduct--

(A) a detailed examination of all economic sanctions affecting United States businesses, differentiating between unilateral and multilateral economic sanctions;

(B) an assessment of comparable measures undertaken by other countries in each instance;

(C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of both unilateral and multilateral economic sanctions in meeting stated policy goals;

(D) an assessment on humanitarian conditions within sanctioned countries, evaluating how sanctions have affected particular states;

(E) an assessment of the relationship with United States allies as a consequence of unilateral economic sanctions;

(F) an examination of the economic impact of sanctions on United States producers and exporters; and

(G) an assessment of potential countries that may be sanctioned under existing United States law or executive authority, but which are not now subject to sanctions (whether because of presidentially exercised waivers, or statutes or executive orders not being applied); and

(2) submit to the Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the matters addressed in paragraph (1).

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNILATERAL AGRICULTURAL OR MEDICAL SANCTIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President shall not restrict or otherwise prohibit any exports (including restricted commercial or Federal financing) of food, other agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, or medical supplies or equipment as part of any policy of existing or future unilateral economic sanctions imposed against a foreign government.

(b) NATIONAL SECURITY WAIVER- The President may waive, for periods of not more than 1 year each, the applicability of any sanction under subsection (a) with respect to a foreign country or entity if the President, with respect to each such waiver--

(1) determines that the national security so requires; and

(2) transmits to the Congress that determination, together with a detailed description of the reasons therefor, including an explanation of how the sanction will further the national security.

SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORTS BY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

The Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Congress, by not later than May 1 of each year, a report containing the following:

(1) The Secretary's assessment of all markets where United States exports of agricultural commodities are limited because of multilateral or unilateral economic sanctions, including specific commodities affected.

(2) The economic impact on producers of the commodities specified under paragraph (1).

(3) An assessment of the extent to which displaced United States commodities are being supplied by foreign competitors.

(4) The expected longer-term consequences of interrupting United States exports.

(5) Any assistance provided by the Foreign Agricultural Service to offset lost markets due to such sanctions.

SEC. 5. ACTIONS BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

The Secretary of Agriculture shall expand agricultural export assistance under United States market development, food assistance, or export promotion programs to offset all projected losses of agricultural commodity markets from unilateral or multilateral sanctions identified under section 4, to the maximum extent permitted by law and by the obligations of the United States under the Agreement on Agriculture referred to in section 101(d)(2) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(2)).

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

As used in this Act, the term `unilateral economic sanction' means any restriction or condition on economic activity with respect to a foreign country or foreign entity that is imposed by the United States for reasons of foreign policy or national security, except in a case in which the United States imposes the measure pursuant to a multilateral regime and the other members of that regime have agreed to impose substantially equivalent measures.