HR 457 IH

To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to establish a transitional adjustment assistance program for workers adversely affected by reason of the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of the People's Republic of China.

February 6, 2001

Ms. KAPTUR (for herself, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. BORSKI, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. WYNN, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. MCHUGH, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. NEY, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. BACA, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SWEENEY, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. FROST, and Mr. MCDERMOTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to establish a transitional adjustment assistance program for workers adversely affected by reason of the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of the People's Republic of China.

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

SECTION 1. NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR CHINA TRANSITIONAL ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

(a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`Subchapter E--Normal Trade Relations For China Transitional Adjustment Assistance Program

`SEC. 250A. ESTABLISHMENT OF TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM.

`(a) GROUP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS-

`(1) CRITERIA- A group of workers (including workers in any agricultural firm or subdivision of an agricultural firm) shall be certified as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under this subchapter pursuant to a petition filed under subsection (b) if the Secretary determines that a significant number or proportion of the workers in such workers' firm or an appropriate subdivision of the firm have become totally or partially separated, or are threatened to become totally or partially separated, and either--

`(A) that--

`(i) the sales or production, or both, of such firm or subdivision have decreased absolutely,

`(ii) imports from the People's Republic of China of articles like or directly competitive with articles produced by such firm or subdivision have increased by reason of the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of China, and

`(iii) the increase in imports under clause (ii) contributed importantly to such workers' separation or threat of separation and to the decline in the sales or production of such firm or subdivision; or

`(B) that there has been a shift in production by such workers' firm or subdivision to the People's Republic of China of articles like or directly competitive with articles which are produced by the firm or subdivision by reason of the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of China.

`(2) DEFINITION OF CONTRIBUTED IMPORTANTLY- The term `contributed importantly', as used in paragraph (1)(A)(iii), means a cause which is important but not necessarily more important than any other cause.

`(3) REGULATIONS- The Secretary shall issue regulations relating to the application of the criteria described in paragraph (1) in making preliminary findings under subsection (b) and determinations under subsection (c).

`(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS- The provisions of subsections (b) through (e) of section 250 shall apply to the administration of the program under this subchapter in the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions apply to the administration of the program under subchapter D.'.

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- The table of contents of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2101) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 250 the following:

`SUBCHAPTER E--NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR CHINA TRANSITIONAL ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

END