108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1258
To repeal the statutory authority for the Western Hemisphere Institute
for Security Cooperation (the successor institution to the United States Army
School of the Americas) in the Department of Defense, to provide for the establishment
of a joint congressional task force to conduct an assessment of the kind of
education and training that is appropriate for the Department of Defense to
provide to military personnel of Latin American nations, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 13, 2003
Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. MOORE,
Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. QUINN, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. PAUL, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. BOEHLERT,
Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. RAHALL, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. DELAHUNT,
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. EVANS, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. OLVER, Mr. MCDERMOTT,
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. UDALL of Colorado,
Mr. WATT, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. COSTELLO, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon,
Mr. SANDERS, Ms. LEE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SABO, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. NORTON,
Mr. HOLT, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. RUSH, Mr. GUTIERREZ,
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. ALLEN) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To repeal the statutory authority for the Western Hemisphere Institute
for Security Cooperation (the successor institution to the United States Army
School of the Americas) in the Department of Defense, to provide for the establishment
of a joint congressional task force to conduct an assessment of the kind of
education and training that is appropriate for the Department of Defense to
provide to military personnel of Latin American nations, 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 `Latin America Military Training Review Act of
2003'.
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF AUTHORITY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY
COOPERATION.
(a) CLOSURE OF INSTITUTE- The Secretary of the Army shall close the Western
Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.
(b) REPEAL- (1) Section 2166 of title 10, United States Code, is repealed.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 108 of such title is amended
by striking the item relating to section 2166.
(c) LIMITATION ON ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW EDUCATION AND TRAINING FACILITY- No training
or education facility may be established in the Department of Defense for Latin
American military personnel (as a successor to the United States Army School
of the Americas, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation,
or otherwise) until the end of the ten-month period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. JOINT CONGRESSIONAL TASK FORCE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established a joint congressional task force to
conduct an assessment of the kind of education and training that is appropriate
for the Department of Defense to provide to military personnel of Latin American
nations.
(b) COMPOSITION- The task force shall be composed of eight Members of Congress,
of whom two each shall be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
the minority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of
the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate.
(c) REPORT- Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the task force shall submit to Congress a report on its assessment under
subsection (a). The report shall include--
(1) a critical assessment of courses, curriculum and procedures appropriate
for such education and training; and
(2) an evaluation of the effect of such education and training on the performance
of Latin American military personnel in the areas of human rights and adherence
to democratic principles and the rule of law.
(d) DEFINITION- In this section, the term `Member' includes a Delegate to, or
Resident Commissioner, in the Congress.
END