22 USC 276m – United States Delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE)
(a) Establishment
In accordance with the allocation of seats to the United States in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (hereinafter referred to as the “CSCE Assembly”) not to exceed 17 Members of Congress shall be appointed to meet jointly and annually with representative parliamentary groups from other Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) member-nations for the purposes of—
(1) assessing the implementation of the objectives of the CSCE;
(2) discussing subjects addressed during the meetings of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the biennial Summit of Heads of State or Government;
(3) initiating and promoting such national and multilateral measures as may further cooperation and security in Europe.
(b) Appointment of Delegation
Terms Used In 22 USC 276m
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Chairman: means the Chairman of the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies. See 22 USC 262r
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
For each meeting of the CSCE Assembly, there shall be appointed a United States Delegation, as follows:
(1) In 1992 and every even-numbered year thereafter, 9 Members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House from Members of the House (not less than 4 of whom, including the Chairman of the United States Delegation, shall be from the Committee on Foreign Affairs); and 8 Members shall, upon recommendations of the Majority and Minority leaders of the Senate, be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate from Members of the Senate (not less than 4 of whom, including the Vice Chairman of the United States Delegation, shall be from the Committee on Foreign Relations, unless the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, upon recommendations of the Majority and Minority leaders of the Senate, determines otherwise).
(2) In every odd-numbered year beginning in 1993, 9 Members shall, upon recommendation of the Majority and Minority Leaders 1 of the Senate, be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate from Members of the Senate (not less than 4 of whom, including the Chairman of the United States Delegation, shall be from the Committee on Foreign Relations, unless the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, upon recommendations of the Majority and Minority leaders of the Senate, determines otherwise); and 8 Members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House from Members of the House (not less than 4 of whom, including the Vice Chairman, shall be from the Committee on Foreign Affairs).
(c) Administrative support
For the purpose of providing general staff support and continuity between successive delegations, each United States Delegation shall have 2 secretaries (one of whom shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and one of whom shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Delegation of the Senate).
(d) Funding
(1) United States participation
There is authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year $80,000 to assist in meeting the expenses of the United States delegation.2 For each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made under this subsection, half of such appropriation may be disbursed on voucher to be approved by the Chairman and half of such appropriation may be disbursed on voucher to be approved by the Vice Chairman.
(2) Availability of appropriations
Amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection are authorized to be available until expended.
(e) Annual report
The United States Delegation shall, for each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made, submit to the Congress a report including its expenditures under such appropriation. The certificate of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the United States Delegation shall be final and conclusive upon the accounting officers in the auditing of the accounts of the United States Delegation.