SECTION 1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSEMBLY OF THE AMERICAS.

    (a) Establishment and Meetings.--Not to exceed 13 Members of 
Congress shall be appointed to meet jointly and at least annually and 
when Congress is not in session (except that this restriction shall not 
apply to meetings held in the United States) with representative 
parliamentary groups from other countries in the Americas for the 
purposes of--
            (1) discussing common problems and interests in 
        intellectual and industrial property; and
            (2) initiating and promoting such national and multilateral 
        measures as may further common interests in intellectual and 
        industrial property.
    (b) Appointment of United States Delegation.--For each meeting of 
the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas, there shall be 
appointed a United States Delegation, as follows:
            (1) In 1998 and every even-numbered year thereafter--
                    (A) 7 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of 
                the House of Representatives from Members of the House 
                of Representatives (3 of whom, including the 
                Chairperson of the United States Delegation, shall be 
                from the Committee on International Relations and 4 of 
                whom shall be from the Committee on the Judiciary); and
                    (B) 6 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 (2 of whom, including the 
                Vice Chairperson of the United States Delegation, shall 
                be from the Committee on Foreign Relations and 4 of 
                whom shall be from the Committee on the Judiciary, 
                unless the President pro tempore of the Senate, upon 
                recommendations of the majority and minority leaders of 
                the Senate, determines otherwise).
        Such appointments shall be for the period of each meeting of 
        the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas.
            (2) In every odd-numbered year beginning in 1999--
                    (A) 7 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 (3 of whom, including the 
                Chairperson of the United States Delegation, shall be 
                from the Committee on Foreign Relations and 4 of whom 
                shall be from the Committee on the Judiciary, unless 
                the President pro tempore of the Senate, upon 
                recommendations of the majority and minority leaders of 
                the Senate, determines otherwise); and
                    (B) 6 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of 
                the House of Representatives from Members of the House 
                of Representatives (2 of whom, including the Vice 
                Chairperson of the United States Delegation, shall be 
                from the Committee on the Judiciary).
        Such appointments shall be for the period of each meeting of 
        the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas.
    (c) Administrative Support.--For the purpose of providing general 
staff support, each United States Delegation shall have 2 secretaries 
(1 of whom shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Delegation and 
1 of whom shall be appointed by the Vice Chairperson of the 
Delegation).
    (d) Funding.--
            (1) United states participation.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated for each fiscal year the sum of $60,000 to assist 
        in meeting the expenses of the United States Delegation. For 
        each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made under this 
        subsection, half of such appropriation may be disbursed on 
        vouchers to be approved by the Chairperson and half of such 
        appropriation may be disbursed on vouchers to be approved by 
        the Vice Chairperson.
            (2) Availability of appropriations.--Amounts appropriated 
        pursuant to this subsection are authorized to remain available 
        until expended.
    (e) Annual Report.--The United States Delegation shall, for each 
fiscal year for which an appropriation is made pursuant to this 
section, submit to the Congress a report that includes its expenditures 
under such appropriation. The certificate of the Chairperson and Vice 
Chairperson 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.
    (f) Funding for Expenses of Annual Meetings.--In addition to the 
amounts authorized by subsection (d), there is authorized to be 
appropriated the sum of $100,000 for fiscal year 1998 to meet the 
expenses incurred by the United States Delegation in hosting the first 
annual meeting of the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas. 
Amounts appropriated under this subsection are authorized to remain 
available until expended.

SEC. 2. REPORTS OF EXPENDITURES; CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 105(b) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 276c-1), is amended by inserting ``the Intellectual Property 
Assembly of the Americas,'' after ``the Mexico-United States 
Interparliamentary Group,''.
Provides for appointment of a U.S. Delegation (consisting of 13 Members of Congress) to the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas, which shall meet annually with representative parliamentary groups from other countries in the Americas to:  (1) discuss common problems and interests in intellectual and industrial property; and (2) promote national and multilateral measures that may further common interests in such property.  Authorizes appropriations.
{"src": "billsum_test", "title": "To establish the Intellectual Property Assembly of the Americas and to provide for participation in the Assembly by the United States Delegation."}