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Calendar No. 87
113th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 113-43
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ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES REVITALIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 2013
_______
June 13, 2013.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Menendez, from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany S. 793]
The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under
consideration the bill (S. 793) to support revitalization and
reform of the Organization of American States, and for other
purposes, reports favorably thereon, without amendment and
recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose..........................................................1
II. Committee Action.................................................1
III. Discussion.......................................................1
IV. Cost Estimate....................................................2
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................3
VI. Changes in Existing Law..........................................3
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of S. 793 is to support revitalization and
reform of the Organization of American States, and for other
purposes.
II. COMMITTEE ACTION
Senator Menendez introduced S. 793 on April 24, 2013. On
May 14, 2013, the committee ordered the bill reported favorably
by voice vote.
III. DISCUSSION
The stated purpose of S. 793 is to support revitalization
and reform of the Organization of American States, and for
other purposes. The Act finds that the Charter of the
Organization of American States (OAS) recognizes that
representative democracy is indispensable for the stability,
peace, and development of the Western Hemisphere; and a purpose
of the OAS is to promote and consolidate representative
democracy, with due respect for the principle of
nonintervention. It also finds that the U.S. supports the
purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the OAS,
the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and the American
Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man. Finally, the Act
finds that the U.S. supports the OAS in its efforts with all
member states to meet its commitments under the instruments
outlined above, and Congress supports the OAS as it operates in
a manner consistent with the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
The Act states that it is the policy of the U.S. to promote
democracy and the rule of law throughout the Western
Hemisphere, to promote and protect human rights and fundamental
freedoms in the Western Hemisphere, and to support the
practices, purposes, and principles expressed in the
instruments noted in the Findings section.
S. 793 states the sense of Congress on the importance of
the OAS, key strengths of the OAS, and a desire to see the
Summit of the Americas process formally and more effectively
integrated into the work of the OAS, the Inter-American
Development Bank, and other Members of the Joint Summit Working
Group. The Act expresses a sense that the OAS should regularly
review its core functions and seek opportunities to reduce the
number of mandates not directly related to its core functions
and that the OAS would benefit from effective implementation of
transparent and merit-based human resource standards and
processes and transparent hiring, firing, and promotion
standards and processes.
Finally, the Act requires the Secretary of State to submit
a strategy to Congress that identifies a path toward the
adoption of necessary reforms that prioritize and reinforce the
OAS's core competencies. It directs the Secretary of State to
carry out diplomatic engagement to build support for reforms
and budgetary burden sharing among OAS member states and
observers. It also requires the Secretary of State to offer a
quarterly briefing to Congress on assessed and voluntary
contributions as well as OAS financial and management reforms.
IV. COST ESTIMATE
In accordance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee provides this
estimate of the costs of this legislation prepared by the
Congressional Budget Office.
United States Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, May 23, 2013.
Hon. Robert Menendez,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 793, the
Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act
of 2013.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita
D'Monte.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf.
Enclosure.
S. 793, The Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform
Act of 2013.
S. 793 would require the Secretary of State to develop a
multiyear strategy to bolster the Organization of American
States (OAS) and improve the OAS's processes for managing its
budget and personnel. The bill would require the Secretary to
provide quarterly briefings to the Congress on the progress of
implementing that strategy. CBO estimates that implementing S.
793 would have discretionary costs of less than $500,000 each
year and total $1 million over the 2014-2018 period, assuming
the availability of appropriated funds. Pay-as-you-go
procedures do not apply to this legislation because it would
not affect direct spending or revenues.
S. 793 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D'Monte.
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT
Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is
no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation.
VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is
no change to existing law made by the bill, as reported.
