article: SECTION 1. STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES. (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to create principles governing the conduct of commercial cooperation projects of United States nationals in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. (b) Principles.--It is the sense of the Congress that any United States national conducting a commercial cooperation project in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam should adhere to the following principles: (1) Seek to ensure that political or religious views, sex, ethnic or national background, involvement in political activities or nonviolent demonstrations, or association with suspected or known dissidents will not prohibit hiring, lead to harassment, demotion, or dismissal, or in any way affect the status or terms of employment in the commercial cooperation project. The United States national should not discriminate in terms or conditions of employment in the commercial cooperation project against former members of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), former government officials of the Republic of Vietnam, former employees of the United States Government in the Republic of Vietnam, former employees of United States Government officials in the Republic of Vietnam, former employees of United States enterprises in the Republic of Vietnam, and repatriated asylum-seekers (so- called ``boat people''). (2) Ensure that methods of production used in the commercial cooperation project do not pose an unnecessary physical danger to workers and neighboring populations and property and that the commercial cooperation project does not unnecessarily risk harm to the surrounding environment. (3) Strive to use business enterprises that are not controlled by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or its authorized agents and departments as potential partners in the commercial cooperation project. (4) Prohibit any military presence on the premises of the commercial cooperation project. (5) Undertake to promote freedom of association and assembly among the employees of the United States national, including the right of employees to form collective bargaining units. The United States national should protest any infringement by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam of these freedoms to the appropriate authorities of that government and to the International Labor Organization. (6) Prohibit any compulsory political indoctrination programs from taking place on the premises of the operations of the commercial cooperation project. (7) Promote freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any media. To this end, the United States national should raise with appropriate authorities of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam concerns about restrictions on importation of foreign publications. (8) Undertake to promote a full accounting of all Americans missing in action from the Vietnam conflict. (c) Promotion of Principles by Other Nations.--The Secretary of State shall forward a copy of the principles described in subsection (b) to the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and encourage them to promote principles similar to these principles. SEC. 2. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT. (a) In General.--Each United States national conducting a commercial cooperation project in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall register with the Secretary of State and indicate whether the United States national agrees to implement the principles described in section 1(b). No fee shall be required for registration under this subsection. (b) Effective Date.--The registration requirement of subsection (a) shall take effect 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. (a) Report.--Each United States national conducting a commercial cooperation project in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall report to the Department of State describing the United States national's adherence to the principles described in section 1(b). Such national shall submit a completed reporting form furnished by the Department of State. The first report shall be submitted not later than 1 year after the date on which the national registers under section 2 and not later than the end of each 1-year period occurring thereafter. (b) Review of Report.--The Secretary of State shall review each report submitted under subsection (a) and determine whether the United States national submitting the report is adhering to the principles described in section 1(b). The Secretary may request additional information from the United States national and other sources to verify the information submitted. (c) Annual Report.--The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress and to the Secretariat of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, describing the level of adherence to the principles described in section 1(b) by United States nationals subject to the reporting requirement of subsection (a). This report shall be submitted not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act and not later than the end of each 1-year period occurring thereafter. SEC. 4. EXPORT MARKETING SUPPORT. (a) Support.--Departments and agencies of the United States may only intercede with a foreign government or foreign national regarding export marketing activity in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on behalf of a United States national subject to the reporting requirements of section 3(a) if that United States national adheres to the principles. (b) Type of Contact.--The term ``intercede with a foreign government or foreign national'' includes any contact by an officer or employee of the United States with officials of any foreign government or foreign national involving or contemplating any effort to assist in selling a good, service, or technology in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Such term does not include multilateral or bilateral government-to-government trade negotiations intended to resolve trade issues which may affect United States nationals who do not adhere to the principles. (c) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall take effect 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Act-- (1) the terms ``adhere to the principles'', ``adhering to the principles'' and ``adherence to the principles'' mean-- (A) agreeing to implement the principles described in section 1(b); (B) implementing those principles by taking good faith measures with respect to each such principle; and (C) reporting accurately to the Department of State on the measures taken to implement those principles; (2) the term ``commercial cooperation project'' refers to a for-profit activity the business operations of which employ more than 25 individuals or have assets greater than $25,000; and (3) the term ``United States national'' means-- (A) a citizen or national of the United States or a permanent resident of the United States; and (B) a corporation, partnership, and other business association organized under the laws of the United States, any State or territory thereof, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
summary: Expresses the sense of the Congress that any U.S. national conducting a commercial cooperation project in Vietnam should adhere to specified principles regarding: (1) nondiscrimination in employment; (2) worker and environmental safety; (3) partnerships with businesses not controlled by the Vietnamese Government; (4) prohibitions on a military presence and political indoctrination programs on project premises; (5) freedoms of association and expression; and (6) the promotion of a full accounting of all Americans missing in action from the Vietnam conflict. Directs the Secretary of State to encourage member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to promote similar principles. Requires U.S. nationals conducting commercial cooperation projects in Vietnam to: (1) register with the Secretary and indicate whether they agree to implement such principles; and (2) report annually to the Department of State on adherence to such principles. Permits Federal agencies to intercede with a foreign government or national on behalf of such a U.S. national regarding export marketing activities in Vietnam only if such individual adheres to the principles.