article: 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,''.
summary: 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.