Congressional Record: September 23, 2002 (House)
Page H6422-H6470


                     CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1646

  Mr. HYDE submitted the following conference report and statement on
the bill (H.R. 1646), to authorize appropriations for the Department of
State for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and for other purposes:

                  Conference Report (H. Rept. 107-671)

[...]

     SEC. 205. FOREIGN RELATIONS HISTORICAL SERIES.

       (a) Annual Reports by the Advisory Committee.--Section
     404(d) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956
     (22 U.S.C. 4354(d)) is amended--
       (1) by striking  "Reporting  Requirement.--" and
     inserting "Annual Reports by the Advisory Committee.--";
     and
       (2) by inserting "and to the Committee on Foreign
     Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International
     Relations of the House of Representatives" after "Secretary
     of State".
       (b) Annual Reports by the Secretary.--Section 404(e) of the
     State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C.
     4354(e)) is amended to read as follows:
       "(e) Annual Reports by the Secretary.--
       "(1) In general.--Not later than March 1 of each year, the
     Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign
     Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International
     Relations of the House of Representatives on the compliance
     of the Department of State with the provisions of this title,
     including--
       "(A) the volumes published in the previous calendar year;
       "(B) the degree to which the Department is not in
     compliance with the deadline set forth in section 401(c); and
       "(C) the factors relevant to the inability of the
     Department to comply with the provisions of this title,
     including section 401(c).
       "(2) Form of reports.--Each report required to be
     submitted by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified
     form, together with a classified annex if necessary.".

[...]


     Sec. 205. Foreign relations historical series
       This provision makes two amendments to increase reporting
     to Congress on the implementation of Title IV of the State
     Department Basic Authorities Act, relating to the Foreign
     Relations of the United States Historical Series. In 1991,
     Congress enacted Title IV out of concern for the timeliness
     and historical accuracy of the series, and mandated that it
     be a "thorough, accurate and reliable documentary record of
     major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant U.S.
     diplomatic activity." Title IV requires, among other things,
     that the Secretary ensure that volumes in the series be
     published not more than 30 years after the events recorded. A
     decade after the law was enacted, the Department remains out
     of compliance with this provision. These reporting
     requirements will facilitate oversight by Congress of
     implementation of Title IV.