22 U.S.C. § 3617 — Travel expenses

Page 1378 TITLE 22—FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE § 3615 amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘(a) There shall be a Deputy Administrator and a Chief Engineer of the Commission, both of whom shall be appointed by the President. The Deputy Adminis- trator and the Chief Engineer shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the President. ‘‘(b) The Deputy Administrator and the Chief Engi- neer shall each be paid compensation at a rate of pay established by the President which does not exceed the rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS–18 of the Gen- eral Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, and, if eligi- ble, shall each be paid the overseas recruitment or re- tention differential provided for in section 3657 of this title.’’ 1990—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–510 inserted before pe- riod at end ‘‘, and, if eligible, shall each be paid the overseas recruitment or retention differential provided for in section 3657 of this title’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SAVINGS PROVISION Pub. L. 104–201, div. C, title XXXV, § 3524(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2861, provided that: ‘‘Nothing in this sec- tion [amending this section] shall be considered to af- fect— ‘‘(1) the tenure of the individual serving as Deputy Administrator of the Commission on the day before subsection (a) takes effect [section 3524(a) of Pub. L. 104–201, effective Sept. 23, 1996]; or ‘‘(2) until modified under section 1104(b) of the Pan- ama Canal Act of 1979 [subsec. (b) of this section], as amended by subsection (a), the compensation of the individual so serving.’’ Executive Documents DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS Authority of President under this section to fix the compensation of and to define authorities and duties of Deputy Administrator delegated to Secretary of De- fense, see section 1–302 of Ex. Ord. No. 12215, May 27, 1980, 45 F.R. 36044, set out as a note under section 3601 of this title. § 3615. Consultative Committee (a) Designation and coordination The President shall designate, and the Sec- retary of State shall coordinate the participa- tion of, representatives of the United States to the Consultative Committee to be established under paragraph 7 of Article III of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. (b) Functions The Consultative Committee shall function as a diplomatic forum for the exchange of views be- tween the United States and the Republic of Panama. The Committee shall advise the United States Government and the Government of the Republic of Panama on matters of policy affect- ing the operation of the Panama Canal. The Committee shall have no authority to direct the Commission or any other department or agency of the United States to initiate or withhold ac- tion. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1105, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 457.) § 3616. Joint Commission on the Environment (a) Establishment; composition The United States and the Republic of Pan- ama, in accordance with the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, shall establish a Joint Commis- sion on the Environment (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘Joint Commission’’) to be composed of not more than three rep- resentatives of the United States and three rep- resentatives of the Republic of Panama, or such other equivalent numbers of representatives as may be agreed upon by the Governments of the two countries. The United States members of the Joint Commission shall periodically review the implementation of the Panama Canal Trea- ty of 1977 with respect to its impact on the envi- ronment and shall, jointly with the representa- tives of the Government of Panama, make rec- ommendations to the United States Government and the Government of the Republic of Panama with respect to ways to avoid or mitigate ad- verse environmental impacts resulting from ac- tions taken pursuant to such Treaty. (b) Appointment; compensation and travel ex- penses Representatives of the United States on the Joint Commission shall be appointed by the President and shall serve at the pleasure of the President. Such representatives shall serve without compensation but shall be allowed trav- el or transportation expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with section 3617 of this title. (c) Protection of pay, seniority, or other rights or benefits of appointed or detailed Federal em- ployees Any Federal employee subject to the civil service laws and regulations who is detailed to serve with, or appointed by, the United States representatives on the Joint Commission shall not lose any pay, seniority, or other rights or benefits by reason of such detail or appoint- ment. (d) Compensation of necessary personnel The United States representatives on the Joint Commission may, to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in advance in ap- propriation Acts, appoint and fix the compensa- tion of such personnel as the representatives of the United States on the Joint Commission may consider necessary for the participation of the United States on the Joint Commission. (e) Rules of procedure; establishment; approval The United States representatives on the Joint Commission may, in cooperation with the representatives of the Republic of Panama on the Joint Commission, establish rules of proce- dure to be used by the Joint Commission in con- ducting its affairs, subject to the approval of such rules by the Governments of the United States and the Republic of Panama. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1106, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 457.) § 3617. Travel expenses While away from their homes, regular places of business, or official stations in performance of services under this part, members of the Board of the Commission and the representa- tives of the United States on the Consultative Committee referred to in section 3615 of this title and on the Joint Commission on the Envi- Page 1379 TITLE 22—FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE § 3621 ronment referred to in section 3616 of this title shall be allowed travel or transportation ex- penses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed inter- mittently in Government service are allowed ex- penses under section 5703 of title 5. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1107, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 458.) § 3618. Defense of Panama Canal In the event of an armed attack against the Panama Canal, or when, in the opinion of the President, conditions exist which threaten the security of the Canal, the Administrator of the Commission shall, upon the order of the Presi- dent, comply with such directives as the United States military officer charged with the protec- tion and defense of the Panama Canal may con- sider necessary in the exercise of his duties. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1108, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 458.) § 3619. Joint sea level canal study (a) Committee; appointment of representatives The President shall appoint the representa- tives of the United States to any joint com- mittee or body with the Republic of Panama to study the possibility of a sea level canal in the Republic of Panama pursuant to Article XII of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. (b) Transmittal of study to President of Senate and Speaker of House of Representatives Upon the completion of any joint study be- tween the United States and the Republic of Panama concerning the feasibility of a sea level canal in the Republic of Panama pursuant to paragraph 1 of Article XII of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the text of the study shall be transmitted by the President to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (c) Congressional authorization respecting con- struction of sea level canal No construction of a sea level canal by the United States in the Republic of Panama shall be undertaken except with express congressional authorization after submission of the study by the President as provided in subsection (b) of this section. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1109, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 459.) § 3620. Authority of Ambassador; independence of Commission regarding its Panama Canal responsibilities (a) Authority of Ambassador The United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama shall have full responsibility for the coordination of the transfer to the Republic of Panama of those functions that are to be as- sumed by the Republic of Panama pursuant to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements. (b) Independence of Commission regarding its Panama Canal responsibilities (1) The Commission shall not be subject to the direction or supervision of the United States Chief of Mission in the Republic of Panama with respect to the responsibilities of the Commis- sion for the operation, management, or mainte- nance of the Panama Canal, as established in this chapter or any other Act or in the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements, ex- cept that the Commission shall keep the Ambas- sador fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and operations of the Commis- sion. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, section 3927 of this title shall apply with respect to the activities of the Commis- sion. (c) Agreements for United States to provide post- transfer administrative services for certain employee benefits (1) The Secretary of State may enter into one or more agreements to provide for the United States to furnish administrative services relat- ing to the benefits described in paragraph (2) after December 31, 1999, and to establish appro- priate procedures for providing advance funding for the services. (2) The benefits referred to in paragraph (1) are the following: (A) Pension, disability, and medical benefits provided by the Panama Canal Commission pursuant to section 3682 of this title. (B) Compensation for work injuries covered by chapter 81 of title 5. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1110, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 459; Pub. L. 105–85, div. C, title XXXV, § 3550(d)(4), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 2074; Pub. L. 105–261, div. C, title XXXV, § 3506, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2269.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), was in the original ‘‘this Act’’, meaning Pub. L. 96–70, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 452, known as the Panama Canal Act of 1979, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3601 of this title and Tables. AMENDMENTS 1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–261 added subsec. (c). 1997—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–85 substituted ‘‘sec- tion 3927’’ for ‘‘section 2680a’’. § 3621. Security legislation It is the sense of the Congress that the best in- terests of the United States require that the President enter into negotiations with the Re- public of Panama for the purpose of arranging for the stationing of United States military forces, after the termination of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, in the area comprising the Canal Zone before October 1, 1979, and for the maintenance of installations and facilities, after the termination of such Treaty, for the use of United States military forces stationed in such area. The President shall report to the Congress in a timely manner the status of negotiations conducted pursuant to this section. (Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1111, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 459.)