Amendment No. 240: Inserts and amends Senate language contained in section 9110 which provided additional transfer authority for the Former Soviet Union Demilitarization Act of 1992.

The House included sections 9109 (amendment number 237) and 9110 (amendment number 239) which provided transfer authority across fiscal years 1992 and 1993 for up to $650,000,000 for the Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1992 and up to $115,000,000 for humanitarian aid to the countries of the former Soviet Union.

The Senate included section 9110 which provided fiscal year 1993 transfer authority of up to $400,000,000 for the Former Soviet Union Demilitarization Act of 1992 and extended into fiscal year 1993 the fiscal year 1992 transfer authorities contained in sections 108 (nuclear threat reduction) and 109 (humanitarian aid) of Public Law 102-229 totalling up to $400,000,000 and $100,000,000, respectively.

The conferees agree to include section 9110 which provides:

(a) fiscal year 1993 authority to transfer up to $400,000,000 for the Former Soviet Union Demilitarization Act of 1992, including not less than $10,000,000 for former Soviet nuclear waste in the Arctic region, not less than $25,000,000 for Project PEACE, not more than $50,000,000 for the Multilateral Nuclear Safety Initiative, not more than $40,000,000 for demilitarization of defense industries, not more than $15,000,000 for military-to-military contacts, not more than $25,000,000 for joint research and development programs, and not more than $10,000,000 for the Volunteers Investing in Peace and Security program;

(b) fiscal year 1993 authority to transfer up to $15,000,000 for humanitarian aid;

(c) an extension through fiscal year 1993 of the transfer authorities contained in sections 108 and 109 of Public Law 102-229; and

(d) fiscal year 1993 authority to transfer up to $40,000,000 for the Weapons of Mass Destruction Control Act of 1992, including up to $20,000,000 for the On-Site Inspection Agency, but excluding payments to either Contributions to International Organizations or other costs which have traditionally been the funding responsibility of either the Department of State or the Department of Energy.

The conferees agree to the directive language contained in Senate report 102-408 concerning reporting requirements and the availability of no less than $10,000,000 concerning nuclear dumping and weapons disposal in the Arctic region by the former Soviet Union or successor states.

The conferees agree to make available from funds appropriated to the Department of Defense not less than $25,000,000 to establish and support the purposes of Project PEACE within the amount provided in this Act and pursuant to language provided in Senate report 102- 408. The conferees expect that these funds will be transferred to Project PEACE no later than 60 days following the enactment of this Act.

The conferees urge the Secretary of Defense to vigorously support the defense conversion efforts now underway in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and to establish, wherever possible, prototype conversion projects in cooperation with the U.S. private sector and local governments from these newly independent countries. The conferees are encouraged by the steps already taken by the Department of Defense to study the conversion and clean-up potential of the Milovice Military Area, the Bozi-Dar Airfield and the Haradcany Military area in the Czech Republic and urge that they be pursued as prototype conversion projects in conjunction with the Czech Environmental Commission.

The conferees believe that Project PEACE offers unique opportunities for international cooperation and urge the Secretary of Defense, in conjunction with the President's coordinator for U.S. Government assistance to the newly independent states, to encourage our allies to contribute their funding and technical expertise as well to this initiative.

In addition to the activities targeted by Project PEACE, the Secretary is urged to assist the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in the management and disposal of excess defense property and the use of funds generated through this effort for other defense conversion, environmental and humanitarian relief initiatives.

Lastly, the conferees believe that there is an urgent need to improve the investment climate in this region and that this effort can be assisted by ensuring greater coordination between the U.S. private sector and agencies of the U.S. Government concerned with former Soviet defense conversion. Therefore, the conferees direct that no later than April 30, 1993, the President's Coordinator should establish a comprehensive database of investment opportunities available in the region and that the process for obtaining demonstration project grants should be streamlined and expedited.