TITLE 19 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - APPROVAL OF, AND GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO, THE AGREEMENT

19 USC 4011 - Approval and entry into force of the Agreement

(a) Approval of Agreement and statement of administrative action
Pursuant to section 3805 of this title and section 2191 of this title, the Congress approves

(1) the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement entered into on August 5, 2004, with the Governments of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and submitted to the Congress on June 23, 2005; and

(2) the statement of administrative action proposed to implement the Agreement that was submitted to the Congress on June 23, 2005.

(b) Conditions for entry into force of the Agreement
At such time as the President determines that countries listed in subsection (a)(1) have taken measures necessary to comply with the provisions of the Agreement that are to take effect on the date on which the Agreement enters into force, the President is authorized to provide for the Agreement to enter into force with respect to those countries that provide for the Agreement to enter into force for them.

19 USC 4012 - Relationship of the Agreement to United States and State law

(a) Relationship of Agreement to United States law

(1) United States law to prevail in conflict
No provision of the Agreement, nor the application of any such provision to any person or circumstance, which is inconsistent with any law of the United States shall have effect.

(2) Construction
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed

(A) to amend or modify any law of the United States, or

(B) to limit any authority conferred under any law of the United States,

unless specifically provided for in this chapter.

(b) Relationship of Agreement to State law

(1) Legal challenge
No State law, or the application thereof, may be declared invalid as to any person or circumstance on the ground that the provision or application is inconsistent with the Agreement, except in an action brought by the United States for the purpose of declaring such law or application invalid.

(2) Definition of State law
For purposes of this subsection, the term State law includes

(A) any law of a political subdivision of a State; and

(B) any State law regulating or taxing the business of insurance.

(1) shall have any cause of action or defense under the Agreement or by virtue of congressional approval thereof; or

(2) may challenge, in any action brought under any provision of law, any action or inaction by any department, agency, or other instrumentality of the United States, any State, or any political subdivision of a State, on the ground that such action or inaction is inconsistent with the Agreement.

19 USC 4013 - Implementing actions in anticipation of entry into force and initial regulations

(a) Implementing actions

(1) Proclamation authority
After August 2, 2005

(A) the President may proclaim such actions, and

(B) other appropriate officers of the United States Government may issue such regulations,

as may be necessary to ensure that any provision of this chapter, or amendment made by this chapter, that takes effect on the date the Agreement enters into force is appropriately implemented on such date, but no such proclamation or regulation may have an effective date earlier than the date the Agreement enters into force.

(2) Effective date of certain proclaimed actions
Any action proclaimed by the President under the authority of this chapter that is not subject to the consultation and layover provisions under section 4014 of this title may not take effect before the 15th day after the date on which the text of the proclamation is published in the Federal Register.

(3) Waiver of 15-day restriction
The 15-day restriction contained in paragraph (2) on the taking effect of proclaimed actions is waived to the extent that the application of such restriction would prevent the taking effect on the date the Agreement enters into force of any action proclaimed under this section.

(b) Initial regulations
Initial regulations necessary or appropriate to carry out the actions required by or authorized under this chapter or proposed in the statement of administrative action submitted under section 4011 (a)(2) of this title to implement the Agreement shall, to the maximum extent feasible, be issued within 1 year after the date on which the Agreement enters into force. In the case of any implementing action that takes effect on a date after the date on which the Agreement enters into force, initial regulations to carry out that action shall, to the maximum extent feasible, be issued within 1 year after such effective date.

19 USC 4014 - Consultation and layover provisions for, and effective date of, proclaimed actions

If a provision of this chapter provides that the implementation of an action by the President by proclamation is subject to the consultation and layover requirements of this section, such action may be proclaimed only if

(1) the President has obtained advice regarding the proposed action from

(A) the appropriate advisory committees established under section 2155 of this title; and

(B) the Commission;

(2) the President has submitted to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report that sets forth

(A) the action proposed to be proclaimed and the reasons therefor; and

(B) the advice obtained under paragraph (1);

(3) a period of 60 calendar days, beginning on the first day on which the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) have been met has expired; and

(4) the President has consulted with such Committees regarding the proposed action during the period referred to in paragraph (3).

19 USC 4015 - Administration of dispute settlement proceedings

(a) Establishment or designation of office
The President is authorized to establish or designate within the Department of Commerce an office that shall be responsible for providing administrative assistance to panels established under chapter 20 of the Agreement. The office may not be considered to be an agency for purposes of section 552 of title 5.

(b) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2005 to the Department of Commerce such sums as may be necessary for the establishment and operations of the office established or designated under subsection (a) and for the payment of the United States share of the expenses of panels established under chapter 20 of the Agreement.

19 USC 4016 - Arbitration of claims

The United States is authorized to resolve any claim against the United States covered by article 10.16.1(a)(i)(C) or article 10.16.1(b)(i)(C) of the Agreement, pursuant to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement procedures set forth in section B of chapter 10 of the Agreement.