                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                CHAPTER 13--TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT OF 1979
 
         SUBCHAPTER II--TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (STANDARDS)
 
            Part F--International Standard-Setting Activities
 
Sec. 2578. Notice of United States participation in 
        international standard-setting activities
        

(a) In general

    The President shall designate an agency to be responsible for 
informing the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting 
activities of each international standard-setting organization.

(b) Notification

    Not later than June 1 of each year, the agency designated under 
subsection (a) of this section with respect to each international 
standard-setting organization shall publish notice in the Federal 
Register of the information specified in subsection (c) of this section 
with respect to that organization. The notice shall cover the period 
ending on June 1 of the year in which the notice is published, and 
beginning on the date of the preceding notice under this subsection, 
except that the first such notice shall cover the 1-year period ending 
on the date of the notice.

(c) Required information

    The information to be provided in the notice under subsection (b) of 
this section is--
        (1) the sanitary or phytosanitary standards under consideration 
    or planned for consideration by that organization;
        (2) for each sanitary or phytosanitary standard specified in 
    paragraph (1)--
            (A) a description of the consideration or planned 
        consideration of the standard;
            (B) whether the United States is participating or plans to 
        participate in the consideration of the standard;
            (C) the agenda for the United States participation, if any; 
        and
            (D) the agency responsible for representing the United 
        States with respect to the standard.

(d) Public comment

    The agency specified in subsection (c)(2)(D) of this section shall 
provide an opportunity for public comment with respect to the standards 
for which the agency is responsible and shall take the comments into 
account in participating in the consideration of the standards and in 
proposing matters to be considered by the organization.

(Pub. L. 96-39, title IV, Sec. 491, as added Pub. L. 103-465, title IV, 
Sec. 432, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4970.)


                             Effective Date

    Part effective on the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement 
with respect to the United States [Jan. 1, 1995], except as otherwise 
provided, see section 451 of Pub. L. 103-465, set out as a note under 
section 3601 of this title.


                          Designation of Agency

    Secretary of Agriculture designated under this section as official 
responsible for informing public of sanitary and phytosanitary standard-
setting activities of each international standard-setting organization, 
see par. (4) of Proc. No. 6780, Mar. 23, 1995, 60 F.R. 15847, set out as 
a note under section 3511 of this title.
