118 STAT. 176 PUBLIC LAW 108–199—JAN. 23, 2004 communities and families that suffer losses as a result of the military operations. NOTIFICATION ON EXCESS DEFENSE EQUIPMENT SEC. 524. Prior to providing excess Department of Defense articles in accordance with section 516(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the Department of Defense shall notify the Committees on Appropriations to the same extent and under the same conditions as are other committees pursuant to subsection (f) of that section: Provided, That before issuing a letter of offer to sell excess defense articles under the Arms Export Control Act, the Department of Defense shall notify the Committees on Appropriations in accord ance with the regular notification procedures of such Committees if such defense articles are significant military equipment (as defined in section 47(9) of the Arms Export Control Act) or are valued (in terms of original acquisition cost) at $7,000,000 or more, or if notification is required elsewhere in this Act for the use of appropriated funds for specific countries that would receive such excess defense articles: Provided further, That such Committees shall also be informed of the original acquisition cost of such defense articles. USAID OVERSEAS PROGRAM SEC. 525. Funds appropriated by this and subsequent appro priations Acts to carry out the provisions of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including funds appropriated under the heading ‘‘Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States’’, may be made available to employ individuals overseas on a limited appointment basis pursuant to the authority of sections 308 and 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980: Provided, That in fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006 the authority of this section may be used to hire not more than 85 individuals in each such year. DEMOCRACY PROGRAMS SEC. 526. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the funds appropriated by this Act to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, not less than $13,500,000 shall be made available for assistance for activities to support democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong: Provided, That funds appropriated under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ should be made available for assistance for Taiwan for the purposes of furthering political and legal reforms: Provided further, That such funds shall only be made available to the extent that they are matched from sources other than the United States Govern ment: Provided further, That funds made available pursuant to the authority of this subsection shall be subject to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations. (b)(1) In addition to the funds made available in subsection (a), of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Eco nomic Support Fund’’ not less than $11,500,000 shall be made available for programs and activities to foster democracy, human rights, civic education, women’s development, press freedom, and the rule of law in countries with a significant Muslim population, and where such programs and activities would be important to 22 USC 3948 note.
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