118 STAT. 186 PUBLIC LAW 108–199—JAN. 23, 2004 WITHHOLDING OF ASSISTANCE FOR PARKING FINES OWED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES SEC. 544. (a) Subject to subsection (c), of the funds appropriated by this Act that are made available for assistance for a foreign country, an amount equal to 110 percent of the total amount of the unpaid fully adjudicated parking fines and penalties owed by such country shall be withheld from obligation for such country until the Secretary of State submits a certification to the appro priate congressional committees stating that such parking fines and penalties are fully paid. (b) Funds withheld from obligation pursuant to subsection (a) may be made available for other programs or activities funded by this Act, after consultation with and subject to the regulation notification procedures of the appropriate congressional committees, provided that no such funds shall be made available for assistance to the central government of a foreign country that has not paid the total amount of the fully adjudicated parking fines and penalties owed by such country. (c) Subsection (a) shall not include amounts that have been withheld under any other provision of law. (d) The Secretary of State may waive the requirements set forth in subsection (a) no sooner than 60 days from the date of enactment of this Act, or at any time with respect to a particular country, if the Secretary determines that it is in the national interests of the United States to do so. (e) Not later than 6 months after the initial exercise of the waiver authority in subsection (d), the Secretary of State, after consultations with the City of New York, shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations describing a strategy, including a timetable and steps currently being taken, to collect the parking fines and penalties owed by nations receiving foreign assistance under this Act. (f) In this section: (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Com mittee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. (2) The term ‘‘fully adjudicated’’ includes circumstances in which the person to whom the vehicle is registered— (A)(i) has not responded to the parking violation sum mons; or (ii) has not followed the appropriate adjudication proce dure to challenge the summons; and (B) the period of time for payment of or challenge to the summons has lapsed. (3) The term ‘‘parking fines and penalties’’ means parking fines and penalties— (A) owed to— (i) the District of Columbia; or (ii) New York, New York; and (B) incurred during the period April 1, 1997 through September 30, 2003. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE FOR THE PLO FOR THE WEST BANK AND GAZA SEC. 545. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be obligated for assistance for the Palestine Liberation Organization Deadline. Reports.
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