22 U.S.C. § 2362: Use of foreign currencies

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or other Acts, foreign currencies received either (1) as a result of the furnishing of nonmilitary assistance under the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended, or any Act repealed thereby, and unobligated on September 3, 1961 , or (2) on or after September 4, 1961 , as a result of the furnishing of nonmilitary assistance under the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended, or any Act repealed thereby, or (3) as a result of the furnishing of assistance under subchapter I of this chapter, which are in excess of amounts reserved under authority of section 2455(d) of this title or any other Act relating to educational and cultural exchanges, may be sold by the Secretary of the Treasury to agencies of the United States Government for payment of their obligations outside the United States, and the United States dollars received as reimbursement shall be deposited into miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury. Foreign currencies so received which are in excess of the amounts so reserved and of the requirements of the United States Government in payment of its obligations outside the United States, as such requirements may be determined from time to time by the President, shall be available for the authorized purposes of subchapter I of this chapter in such amounts as may be specified from time to time in appropriation Acts. Any Act of the Congress making appropriations to carry out programs under this chapter or any other Act for United States operations abroad is hereby authorized to provide for the utilization of United States-owned excess foreign currencies to carry out any such operations authorized by law. As used in this subsection, the term “excess foreign currencies” means foreign currencies or credits owned by or owed to the United States which are, under applicable agreements with the foreign country concerned, available for the use of the United States Government and are determined by the President to be excess to the normal requirements of departments and agencies of the United States for such currencies or credits and are not prohibited from use under this subsection by an agreement entered into with the foreign country concerned. The President shall take all appropriate steps to assure that, to the maximum extent possible, United States-owned foreign currencies are utilized in lieu of dollars. Dollar funds made available pursuant to this chapter shall not be expended for goods and services when United States-owned foreign currencies are available for such purposes unless the administrative official approving the voucher certifies as to the reason for the use of dollars in each case. In addition to funds otherwise available, excess foreign currencies, as defined in subsection (b), may be made available to friendly foreign governments and to private, nonprofit United States organizations to carry out voluntary family planning programs in countries which request such assistance. No such program shall be assisted unless the President has received assurances that in the administration of such program the recipient will take reasonable precautions to insure that no person receives any family planning assistance or supplies unless he desires such services. The excess foreign currencies made available under this subsection shall not, in any one year, exceed 5 per centum of the aggregate of all excess foreign currencies. As used in this subsection, the term “voluntary family planning program” includes, but is not limited to, demographic studies, medical and psychological research, personnel training, the construction and staffing of clinics and rural health centers, specialized training of doctors and paramedical personnel, the manufacture of medical supplies, and the dissemination of family planning information, medical assistance, and supplies to individuals who desire such assistance. In furnishing assistance under this chapter to the government of any country in which the United States owns excess foreign currencies as defined in subsection (b) of this section, except those currencies generated under the Food for Peace Act, as amended [ 7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.], the President shall endeavor to obtain from the recipient country an agreement for the release, on such terms and conditions as the President shall determine, of an amount of such currencies up to the equivalent of the dollar value of assistance furnished by the United States for programs as may be mutually agreed upon by the recipient country and the United States to carry out the purposes for which new funds authorized by this chapter would themselves be available. require that local currencies be deposited in a separate account established by that government; the amount of the local currencies to be generated; and the terms and conditions under which the currencies so deposited may be utilized, consistent with this section; and establish by agreement with that government the responsibilities of the Department of State and that government to monitor and account for deposits into and disbursements from the separate account. project and sector assistance activities; or debt and deficit financing; or for the administrative requirements of the United States Government. The Department of State shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the equivalent of the local currencies disbursed pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(A) from the separate account established pursuant to subsection (a)(1) are used for the purposes agreed upon pursuant to subsection (a)(2). Upon termination of assistance to a country under chapter 1 or 10 of part I or chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as the case may be), any unencumbered balances of funds which remain in a separate account established pursuant to subsection (a) shall be disposed of for such purposes as may be agreed to by the government of that country and the United States Government. If assistance is made available to the government of a foreign country, under chapter 1 or 10 of part I [ 22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq., 22 U.S.C. 2293 et seq.] or chapter 4 of part II [ 22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.] of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as cash transfer assistance or as nonproject sector assistance, that country shall be required to maintain such funds in a separate account and not commingle with any other funds. Such funds may be obligated and expended notwithstanding provisions of law which are inconsistent with the nature of this assistance, including provisions which are referenced in the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference accompanying House Joint Resolution 648 (House Report No. 98–1159). At least 15 days prior to obligating any such cash transfer or nonproject sector assistance, the President shall submit a notification through the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations, which shall include a detailed description of how the funds proposed to be made available will be used, with a discussion of the United States interests that will be served by such assistance (including, as appropriate, a description of the economic policy reforms that will be promoted by such assistance). Nonproject sector assistance funds may be exempt from the requirements of paragraph (1) only through the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.”