48 U.S.C. § 1921b

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239January 1, 1985 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that the President of the United States shall negotiate with the Government of the Marshall Islands an agreement whereby, without prejudice as to any claims which have been or may be asserted by any party as to rightful title and ownership of any lands on Ejit, the Government of the Marshall Islands shall assure that lands on Ejit used as of , by the people of Bikini, will continue to be available without charge for their use, until such time as Bikini is restored and inhabitable and the continued use of Ejit is no longer necessary, unless a Marshall Islands court of competent jurisdiction finally determines that there are legal impediments to continued use of Ejit by the people of Bikini.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that if the impediments described in paragraph (1) do arise, the United States will cooperate with the Government of the Marshall Islands in assisting any person adversely affected by such judicial determination to remain on Ejit, or in locating suitable and acceptable alternative lands for such person’s use.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that paragraph (1) shall not be applied in a manner which would prevent the Government of the Marshall Islands from acting in accordance with its constitutional processes to resolve title and ownership claims with respect to such lands or from taking substitute or additional measures to meet the needs of the people of Bikini with their democratically expressed consent and approval.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that in furtherance of the purposes of Article I of the Subsidiary Agreement for Implementation of Section 177 of the Compact, the payment of the amount specified therein shall be made by the United States under Article I of the Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Marshall Islands for the Implementation of Section 177 of the Compact (hereafter in this subsection referred to as the “Section 177 Agreement”) only after the Government of the Marshall Islands has notified the President of the United States as to which investment management firm has been selected by such Government to act as Fund Manager under Article I of the Section 177 Agreement.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that in the event that the President determines that an investment management firm selected by the Government of the Marshall Islands does not meet the requirements specified in Article I of the Section 177 Agreement, the United States shall invoke the conference and dispute resolution procedures of Article II of Title Four of the Compact. Pending the resolution of such a dispute and until a qualified Fund Manager has been designated, the Government of the Marshall Islands shall place the funds paid by the United States pursuant to Article I of the Section 177 Agreement into an interest-bearing escrow account. Upon designation of a qualified Fund Manager, all funds in the escrow account shall be transferred to the control of such Fund Manager for management pursuant to the Section 177 Agreement.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that if the Government of the Marshall Islands determines that some other investment firm should act as Fund Manager in place of the firm first (or subsequently) selected by such Government, the Government of the Marshall Islands shall so notify the President of the United States, identifying the firm selected by such Government to become Fund Manager, and the President shall proceed to evaluate the qualifications of such identified firm.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that at the end of 15 years after the effective date of the Compact, the firm then acting as Fund Manager shall transfer to the Government of the Marshall Islands, or to such account as such Government shall so notify the Fund Manager, all remaining funds and assets being managed by the Fund Manager under the Section 177 Agreement.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that it is the intention of the Congress of the United States that the provisions of section 177 of the Compact of Free Association and the Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Marshall Islands for the Implementation of Section 177 of the Compact (hereafter in this subsection referred to as the “Section 177 Agreement”) constitute a full and final settlement of all claims described in Articles X and XI of the Section 177 Agreement, and that any such claims be terminated and barred except insofar as provided for in the Section 177 Agreement.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that in furtherance of the intention of Congress as stated in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Section 177 Agreement is hereby ratified and approved. It is the explicit understanding and intent of Congress that the jurisdictional limitations set forth in Article XII of such Agreement are enacted solely and exclusively to accomplish the objective of Article X of such Agreement and only as a clarification of the effect of Article X, and are not to be construed or implemented separately from Article X.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that payments under this subsection shall be provided to such extent or in such amounts as are necessary for services and other assistance provided pursuant to this subsection. It is the sense of Congress that after the periods of time specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, consideration will be given to such additional funding for these programs as may be necessary.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that because Rongelap was directly affected by fallout from a 1954 United States thermonuclear test and because the Rongelap people remain unconvinced that it is safe to continue to live on Rongelap Island, it is the intent of Congress to take such steps (if any) as may be necessary to overcome the effects of such fallout on the habitability of Rongelap Island, and to restore Rongelap Island, if necessary, so that it can be safely inhabited. Accordingly, it is the expectation of the Congress that the Government of the Marshall Islands shall use such portion of the funds specified in Article II, section 1(e) of the subsidiary agreement for the implementation of section 177 of the Compact as are necessary for the purpose of contracting with a qualified scientist or group of scientists to review the data collected by the Department of Energy relating to radiation levels and other conditions on Rongelap Island resulting from the thermonuclear test. It is the expectation of the Congress that the Government of the Marshall Islands, after consultation with the people of Rongelap, shall select the party to review such data, and shall contract for such review and for submission of a report to the President of the United States and the Congress as to the results thereof.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that the purpose of the review referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be to establish whether the data cited in support of the conclusions as to the habitability of Rongelap Island, as set forth in the Department of Energy report entitled: “The Meaning of Radiation for Those Atolls in the Northern Part of the Marshall Islands That Were Surveyed in 1978”, dated November 1982, are adequate and whether such conclusions are fully supported by the data. If the party reviewing the data concludes that such conclusions as to habitability are fully supported by adequate data, the report to the President of the United States and the Congress shall so state. If the party reviewing the data concludes that the data are inadequate to support such conclusions as to habitability or that such conclusions as to habitability are not fully supported by the data, the Government of the Marshall Islands shall contract with an appropriate scientist or group of scientists to undertake a complete survey of radiation and other effects of the nuclear testing program relating to the habitability of Rongelap Island. Such sums as are necessary for such survey and report concerning the results thereof and as to steps needed to restore the habitability of Rongelap Island are authorized to be made available to the Government of the Marshall Islands.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that it is the intent of Congress that such steps (if any) as are necessary to restore the habitability of Rongelap Island and return the Rongelap people to their homeland will be taken by the United States in consultation with the Government of the Marshall Islands and, in accordance with its authority under the Constitution of the Marshall Islands, the Rongelap local government council.

Public Law 102–154105 Stat. 1009 There are hereby authorized and appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to remain available until expended, for fiscal year 2005, $1,780,000; for fiscal year 2006, $1,760,000; and for fiscal year 2007, $1,760,000, as the final contributions of the United States to the Rongelap Resettlement Trust Fund as established pursuant to (), for the purposes of establishing a food importation program as a part of the overall resettlement program of Rongelap Island.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239Public Law 95–13491 Stat. 1159Public Law 96–20594 Stat. 84 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that services provided by the United States Public Health Service or any other United States agency pursuant to section 1(a) of Article II of the Agreement for the Implementation of Section 177 of the Compact (hereafter in this subsection referred to as the “Section 177 Agreement”) shall be only for services to the people of the Atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap, and Utrik who were affected by the consequences of the United States nuclear testing program, pursuant to the program described in () and () and their descendants (and any other persons identified as having been so affected if such identification occurs in the manner described in such public laws). Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prejudicial to the views or policies of the Government of the Marshall Islands as to the persons affected by the consequences of the United States nuclear testing program.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that at the end of the first year after the effective date of the Compact and at the end of each year thereafter, the providing agency or agencies shall return to the Government of the Marshall Islands any unexpended funds to be returned to the Fund Manager (as described in Article I of the Section 177 Agreement) to be covered into the Fund to be available for future use.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239 In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that the Fund Manager shall retain the funds returned by the Government of the Marshall Islands pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, shall invest and manage such funds, and at the end of 15 years after the effective date of the Compact, shall make from the total amount so retained and the proceeds thereof annual disbursements sufficient to continue to make payments for the provision of health services as specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection to such extent as may be provided in contracts between the Government of the Marshall Islands and appropriate United States providers of such health services.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that the Government of the Marshall Islands and the Enewetak Local Government Council, in consultation with the people of Enjebi, shall provide for the creation of the Enjebi Community Trust Fund and the employment of the manager of the Enewetak Fund established pursuant to the Section 177 Agreement as trustee and manager of the Enjebi Community Trust Fund, or, should the manager of the Enewetak Fund not be acceptable to the people of Enjebi, another United States investment manager with substantial experience in the administration of trusts and with funds under management in excess of $250,000,000.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that upon the request of the Government of the Marshall Islands, the United States shall monitor the radiation and other conditions on Enjebi and within one year of receiving such a request shall report to the Government of the Marshall Islands when the people of Enjebi may resettle Enjebi under circumstances where the radioactive contamination at Enjebi, including contamination derived from consumption of locally grown food products, can be reduced or otherwise controlled to meet whole body Federal radiation protection standards for the general population, including mean annual dose and mean 30-year cumulative dose standards.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239January 14, 1986In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that in the event that the United States determines that within 25 years of , the people of Enjebi cannot resettle Enjebi without exceeding the radiation standards set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection, then the fund manager shall be directed by the trust instrument to distribute the Fund to the people of Enjebi for their resettlement at some other location in accordance with a plan, developed by the Enewetak Local Government Council and the people of Enjebi and concurred with by the Government of the Marshall Islands, to assure consistency with the government’s overall economic development plan.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that prior to and during the distribution of the corpus of the Fund pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, the people of Enjebi may, if they so request, receive the interest earned by the Fund on no less frequent a basis than quarterly.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of () Congress provided that neither under the laws of the Marshall Islands nor under the laws of the United States, shall the Government of the United States be liable for any loss or damage to person or property in respect to the resettlement of Enjebi by the people of Enjebi, pursuant to the provision of this subsection or otherwise.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of (), the Congress determined and declared that it is the policy of the United States, to be supported by the full faith and credit of the United States, that because the United States, through its nuclear testing and other activities, rendered Bikini Atoll unsafe for habitation by the people of Bikini, the United States will fulfill its responsibility for restoring Bikini Atoll to habitability, as set forth in paragraph (2) and (3) of this subsection.

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239March 15, 1985The joint resolution of () authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to implement the settlement agreement of , in The People of Bikini, et al. against United States of America, et al., Civ. No. 84–0425 (D. Ha.).

January 14, 1986Public Law 99–239In the joint resolution of () the Congress provided that the funds referred to in paragraph (2) were to be made available pursuant to Article VI, Section 1 of the Compact Section 177 Agreement upon completion of the events set forth in the settlement agreement referred to in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

The Comptroller General and his duly authorized representatives shall be immune from civil and criminal process relating to words spoken or written and all acts performed by them in their official capacity and falling within their functions, except insofar as such immunity may be expressly waived by the Government of the United States. The Comptroller General and his duly authorized representatives shall not be liable to arrest or detention pending trial, except in the case of a grave crime and pursuant to a decision by a competent judicial authority, and such persons shall enjoy immunity from seizure of personal property, immigration restrictions, and laws relating to alien registration, fingerprinting, and the registration of foreign agents. Such persons shall enjoy the same taxation exemptions as are set forth in Article 34 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The privileges, exemptions and immunities accorded under this paragraph are not for the personal benefit of the individuals concerned but are to safeguard the independent exercise of their official functions. Without prejudice to those privileges, exemptions and immunities, it is the duty of all such persons to respect the laws and regulations of the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands will cooperate fully with the Comptroller General of the United States in the conduct of such audits as the Comptroller General determines necessary to enable the Comptroller General to fully discharge his responsibilities under this joint resolution.

October 19, 1982It is the policy of the United States that payment of funds by the Government of the Marshall Islands to the landowners of Kwajalein Atoll in accordance with the land use agreement dated , or as amended or superseded, and any related allocation agreements, is required in order to ensure that the Government of the United States will be able to fulfill its obligation and responsibilities under Title Three of the U.S.-RMI Compact and the subsidiary agreements concluded pursuant to the U.S.-RMI Compact.

October 19, 1982October 19, 1982December 17, 2003Until such time as the Government of the Marshall Islands and the landowners of Kwajalein Atoll have concluded an agreement amending or superseding the land use agreement reflecting the terms of and consistent with the Military Use Operating Rights Agreement dated , any amounts paid by the United States to the Government of the Marshall Islands in excess of the amounts required to be paid pursuant to the land use agreement dated , shall be paid into, and held in, an interest bearing escrow account in a United States financial institution by the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. At such time, the funds and interest held in escrow shall be paid to the landowners of Kwajalein in accordance with the new land use agreement. If no such agreement is concluded by the date which is five years after , then such funds and interest shall, unless otherwise mutually agreed between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

The President is authorized to make loans and grants to the Government of the Marshall Islands to address the special needs of the community at Ebeye, Kwajalein Atoll, and other Marshallese communities within the Kwajalein Atoll, pursuant to development plans adopted in accordance with applicable laws of the Marshall Islands. The loans and grants shall be subject to such other terms and conditions as the President, in the discretion of the President, may determine are appropriate.