§3754 Congressional Restraints on Property Transfers and Tax Expenditures; Formal Apprisal of Panama

Summary

Before the United States transfers its property in Panama, the President must formally tell the Panamanian government five things. First, the U.S. will not make payments to Panama from U.S. tax money to carry out the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. Second, the United States keeps full control to decide if and how U.S. tax money may be used to protect U.S. rights or meet U.S. duties under that treaty and related agreements. Third, no U.S. tax money may be used after October 1, 1979, for treaty implementation unless Congress later approves the spending through authorization and appropriation laws. Fourth, the Commission cannot spend more than the total deposited in the Panama Canal Revolving Fund. Fifth, these rules do not apply to U.S. spending to transfer the remains from Mount Hope Cemetery in the former Canal Zone as required by Reservation 3 to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal. Congress passed this under its power to manage U.S. property (Article IV, section 3, clause 2).