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HR 1704 101th Congress House

Tropical Forest Protection Act of 1989

Official title: To enable and encourage developing nations with external debt and tropical forests to preserve, restore, enhance, and manage such forests by reducing their deb… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To enable and encourage developing nations with external debt and tropical forests to preserve, restore, enhance, and manage such forests by reducing their debt to private lenders if such nations demonstrate actions to protect tropical forests or other endangered ecosystems or species.

Introduced: April 11, 1989 See on congress.gov
International Affairs ClimateClimate change and greenhouse gasesConservation of natural resourcesDebt agreements
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Developing countriesEndangered speciesEnvironmental ProtectionEnvironmental protection groupsForeign Trade and International FinanceForeign loansForest conservationInternational environmental cooperationMultilateral development banksReforestationTropical forests
This bill died when the 101st Congress ended
It never became law before the 101st Congress (1989–1990) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 1, 1989
Referred to the Subcommittee on International Development, Finance, Trade, and Monetary Policy.
Apr 5, 1989
Introduced in House
Apr 5, 1989
Referred to the House Committee on Banking, Finance + Urban Affrs.
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 Latest action May 1, 1989

Referred to the Subcommittee on International Development, Finance, Trade, and Monetary Policy.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Tropical Forest Protection Act of 1989 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive directors of specified multilateral development banks to promote the preservation of tropical forests or other endangered ecosystems and species in debtor developing countries by enabling such countries, through debt reduction or restructuring, to buy back private debt at discount rates in the secondary market if such countries: (1) convert an agreed upon amount of debt to local currency for use in "debt-for-nature swap" programs for the protection of such forests, ecosystems, or species; or (2) demonstrate a commitment to the protection of such forests in the form of such swaps for set asides or conservation easements.

Directs the Secretary to instruct such directors to consult with one another to promote debt suspension in such countries as long as environmental protection commitments are maintained. Requires the Secretary to instruct the U.S. executive director to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to initiate discussions with other directors and management of the Bank and propose a three-year environmental sector lending program for countries with such commitments to: (1) reduce the future need for lending for reforestation and restoration of environmentally degraded areas; and (2) be based on the estimated long-term economic return expected from the sustainable use and protection of tropical forests and the benefits from maintenance of biological diversity and climate stabilization.

Directs the Secretary to instruct such directors to promote policies which: (1) assist in strengthening nongovernmental organizations in such countries by providing technical assistance and support for environmental protection activities; and (2) encourage international collaboration for information exchange and project enhancement with environmental protection organizations.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1704: Tropical Forest Protection Act of 1989. 101st Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1704/
MLA
"H.R. 1704: Tropical Forest Protection Act of 1989." 101st Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1704/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1704, 101st Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1704/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1704: Tropical Forest Protection Act of 1989](https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-1704/)
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