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1 The Solution 

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3 Qearly, the the PaciJBc Salmon Treaty Aa of 1985 must be amended to ensure that the 



4 U.S. Section can make timely decisions consistent with domestic law, the interests of the 



3 United States as a whole, and international commitments under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. 



6 A better balance needs to be struck between the desire to maintain regional control and 



7 the necessity to make timely decisions in the overall interest of the United States. 



8 Accordingly, the Pacific Salmon Treaty Act of 1985 should be amended as follows: 

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10 Current provision as provided in Section 3(g): 

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12 (g) VOTING REQUIREMENTS.— The United States Section shall operate with the 



13 objective of attaining consensus decisions in the development and exercise of its single 



14 vote within the Commission. A decision of the United States Section shall be taken 



15 when there is no dissenting vote. 

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17 Proposed amended provision: 

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19 (g) VOTING REQUIREMENTS.— The United States Section shall strive to attain 



20 consensus in the formulation of positions and in reaching decisions in the development 



21 and exercise of its single vote within the Commission. A decision of the United States 



22 Section shall be taken or a position adopted when there is no dissenting vote. In the 



23 event the voting members of the United States Section fail to reach consensus in a 



24 timely manner and the federal United States Commissioner deems it necessary for the 



25 United States Section to reach a decision to meet its intemationai obligations under the 



26 Treaty or to adopt a position to further the deliberations of the Pacific Salmon 



27 Commission according to appropriate schedules, the following procedures shall apply: 

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29 (1) The federal Commissioner shall notify each of the voting United States 



30 Commissioners in writing of the need for a position or decision by the United 



31 States Section, and the time by which the position or decision is required. 

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33 (2) Prior to the time when the position or decision is required, the federal 



34 Commissioner shall present a proposed position or decision to the United States 



35 Section. The position or decision proposed by the federal Conmussioner shall be 



36 consistent with applicable federal stamtes and United States trust responsibilities 



37 and obligations to United States treaty Indian tribes. 

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39 (3) The position or decision proposed by the federal Commissioner may be 



40 modified by the three voting United States Commissioners only to the extent they 



41 unanimously agree, or by the federal United States Conmiissioner who, after having 



42 considered the deliberations of the United States Section, deems it appropriate to 



43 modify the original proposal or decision to better reflect those deliberations. 

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45 (4) A dedsion of the United States Section shall be taken, or a position to be 



46 advocated by the United States Section reached, when the time period identified in 



47 subsection (g)(1) has expired or when the three voting Commissioners have reached 



48 unanimous agreement on the federal Commissioner's proposal or a specific 



49 alternative. 



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