Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 119.djvu/2363

 PUBLIC LAW 109–108—NOV. 22, 2005

119 STAT. 2345

U.S.C. 622(3)) for such companies; (4) the effects of increased gasoline prices and gasoline price-gouging on economic activity in the United States; and (5) the overall cost of increased gasoline prices and gasoline price-gouging to the economy, including the impact on consumers’ purchasing power in both declared State and National disaster areas and elsewhere: Provided further, That, in conducting its investigation, the Commission shall treat as evidence of price-gouging any finding that the average price of gasoline available for sale to the public in September, 2005, or thereafter in a market area located in an area designated as a State or National disaster area because of Hurricane Katrina, or in any other area where price-gouging complaints have been filed because of Hurricane Katrina with a Federal or State consumer protection agency, exceeded the average price of such gasoline in that area for the month of August, 2005, unless the Commission finds substantial evidence that the increase is substantially attributable to additional costs in connection with the production, transportation, delivery, and sale of gasoline in that area or to national or international market trends: Provided further, That in any areas of markets in which the Commission determines price increases are due to factors other than the additional costs, it shall also notify the appropriate State agency of its findings: Provided further, That the Commission shall provide information on the progress of the investigation to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce every 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, shall provide those Committees a written interim report 90 days after such date, and shall transmit a final report to those Committees, together with its findings and recommendations, no later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act: Provided further, That the Commission shall transmit recommendations, based on its findings, to the Congress for any legislation necessary to protect consumers from gasoline price-gouging in both State and National disaster areas and elsewhere: Provided further, That chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, does not apply to the collection of information for the investigation required by this section: Provided further, That if, during the investigation, the Commission obtains evidence that a person may have violated a criminal law, the Commission may transmit that evidence to appropriate Federal or State authorities: Provided further, That nothing in this section affects any other authority of the Commission to disclose information. SEC. 633. Section 302 of the Universal Service Antideficiency Temporary Suspension Act is amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 2005,’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2006,’’. SEC. 634. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to send or otherwise pay for the attendance of more than 50 employees of agencies or departments of the United States Government who are stationed in the United States, at any single international conference occurring outside the United States, unless the Secretary of State determines that such attendance is in the national interest: Provided, That for purposes of this section the term ‘‘international conference’’ shall mean a conference attended by representatives of the United States Government and representatives of foreign governments, international organizations, or nongovernmental organizations.

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Notification.

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118 Stat. 3998.

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