PUBLIC LAW 106-398—APPENDIX 114 STAT. 1654A-333 (19) The President signed the optional protocol on behalf of the United States on July 5, 2000. (b) CONGRESSIONAL STATEMENTS ON CHILD SOLDIERS.— Congress joins the international community in— (1) condemning the use of children as soldiers by governmental and nongovernmental armed forces worldwide; and (2) welcoming the optional protocol on the use of child soldiers adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on May 25, 2000, as a critical first step in ending the use of children as soldiers. (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FURTHER ACTIONS.— It is the sense of Congress that— (1) it is essential that the President consult closely with the Senate with the objective of building support for ratification by the United States of the optional protocol and that the Senate move forward as expeditiously as possible; (2) the United States should provide assistance, through a new fund to be established by law, for the rehabilitation and reintegration into their respective civilian societies of child soldiers of other nations; and (3) the President, acting through the Secretaries of State and Defense and other appropriate officials, should undertake all possible efforts to persuade and encourage other governments to ratify and endorse the optional protocol on the use of child soldiers. SEC. 1237. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING UNDERSEA RESCUE AND RECOVERY. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress makes the following findings: (1) The tragic loss in August 2000 of the Russian submarine Kursk resulted in the death of all 118 members of the submarine's crew. (2) The Kursk is the third vessel of the submarine fleet of the Russian Federation and its predecessor, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, to be lost in an accident at sea with considerable loss of life of the officers and crews of those submarines. (3) The United States submarines USS Thresher and USS Scorpion, with their officers and crews, were also lost at sea in tragic accidents, in 1963 and 1968, respectively. (4) The United States, the Russian Federation, and other maritime nations possess extensive capabilities consisting of naval and research vessels and other assets that could be used to respond to accidents or incidents involving submarines or other undersea vessels. (5) The United States Navy has rescue agreements with the navies of 14 countries from Europe, the Western Pacific, and the Americas, but not including the Russian Federation, and exercises regularly to train crews and practice submarine rescue procedures with the navies of participating nations. (b) EXPRESSION OF SYMPATHY.— Congress expresses its S5anpathy and the sympathy of the American people to the people of the Russian Federation and joins the Russian people in mourning the death of the crewmen of the submarine Kursk. (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL COOPERA- TION.— It is the sense of Congress that when undersea accidents or incidents involving submarines or other undersea vessels occur.
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