(a) Establishment and meetings Not to exceed 12 Senators shall be appointed to meet once per Congress with representatives of the Diet of Japan for discussion of common problems in the interest of relations between the United States and Japan. The Senators so appointed shall be referred to as the “United States group” of the United States Senate -Japan Interparliamentary Group. The meetings shall take place in Japan and Washington, D.C. alternatively. (b) Appointment of members The President of the Senate shall appoint Senators under this section, including a Chair and Vice Chair, upon recommendations of the majority and minority leaders of the Senate . Such appointments shall be for the duration of each Congress . (c) Funding There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000 for each Congress to assist in meeting the expenses of the United States group. Appropriations shall be disbursed on vouchers to be approved by the Chair of the United States group. (d) Certification of expenditures A report of expenditures by the United States group shall be prepared and certified each Congress by the Chair. (e) Effective date This section shall apply to fiscal year 2008, and each fiscal year thereafter. ( Pub. L. 110–161, div. H, title I, § 5 , Dec. 26, 2007 , 121 Stat. 2221 .)