United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2000 - Title I: Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions for student loan forgiveness for teachers under the Federal Family Loan Program. Provides for such forgiveness for borrowers employed as full-time teachers in public elementary or secondary schools. Directs the Secretary of Education to repay, for each year of four years of such teaching service, up to one-fourth of the aggregate loan obligation outstanding at the beginning of the first year of service, so that the entire obligation is repaid at the end of such four years. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to provide that such student loan forgiveness shall not be included in an individual's gross income for income tax purposes. Title II: Tax Credits for Teaching - Amends IRC to provide a tax credit of $1,000 for public elementary and secondary school teachers. Reduces the amount of such credit in cases of student loan forgiveness for teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
Commends the African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Native Alaskan, and other minority veterans of the armed forces who served during World War II, especially those who gave their lives in such service. Expresses support for the goals and ideas of Day of Honor 2000 to celebrate and recognize such service. Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to honor such veterans with appropriate programs and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
Condemns violations of human rights by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime in the Republic of Belarus, especially the conviction and sentencing of Andrei Klimov, Vasiliy Leonov, and Vladimir Koudinov on politically motivated charges. Urges their release. Expresses grave concern about the disappearances of Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, and Yuri Zakharenka. Calls on the Lukashenka regime to ensure a full and timely investigation of these cases. Calls for immediate dialogue between the Lukashenka regime and the opposition and the restoration of a democratically elected government in Belarus. Urges the Lukashenka regime to: (1) respect and ensure the human rights of all Belarusian citizens, including members of the opposition currently being illegally detained in violation of their constitutional rights; (2) respect the rule of law and an independent judiciary; and (3) hold legitimate, free and fair parliamentary elections. Supports the appeal by the Consultative Council of Belarusian opposition parties to the Government of the Russian Federation, the State Duma, and the Federation Council calling for a cessation of support for the Lukashenka regime. Calls on the international community to support the opposition in Belarus by continuing to meet with the legitimately elected parliament. Supports Belarus's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its market democratic transformation and integration among the broader trans-Atlantic community of nations. Calls on the President of the United States to: (1) ensure assistance to and cooperation with Belarusian opposition figures; (2) ensure that adequate resources are made available on an urgent basis to support those programs aimed at strengthening independent media, human rights, civil society, independent trade unions, and the democratic opposition in Belarus; (3) support the free flow of information into Belarus; (4) raise the issue of financial support provided by the Russian Federation to the Lukashenka regime at the highest levels of the Russian Federation Government; and (5) urge the Government of the Russian Federation, in accordance with its international commitments, to fully respect the sovereignty of Belarus, particularly in light of the illegitimate nature of the Lukashenka regime. Calls on the President to report to Congress on: (1) the human rights situation, democratic process, elections, independence of the media, and the Lukashenka regime's control of the economy in Belarus; (2) steps undertaken to persuade the Russian Federation Government to end support to the Lukashenka regime; and (3) the status of Russian Federation-Belarus military integration.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
Safe Highways Resolution - Expresses the sense of Congress that certain statutory proscriptions and restrictions: (1) on longer combination vehicles should not be amended so as to weaken the current "freeze" on those vehicles or result in any less restrictive prohibition or restrictions upon them; and (2) should not be amended so as to permit operation of commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight greater than that currently allowed under Federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2000
American Worker Information Technology Skills Improvement Act of 2000 (AWITSIA) - Title I: Provisions Relating to H-1B Nonimmigrants - Subtitle A: Provisions Relating to Numerical Limitations - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the number of authorized annual H-1B specialty occupation (nonimmigrant) visas, with reductions in periods of specified unemployment. Allocates specified H-1B visas for aliens with master's or PhD degrees. Subtitle B: Provisions Relating to H1-B (sic) Nonimmigrant Petitioner Fees - Amends the Act to revise collection and use of H-1B employer fee provisions. Exempts certain academic and research institutions from such fees. Obligates specified amounts for the Information Technology Training Initiative (established by this Act). Amends the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 to expand low-income scholarship program eligibility. Amends the Act to obligate specified funds for the Kids 2000 and Net Prep Gyrls programs. Subtitle C: Information Technology Training - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish in the Department of Labor the Information Technology Training Initiative to provide U.S. workers with information technology skills through grants to local workforce investment boards. Targets specified under-represented populations for program inclusion. Subtitle D: Obligations of Petitioning Employers - Sets forth employer attestation provisions. Title II: Provisions Relating to Employment-Based Immigration - Amends the Act to make employment-based immigrant visas available on a quarterly basis without regard to per-country limitations if unused visas are available. Authorizes a U.S.-residency extension for a nonimmigrant alien for whom an employment-based immigrant petition has been filed but who is subject to the per-country limit until resolution of such alien's application for status adjustment. Title III: Kids 2000 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for after-school technology programs, such as PowerUp. Title IV: Legal Amnesty Restoration Act of 2000 - Amends the Act to permit the Attorney General to create a record of lawful admission for permanent residence for certain aliens who entered the United States prior to 1986 (currently 1972). Title V: Central American and Haitian Adjustment Act - Amends the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act to: (1) extend permanent resident status adjustment provisions to qualifying Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Haitian nationals; and (2) extend the application filing deadline. Permits certain pending applications filed by Salvadoran, Guatemalan, or Haitian (under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998) nationals to be converted to status adjustment applications. Amends such Acts to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility; and (2) provide for issuance of immigrant visas to certain spouses and children. Provides for the limited reopening of certain orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal by certain Haitian, Cuban, or Nicaraguan nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2000
Provides that the House of Representatives does not support, condone, or encourage the use or display of the first, second, or third official Confederate flag, the Confederate Navy Jack, or the Confederate battle flag (more commonly known as the Southern Cross) for any reason other than as a historic reminder of the secession of the Confederate States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Innocence Protection Act of 2000 - Title I: Exonerating the Innocent through DNA Testing - Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a court established by an Act of Congress, at any time after conviction, to apply to the court that entered the judgment for forensic DNA testing of any biological material that: (1) is related to the investigation or prosecution that resulted in the judgment; (2) is in the actual or constructive possession of the Government; and (3) was not previously subjected to DNA testing, or can be subjected to retesting with new DNA techniques that provide a reasonable likelihood of more accurate and probative results. Sets forth procedures regarding notice to the Government and preservation of remaining biological material. Directs the court to order DNA testing pursuant to such application upon a determination that testing may produce non-cumulative, exculpatory evidence relevant to an applicant's claim that the applicant was wrongfully convicted or sentenced. Specifies that the cost of DNA testing shall be borne by the Government or the applicant, as the court may order in the interests of justice, if it is shown that the applicant is not indigent and possesses the means to pay. Authorizes the court at any time to appoint counsel for an indigent applicant. Establishes post-testing procedures, including ordering a hearing and entering any order that serves the interests of justice, including an order setting aside the judgment or granting a new trial or re-sentencing if the results of the DNA testing are favorable to the applicant. Requires the Government to preserve any biological material secured in connection with a criminal case for such period as any person remains incarcerated in connection with that case, with exceptions. (Sec. 103) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act) to include among the requirements for DNA identification grants, and for drug control and system improvement (Byrne) grants, that the State will: (1) preserve all biological material secured in connection with a State criminal case for not less than the period of time that biological material is required to be preserved under this Act in the case of a person incarcerated in connection with a Federal criminal case (biological material preservation requirements); and (2) make DNA testing available to any person convicted in State court to the same extent, and under the same conditions, that DNA testing is available under this Act to any person convicted in a court established by an Act of Congress. Makes DNA samples obtained by, and DNA analyses performed at, a forensic laboratory accessible for criminal defense purposes to a defendant, who shall have access to samples and analyses performed in connection with the case in which such defendant was charged or convicted. Requires applications for public safety and community policing grants, if any part of funds received from such a grant is to be used to develop or improve a DNA analysis capability in a forensic laboratory, or to obtain or analyze DNA samples for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System, to make specified certifications including that: (1) DNA analyses performed at such laboratory will satisfy or exceed the current standards for a quality assurance program for DNA analysis issued by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the DNA Identification Act of 1994; (2) DNA samples and analyses obtained and performed by such laboratory will be accessible only consistent with specified requirements; (3) the laboratory and each analyst performing DNA analyses at the laboratory will undergo, at regular intervals not exceeding 180 days, external proficiency testing by a DNA proficiency testing program that meets certain standards; and (4) the State will meet biological material preservation requirements. (Sec. 104) Prohibits a State from denying a request, made by a person in custody resulting from a State court judgment, for DNA testing of biological material that: (1) is related to the investigation or prosecution that resulted in the conviction of the person or the sentence imposed on the person; (2) is in the actual or constructive possession of the State; and (3) was not previously subjected to DNA testing, or can be subjected to retesting with new DNA techniques that provide a reasonable likelihood of more accurate and probative results. Makes an exception upon a judicial determination that testing could not produce non-cumulative evidence establishing a reasonable probability that the person was wrongfully convicted or sentenced. Bars a State from relying upon a time limit or procedural default rule to deny a person an opportunity to present non-cumulative, exculpatory DNA results in court, or in an executive or administrative forum in which a decision is made in accordance with procedural due process. Authorizes a person to enforce this section in a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief, filed either in a State court of general jurisdiction or in U.S. district court. Specifies that no State or State executive or judicial officer shall have immunity from such actions. Title II: Ensuring Competent Legal Services in Capital Cases - Amends the Safe Streets Act (regarding Byrne grant programs) to require that State applications include, if the State prescribes, authorizes, or permits the death penalty for any offense, a certification that the State has established and maintains an effective system for providing competent legal services to indigents at every phase of a State criminal prosecution in which a death sentence is sought or has been imposed, up to and including direct appellate review and post-conviction review in State court. Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to promulgate regulations specifying the elements of an "effective system" including: (1) a centralized and independent appointing authority which shall have authority and responsibility to undertake specified activities, such as to recruit attorneys who are qualified to represent indigents in capital proceedings, draft and annually publish a roster of such attorneys, draft and annually publish qualifications and performance standards for such attorneys, and periodically review the roster, monitor attorney performance, provide a mechanism by which members of the Bar may comment on the performance of their peers, and delete the name of any attorney who fails to meet specified requirements; and (2) specified compensation and reimbursement requirements of private attorneys and public defender organizations. Requires applications for discretionary (justice system improvement) grants to include satisfying such certification requirement. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to include in a report to Congress on such grants to each State a description and a comparative analysis of the systems established by each State in order to satisfy the certification requirement, including qualifications and performance standards, rates of compensation, and rates of reimbursement. (Sec. 202) Amends the judicial code to direct the court, in a proceeding instituted by an indigent applicant under sentence of death, to neither presume a finding of fact made by a State court to be correct nor decline to consider a claim on the ground that the applicant failed to raise such claim in State court at the time and in the manner prescribed by State law, unless: (1) the State provided the applicant with legal services at the stage of the State proceedings at which the State court made the finding of fact or the applicant failed to raise the claim; and (2) the legal services the State provided satisfied the regulations promulgated by the Director of the Administrative Office pursuant to the Safe Streets Act. (Sec. 203) Amends the Federal criminal code to require the Director of the Administrative Office to: (1) award grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit organizations for the purpose of providing defense services in capital cases; and (2) develop guidelines to ensure that defense services provided by recipients of such grants and contracts are consistent with applicable legal and ethical proscriptions governing the duties of counsel in capital cases. Title III: Compensating the Unjustly Condemned - Rewrites judicial code provisions regarding compensation for unjust imprisonment. Limits the amount of damages awarded to $50,000 for each 12-month period of incarceration, except that a plaintiff who was unjustly sentenced to death may be awarded not more than $100,000 for each 12-month period of incarceration. Directs the court, in assessing damages, to consider: (1) the circumstances surrounding the unjust conviction, including any misconduct by Federal officers or employees; (2) the length and conditions of the unjust incarceration; and (3) family circumstances, loss of wages, and pain and suffering of the plaintiff. (Sec. 302) Amends the Safe Streets Act to require applicants for criminal justice facility construction grants to provide reasonable assurance that the applicant, or the State in which it is located, does not prescribe, authorize, or permit the death penalty for any offense, or: (1) has established and maintains an effective procedure by which any person unjustly convicted of an offense against the State and sentenced to death may be awarded reasonable damages upon substantial proof that the person did not commit any of the acts with which the person was charged; and (2) the conviction of that person was reversed or set aside on the ground that the person was not guilty of the offense or offenses of which the person was convicted, the person was found not guilty of such offenses on new trial or rehearing, or the person was pardoned upon the stated ground of innocence and unjust conviction. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the criminal code to prohibit the Government from seeking the death penalty in any case initially brought before a U.S. district court that sits in a State that does not prescribe, authorize, or permit the imposition of such penalty for the alleged conduct, except upon written certification of the Attorney General (or designee) that: (1) the State does not have jurisdiction or refuses to assume jurisdiction over the defendant with respect to the alleged conduct; (2) the State has requested that the Government assume jurisdiction; or (3) the offense charged is one of certain listed offenses, including destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, assassination, kidnapping, and assault of specified Government officials. (Sec. 402) Rewrites Controlled Substances Act provisions regarding continuing criminal enterprises to direct the court, upon a recommendation that the defendant should be sentenced to death or life imprisonment without possibility of release, to sentence the defendant accordingly (otherwise, the court shall impose any lesser sentence that is authorized by law). (Sec. 403) Rewrites provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 regarding Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-In-Sentencing Incentive Grants to require State applicants to provide assurances to the Attorney General that: (1) the State has implemented policies that provide for the recognition of the rights and needs of crime victims; and (2) in any capital case in which the jury has a role in determining the sentence imposed on the defendant, the court, at the defendant's request, shall inform the jury of all statutorily authorized sentencing options in the particular case, including applicable parole eligibility rules and terms. (Sec. 404) Requires the Attorney General, within two years and annually thereafter, to prepare and transmit to Congress a report concerning the administration of capital punishment laws by the Government and the States. Directs the Attorney General or the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, as appropriate, to ensure that the reports are: (1) distributed to national print and broadcast media; and (2) posted on an Internet website maintained by the Department of Justice. (Sec. 405) Amends the judicial code to provide that, regarding exhaustion of remedies available in State courts, if the highest court of a State has discretion to decline appellate review of a case or a claim, a petition asking that court to entertain a case or a claim is not an available State court procedure. (Sec. 406) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the death penalty is disproportionate and offends contemporary standards of decency when applied to a person who is mentally retarded or who had not attained age 18 at the time of the offense.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Underground Campaign Disclosure Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require a political organization to file statements of organization and contributions and disbursements, which shall be available to the public for a three-year period. Establishes penalties for failure to file such statements or to provide public inspection.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2000
Congratulates the Republic of Hungary and Hungarians everywhere on the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary. Commends Hungary for its recent transition to a democratic state dedicated to upholding universal rights and liberties, a free market economy, and integration into European and transatlantic institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2000
Yazoo Tax Base Protection Act - Modifies the flood control project, Yazoo Backwater Area, Yazoo Basin, Mississippi, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to make payments to local interests as compensation for certain local tax revenue reductions resulting from project-related reforestation easement purchases.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
America's Better Classroom Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a limited credit for qualified public school modernization bonds (qualified school construction bonds and qualified zone academy bonds). Amends the General Education Provisions Act to provide for the application of certain labor standards to projects financed under this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish provisions concerning employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2000
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000 - Amends the matching grant program for law enforcement armor vests under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct that the matching portion equal 50 percent if: (1) such grant is to a unit of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents; (2) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance determines that the quantity of vests to be purchased with such grant is reasonable; and (3) such portion does not cause such grant to violate certain maximum amount requirements. Directs that: (1) funds available be awarded, without regard to specified "preferential consideration" provisions, to each qualifying unit of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents; and (2) any remaining funds available be awarded to other qualifying applicants. Provides that if an application is submitted in conjunction with a transaction for the purchase of armor vests, grant amounts may not be used to fund any portion of that purchase unless, before the application is submitted, the applicant: (1) receives clear and conspicuous notice that receipt of the grant amounts requested in the application is uncertain; and (2) expressly assumes the obligation to carry out the transaction regardless of whether such amounts are received. Redefines "armor vest" to include body armor which has been tested through a specified voluntary compliance testing program, and found to meet or exceed the requirements of NIJ Standard 0115.00, or any subsequent revision of such standard. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2000
Civil Rights for International Travelers Act - Prohibits U.S. Customs Service inspectors or other officials from subjecting travelers to detentions and searches based on race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation of the traveler, except when acting upon specific information that a particular traveler suspected of engaging in specific illegal activity is described by one or more of such characteristics. Requires all Customs Service inspectors and other similar officials to undergo periodic training on the procedures for detention and searches of travelers, with particular emphasis on the prohibition against profiling of travelers based on such characteristics. Directs the Commissioner of the Customs Service to study and report annually to Congress on detentions and searches of travelers by the Service during the previous year, including the number of searches of travelers, their race, gender, and national origin, the type of searches conducted (including but not limited to pat down searches and intrusive nonroutine searches), and their results. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2000
Value-Added Development Act for American Agriculture - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to eligible applicants for an agricultural innovation center demonstration program to assist value-added agricultural businesses. Sets forth: (1) permitted fund uses; and (2) reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Postmasters Fairness and Rights Act - Amends Federal law to prescribe guidelines within which the Postal Service shall propose changes in pay policies, schedules, and fringe benefit programs affecting postmasters which are to be in effect during the period covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Postal Service and certain recognized bargaining representatives. Grants certain qualified postmasters' organizations the right to participate in program planning and development pertaining to pay policies, schedules, and fringe benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
Truthfulness, Responsibility, and Accountability in Contracting Act - Prohibits any Federal agency from making a decision to privatize, outsource, contract out, or contract for the performance of a function currently performed by such agency or to conduct a study to convert a function from Federal to contractor performance. Authorizes any agency to apply to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for a waiver of such prohibition with respect to a particular function. Authorizes the Director to grant such waiver when: (1) necessary for the preservation of national security; (2) critical for the provision of patient care; or (3) necessary to prevent extraordinary economic harm. Requires waiver requests to be published in the Federal Register. Provides additional exceptions for functions with respect to which a labor organization is accorded exclusive recognition. (Sec. 5) Requires each agency to: (1) establish a centralized reporting system that allows it to generate periodic reports on its contracting efforts during the preceding and current fiscal years; and (2) generate and annually submit to the Director such reports. Requires each agency to report to specified congressional committees on the number of Federal employee positions and positions held by non-Federal employees under a contract between such agency and an individual or entity that has been subject to public-private competition. Requires such reports to be made available through the Internet. (Sec. 6) Requires, after the termination of the contracting prohibition, any decision by an agency to privatize, outsource, or contract out for the performance of a function to be based on the results of a public-private competition process that: (1) formally compares the costs of Federal employee performance of such function with the costs of performance by a contractor; (2) employs the most efficient organizational process; and (3) is conducted in consultation or through bargaining with the exclusive representative of the Federal employees performing the function, if applicable. (Sec. 7) Requires an agency to either conduct a new public-private competition or convert a function to performance by Federal employees if a report indicates that: (1) contracting out costs exceed costs of performance by Federal employees; or (2) contracting out fails to meet quality control standards. (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a survey of the wages and quantifiable benefits provided by contractors to non-Federal personnel working under contract and to report survey results to specified congressional committees. Requires the Director to review the survey and report findings. (Sec. 9) Requires the Comptroller General to report on compliance by Federal agencies with requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
High-Speed Rail Investment Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit to holders of qualified intercity passenger rail carrier bonds. Sets forth definitions, State matching requirements, and other rules.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
2002 Winter Olympic Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue five dollar gold coins and one dollar silver coins emblematic of the participation of American athletes in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Mandates that coin design be selected by the Secretary after consultation with: (1) the Commission of Fine Arts; (2) the United States Olympic Committee; and (3) Olympic Properties of the United States-Salt Lake 2002 (created and owned by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee). States that all surcharges from the coin sales ($35 for a $5 coin and $10 for a $1 coin) shall be distributed by the Secretary to: (1) Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002; and (2) the United States Olympic Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Authorizes the President, on behalf of Congress, to present a gold medal to Charles M. Schulz, in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world. Authorizes a specified amount to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund to pay for the costs of such medals. Mandates that sales proceeds from duplicate bronze medals be deposited into such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Child Care Facilities Financing Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to eligible intermediaries to deposit into child care revolving funds for technical and financial assistance to eligible recipients to pay the Federal matching share of costs of acquisition, construction, or improvement of center-based or home-based child care facilities or equipment, or for the improvement of related management and business practices. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2000
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Includes as an employee, for purposes of Federal provisions authorizing enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member of such member. Repeals a provision prohibiting coverage under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services for persons entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2000
Greater Access to Distance Education Act of 2000 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require distance education demonstration programs to provide greater access to high quality distance education programs and orientation to distance education for adults, students, and underserved persons who traditionally have had little or no computer knowledge or training.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2000
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) all Americans should find out more about mental health services in their communities and seek mental health treatment when necessary; (2) the Secretary of Education should encourage, establish, and promote a mental health campaign in elementary and secondary schools across the Nation; and (3) the Federal Government has a responsibility to endeavor to raise awareness about mental health and continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, mental health services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1999
Title I: Vicksburg Campaign Trail Battlefields Preservation - Vicksburg Campaign Trail Battlefields Preservation Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to study and report to specified congressional committees on what measures should be taken to preserve certain Civil War battlefields in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Mississippi Civil Rights Trail Study - Mississippi Civil Rights Trail Study Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary to complete and report to specified congressional committees on a study identifying sites within Mississippi that are significant to the modern civil rights movement for purposes of historical interpretation and recognition. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1999
Urges the Government of Germany to: (1) uphold its commitments to take effective measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination against individuals or communities on the grounds of religion or belief' and to foster a climate of mutual tolerance and respect between believers of different communities as required by the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe's Vienna Concluding Document of 1989; and (2) enter into a constructive dialogue with minority groups subject to government discrimination based on religion or belief. Declares that the House of Representatives continues to hold the Government of Germany responsible for protecting the right of freedom of religion or belief of U.S. citizens who are living, performing, doing business, or traveling in Germany. Calls upon the President to assert the concern of the U.S. Government to the Government of Germany regarding government discrimination in Germany.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Authorizes the American Battle Monuments Commission to place within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial a plaque to honor those Vietnam veterans who died after service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of such service, and whose names are not otherwise eligible for placement on the Memorial wall.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1999
Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to make it unlawful for packers, with specified exceptions, to own, feed, or control swine intended for slaughter.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1999
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to designate additional qualifying United States insular areas as empowerment zones. Limits to $1 million the amount of tax-exempt enterprise zone facility bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1999
Health Care Fairness Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Center for Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities to conduct and support basic and clinical research, training, and disseminate information regarding minority health. Directs the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to conduct and support research on minority health disparities. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study of the Department of Health and Human Services' data collection and reporting systems and practices required under any of the programs or activities of the Department relating to the collection of data on race or ethnicity. Authorizes awards of grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out research and demonstration projects to develop curricula to reduce disparity in health care outcomes, including curricula for cultural competency in graduate medical education. Requires a national media campaign to inform the public of the programs and activities of the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) other minority health initiatives and programs; (2) reporting requirements; and (3) authorizations of appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 1999
Smart Kids-Safe Kids Act - Amends title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which is also known as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994, to include among authorized activities, for which funds for local drug and violence prevention programs may be used, age-appropriate, developmentally-based or community-oriented safety programs for all students, from the preschool level through grade 12, that address prevention and education of child abuse and abduction. Includes in such safety programs: (1) teaching students the skills to identify, avoid if possible, and cope with potentially dangerous or threatening situations that may include abduction, abuse, or neglect; and (2) providing guidance to students that encourages them to seek advice for anxiety, threats of abuse, or actual abuse and to confide in a trusted adult regarding an uncomfortable or threatening situation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 1999
Hunger Relief Act of 1999 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to remove specified restrictions on qualified aliens' eligibility for food stamp and supplemental security income benefits. Exempts food stamp provisions respecting aliens from: (1) the five-year waiting period for Federal means-tested public benefits eligibility; (2) inclusion of sponsor income and resources to an alien for State benefits eligibility; and (3) sponsor reimbursement requirements in cases of hardship. Sets forth effective dates for: (1) aliens; and (2) refugees and asylees. (Sec. 3) Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to authorize a State to use an alternative State auto valuation rather than the Federal one in order to provide a lower household resource attribution for food stamp program purposes. (Sec. 4) Increases, and indexes for inflation, the food stamp excess shelter deduction. (Sec. 5) Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to authorize additional appropriations for commodity purchases under the emergency food assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that "Family Hour," between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., should be set aside by the television industry for family-oriented programming.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 1999
Condemns the use of children as soldiers by governmental and nongovernmental armed forces worldwide. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should not oppose efforts to negotiate an optional international agreement to raise the international minimum age for military service to age 18; (2) the Secretary of State should address this issue in the next session of the United Nations working group relating to child soldiers before this process is abandoned by the international community; and (3) the President and the Congress should work together to enact a law that establishes a fund for the rehabilitation and reintegration into society of child soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 1999
College Student Credit Card Protection Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to limit the total credit extended under a credit card account to a full time, traditional-aged college student (unless the student's parent or guardian assumes joint liability) to the greater of: (1) 20 percent of the students' most recent annual gross income; or (2) the product of $500 and the number of years since the account was opened (but not more than $2,000). Provides that "traditional-aged" is to be determined by the educational institution involved. Prohibits increasing the credit limit on an account for which a parent or guardian has assumed joint liability without the parent's or guardian's approval of such increase. Prohibits a creditor from opening a credit card account for any full time, traditional-aged college student who has no annual gross income and already has a credit card account under an open end consumer credit plan. Requires that mandated disclosures in any open end consumer credit application and solicitation be in a typeface at least as large as the largest typeface otherwise used in the application or solicitation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 1999
Gun Excise Tax Funds to Prevention Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase: (1) from ten to 15 percent the excise tax charged for the manufacture, production, or import of pistols or revolvers; and (2) from 11 to 16 percent the excise tax charged for other firearms, shells, and cartridges. Continues the current tax rate for gun sales to the United States, a State, or a political subdivision. Establishes in the Treasury the Delinquency Prevention Trust Fund and appropriates into such Fund half of the net revenues realized from such tax increase. Requires Fund amounts to be used for incentive grants for local delinquency prevention programs under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. Establishes in the Treasury the Emergency Medical Services for Children Trust Fund and appropriates into such Fund the other half of the net revenues realized from such tax increase. Requires Fund amounts to be used for carrying out the Emergency Medical Services for Children program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1999
Medicaid Safety Net Hospital Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) freeze Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments for FY 2001 and 2002 at FY 2000 levels; and (2) increase the FY 2000 DSH allotments for the District of Columbia, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 1999
Amends Federal rail transportation law to prohibit a railroad carrier (including its officers and agents) from requiring a train employee who has been on duty or available for it for any portion of each of seven consecutive days to go on duty or be available for it until at least 72 consecutive hours have passed after the employee is released from duty or availability.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 1999
Anti-Atrocity Alien Deportation Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the inadmissibility and removability of aliens who have committed acts of torture abroad. Directs the Attorney General to establish within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice an Office of Special Investigations to investigate and remove, denaturalize, or prosecute alien participants of Nazi persecutions, genocide, or torture abroad. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1999
Redesignates the Federal building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC, commonly known as the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building, as the Frank M. Johnson Federal Building.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1999
Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes the importance of achieving a successful decennial census; (2) encourages State and local governments, community leaders, and all other parties involved to work to ensure a successful census; (3) reaffirms the spirit of cooperation that exists between Congress and the Bureau of the Census; and (4) asserts this public partnership between Congress and the Bureau to promote the decennial census.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1999
Restraint Safety Act of 1999 - Amends part D (Miscellaneous) of title XVIII (Medicare) and of title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to specify Medicare and Medicaid program beneficiaries' rights to freedom from restraint and other abuse while in a psychiatric hospital or other care facility or treatment center. Requires a service provider to report sentinel events (when a program beneficiary under psychiatric care dies unexpectedly or suffers serious injury unrelated to his or her illness or underlying condition) to the appropriate agencies or entities with oversight authority. Allows the imposition of restraints only for the following: (1) to ensure the physical safety of the individual or others in the provider's care or custody; and (2) upon the written order of a physician specifying the duration and circumstances of restraint use (except in emergency circumstances specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services until such an order could reasonably be obtained). Requires the service provider to investigate the sentinel event reported and the appropriate agencies or entities to review and approve the provider's root cause analysis before reporting on the matter to the Secretary for use in the Sentinel Events Database. Directs the Secretary to establish such Database for use on the Internet, with appropriate privacy safeguards for individuals whose treatment is the subject of a report under this Act. Requires additional reporting in certain cases, including to the following: (1) the Secretary about a provider identified as having a pattern of poor performance; and (2) the State Attorney General or the appropriate State law enforcement agency in sentinel events involving death. Mandates sanctions for failure to report. Bars disclosure or discovery of a root cause analysis in a civil action.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 1999
Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Resources, Training, and Advanced Technology Assistance Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish a program to provide for elementary and secondary school library media resources, including mandatory State allotments for library media resources and discretionary grants for school library access during non-school hours. Directs the Secretary of Education to make such allotments to applicant State educational agencies (SEAs) according to a specified formula. Allows the SEA and the Secretary to reserve specified amounts for certain statewide and national activities, including information dissemination. Requires SEAs to make allocations to applicant local educational agencies (LEAs) that have: (1) the greatest need for school library media improvement; and (2) the highest percentages of poverty. Sets forth authorized uses of such funds by LEAs, including: (1) acquisition of resources, including books; (2) acquisition of advanced technology; (3) resource-sharing among schools and their library media centers and public and academic libraries; (4) professional development for school library media specialists; and (5) collaboration between such specialists and teachers and administrators. Sets forth accountability requirements for continuation of funding. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to applicant LEAs to provide students with access to libraries in elementary schools and secondary schools during non-school hours, including the hours before and after school, weekends, and summer vacation periods. Requires that priority be given to LEAs that: (1) seek to provide activities that will increase reading skills and student achievement; (2) have effectively coordinated services and funding with entities involved in other Federal, State, and local efforts to provide programs and activities for students during non-school hours; and (3) have a high level of community support. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1999
Clean Power Plant Act of 1999 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require specified emissions limitations on mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from fossil fuel-fired electric generating units with a nameplate capacity of at least 15 megawatts that use a combustion device primarily to generate electricity for sale. Requires quarterly pollutant-specific emission reports for such pollutants and for carbon dioxide (CO2) by unit owners or operators. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to publish facility-specific emission data. Requires regulations for disclosure of data concerning emissions levels. Directs the Administrator to calculate a generation performance standard for CO2 from covered fossil fuel-fired electric generating units and allocate allowances among such units. Authorizes the carryover and trading of unused allowances and requires surrender to the Administrator of a number of CO2 allowances equal to the total tonnage emitted during the calendar year. Permits the performance standard to be exceeded if the plant has sufficient emissions credits. Imposes an excess emissions penalty and requires units to offset such emissions. Requires regulations concerning transfer of hazards associated with combustion from one medium to another and release of hazardous wastes into the environment. Expresses the sense of Congress concerning crediting permanent CO2 and NOx emissions reductions to the utility sector in any enacted climate change implementation program. Authorizes appropriations for industry and community assistance and development of a carbon sequestration strategy. Requires grants to municipalities in which there are located fossil fuel-fired electric generating units that: (1) provide 20 percent or more of the municipality's annual property tax revenue in the last fiscal year ending before this Act's enactment; and (2) cease operation after this Act's enactment. Includes hazardous air pollutants from electric utility steam generating units on a list of such pollutants from major and area sources required under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1999
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Amends Federal employee provisions to include the following as an employee, for purposes of authorized enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: (1) a member of the armed forces who began service before June 7, 1956, and retired after a minimum of 20 years of such service or by reason of a service-connected disability; and (2) the surviving widow or widower of such member. Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide FEHB coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay who is also entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member who is entitled to Medicare hospital insurance benefits; and (5) a family member of such member. Repeals a provision prohibiting coverage under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services for persons entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) major commercial food processors and producers should resolve to produce products containing key life-threatening allergens on separate, dedicated manufacturing lines; (2) labeled ingredient listings should specify their allergenic ingredients clearly by name if those ingredients are key allergens; (3) allergens should be identified in terms understandable to average citizens; (4) foods which are common, life-threatening allergens should not be added gratuitously to products where their contribution to taste is negligible and where their presence would not reasonably be expected; (5) industry, consumer, and scientific groups should voluntarily work together for the purpose of better educating food industry workers and the public on the issues of food allergy safety; and (6) an assessment of the impact and success of these initiatives should be made not later than one year after the date of adoption of this resolution and reported to the resolution's sponsors.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1999
Medicare Beneficiary Prescription Drug Assistance and Stop-Loss Protection Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to add a new title XXVIII for the following purposes: (1) promoting qualified prescription drug coverage assistance for low-income Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) beneficiaries; (2) providing Medicare outpatient prescription drug stop-loss protection; and (3) providing access to prescription drug coverage under Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policies.
![Official portrait of Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000193_200.jpg)