United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1989
Designates the Labor Day weekend beginning on September 2, 1989, as National Drive for Life Weekend. Calls on people to observe that weekend with a pledge to not drink and drive.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Commission on the Mississippi River National Heritage Corridor Act of 1989 - Establishes the Commission on the Mississippi River National Heritage Corridor to investigate and make recommendations regarding: (1) the creation of a Mississippi River National Heritage Corridor, to run through Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin; and (2) other issues affecting the growth and development of the Corridor. Terminates such Commission 90 days after submission of a specified report. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Foreign Language Competence for the Future Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make: (1) grants to higher education institutions and consortia for summer foreign language institutes for elementary and secondary school foreign language teachers; (2) allotments to State education agencies for revolving loan funds for college students majoring in elementary and secondary foreign language education; (3) matching grants to States and major metropolitan areas for foreign language institutes and world trade council units to provide language training, translation services, and information about other cultures and markets to small- and medium-sized businesses seeking to enter export markets; (4) demonstration grants to State education agencies, higher education institutions, and nonprofit education and professional associations for technology for distance learning; and (5) demonstration grants to eligible consortia for critical languages and area studies programs and other activities to improve and expand elementary and secondary foreign language instruction. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act - Requires employers who engage in electronic monitoring to provide each affected employee with prior written notice describing specified aspects of the electronic monitoring directly affecting the employee. Requires employers to notify prospective employees at personal interviews or meetings of existing forms of electronic monitoring which may directly affect them and, upon request, provide them with the written notice provided to employees. Requires employers to provide affected employees with some form of visual or aural notice that indicates that electronic monitoring is taking place, at periodic intervals unless the monitoring is continuous during each of the employee's shifts. Requires employers to provide affected customers with some form of visual or aural notice, at periodic intervals, indicating that telephone service observation is taking place. Requires employers to permit employees or their authorized agents to have access to all personal data obtained by electronic monitoring of their work. Prohibits employers from collecting personal data on an employee which is not relevant to the employee's work performance. Prohibits employers from disclosing personal data obtained by electronic monitoring to any person or business except to the individual employee to whom that data pertains or without the employee's prior written consent, unless disclosure would be: (1) to the employer's officers and employees who need it to perform their duties; (2) to a law enforcement agency for a criminal investigation or prosecution; or (3) pursuant to a proper court order. Prohibits employers from using personal data obtained by electronic monitoring as the exclusive basis for individual employee performance evaluation or disciplinary action, unless the employee is given an opportunity to review the data within a reasonable time after it is obtained. Prohibits employers from using personal data or collective data obtained by electronic monitoring as the sole basis for setting production quotas or work performance expectations. Prohibits employers from maintaining, collecting, using, or disseminating personal data obtained by electronic monitoring which describes how an employee exercises First Amendment rights, unless such use is: (1) expressly authorized by statute or by the employee; or (2) pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity. Sets forth the following enforcement provisions: (1) civil penalties; (2) injunctive actions by the Secretary of Labor; and (3) private civil actions. Prohibits waiver of rights and procedures provided by this Act, unless such waiver is part of a written settlement by the parties to a pending action or complaint. Directs the Secretary of Labor to issue rules and regulations to carry out this Act within six months. Makes this Act inapplicable to otherwise permissible electronic monitoring by law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Elephant Protection Act - Requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR), before January 1, 1990, to identify each foreign country that has enacted sanctions against trading in ivory. Requires the USTR to: (1) determine, for each year after 1989, if each identified country has effectively enforced such sanctions; (2) determine, for each year after 1990, if each foreign country not so identified has enacted such sanctions; and (3) determine, for each year after 1990, if such countries that have implemented sanctions against trading in ivory have enforced them. Directs the USTR to: (1) make such determinations for each year; (2) notify the President of each negative determination; and (3) publish each negative determination in the Federal Register. Requires the President, after receiving a negative determination with respect to any foreign country, to revoke nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) for all products of such country that are imported into the United States. Makes it unlawful for any person to import or export ivory products. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny foreign tax credit benefits with respect to income derived from trading in ivory. Provides that ivory-related income shall not be treated as foreign base company income.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Child Welfare and Foster Care Amendments of 1989 - Title I: Provisions Relating to Older Children in Foster Care Independent Living Program - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize States to continue foster care payments for children under age 21 who are participating in an independent living program but have exceeded the age limit (age 18 or, for full-time secondary school students, 19) for such payments. Extends, indefinitely, Federal funding for State programs to assist children who have attained age 16 in making the transition from foster care to independent living. Title II: Health Care Plans for Foster Care Children - Requires that: (1) the written case plan developed for each foster care child include a health care record and plan for each child indicating how the child's health care needs have been and are being met; and (2) foster care children who are under a State's responsibility and not covered under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Act receive comprehensive health assessments comparable to those required under the Medicaid early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment program. Reimburses States for a percentage of assessment costs equal to the Medicaid Federal assistance percentage. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) develop and disseminate foster children health care standards; and (2) provide technical assistance to foster care agencies and providers to ensure the development and management of health care plans and records for foster children and the adequate provision of health care assessments and services to such children. Title III: Training and Compensation of Foster Care Parents, Staff, and Providers - Directs States to require foster parents and staff members of child-care institutions to satisfactorily participate in training designed to familiarize them with the special needs and problems of foster children. Requires States to develop specific training and retraining requirements and provide free child care services to foster parents who are receiving such training. Covers 75 percent of State costs of providing such training and child care. Requires that in conducting periodic reviews of foster care payment amounts States give full consideration to increases in the cost of providing foster care and the costs relating to the care of children with extraordinary physical or mental health care needs. Directs the Secretary to periodically (at least biennially) collect information on each State's level of foster care payments and distribute such information to all States. Title IV: Increase in Authorization for Child Welfare Services under Title IV - B of the Social Security Act and Extension of Transfer of Funds Provisions - Amends part B (Child Welfare Services) of title IV of the Act to increase authorized appropriations under such program. Amends the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program to extend through FY 1991: (1) the ceiling on Federal payments to States for foster care expenditures; and (2) the authority for States to use such payments to cover expenditures under part B (Child Welfare Services) of title IV of the Act. (Currently, such ceiling and authorization runs through FY 1989.) Title V: Effective Date - Makes this Act's amendments effective on October 1, 1989, unless otherwise specified.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Precludes veterans entitled to benefits under the All Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program from receiving other veterans' educational assistance. Terminates other veterans' educational assistance as of June 30, 1993.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Designates September 8, 1989, as National Pledge of Allegiance Day. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission should include the centennial observance of the Pledge of Allegiance in its commemorative activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to authorize the distribution of a meat article or animal without charge to nonprofit private entities or to State, local, and Federal entities engaged in the distribution of food without charge to individuals, if the article or animal: (1) is in violation of the Act; (2) has been seized and condemned; (3) is capable of use as a human food; and (4) has been inspected under the Act. Relieves the United States and the person from whom the meat was seized and condemned from legal responsibility for the article or animal if it was found after inspection under the Act to be capable of use as a human food.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Emergency Nurse Shortage Relief Act of 1989 - Amends title VIII (Nurse Education) of the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for programs to: (1) promote nursing as a career, including promotion in public secondary schools; (2) identify and provide internships to students in such schools who show an interest in health care; and (3) recruit nursing students from groups not traditionally well represented in the profession. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for programs to: (1) encourage and assist non-practicing nurses to reenter the profession; (2) train nurses as nurse practitioners or nurse midwives or in areas of needed specialized nursing skills; and (3) provide tuition assistance to students in educational programs designed to facilitate reentry. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for programs to: (1) increase the attractiveness of nursing as a career through changes in wage structures, employment options and benefits, and the role of nurses in health care facilities; and (2) demonstrate innovative methods of providing for career advancement and encourage nurses and nurse assistants to continue nursing education. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary, subject to appropriations, to establish a program to insure educational loans to individuals with a degree as a registered nurse for educational expenses related to training nurses as nurse practitioners or nurse midwives or in areas of needed specialized nursing skills. Makes provisions of the Federal Program of Insured Loans to Graduate Students in Health Professions Schools, established by current law in the Public Health Service Act, apply to this program except as inconsistent. Authorizes the Secretary, subject to appropriations, to enter into agreements with eligible individuals to assist in repaying specified amounts of their eligible educational loans. Sets forth criteria for an individual to be eligible to receive assistance, including a requirement that the individual agree to work full-time as a registered nurse in a nursing crisis area. Sets forth a schedule for loan repayment by the Secretary to the holder of the loans based on the number of years of work completed as agreed. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow C corporations a tax credit for 20 percent of the amount paid or incurred as qualified nursing scholarships. Directs the Attorney General to extend for at least one additional year the status of nonimmigrant alien for those aliens admitted under specified provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act who perform services as registered nurses in a nursing crisis area, provided the Secretary of Labor has certified that the continuing employment of the aliens will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. registered nurses. Amends title VIII (Nurse Education) of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate areas that have: (1) a severe shortage in the number of nurses as nursing crisis areas; and (2) a shortage of practicing nurses with specialized nursing skills as areas of needed specialized nursing skills. Directs the Secretary to review and, if necessary, redesignate such areas at least annually.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Amendments of 1989 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit persons from having a financial interest in both the contractor who prepares a school asbestos plan and the contractor who implements such plan. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations concerning air monitoring for asbestos to require that: (1) such monitoring be based on electron microscopy with a certain analytical sensitivity; (2) such monitoring be conducted in a manner most likely to detect asbestos; and (3) no person may have a financial interest in both the monitoring contractor and the contractor performing the response action. Requires the model school asbestos contractor accreditation plan for States to include a State-approved contractor training course and require that those who have passed the accreditation exam engage in supervised work experience before achieving accreditation. Directs the Administrator and the States to establish procedures for terminating accreditation. Requires the Administrator to review and report to the Congress on procedures in effect in some States to expedite accreditation reciprocity and the need and feasibility of developing a model procedure. Authorizes the Administrator to distribute an advisory model to States. Directs the Administrator to: (1) develop and implement a plan for conducting random, on-site school inspections to ensure that asbestos response actions are carried out in a manner that protects human health and the environment; (2) promulgate regulations to require school asbestos contractors to provide assurances of financial responsibility for all liabilities resulting from their work; and (3) promulgate regulations to delineate the division of responsibility between the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for worker safety under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response program. Authorizes school employees who are directed to conduct emergency repairs or operations and maintenance activities which may involve asbestos to refuse to conduct such activities unless they are provided with proper equipment and training and allowed to follow safe work practices. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations requiring owners of Federal, State, and commercial buildings to conduct asbestos inspections and, if asbestos is present, develop and implement asbestos management plans for such buildings. Sets deadlines for the implementation and completion of such activities. Provides for notification of the building occupants and the State Governor or Administrator, as appropriate, prior to undertaking such activities. Imposes civil monetary penalties against building owners who violate such regulations. Directs the Administrator to develop and report to the Congress on a system for monitoring asbestos-containing material removed from schools to assure that it is transported and disposed of in a manner protective of human health and the environment. Establishes an Asbestos Abatement Scientific Commission to assess available asbestos response actions for their effectiveness and appropriateness in protecting human health and the environment. Sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Amends Federal law relating to the provision of books for the adult blind to provide that the certification of dyslexia, for purposes of eligibility for a loan of books published on sound reproduction recordings, may be made by a competent authority only through the use of a test: (1) approved by the Director of the National Institutes of Health; and (2) administered by an individual (who does not have to be a doctor of medicine) qualified to administer and evaluate such a test.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions governing the income tax deduction for the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals to: (1) make the deduction permanent (under current law it will expire after tax year 1989); and (2) phase in an increase in the allowable deduction, reaching 100 percent for taxable years beginning in 1994 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Mandates that each State, by December 31, 1990, have in effect laws and regulations requiring any health insurance policy issued within the State to provide certain minimum coverage for drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Requires such rules and regulations to meet minimum Federal standards established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs the Secretary: (1) within 90 days after enactment of this Act, to establish such standards; and (2) within 90 days after establishment of such standards, to review the laws and regulations of each State. Makes the Federal standards effective in any State which does not have in effect such laws and regulations by December 31, 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the targeted jobs income tax credit through 1992 (under current law the credit will expire after December 31, 1989). Amends the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 to authorize appropriations through FY 1992 in connection with the targeted jobs credit. Raises from 23 to 25 years the age limitation with respect to economically disadvantaged youth targeted for credit purposes. Adds as a targeted group under the credit economically disadvantaged individuals who have completed a qualified drug rehabilitation program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Nuclear Powerplant Standardization Act of 1989 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to establish procedures, standards, and criteria permitting the approval of standardized designs and facility sites for production or utilization facilities or discrete subsystems of such facilities. Mandates that such procedures provide an opportunity for a public hearing prior to the issuance of a design approval or site permit. Directs the Commission to issue a combined construction and operating license for a production or utilization facility if certain conditions are met. Requires the Commission to specify in any such license the emergency preparedness requirements that shall apply and the standards for meeting such requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Automobile Fuel Efficiency Amendments of 1989 - Title I: Amendments to Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to consult with the Secretary of Energy before establishing testing and calculation procedures for measuring automobile fuel economy. Authorizes the Administrator to require fuel economy tests in conjunction with emissions tests conducted under the Clean Air Act. (Currently the Administrator must require such tests.) Directs the Administrator to measure a sampling of production passenger automobiles for each model type and year during the first month of manufacture for sale. Requires the adjustment of average fuel economy standards when necessary. Requires manufacturers to reflect any changes in such standards on automobile labels not more than 90 days after such changes are available. Requires that Federal testing and calculation procedures be repeated over a period of years to monitor automobile performance in use to determine the extent of decline in fuel economy. Increases fuel economy standards for model years 1990 through 2004 and thereafter. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation, by rule, to amend such standards to a level determined feasible. Establishes the average fuel economy standard for automobiles which are not passenger automobiles (light trucks) for model year 1993 through 2000 and thereafter. Exempts manufacturers of less than 10,000 light trucks per year from such standards. Conditions such exemption upon the Secretary's establishing alternative standards. Directs the President to promulgate rules requiring light trucks used by the Federal Government to meet average fuel economy standards. Directs the Administrator to update the booklet containing fuel economy data at least twice a year. Directs the Secretary of Energy to distribute at least 100 booklets each year to each dealer and additional numbers if requested. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to award fuel efficiency incentive grants to States which have in effect qualified revenue-raising measures designed to encourage automobile fuel efficiency. Vests jurisdiction in the U.S. district courts for injunctive enforcement of labeling and mileage guide requirements. Directs the Secretary, within two years of enactment of this Act, to submit suggestions to the Congress for additional legislation to carry out its purposes and the purposes of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act. Requires the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment to determine whether manufacturers are likely to comply with the revised average fuel economy standards without new incentives. Requires the Director to suggest cost-effective incentives if necessary to assure compliance. Requires the Secretary to promulgate test procedures for determining the relative fuel economy of automobile tires. Directs the Secretary to prescribe labeling rules applicable to all tires for which test procedures are established and requires manufacturers to comply with such rules. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of such labeling requirements and vests jurisdiction in the U.S. district courts to restrain such violations. Title II: Amendments to Internal Revenue Code Relating to Compliance With Average Fuel Economy Standards by Automobile Manufacturers - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a low average fuel economy excise tax on automobile manufacturers for model years 1995, 1998, 2003, 2008, and every following year. Allows a credit against such fuel economy tax for manufacturers who exceed the average fuel economy standard.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Economic Growth Zone Act of 1989 - Title I: Designation of Economic Growth Zones - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to designate between 200 and 250 nominated areas as economic growth zones over a five-year period. Sets forth the authorities that a State or local government must have in order to nominate an area for such designation. Sets forth the eligibility requirements that an area must meet in order to be nominated for designation, including pervasive poverty, unemployment, and general distress. Permits the Secretary to give preliminary approval to a nominated area as an economic growth zone if: (1) the local government involved has prepared a preliminary economic growth zone development plan containing specified information; and (2) the local government involved prepares a preliminary plan for comprehensive improvement of the infrastructure of such area so as to improve general economic conditions. Permits the Secretary to approve such designation if preliminary approval has been given and specified conditions are met. Sets forth considerations for the final review and approval of an application for designation. Title II: Advisory Neighborhood Councils - Requires the State or local government in which an economic growth zone is designated to establish a neighborhood council to advise the local government on all matters relating to economic growth zone activities. Title III: Assistance for Economic Growth Zones - Requires each local government in which an economic growth zone is located to establish an economic growth zone development fund to be used as a revolving fund for making or guaranteeing loans to small businesses for initial or working capital, or facilities and equipment. Requires each such local government which is a metropolitan city or urban county receiving a community development block grant to dedicate a specified amount of such grant to such fund for at least two consecutive years. Authorizes appropriations for grants to match such amounts dedicated by local governments for FY 1990 through 1994. Sets forth the procedures for making such loans and guarantees. Permits the Secretary to guarantee the notes or other public obligations issued by units of local government for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, or repair of the infrastructure of economic growth zones located in such units of general local government. Requires that a certain percentage of funds appropriated for urban development action grants for FY 1990 through 1994 be set aside for the purpose of making grants to units of general local government on behalf of projects located within economic growth zones. Requires that preference in the Department of Housing and Urban Development programs be given to any program or organization located in or primarily serving an economic growth zone and to any local government which has an economic growth zone. Permits the Secretary to make mortgage insurance available for eligible properties within an economic growth zone. Provides for the use of vacant or underdeveloped dwellings for economic and community development within such areas. Permits the Secretary to make grants to units of local government and nonprofit organizations for the development of facilities in economic growth zones to be used by new businesses. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994. Amends the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation Act to require the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation to carry out neighborhood preservation projects in appropriate economic growth zones. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994. Amends the Housing Act of 1964 to permit the Secretary to make loans for the rehabilitation of commercial property in economic growth zones. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994. Prohibits assistance for facility relocation if it adversely affects the employment or economic base of the location from which the facility is to be relocated. Title IV: General Provisions - Requires the Secretary to coordinate the economic growth zone program with other Federal programs. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. Requires the Secretary to make annual reports to the Congress on the effects of the designation of such economic growth zones in accomplishing the purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Department of Veterans' Affairs Minority Affairs Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate the Assistant Secretary in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), whose functions include equal opportunity functions as the Chief Minority Affairs Officer. Outlines the duties of the Chief Minority Affairs Officer (the Chief), including the following: (1) investigating and examining VA activities affecting minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the VA; (2) assessing the needs of minority veterans within the VA; (3) advising the Secretary regarding the effect on minority veterans of policies, regulations, and programs of the VA and of methods to ensure that minority veterans are afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the activities and benefits of the VA; and (4) carrying out any other additional functions as the Secretary may prescribe. Establishes within the VA five Deputy Officers of Minority Affairs, each of whom shall be appointed by the Secretary. Requires each officer to be responsible for one of the following areas: (1) Asian American affairs; (2) Black American affairs; (3) Hispanic American affairs; (4) Native American affairs; and (5) women's affairs. Requires the Secretary, no less than annually, to report to the Congress a detailed description of any activities and policies of the VA relating to minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the VA and the duties of the Chief and the Deputy Officers of Minority Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Authorizes and directs the President to call on representatives of the broadcasting industry, in cooperation with public health organizations, to provide free air time to private and government organizations for antismoking public service announcements which educate the public about the dangers of cigarette smoking.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Amends accounting provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to permit licensed used automobile dealers to use the installment method in connection with retail sales of any automobile that is more than three years old at the time of the sale if: (1) the sales price is $6,000 or less; and (2) the installment obligation arises solely from the sale in question and has a term of 36 months or less.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Coal Miners' Justice Act of 1989 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to review certain claims of coal miners and their survivors under the Black Lung Benefits Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Food Labeling and Heart Disease Reduction Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem foods containing fat, cholesterol, or sodium to be misbranded unless their labeling states certain information with regard to: (1) calories from fat; (2) total fat and saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated fat; (3) sodium; and (4) cholesterol.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Employee Educational Assistance Act of 1989 - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that: (1) terminated the income tax exclusion of amounts paid under employee educational assistance programs as of tax year 1989; and (2) deny benefits in connection with graduate work.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1989
Title I: National Development Investment - Public Works and Economic Development Act Amendments of 1989 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to cite such Act as the National Development Investment Act and to revise the emphasis of such Act from primary Federal initiative to coordination of investments between the public and the private sectors. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make development investment assistance grants to qualified applicants for: (1) constructing and improving public facilities; (2) revolving loan funds; and (3) employee stock ownership plans. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance for improving and enhancing economic development. Describes qualified applicants as States, distressed local governments, economic development districts, economic development organizations, and Indian tribes. Describes a distressed local government as one with a population under 50,000 that is located outside an economic development district. Requires an application for a grant under this Act to include: (1) a certification that the area concerned meets certain distress requirements; (2) a certification relative to performance of any responsibilities which the Secretary has agreed to accept; and (3) a development investment strategy prepared in accordance with this Act. Lists as distress requirements any one of which an area must meet in order to be eligible for a grant under this Act: (1) a per capita income of 80 percent or less of the national average; (2) an unemployment rate one percent above the national average for the most recent 24-month period for which statistics are available; or (3) a sudden economic dislocation resulting in job losses. Sets forth information to be contained in a grant applicant's development investment strategy. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to establish a revolving loan fund for making or guaranteeing loans to small businesses for initial or working capital or for the purchase of facilities or equipment. Limits to $1,000,000 the amount of any such grant. Limits the amount of any grant under this Act to a maximum of 50 percent of the cost of completing the project as determined at the time of the grant application. Permits the Secretary to reduce or waive the non-Federal share of a project in the case of an Indian tribe. Limits expenditures in any one State to a maximum of 15 percent of the appropriations made pursuant to this Act, except for expenditures to Indian tribes. Prohibits the Secretary from obligating more than $4,000,000 in any fiscal year to any person, other than grants for employee ownership organizations. Requires the Secretary, each fiscal year, to obligate minimum amounts of funds for such grants. Authorizes the Secretary to make economic development planning grants to States, economic development districts, Indian tribes, distressed counties, and distressed units of local governments with populations over 50,000 (if located outside an economic development district). Earmarks such grants for coordination of investments for community facilities, economic development, manpower training, and transportation services. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate Federal, State, and local development investment efforts. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct demonstration programs to test the feasibility of new ways to increase productivity in the steel industry and related industries, foster innovative technology, match labor force with labor markets, or encourage economic diversity and regional balance. Requires a report to the Congress no later than 90 days after completion of any demonstration program. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to colleges, universities, and other nonprofit educational and research organizations for management and technical assistance. Declares that the Secretary of Commerce shall administer this Act with the assistance of a specified Assistant Secretary of Commerce. Authorizes the Secretary to consult with other persons and agencies. Prohibits the approval of any grant unless the Secretary is satisfied that the project concerned will be properly and efficiently administered, operated, and maintained. Permits the Secretary to discharge responsibilities relative to a project by accepting a certification of the grant applicant's performance of such responsibilities. Requires the Secretary to make comprehensive annual reports to the Congress detailing operations under this Act. Requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors on projects assisted under this Act to be paid the prevailing rate of wages. Requires the Secretary to maintain records of approved applications available for public inspection. Requires each recipient of a grant to maintain specified records. Allows the Secretary and the Comptroller General access to all records of such recipients. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) discriminating in favor of or against any qualified applicant based on whether it is located in an urban or rural area; (2) creating separate allocations of funds for assistance to urban or rural areas unless allocations are based on objective findings or relative levels of distress in areas qualified for assistance; or (3) denying assistance to qualified applicants because the project is located in a State with low unemployment. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Appalachian Regional Development - Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 1989 - Amends the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 to declare that investments under such Act shall also be made in severely distressed and underdeveloped counties lacking resources for basic services. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1992 for administrative expenses of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Authorizes the Commission to lease office space through FY 1992. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1992 for the Appalachian development highway system. Increases from 70 to 80 percent the subsequent Federal share of an Appalachian development highway segment when a participating State proceeds to construct a segment of such a highway without the aid of Federal funds. Applies such increase to projects approved after March 31, 1979. Removes the restriction on financial assistance for the cost of industrial facilities. Declares that after October 1, 1989, grants shall not exceed 50 percent of the costs of any approved project (except projects concerning Appalachian highways). Requires that energy enterprise development loan funds established with grants previously approved by the Commission be made available for authorized purposes. Authorizes appropriations through FY 1992. Extends the termination date of such Act from 1982 to October 1, 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1989
Holloway-Schulze Toddler Tax Credit Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the custodial parent a refundable income tax credit for each dependent child under the age of six (five in 1990 through 1993). Establishes the credit amount as the lesser of $1,000 or 12 percent of income below $10,000 for a single qualified dependent. Limits application of the credit to two eligible dependents. Reduces the credit for taxpayers earning more than $10,000. Makes this credit and the employment-related dependent care credit mutually exclusive. Applies phase-in amounts for tax years beginning in 1990 through 1993. Indexes post-1994 credit amounts. Provides for advance toddler tax credit payments by employers to employees who provide certification of eligibility. Requires taxpayers to file information returns to reflect these payments. Reduces the amount of the employment-related dependent care credit for taxpayers with adjusted gross income above $50,000. Disallows application of the credit with respect to a taxpayer's dependent under age 13 who is physically and mentally capable of self-care. Repeals the income tax exclusion applied in connection with amounts furnished to an employee in accordance with an employer dependent care assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Local Government Infrastructure Financing Improvement Act of 1989 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide local governments technical assistance with respect to financing construction, repair, and expansion of public works facilities, including provision of information necessary to familiarize local governments about the use and availability of tax-exempt public works facility bonds for such financing. Requires the Secretary to report biennially to specified congressional committees on local government public works financing practices. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) raise to $25,000,000 the threshold amount of tax-exempt bonds that a small governmental unit may issue and still remain within the exception from arbitrage rebate requirements; and (2) increase from ten percent to 25 percent the amount of tax-exempt government bond proceeds that may be used by a nongovernmental entity for private purposes without triggering treatment of the bond issue as a taxable private activity bond. Limits the latter provision to governmental issuers whose reasonably anticipated amount of tax-exempt obligations to be issued during the calendar year is $25,000,000 or less. Caps at $25,000,000 the amount of bonds to which the issuer may apply the 25 percent private use test in any year.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Childless Veterans Assistance Act of 1989 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide procreative services and reimbursement for adoption expenses to veterans (or their spouses) with a service-connected inability to procreate. Prohibits the Secretary from reimbursing a veteran for adoption expenses: (1) until after the adoption is final; (2) that are paid to or for the veteran under any other program administered by the Federal Government or by a State or local government; or (3) in an amount greater than $2,000 per child or $4,000 total per veteran.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Prohibits U.S. military or security assistance to Zaire under the Arms Export Control Act or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Limits U.S. economic assistance to Zaire under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 to assistance that benefits the majority, is for humanitarian purposes, and is channeled through private and voluntary organizations. Authorizes the President to suspend or modify any prohibition or limitation under this Act 30 days after the President determines, and notifies specified congressional committees, that the Government of Zaire has made progress towards fulfilling certain human and political rights. Requires the U.S. representatives to international financial institutions to raise the issues of human rights violations and misuse of funds in Zaire.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
World War I Veterans' Service Pension Act - Directs the Administrator (effective March 1989, Secretary) of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly pension of $150 to each veteran of World War I who meets specified service requirements. Requires such veteran, if receiving another pension administered by the Veterans Administration (effective March 1989, Department of Veterans Affairs) (VA), to elect which pension he will receive. Provides for the payment of a monthly pension of $100 to surviving spouses of World War I veterans who meet certain marriage requirements. Requires such surviving spouses to choose between pensions if they are currently receiving another pension through the VA.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should: (1) give the highest priority to fully accounting for the Americans still missing in Southeast Asia and to negotiating the return of Americans still held captive; (2) maintain an ongoing dialogue with Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao officials so that the prisoners of war issue may be resolved; (3) continue joint field investigations with such officials; and (4) heighten public awareness of the prisoners of war issue through the dissemination of factual data.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Government Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 - Prohibits a Federal contractor from taking reprisal actions against its officers or employees for disclosing information to a Federal agency regarding performance of a contract with such agency which indicates: (1) a violation of law; or (2) mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a danger to public health or safety. Sets forth civil penalties and remedies for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Older Americans Child Care Employment Amendments of 1989 - Amends the Older Americans Community Service Employment Act to require the Secretary of Labor to enter into agreements with public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations for the conduct of no more than 100 experimental projects employing individuals who are age 55 or older in providing day care to children. Requires that such agencies or organizations: (1) receive one-third of their funding from non-Federal sources; (2) charge families a day care fee which is proportional to their financial resources; (3) provide day care in facilities other than private residences; and (4) be subject to the most comprehensive State licensing requirements or regulatory standards applicable to similar day care providers in the State. Prohibits the making of grants pursuant to this Act to more than two agencies or organizations in each State in any fiscal year. Authorizes appropriations for such projects.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Provides an exemption from the reduction in retirement pay because of reemployment for Federal annuitants and former members of a uniformed service who become reemployed with a temporary position within the Bureau of the Census to assist in carrying out the 1990 decennial census.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Recycling Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require all paper and paper products procured by Federal and State agencies and certain businesses under contract with Federal agencies to be composed of the highest percentage practicable of recovered materials. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare guidelines for the implementation of such requirement. Requires each procuring agency that enters into a construction contract to give preference to the contractor that proposes to use the highest percentage of recovered materials in carrying out such contract, provided that such materials are of a reasonable price. Directs the Administrator to prepare guidelines to include minimum content standards for at least five items used in construction contracts that can be produced with recovered materials. Requires the Administrator to issue annual guidelines that specify standards for five additional items that may or may not be used in such contracts. Requires each Federal agency with office facilities of more than 35 office workers to carry out a recovery program of newsprint and corrugated and high-grade paper. Requires such materials to be separated at the source of generation, separately collected, sold for the purpose of recycling or used by the Government. Authorizes funds received from such sales to be retained by the agency that generated the sold item. Prohibits any State or municipality from receiving any form of Federal assistance in connection with facilities for the processing, separation, resource recovery, or reduction of solid waste unless the Administrator certifies that such State or municipality has implemented and met the targets for a program: (1) for the collection, separation, and processing of recyclable materials which provides for graduated increases in the amount of waste stream to be made available to markets for recovered materials; and (2) that requires preferences for the procurement of goods containing recovered materials. Sets forth additional requirements for State solid waste disposal plans, including: (1) the separation, collection, and recycling of tires, lead-acid batteries, and major household appliances; and (2) the separation, collection, and safe disposal of household hazardous wastes. Authorizes the Administrator to provide low-interest loans or loan guarantees for constructing and operating facilities and equipment for the collection, separation, or processing of recyclable materials. Permits the Administrator to provide technical assistance and grants to State and local governments for recycling and waste reduction programs. Authorizes appropriations. Requires all paper and paper products, effective five years after this Act's enactment, to contain the minimum percentage of recovered materials specified by the Administrator under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Extends the date by which the Secretary of Commerce is required to take actions regarding the development of markets for recovered materials. Requires the Secretary, no later than six months after this Act's enactment, to develop a program to promote the selling of recyclable solid waste from the United States in international markets. Requires manufacturers of plastic items or packaging to label such items to indicate the type of plastic used in such materials. Prohibits any plastic, effective one year after the promulgation of regulations regarding this section, from containing, or being manufactured in a process that uses, chlorofluorocarbons. Directs the EPA Inspector General to report annually to the Congress on compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Municipal Solid Waste Reduction Act of 1989 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a waste reduction information clearinghouse in the EPA Office of Solid Waste. Makes such information available to the public. Directs the Administrator to implement a public education program about municipal solid waste reduction and the ways in which reduction can alleviate waste management and disposal problems. Requires the Administrator to publish lists of: (1) the 50 most toxic constituents of the municipal waste stream arising during the recycling, treatment, disposal, or other management of such waste stream; and (2) the 50 categories of waste that are the largest contributors by volume to such stream. Directs the Administrator, acting through the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste, to initiate studies of five of the elements on each list. Outlines the requirements of such studies, including: (1) a determination of the risks to human health and the environment involved in managing such constituents or waste categories in the waste stream; (2) a determination of strategies for reducing the quantity or toxicity of such constituents or waste categories; and (3) an examination of the economic costs and benefits associated with such reduction. Requires the President to establish a commission to study methods for labeling products and packaging to help reduce waste. Requires such study to be submitted to the President and the Congress and to be made available to the public. Terminates the Commission after submission of the study. Directs the Administrator to implement a grant program for research and development on redesigning consumer products for the purpose of reducing the volume or toxicity of waste. Requires grant recipients to report to the Administrator on the use of such grants and the success in redesigning products. Limits the amount of each grant to $50,000. Prohibits the Administrator from obligating or spending more than $5,000,000 in a fiscal year for such program. Requires the head of each executive department to: (1) review purchases of goods to determine where substitute goods could be purchased to achieve waste reduction; (2) encourage waste reduction in the practices of the department; and (3) report annually to the Administrator on waste reduction activities. Directs the Administrator to report annually to the Congress on waste reduction activities in such departments.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Community Housing Partnership Act - Title I: Housing Education and Organizational Support Grants for Community Based Housing Projects - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing education and organizational support grants directly to nonprofit organizations or indirectly to States and cities to assist such organizations. Authorizes permanent appropriations beginning with FY 1989. Title II: Community Housing and Partnership Grants - Authorizes the Secretary to provide community partnership grants directly to nonprofit organizations or indirectly to States and cities to assist such organizations. Divides appropriations among: (1) urban community housing partnership grants; (2) State community housing partnership grants; and (3) direct community housing partnership grants. Sets forth the following eligible activities: (1) technical assistance and site control loans; (2) seed-money loans; (3) matching grants or loans; and (4) technical and management assistance for nonprofit sponsors. Sets forth rental project and home ownership eligibility provisions, including: (1) occupancy by lower income families; (2) profit limitations; (3) funding coordination; (4) tax treatment; and (5) affirmative action requirements. Authorizes permanent appropriations beginning with FY 1989. Title III: General Provisions - Defines specified terms for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Reaffirms the commitment of the Congress to the Government of the Marshall Islands and the Rongelap people that it is U.S. policy to take actions to restore the habitability of their homeland. Concludes that: (1) the data in the 1982 Department of Energy radiation study are inadequate and that the conclusions as to habitability are not supported by such data; (2) the comprehensive, independent study of Rongelap pursuant to the Veterans' Compensation Rate Increase and Job Training Amendments of 1985 should be immediately undertaken, should examine all the Rongelap Atoll islands, and should specifically examine radiation and related problems with respect to the children on Rongelap, past cumulative doses of plutonium, and chromosome damage to the entire Rongelap population; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy should make available to the Government of the Marshall Islands such sums as may be necessary to contract for such study.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1989
Minority Business Development Act of 1989 - Redesignates the Minority Business Development Agency in the Department of Commerce as the Minority Business Development Administration, to be headed by an Assistant Secretary of Commerce appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress on the organizational structure within the Administration and its organizational position in the Department of Commerce. Title I: Market Development - Empowers the Administration to: (1) assist disadvantaged businesses in penetrating domestic and foreign markets by making available to them management and technological assistance, a skilled labor pool, and financial and marketing services; and (2) encourage disadvantaged firms to establish joint ventures and projects to increase their share of the market. Allows the Assistant Secretary of the Administration, if certain conditions are met, to approve any agreement between disadvantaged firms or public or private sector organizations providing for a joint program for market development. Exempts from the antitrust laws and the Federal Trade Commission Act any act within the scope of any approved joint program for approved market development. Requires that at least one party to each agreement be a small business concern and that the majority of parties be small businesses if there are more than two parties to an agreement. Authorizes the Administration to provide financial assistance to public and private sector organizations to carry out this Act, unless the assistance is intended primarily to facilitate the use by disadvantaged businesses of federally-administered programs not established under this Act. Requires the Administration to consult with State and local governments for the purpose of leveraging local resources and recommending local administrative and legislative initiatives to promote the position of disadvantaged businesses. Authorizes the Administration to provide financial assistance to States and cities. Requires the Administration to publish in the Federal Register: (1) amounts available for financial assistance and proposed allocations; (2) responses to public comments in connection with the allocation scheme; and (3) changes in allocation methodology. Title II: Capital Formation - Authorizes the Administration to defray all or part of the costs of pilot projects conducted by public or private organizations and designed to assist disadvantaged businesses in obtaining equity capital. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to cooperate with the Administration to promote access to securities markets for disadvantaged businesses. Directs the Administration to study and report to the congressional Small Business Committees on alternatives for providing capital formation assistance to qualified disadvantaged businesses, including the possibility of a revolving fund and a surety bond referral assistance program. Title III: Management Educational Development - Requires the Administration to: (1) encourage universities, business leaders, and other public and private entities to offer scholarships, sponsor seminars, and provide internships for the benefit of disadvantaged individuals; and (2) accelerate curriculum design in support of disadvantaged business development. Title IV: Research and Information - Requires the Administration to submit to the Congress a report describing the resources needed to advance and represent disadvantaged businesses in all levels of the economic system in numbers that would have existed were it not for past discrimination. Authorizes the Administration to: (1) provide financial assistance to public and private organizations to assist the Administration in collecting data on the causes for success and failure of disadvantaged businesses and in conducting research on how economic conditions affect their development; (2) develop and maintain a data bank on disadvantaged businesses; and (3) establish an information clearinghouse for data pertinent to disadvantaged businesses. Title V: Administrative and Miscellaneous Powers of the Administration - Sets forth the administrative powers of the Administration. Requires: (1) recipients of assistance to keep records for audit purposes; (2) the Comptroller General to review and report to the Congress on programs authorized by this Act; and (3) the Assistant Secretary to submit to the Congress an annual report on the Administration's activities. Excludes the Administration from the coordination functions of the Small Business Administration's Associate Administrator for Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership Development. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1989
Wetlands No Net Loss Act of 1989 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to designate a nonprofit organization as a Wetlands Preservation Trust if such organization: (1) is established for the purpose of acquiring ownership interests in wetlands, former wetlands, and related property and for restoring, creating, or preserving wetlands; and (2) meets, and submits an application in accordance with, the Secretary's requirements. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to create special rules for contributions of land to such Trusts. Applies the 50 percent limitation on charitable contribution deductions to contributions of wetlands to such Trusts. Permits a ten-year carryover for excess contributions. Extends the deadline for the exchange of property held for productive use or investment if such contributions are made as part of such exchanges. Permits the carryover of unused deductions on a taxpayer's last return if such taxpayer dies before the close of the last taxable year for which such deductions could have been allowed. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Office of Wetlands Identification and Preservation, to make grants to States from the Wetlands Preservation Account for the implementation of State Wetlands Conservation Plans. Outlines requirements of such Plans. Prohibits the Secretary from approving any Plan that: (1) excludes any area of State wetlands solely on the basis of that area being less than a minimum size; or (2) excludes from Plan administration areas of wetlands the preservation of which is significant for achieving the purposes of this Act. Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to require the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish the Office of Wetlands Identification and Preservation within the Service. Requires the Director, acting through the Office, to: (1) identify all U.S. wetlands and associated uplands which are suitable for preservation; (2) produce and make available to the public maps of such lands; and (3) carry out title III of the Emergency Wetland Resources Act of 1986 (State and Federal Wetland Acquisition). Authorizes the Director, acting through the Office, to enter into agreements with private persons to carry out wetlands preservation. Permits such agreements to provide for: (1) the transfer of wetlands to Trusts; and (2) technical assistance to owners of wetlands who enter into such preservation agreements. Establishes the Wetlands Preservation Account. Requires at least 60 percent of Account funds to be available for grants to States. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit into such Account amounts received in the form of: (1) criminal penalties for certain permit violations of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act; and (2) civil and administrative penalties under such Act. Directs the Secretary to transfer annually to the Account $300,000,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the head of each executive agency to: (1) complete an inventory of all wetlands and associated uplands owned or managed by the agency; and (2) implement a plan for the protection of wetlands included in the inventory. Requires such agencies to submit such plans to the head of the Office and the Secretary of the Interior. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to transfer the authority to issue permits for discharge of dredge and fill material from the Secretary of the Army to the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Office. Revises provisions regarding reporting requirements. Repeals a provision requiring the submission of comments on permit applications. Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from authorizing any dredging of wetlands under the Rivers and Harbors Appropriations Act of 1899 without the prior approval of the Secretary of the Interior. Requires the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment to study and report to the Congress on: (1) incentives under Federal and State laws for the protection and management of wetlands; (2) potential modifications to existing Federal laws to improve their effectiveness in creating such incentives and to increase the permanence of such protection; and (3) ways in which the Federal Government may encourage State and local governments to create additional incentives for the protection and management of wetlands by private individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 1989
National Presidential Debate Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require as a condition of eligibility to receive payments from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund that presidential candidates agree to participate in at least four debates of at least 90 minutes each, through a nonpartisan nonprofit entity, three of which must be in September and October preceding the relevant election. Requires a corresponding agreement by vice-presidential candidates, but for a minimum of only one debate.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal, on behalf of the Congress, to each of the following individuals in recognition of their contributions to this Nation's cultural heritage: (1) Frank Capra; (2) James Stewart; and (3) Fred Zinnemann. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to design a different gold medal for each such individual. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such duplicates and the gold medals. Requires the appropriations to be reimbursed out of the sales proceeds. Designates all such medals as National Medals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
National Advanced Technician Training Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out an advanced technician training program, making matching grants to two-year community and technical colleges to provide training in technical competencies in strategic fields. Requires such program to emphasize on-the-job training and recruitment of the unemployed. Requires that an inventory of available programs be accessible. Requires the Director to appoint a National Advisory Council on Advanced Technician Training to review and report to the Director and to the Congress (directly, without review by NSF or the Office of Management and Budget) on the effectiveness of the program, with recommendations as needed. Requires the Director to designate ten centers of excellence among such colleges to serve as clearinghouses, half for advanced technician training and half for undergraduate education in mathematics and science. Requires the Director to make at least 20 grants annually. Requires that funds under this Act be used to strengthen programs in advanced-technology occupations, for faculty development in advanced-technology fields such as laser, robotic, and computer technology, and the development of cooperative training and information networks with other schools and the private sector. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 and 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
National Guardianship Rights Act of 1989 - Grants the following rights to allegedly incapacitated individuals with respect to guardianship proceedings: (1) the nonwaivable right of prompt notice that includes specified required contents; (2) the right to a convenient forum; (3) the right to be present at all proceedings, unless disability prevents attendance; (4) the right to counsel; and (5) the right to an independent professional guardianship evaluation team of specified membership to examine the individual, report, and be available for cross examination during the guardianship proceedings. Requires dismissal of the guardianship action if the team determines the individual to be free of any incapacity. Grants the right to a jury in a guardianship proceeding, as well as the right to present evidence, call witnesses, and cross examine. Requires clear and convincing evidence that an individual is incapacitated and that no less restrictive form of intervention is available before a guardianship order may be issued. Discounts age as a basis for determining incapacity. Limits both the scope and duration of transfers of responsibility for the care and protection of an incapacitated person or the management of his or her estate to the minimum necessitated by the particular incapacity. Permits the individual to retain all rights not expressly transferred in the guardianship order. Dissolves the order if its justification ceases to exist. Grants to an incapacitated individual the right to a competent and trained guardian. Prohibits convicted felons from serving as guardians. Permits the right of appeal and the right to a prompt reconsideration of the determination of incapacity, the guardianship order, or the choice of guardian. Requires: (1) guardians to report to the court at least annually on the financial, mental, physical, and personal status of the incapacitated person; and (2) courts to investigate at least annually the well-being of persons protected under their guardianship orders. Directs States to submit to the Attorney General implementation plans indicating compliance with this Act. Describes procedures and timetables associated with these plans, including mandatory sanctions for States that fail to comply. Empowers the Attorney General to make grants to the States to enable compliance with this Act. Enumerates permitted grant uses. Describes application and selection procedures. Authorizes appropriations. Permits States to impose additional or more extensive protections that do not conflict with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Consumer Products Safe Testing Act - Prohibits Federal department or agency heads from considering LD50 test results when determining product safety, labeling, or transportation requirements for purposes of Federal regulation. (LD50 is a procedure whereby toxicity is measured in terms of the median dose that will kill 50 percent of the test animals within a specified time.) Requires Federal department and agency heads to: (1) review and evaluate directives that call for the use of an animal toxicity test; and (2) promulgate regulations specifying the use of nonanimal alternatives. Requires that animal toxicity testing regulations be subject to periodic agency review and to public comment in certain cases.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Emergency Phone System Equal Access Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require that any telecommunication system that is operated by a provider of public safety services, used to provide public safety emergency answering services, and manufactured, imported, or installed in the United States more than one year after the enactment of this Act be readily accessible to hearing- and speech-impaired individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a three percent excise tax on wholesale sales of paper and paper products that do not contain the minimum amount of recycled materials in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Increases the tax rate by one percent each year to reach a maximum 12 percent rate for sales during 2000 and thereafter. Directs the EPA Administrator to issue guidelines for products not already designated by relevant guidelines.