United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1991
Wild Bird Protection Act of 1991 - Makes it unlawful for any person to: (1) import, transfer, possess, or sell any exotic bird unless such person is properly licensed and such bird meets specified marking requirements; and (2) commit, attempt to commit, or solicit another to commit, a violation of such requirements. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to issue licenses permitting: (1) the importation of certain exotic birds; and (2) the transfer of wild exotic birds. Sets forth specified reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations requiring the marking of exotic birds. Authorizes: (1) the sale of captive exotic birds only if they are properly marked; and (2) the marking of such birds if the owner can show that they have been legally acquired. Exempts common canaries, cockatiels, budgerigars, or other qualifying species from such marking requirements. Authorizes a person to petition the Secretary with respect to any finding, determination, or other action authorized by this Act. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) inspections and seizures and dispositions of such birds; (2) suspension of licenses; and (3) imposition of fees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1991
Designates August 1, 1991, as Helsinki Human Rights Day. Authorizes and requests the President to: (1) reassert American commitment to the Helsinki Accords; (2) raise the issue of noncompliance with such Accords with any signatory nation which may be in violation; (3) convey to all signatories of such Accords that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is vital to progress in the ongoing Helsinki process; and (4) develop new proposals to advance the human rights objectives of the Helsinki process, including the self-determination of peoples.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1991
Prohibition of Payments on Foreign Deposits Act of 1991 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to prohibit any Federal entity (or a federally controlled entity) from providing any assistance which would in fact, or in effect, provide deposit insurance payments for foreign deposits.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1991
Condemns: (1) the attacks on innocent children, women, and men in Armenian areas and communities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh; and (2) the indiscriminate use of force, including the shelling of civilian areas, on Armenia's eastern and southern borders. Calls for: (1) the end to the blockades and use of force and intimidation directed against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; (2) the withdrawal of Soviet forces newly deployed for the purpose of intimidation; (3) dialogue among all parties involved as the only acceptable route to achieving a lasting resolution of the conflict; and (4) an immediate end to deportations of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and the freedom for all refugees to return to their homes. Reconfirms the U.S. commitment to the success of democracy and self-determination in the Soviet Union and its republics by expressing its deep concern about any Soviet retribution, intimidation, or leverage against such republics.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the American public should observe the 100th anniversary of filmmaking; and (2) the American Film Institute has a leadership role in preserving the art of film.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1991
Benjamin Franklin Memorial Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Title I: Minting of Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin - Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue: (1) five dollar gold coins emblematic of Benjamin Franklin's contributions to the advancement of science; (2) one dollar silver coins emblematic of Benjamin Franklin's contributions to the American Fire Service. Sets forth sale and issuance guidelines, including a general waiver of procurement regulations and surcharge distributions. Title II: Fire Service Bill of Rights - Fire Service Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to set forth a fire service bill of rights, including the right of responding fire services to: (1) know the kind of danger presented by hazardous materials they face in emergency responses; and (2) be fully informed of infectious diseases their members face during the course of life safety activities. Declares that the bill of rights does not create any private right of action.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1991
Foreign Bank Supervision Enhancement Act of 1991 - Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 to prohibit a foreign bank from either establishing a State branch or agency, or acquiring ownership or control of a commercial lending company, without obtaining prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board (the Board). Sets forth approval standards. Empowers the Board to order the termination of foreign banking activities if it finds certain violations or unsound banking practices in the United States. Prescribes enforcement and judicial procedures. Authorizes the Board to recommend to the Comptroller of the Currency (the Comptroller) the termination of a foreign bank's Federal license based upon the same standards as apply to the State branches of a foreign bank. Provides for judicial review of disapproval or termination orders. Provides that, with respect to the granting of Federal licenses for foreign bank operations, the Comptroller shall apply the same approval standards as apply to State licensure of foreign bank activities. Directs the Comptroller to provide the Board with notice and opportunity to comment on any application to establish a Federal branch or agency. Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 to authorize the Board to disapprove acquisition applications: (1) by bank holding companies if they fail to provide adequate assurances that they will furnish certain Board-requested information; or (2) by a foreign bank if it is not subject to comprehensive regulation on a consolidated basis in its home country. Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 to authorize the Board to conduct examinations of foreign banking operations in the United States (including their holding companies and lending companies). Provides that the cost of such examinations shall be assesed against such banks or their holding or lending companies. Mandates that such examinations be coordinated among the appropriate State agencies, the Comptroller, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Subjects the establishment of representative offices of foreign banks to the same regulatory scheme as applies to their establishment of State and Federal branches and agencies. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to mandate that if a foreign bank or its affiliate extends credit secured by specified percentages of the shares of an insured depository institution, it shall file a consolidated report with the appropriate Federal banking agency. Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 to authorize the Board and specified regulatory agencies to disclose to their foreign counterparts information obtained in the exercise of their authority (subject to confidentiality guidelines). Sets forth civil money penalties for banking law violations by a foreign banking entity, and for its failure to make requisite reports. Empowers the Board, the Comptroller, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to implement rulemaking and enforcement procedures to implement this Act. Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to increase from $1,000 to $10,000 the penalty for failure to comply with agency subpoenas. Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975, and certain related consumer protection statutes, to subject foreign bank branches and agencies in the United States to the same supervisory and enforcement agencies as apply to their domestic counterparts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1991
Consumer Protection Standards for Long Term Care Insurance Act of 1991 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to afford Federal consumer protection to purchasers of long-term care insurance policies by requiring that before such policies may be issued or sold they must have been either certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as meeting the minimum Federal standards and requirements outlined below or approved by the State commissioner of insurance under a State regulatory program that incorporates such standards. Outlines Federal standards long-term care insurance policies must meet, including those which mandate that such policies: (1) offer inflation protection features, nonforfeiturable benefits after a certain vesting period should the policy lapse, and approved premium rates; (2) be guaranteed renewable except for nonpayment of premiums or material misrepresentation; (3) use simple, easily understood English in a standard format; (4) allow for alternative payors; (5) allow purchasers 30 days to rescind their purchase of the policy and to have the premium refunded; (6) not condition eligibility for benefits except in cases of preexisting conditions; (7) use standard assessment for determining the level of home health care and nursing facility care benefits available under a particular policy; (8) incorporate certain minimum standards for home health benefits; (9) provide a one year period of contestability after issuance of the policy; (10) prohibit discrimination in cases of individuals with any progressive degenerative dementia or individuals who are mentally ill; and (11) provide no benefit caps or policy duration caps. Prohibits sales of duplicate benefit policies, except under prescribed guidelines. Prohibits sales of long-term care insurance policies unless certain information is disclosed beforehand to the potential buyer. Requires issuers of such policies to report to the Secretary and appropriate State officials information relating to: (1) benefit utilization and payments under the policy; (2) age and health status of policy purchasers; (3) lapse rates, rescissions, and payment and application denials; and (4) purchaser compliants. Requires the Secretary to make such information available, upon request, to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and other interested parties. Sets forth civil penalties for issuing unapproved or uncertified policies and for the failure to report such information.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1991
Pledge of Allegiance Commemorative Coin Act - Establishes the Pledge of Allegiance Commemorative Coin Advisory Board to: (1) consult with the Secretary of the Treasury (the Secretary) regarding coin design; (2) oversee the expenditure of funds provided to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society for assisting its educational programs and providing non-operating improvements to the Capitol; and (3) establish rules and operating procedures to implement this Act. Directs the Secretary to issue five-dollar gold coins, one-dollar silver coins, and half dollar clad coins emblematic of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Declares a general waiver of public contract procurement regulations governing coin mintage under this Act. Mandates that surcharges be distributed equally between the Treasury and the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Provides for audits by the Comptroller General. Requires that: (1) all amounts received from the sale of coins be deposited in the coinage profit fund; and (2) the Secretary take actions to ensure that coin mintage and issuance under this Act will not result in any net cost to the Federal Government.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1991
Designates the week beginning July 21, 1991, as Korean War Veterans Remembrance Week. Requires the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on July 27, 1991, in honor of those Americans who died as a result of their service in Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1991
Provides for the printing of the volume entitled "Columbus in the Capitol" as a House document. Requires additional printing of such document for the use of the House of Representatives, Senate, and Joint Committee on Printing.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1991
Anti-Boycott Passport Act of 1991 - Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) instruct the U.S. Middle Eastern diplomatic corps to seek an end to the policy of the majority of Arab League nations of rejecting passports of, and denying entrance visas to, persons whose passports or other documents reflect that they have visited Israel; and (2) report to specified congressional committees on the status of efforts to secure an end to such policy. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing any passport that is designated for travel only to Israel. Requires the Secretary to cancel existing passports designated for travel only to Israel. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing more than one official or diplomatic passport to any U.S. Government official for purposes of enabling such official to acquiesce in or comply with the Arab League's passport policy concerning persons who have visited Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1991
Coach and Athlete's Bill of Rights - Prohibits the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from taking any action against any coach or player for a team associated with the NCAA or against an institution of higher education associated with the NCAA without due process. Directs the NCAA to adopt rules to provide due process or else it shall be prohibited from imposing sanctions or penalties limiting interstate commerce telecommunications of such sporting events. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress on the impact of NCAA sanctions upon telecommunications and commercial activities of intercollegiate sporting events and the revenue loss caused by such sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1991
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit, except under specified circumstances, the Export-Import Bank from guaranteeing or extending credit for the sale of defense articles and services to any country (currently, only to economically less developed countries). Requires the Comptroller General to study the participation of the Bank in financing sales of such items to foreign countries and to submit the results of such study to specified congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1991
Calls upon the Soviet Union to: (1) evacuate all people from all radioactive zones caused by the Chernobyl nuclear accident; (2) decontaminate the Kiev water reservoir on the Dnipro River of radionuclides; (3) cease the planning for construction or operation of, and ask for supervision by an international commission of, nuclear power facilities in the Ukraine; and (4) assemble charts, maps, and any diagrams deemed necessary to indicate areas that have been contaminated.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1991
Morris K. Udall Wilderness Act of 1991 - Designates specified lands in Alaska as the Arctic Coastal Plain Wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1991
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 - Title I: FDIC Funding - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to increase from $5,000,000,000 to $25,000,000,000 the aggregate amount of outstanding loans which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) may have from the Treasury for insurance purposes at any one time. Prescribes guidelines for such outstanding loans. Sets as a prerequisite to FDIC loans from the Treasury an agreed-upon repayment schedule that demonstrates that FDIC income from assessments will be sufficient to amortize principal and interest within the period established in the repayment schedule. Prescribes circumstances under which the FDIC may impose special emergency assessments allocated between Bank Insurance Fund members (BIF) and Savings Association Insurance Fund members (SAIF) to reflect the degree to which proceeds of borrowed amounts were used for the benefit of the respective insurance funds. Title II: Supervisory Reforms - Prescribes guidelines for: (1) mandatory annual on-site examinations of all insured depository institutions (except those in conservatorship); (2) the establishment of a banking examination improvement program; (3) independent annual audits of insured depository institutions; (4) assessments to cover examination costs of State nonmember banks and other institutions; and (5) deposit insurance application procedures. Title III: Accounting Reforms - Mandates that the accounting principles applicable to all insured depository institutions be uniform and consistent with generally accepted accounting principles. Prescribes guidelines for the review and implementation of accounting procedures by the appropriate Federal banking agencies. Title IV: Prompt Corrective Action - Directs the FDIC to establish by regulation critical capital levels for insured depository institutions. Prescribes capitalization guidelines for insured depository institutions, including: (1) a mandatory review and report to the Congress by the FDIC Inspector General with respect to insurance fund losses caused by an undercapitalized institution; and (2) FDIC authorization to appoint itself as conservator for insured depository institutions in order to prevent losses to a deposit insurance fund. Title V: Least-Cost Resolutions - Establishes as a prerequisite to FDIC assistance to troubled insured depository institutions that the FDIC determine the least costly resolution according to prescribed criteria. Mandates an annual audit by the General Accounting Office to determine compliance with the least-cost approach by the FDIC and the Resolution Trust Corporation. Prescribes procedures under which the receiver of an insured depository institution may disallow a secured claim in excess of the value of the collateral to the extent of the excess portion, and subsequently treat such portion as an unsecured claim. Directs the FDIC to take action to ensure that it receives on a regular basis from each insured depository institution an accurate accounting of all insured, preferred, and uninsured deposits. Amends the Federal Reserve Act to restrict to specified time frames the use of liquidity lending to undercapitalized depository institutions for depositor insurance fund purposes. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to preclude FDIC assistance to a troubled depository institution unless the FDIC: (1) removes the board of directors of such institution; and (2) repudiates shareholder claims in such institution.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Circle of Poison Prevention Act of 1991 - Title I: Exported Pesticides - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to require pesticide producers operating registered establishments to inform the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency of: (1) the types and quantities of pesticides and active ingredients used in producing pesticides for export to a foreign country; and (2) the date of export and quantity of such materials exported to each foreign country to which the producer has exported during the past 365-day period. Provides that specified information on exported pesticides shall not be entitled to confidential trade secret treatment. Makes it unlawful to export a pesticide or device in violation of FIFRA export requirements. Prohibits the exportation of a pesticide or device unless: (1) such materials are prepared and packaged according to the specifications of the foreign purchaser and the legal requirements of the country of use; and (2) the label of the pesticide is written in the official language of the country of use and contains all information required to be included in the labeling for such pesticide in the United States. Prohibits the exportation of a pesticide to a country of use if: (1) the registrations for pesticides containing an active ingredient that is included in such pesticide that account for nearly all of the uses of such ingredient have been canceled; (2) the tolerances for an active ingredient in such pesticide that account for nearly all the uses of such ingredient have been revoked; or (3) an active ingredient of the pesticide is ineligible for reregistration. Prohibits such exports (including pesticides used for agricultural production) unless: (1) the pesticide is registered; or (2) all of the active ingredients in the pesticide are the subject of a food tolerance. Requires exporters, prior to the shipment of certain pesticides, to provide specified information to the Administrator. Prohibits the exportation of any pesticide to a country of use that: (1) has refused consent; or (2) has given conditional consent unless the conditions on which the consent was given are met. Prohibits refusals to consent unless the country certifies that it is not producing or importing and will not produce or import the pesticide or a similar product with the same active ingredient. Waives certain requirements, upon the request of a country of use and subject to certain determinations by the Administrator, to permit the export of pesticides not meeting FIFRA requirements to: (1) prevent or arrest the spread of a communicable disease; or (2) stop or prevent the spread of a pest that is destroying or will destroy quantities of the country's food supply so as to result in widespread famine. Permits the export of pesticides for experimental use in foreign countries if specified conditions are met. Directs the Administrator to submit information to the Secretary of Health and Human Services concerning inspections for pesticide residues in imported foods conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services. Requires the Administrator to notify foreign countries and the International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals whenever regulatory action is taken with respect to a pesticide. Directs the Administrator to: (1) convene meetings with foreign governments and other interested parties to promote the implementation of improved research and regulatory programs for pest management and strategies for sustainable agriculture and to encourage the adoption of a multilateral convention requiring standard notice and pesticide export control measures; and (2) provide foreign countries with technical assistance to develop pesticide regulatory programs. Permits persons to bring civil actions to secure the imposition of penalties on persons who violate pesticide export requirements. Prohibits civil actions from being initiated on the basis of the same unlawful acts that form the basis of existing proceedings for criminal violations. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the Congress every four years on: (1) the operation and effect of this Act; and (2) how exported pesticides and their containers are used and disposed of and on their impact on the public health and the environment of countries of use. Title II: Pesticide Residue Monitoring - Amends the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to direct the Food and Drug Administration to summarize the volume of each food product subject to the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act imported into the United States in quantities determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be commercial quantities (currently, products having an entry value exceeding an amount established by the Secretary). Requires the summary to: (1) be made by food product, country of origin, port of entry, pesticides monitored by the Secretary, pesticide residues detected, and the quantity of each pesticide exported from the United States for agricultural use; and (2) indicate the volume of each type of food tested for pesticide residues, arranged by pesticide, food, and country of origin. Title III: Pesticide Tolerances - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Administrator, if a registration under FIFRA for a pesticide to be used on food is canceled or modified to prohibit its use in connection with food, to revoke any tolerance or exemption that permits the presence of the pesticide on the food. Suspends tolerances or exemptions for pesticides used on food if such use is suspended under FIFRA. Authorizes the Administrator, if a residue of a canceled or suspended pesticide will persist in the environment and be present on a food, to establish a tolerance for the pesticide at a level that permits the residue to remain and will protect public health. Requires the Administrator to reduce the tolerance for any suspended or canceled pesticide annually if any decrease in the pesticide's residual environmental contamination or residues on food has occurred. Prohibits the Administrator from establishing or continuing a tolerance for a pesticide chemical residue unless the best available, practical method for detecting and measuring the levels of the residue on a food exists. Title IV: Pesticide Information - Prohibits the importation of a raw agricultural commodity into U.S. customs territory unless the commodity importer files with the Secretary and the Secretary of the Treasury a document identifying each pesticide chemical used in connection with the commodity. Requires such importers, if unreported pesticides are detected in such commodities, to submit residue analyses for such pesticides. Waives reporting requirements for unreported pesticides if the presence of such pesticides is attributable to long-term environmental persistence and does not pose a health risk. Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act to apply such requirements to importers of meat, poultry, and eggs. Amends the Agricultural Act of 1954 to add to the list of annual reporting requirements of agricultural attaches a report on the customary use of pesticides in the production of agricultural commodities in foreign countries. Title V: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates for provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Shipbuilding Trade Reform Act of 1991 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require a foreign passenger or cargo vessel in order to enter a U.S. port to have and present to U.S. customs a certification showing that it was: (1) constructed without subsidy benefit; or (2) if a subsidy was provided after a specified date, that the amount has been repaid. Makes it an unlawful act to: (1) present an altered subsidy certification; or (2) enter or fail to leave the United States without such certification. Subjects foreign-made vessels to countervailing duty and antidumping provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Designates September 20, 1991, as National POW/MIA recognition Day. Requires the display of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag: (1) at all national cemeteries and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial on May 30, 1991 (Memorial Day), September 20, 1991 (National POW/MIA Recognition Day), and November 11, 1991 (Veteran's Day); and (2) on, or on the grounds of, the White House, and the buildings containing the primary offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the Selective Service Commission on September 20, 1991 (National POW/MIA Recognition Day).
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Proclaims Lech Walesa, the leader of the Solidarity trade union and President of Poland, as an honorary citizen of the United States. Commends Solidarity for bringing democracy to Poland and starting the movement toward democracy throughout Eastern Europe.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Designates May 15, 1991, as Joe DiMaggio Day, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his remarkable and lasting major league feat of hitting in 56 consecutive games.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1991
Amends the Davis-Bacon Act (the Act) to apply it to any contract (relating to public buildings or public works of the United States or the District of Columbia or buildings or works financed in whole or part by Federal loans, grants, or loan guarantees, with specified exceptions) in excess of $100,000 for new construction (including painting and decorating) or in excess of $15,000 for alteration, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, or reconstruction (including painting and decorating). Provides that State, local, or tribal government requirements for wages or fringe benefits applied to such contracts for federally-assisted construction or repair of buildings or works shall not be preempted by the Act unless there is a conflict in compliance with both. Provides that an individual shall be considered a laborer or mechanic if the contractor or subcontractor paid the individual, directly or through a subcontract, for such services performed to carry out the contract. Prohibits the use of multiple contracts to avoid application of the Act. Requires that any two or more contracts shall be treated as a single contract if they: (1) individually do not exceed the minimum amount necessary for the Act to apply; (2) in the aggregate do exceed such amount; and (3) all relate to the same work or related work at the same site. Permits any interested person to seek relief from violations of such provision in U.S. district court. Applies the Act also to contracts for the lease of a facility if construction, alteration, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, or reconstruction is required for a contract's fulfillment. Defines the terms "apprentice," "trainee," and "helper." Prescribes circumstances under which such persons may be paid less than the required wage rate under the Act. Directs the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to promulgate regulations defining such persons and prescribing the conditions under which they will not be subject to the required rate, the rate at which they will be employed, and other appropriate conditions. Requires the contractor or subcontractor to post the scale of wages required to be paid under such contract in a prominent and easily accessible place at the contract worksite. Provides that the wages required to be paid under the Act shall be the wages determined by the Secretary to be prevailing within three years of the date the contract was entered into. Provides that, if the Secretary has not made a prevailing wage determination within such three-year limitation, the prevailing wage shall be the highest wage prevailing in a comparable area in the State in which the contract is performed. Directs the Secretary, in making a prevailing wage determination, to consider the wages paid for all projects of the same character in the area under contracts for amounts not less than the minimum amounts necessary for the Act to apply. Provides that a contractor or subcontractor may only include contributions and costs relating to employee fringe benefits, as part of their prevailing wage payment, in an amount not exceeding the aggregate of such contributions and costs prevailing in the area. Authorizes the Secretary to investigate and secure compliance with requirements of the Act. Allows any interested person to petition the Secretary to review the determination of a Secretary of a department or an agency head that a contract entered into is not subject to the Act. Provides for judicial review of such coverage determinations. Permits any laborer, mechanic, or any interested person to petition the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor to review the wage payments received to determine if they have been made in accordance with the Secretary's prevailing wage determination. Sets forth procedures for such wage review. Provides that the determination of the Administrator, an administrative law judge, or the Secretary on a petition for review of the wage payments may include the award of damages to the petitioner in the amount of twice the amount of wages not paid in accordance with the prevailing wage determination, if it is found that the petitioner was willfully not paid the required wages. Requires the defendant in such cases to pay a reasonable attorney's fee and the cost of the action. Makes any employer who violates the required wage rate provisions of the Act liable to each affected employee in the amount of unpaid wages and, if the violation was willful, in an additional equal amount as liquidated damages. Allows an action to recover such liability to be maintained against any employer in any Federal or State court of competent jurisdiction by any interested party, or by any employee on behalf of affected employees and other employees similarly situated. Prohibits any employee from being a party plaintiff to such an action unless the employee gives consent in writing to become a party and the consent is filed in the court in which the action is brought. Prohibits employees from bringing such a civil action with respect to their wages if they file a petition for review. Directs the court, in addition to any judgment awarded to the plaintiff or plaintiffs, to allow a reasonable attorney's fee and the cost of the action to be paid by the defendant. Requires the Comptroller General to pay directly to laborers and mechanics from any accrued payments withheld under the contract any wages found by the Secretary to be due. Directs the Secretary to distribute to all departments of the Government a list of the names of persons or firms who: (1) are found to have disregarded their obligations to employees and subcontractors; and (2) are debarred from Federal contracts for a specified time. (Removes the Comptroller General from such debarment process.) Declares that employees may bring an action against contractors and their sureties for the payment of unpaid wages. Specifies that the Secretary or the contracting officer may order accrued payments in amounts necessary to cover unpaid wages to be withheld from contractors found to have violated the Act. Requires that contracts subject to the Act contain a provision allowing the Government to terminate the contract if less than the required wage rate has been or is being paid. Makes the contractor and its sureties liable for any excess costs incurred by the Government because of such termination. Directs the Secretary to: (1) enforce the Act; and (2) promulgate standards and procedures to be observed by contracting officers. Amends the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act (which provides for the Secretary of Labor to make reasonable regulations for contractors and subcontractors in the construction or repair of public buildings or public works or buildings or works financed in whole or part by Federal loans or grants) to require such employers to report certain payroll information on a monthly (rather than a weekly) basis. Requires such information to include specified items (including rates of contributions or costs anticipated for bona fide fringe benefits). Requires such employers to maintain payroll and other related basic records for three years after completion of such work. Permits any interested person to obtain from any Federal department or agency a copy of any such payroll statement which has been filed by the contractor or subcontractor with the department or agency under such Act. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) study the feasibility of employers using electronic methods to comply with reporting requirements under such Act; and (2) report to the Congress within one year on actions taken by the Secretary and employers to facilitate electronic reporting of payroll information.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code and title II of the Social Security Act (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) with respect to the social security exemption for election officials and election workers employed by State and local governments to increase the allowed remuneration paid to such workers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1991
Missing Service Personnel Act of 1991 - Requires the responsible armed forces commander, after receiving notice that a person under his command is missing, to conduct an informal investigation to determine such person's whereabouts and, if appropriate, to place such person in a missing status. Requires the commander, if a person has been placed in such status, to notify the officer holding general court-martial authority over such person (or, in the case of a missing civilian, the Secretary concerned), who shall convene a board of initial inquiry within 45 days. Requires such board to: (1) investigate evidence relating to the disappearance of such person; (2) recommend whether to continue such person in a missing status or make a finding that such person has deserted, is absent without leave, or is dead; and (3) report its recommendations and findings. Provides for the convening of a board of further inquiry, if a board of initial inquiry recommends that such person be continued in a missing status, within one year of such recommendation. Requires such board to analyze any information which has become available since the board of initial inquiry issued its report, to determine whether such person should be continued in a missing status or declared dead, and to report its findings. Directs the Secretary concerned, upon the written request of a member of the immediate family of a missing person who, before the date of the enactment of this Act, was determined by the Secretary to be dead, to: (1) convene a board of further inquiry to determine whether such finding of death should be upheld or such person should be placed in a missing status; and (2) report its findings. Requires the Secretary, within three years after a board of further inquiry recommends a missing status for any person, to reconvene such board to review such status. Specifies the composition of such boards. Directs the Secretary to invite each member of the immediate family of the missing person to the meetings of a board of initial inquiry unless attendance would place such member in danger. Requires the Secretary to: (1) invite family members of missing persons to meetings of boards of further inquiry; (2) schedule such meetings at convenient locations and times; (3) provide such family members with reasonable notice of such meetings; and (4) open such meetings to the general public. Authorizes each board to hold meetings, take testimony, receive evidence, and secure directly from any U.S. department or agency any information necessary to carry out its duties. Provides for the appointment of counsel by the officer or Secretary concerned to represent the missing person. Requires that, if a board determines that a missing person is dead, it shall include in its report a detailed description of the location and date of death, whether the body has been recovered, and whether a licensed practitioner of forensic medicine determined that the body recovered is that of the missing person. Prohibits any such board from declaring a missing person dead unless: (1) evidence other than the passage of a period of less than 50 years suggests that such person is dead; (2) no evidence which reasonably suggests that such person is alive is in the possession of the Government; (3) representatives of the Government have made a complete search of the area where such person was last seen (unless the United States is not granted access to such area); and (4) Government representatives have checked the records of the government or entity having control over the area where such person was last seen (unless the Government is not granted access to such records). Provides for judicial review of determinations of death upon the filing of a written petition by any member of the missing person's immediate family. Directs the Secretary concerned to make certain that such person's personnel file contains all information in the possession of Federal departments and agencies pertaining to the disappearance or whereabouts of such person. Requires the Secretary to make certain that, if classified information is withheld, such file contains: (1) a notice that the information exists; and (2) a notice of the date of the most recent review of the classification status of the information. Sets forth penalties for knowingly withholding information pertaining to the disappearance or whereabouts of a missing person from that person's personnel file. Requires the Secretary concerned to make the contents of such file available to a member of the immediate family of such person upon written request.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1991
States that the Environmental Protection Agency should not permit levels of fluoride in water that endanger public health and should rescind a specified decision which raised the maximum contaminant fluoride levels in such water.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1991
Declares that the Arab League should terminate its boycotts against Israel and that the President should encourage U.S. allies and trading partners to enact laws prohibiting businesses from complying with such boycott and penalizing businesses that do comply.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1991
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to exclude from OASDI coverage any service performed on an election day by State and local election officials and workers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Authorizes the Thomas Paine National Historical Association U.S.A. Memorial Foundation to construct in the District of Columbia or its environs an appropriate monument honoring the American patriot, Thomas Paine. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for the establishment of the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) support democratization within the Soviet Union and support self-determination and independence for all Soviet republics which seek such status; (2) support restoration of independence for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; (3) shape foreign assistance and other programs to support republics whose governments are democratically elected; and (4) support peaceful resolution of conflicts within the Soviet Union and between the central Soviet Government and the Baltic States and Soviet republics, condemn the use of force to suppress democracy and self-determination, and view the use of force for such purposes as an obstacle to fully normalized U.S.-Soviet relations. Directs the Secretary of State to report to the Congress on actual and threatened uses of force against the Baltic States, the Soviet republics, and autonomous regions within the Soviet Union. Requires such report to be included in the Department of State's annual country reports on human rights practices.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Operation Desert Storm Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue one dollar and ten dollar coins emblematic of the United States military's participation in Operation Desert Storm. Prescribes guidelines for the sale of such coins, including the solicitation by the Secretary of the Treasury and the President of the United Service Organizations of bids for proposals from marketing organizations to implement a coin marketing agreement. Mandates that such agreement not indicate in any manner that any portion of the sales price to the public constitutes a tax deductible contribution. Sets forth a surcharge distribution scheme. Mandates that: (1) all amounts received from the sale of such coins be deposited in the coinage profit fund; and (2) the minting and issuing of such coins not result in any net cost to the Federal Government.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit, except under specified circumstances, the Export-Import Bank from using any of its funds or borrowing authority to extend credit for the sale of defense articles and services to any country. (Currently, only to economically less developed countries.)
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend for five years, through 1996, the investment tax credit in connection with depreciable solar energy property and geothermal property; and (2) permit this credit against the taxpayer's entire regular tax liability and minimum tax liability.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Supports the efforts of the Bush Administration to obtain the release of hostages in Lebanon and urges the President to continue to give high priority to working for the release of such hostages and to seek the recovery of the remains of William Buckley and Lieutenant Colonel Higgins. Encourages senior Government officials to emphasize the plight of the hostages in discussions with foreign governments and appeals to governments which have influence with hostage captors to use such influence to win the release of the hostages. Condemns those holding hostages for the violation of human rights. Calls upon the international community to cooperate in establishing mechanisms for holding individuals who engage in international terrorism accountable. Encourages all nations and international organizations to accelerate efforts to obtain the safe and unconditional release of all hostages.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1991
Church Retirement Benefits Simplification Act of 1991 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to recodify and revise qualifications for church retirement and pension plans. Makes employee contributions to such plans nonforfeitable. Allows ten-year vesting with a nonforfeitable right to 100 percent of accrued benefits derived from employer contributions. Allows five-to-fifteen year vesting with a nonforfeitable right to a percentage (25% to 100%) of such accrued benefits. Requires the plan to meet minimum vesting requirements. Provides that no employee shall be considered an officer, shareholder, supervisor, or highly compensated employee if such employee receives less than $50,000 per year. Excludes from such consideration employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement if retirement benefits were a subject of good faith bargaining. Recodifies the authority of a church or a convention or association of churches to be treated as an employer making contributions to retirement income accounts. Subjects church-related hospitals and universities to certain coverage and related rules in the case of a contract purchased by a church. Requires distributions from retirement income accounts provided by churches to be in accordance with distributions under cash or deferred arrangements. Provides for determining the beginning date for such distributions. Allows self-employed ministers and chaplains who work for non-church employers to participate in their church plans. Provides that certain rules aggregating employees do not apply to churches. Restores qualified voluntary employee contributions to church plans. Treats self-employed ministers as employees for purposes of certain welfare benefit plans and retirement income accounts. Allows a deduction for contributions to retirement income accounts by such ministers. Provides that a church plan maintained by more than one employer shall not be treated as a single plan. Provides that accounting methods of deferred compensation plans of State and local governments and tax-exempt organizations do not apply to a church plan. Exempts a church plan from the requirement to maintain separate accounts for medical benefits for key employees. Provides that the special rules for computing employee contributions to pension plans do not apply to certain foreign missionaries. Repeals the elective deferral catch-up limitation for church retirement income accounts. Allows church plans to annuitize benefits and increase benefit payments. Provides that rules for self-insured medical reimbursement plans are not applicable to church plans.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States and the Soviet Union should lead an effort to promptly repeal United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 (equating Zionism with racism.)
![Official portrait of Rep. Annunzio, Frank [D-IL-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000212_200.jpg)