United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Limits Members of Congress to two usual and customary congressional newsletters as mass mailings and postal patron mailings in a calendar year. Requires the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards to prescribe rules and regulations to carry out this Act. Requires Members to file disclosure statements detailing mass mailing costs during the preceding six months. Provides for separate appropriations for the House and the Senate for franked mailings. Requires any Member whose spending for franked mailings exceeds the postage allowance to repay such excess expenses from the Member's office payroll account.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Commission on the Federal Taxation of Savings and Investment Act - Establishes the Commission on the Federal Taxation of Savings and Investment to determine the impact of such taxation on the strength of the economy.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the Congress and the States shall have power to prohibit the act of desecration of the U.S. flag and to set criminal penalties for that act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the Congress and the States shall have power to prohibit the act of desecration of the U.S. flag and to establish criminal penalties for that act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the Congress and the States shall have power to prohibit, and to establish criminal penalties for, acts of physical abuse, destruction, and desecration of the U.S. flag.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Constitutional Amendment - Grants the President the authority to reduce or disapprove any item of appropriation in any Act or joint resolution, except any item of appropriation for the legislative branch.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Supreme Court decision to overturn statutes that protect the flag from desecration is without merit and the flag must be protected from any attempt to mutilate, damage, destroy, or desecrate it in any manner.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the concurrent budget resolution for FY 1991 should use a flexible freeze on spending in lieu of new taxes; and (2) the freeze should be similar to that proposed for the FY 1990 budget, which allows some programs to be increased while others are reduced.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1989
Emergency Chinese Adjustment of Status Facilitation Act of 1989 - Waives the two-year home country residence requirement for nationals of the People's Republic of China in the United States on a student (J) visa. Continues the legal status of nonimmigrant nationals of the People's Republic of China in the United States for adjustment or change of status purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1989
Spending Control Enhancement Act of 1989 - Adds a title to the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to rescind all or part of any budget authority provided in an appropriations bill by notifying the Congress of the rescission by a special message within ten calendar days after enactment of the Act in question. Makes such rescission effective unless the Congress, within ten days after receiving the special message, completes action on a bill disapproving the proposal. Describes: (1) information to be included in the President's message; and (2) procedures to govern consideration of rescission disapproval legislation in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1989
Expresses the concern of the House of Representatives regarding the future security of the Panama Canal. Calls on the President to renegotiate the Panama Canal Treaties to permit: (1) the permanent stationing of U.S. forces in Panama; and (2) the United States to act independently to maintain the security of the Canal and to guarantee its regular operation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should: (1) instruct the U.S. Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Asian Development Bank to oppose the making of any loan, or the extension of any financial or technical assistance, to the People's Republic of China; and (2) consider China to be engaged in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights for purposes of the International Financial Institutions Act until the President determines that the repression and reprisals against persons in connection with the prodemocracy demonstrations have ended.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 1989
Space Transportation Services Purchase Act of 1989 - Requires the Federal Government to purchase space transportation services from commercial providers, unless on a case-by-case basis: (1) the Secretary of Defense certifies to the National Space Council that national security reasons require otherwise; (2) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration certifies to the Council that the unique capabilities of the space shuttle are required; or (3) the Secretary of Transportation finds that the services required are unavailable at a reasonable cost from commercial providers. Requires the Federal Government to acquire only space transportation vehicles manufactured in the United States of primarily U.S.-made components, and only as required under this Act or by NASA for conducting research and development on space transportation technology. Requires contracts to provide space transportation services to be awarded through the competitive bidding process among U.S. persons. Requires other activities of the Government relating to: (1) commercial payloads on the space shuttle; (2) grants for space transportation services; (3) expenditures for international activities or organizations using space transportation services; and (4) studies on future space transportation services.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 1989
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the right of the people to allow voluntary prayer and the teaching of the Judeo-Christian ethic, including the Ten Commandments and the creation of the earth as accepted in Judeo-Christian tradition, in public schools shall not be denied or abridged by the United States. States that this Amendment does not: (1) force the people to enact any statute against their will; (2) constitute the establishment of a religion; or (3) permit any governmental or administrative authority to prescribe the form or content of any voluntary prayer.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means should review the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 and hold hearings in the process of such review.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1989
Truth in Legislating Resolution - Amends rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require each report or joint explanatory statement accompanying each bill or joint resolution to contain: (1) an identification of each provision which benefits only ten or fewer beneficiaries; (2) the name of each beneficiary; (3) the name of the Member who sponsored such provision and an identification of each such provision requested by a Federal agency or Federal officer; and (4) an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office or the Joint Committee on Taxation of the costs or loss in revenues resulting from such provision.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1989
Workers' Political Rights Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to include political committees among those entities to which contributions by national banks, corporations, or labor organizations are restricted. Provides that communications to its members and their families and the establishment of, and solicitation of contributions for, a separate segregated political fund by a labor organization shall not be considered to be prohibited political contributions or expenditures only if such organization provides to employees it represents written notification of the following information: (1) that no employee is required to join the labor organization, and if the collective bargaining agreement purports to require membership in, or the payment of any amounts to, such organization, the employee instead may pay an agency fee to such organization; (2) the amount of the agency fee for the current year and the amount of union membership dues, initiation fees, and assessments for the current year; (3) that employees who choose to join the union will be subject to the labor organization's reasonable internal rules, regulations, and discipline; (4) that employees who resign from such organization may do so without being subject to internal union discipline for any post-resignation conduct; (5) that the amount of the agency fee for the current year is limited to the employee's pro rata cost of the labor organization's exclusive representation services to the collective bargaining unit; (6) that a procedure is in place to determine those costs which are chargeable to agency fee payors and such procedures are fully explained; and (7) that due regard is given to the fact that the labor organization holds a fiduciary position of trust with respect to the employees it represents and that the rights of employees to associate freely are not infringed any more than necessary for such organization to defray its reasonable costs of providing exclusive representation services. Requires a labor organization which does not provide employees with such notification to finance those political activities which are not considered contributions or expenditures with funds collected for its separate, segregated political fund.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1989
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an agreement for the transfer of specified monkeys used in research at the Institute for Behavioral Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, to Primarily Primates, Inc., an animal sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas, the teaching zoo known as Moorpark College in Moorpark, California, or the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1989
Older Americans' Freedom to Work Act of 1989 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to remove the limitation on the amount of outside income which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn without incurring a reduction in benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1989
Urges: (1) the Chinese Government to respect and affirm internationally recognized human rights and to repeal martial law; (2) protesting students to continue their fight in nonviolent ways; and (3) the Secretary of State to take appropriate action to protect protesting students' and workers' rights. Commends the protesting students' commitment to nonviolent principles of protest. Declares that any violent response by China could affect Sino-American relations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1989
Commends the demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and throughout China for their use of nonviolent means to achieve reform. Urges the Chinese Government to reach an accommodation with the demonstrators and work toward a democratic China.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1989
Cable Competition Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize a State or cable television franchising authority to regulate the rates that a cable operator may charge for the provision of lifeline television services for any franchising area which is not provided with cable service by two or more cable operators. Defines the "lifeline television service" as the provision of: (1) channels of the three major networks; (2) a public television channel; and (3) one channel carrying each independent local television station. Repeals a provision of such Act which prohibits a telephone company from providing video programming in its telephone service area. Allows a telephone company to: (1) provide video programming directly to subscribers; or (2) provide rental arrangements to any entity which is owned or controlled by, or under common control with, such telephone company for the provision of such video programming. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe regulations to ensure that: (1) the economic risks of video programming business of a telephone company are not borne by telephone service ratepayers in any way; and (2) a common carrier providing video services allocates costs in a manner which protects basic telephone ratepayers from subsidizing the provision of cable video programming. Prohibits a telephone company from providing video programming services if prohibited from doing so by Federal antitrust laws. Makes it unlawful for any person (including a common carrier) to purchase or otherwise acquire control of a cable system without the permission of the franchising authority for that cable system. Prohibits a franchising authority from granting such authority unless: (1) it determines that cable subscribers will benefit from such acquisition; (2) it determines that the number of channels, the signal quality, and the types of services will be expanded; and (3) the person acquiring the cable system agrees to include an obligation to achieve such expanded benefits and services for its customers. Requires a cable operator to: (1) provide cable system access to any program service, except under specified conditions; (2) provide cable system access to any unaffiliated program service under the same rates, terms, and conditions as provided to an affiliated program; and (3) comply with regulations prescribed by the FCC which ensure such access. States that any regulations prescribed by the FCC shall not relieve a common carrier who provides cable service from any regulations under the above Act or any other regulations concerning open network architecture plans and related requirements. Makes it unlawful for any person affiliated with a cable operator who provides programming to any cable operator to engage in any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, regulations, facilities, or services against any person seeking to obtain such programming for distribution over another capable system or over any other medium capable of making the programming available for private viewing. Empowers U.S. district courts with jurisdiction to enforce such prohibitions. Directs the FCC to initiate a proceeding to investigate: (1) the extent to which affiliated persons are engaged in producing and distributing video programming for carriage on cable television systems; and (2) the degree to which such operations result in higher rates for television service or unfair or anticompetitive acts or practices with respect to such programming. Requires the FCC to report immediately to the Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) any acts or practices found during such investigation that appear to violate any law within the jurisdiction of the Attorney General or the FTC. Directs the FCC to report to the Congress on the results of such investigation within one year after the enactment of this Act. Directs the FCC to initiate a proceeding to investigate: (1) the extent to which video programming is being delivered to residents of rural areas by means of cable television systems and other media; and (2) methods which might be used to improve and extend the delivery of such programming by such media. Directs the FCC to report the results of such investigations to the Congress within one year after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should delay the implementation of the transfer to Panama of administrative authority and control of the Panama Canal for a period of twice the number of days during which: (1) General Manuel Noriega remains in Panama, or remains in any official position with the Government of Panama, after the date of the adoption of this resolution; or (2) the President determines that there is not a freely-elected democratic government in Panama.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1989
Irrigation Subsidies Reform Act of 1989 - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to prohibit a producer who receives Federal irrigation water at less than full cost from participating in any agricultural price and income support program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1989
Directs the U.S. Postal Service to establish procedures to provide that, upon a written request of the head of any unit of general local government, ZIP code boundaries do not cross the boundaries of such general local government unit. Declares that ZIP code areas having the same first five digits shall be considered to have the same ZIP code in order to apply this Act to areas using more than five digits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1989
Worker's Option Act of 1989 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the limitation on the amount of outside income which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn without incurring a reduction in benefits. Increases the delayed retirement credit rate for individuals who work beyond retirement age. Eliminates the recomputation of an individual's primary insurance amount when such individual has wages or self-employment income after entitlement to old-age or disability insurance benefits. Charges off an individual's excess earnings by eliminating such individual's entitlement to retroactive OASDI benefits for months preceding such individual's attainment of retirement age. Authorizes the appropriation of revenues received by reason of this Act's amendments to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund from 1990 through 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1989
Constitutional Amendment - Requires the Congress and the President, prior to each fiscal year, to agree on an estimate of total receipts (except those derived from borrowing) for that fiscal year by enactment of a joint single subject resolution. Prohibits outlays for that year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding this amount unless the Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each House, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each House to increase the public debt. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to the Congress. Requires the approval of a majority of the total membership of each House by roll call vote before any bill to increase revenue may become law. Waives these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1989
East-West Trade and Human Rights Enhancement Act of 1989 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to declare that a nonmarket economy country: (1) that is not eligible to receive nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) may not thereafter be granted such treatment unless the President determines that it is satisfactorily implementing internationally recognized worker rights; or (2) that is eligible for such treatment shall continue to be eligible subject to its recognition of fundamental human rights. States that the eligibility of such a country, if in effect within three years after enactment of this Act, shall terminate unless the President determines that it is recognizing such worker rights. Terminates three years after enactment of this Act the eligibility of nonmarket economy countries currently exempted from the human rights requirements of such Act unless the President determines that they are satisfactorily implementing worker rights. Requires the President, after making an affirmative determination that a nonmarket economy country is implementing such worker rights, to monitor the condition of such rights in that country. Authorizes the President to grant special tariff treatment for goods produced by one or more qualified cooperative enterprises in any nonmarket economy country that is not eligible for commercial benefits with the United States, if the President considers that such treatment will encourage that country to implement changes necessary to enable it to become eligible. Prohibits the President from granting such tariff treatment unless he submits to the Congress a report containing certain specifications. Provides for the suspension or withdrawal of such special treatment by the President. Authorizes the President to enter into bilateral commercial agreements that provide most-favored-nation treatment to countries previously denied such treatment provided that such country is taking steps to extend internationally recognized worker rights to its own workers. Establishes the United States-Nonmarket Economy Cooperative Enterprise Foundation to increase the trade and commercial linkages between the United States and cooperative enterprises in nonmarket economy countries. Establishes in the Treasury the Enterprise Foundation Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer specified funds from the general fund into the Trust Fund. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1989
Federal Unemployment Tax Relief Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the temporary increase in the unemployment tax paid by employers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 1989
Alternative Fuels Incentive Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an income tax credit for investments in qualified clean-burning (natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or alcohol) motor vehicle fuel property. Permits a 20 percent credit from 1990 through 1999, phasing out the credit in five percent increments annually thereafter to reach zero percent at the end of 2002. Applies the credit to depreciable property that is: (1) equipment designed either to modify a motor vehicle so that it will be propelled only be a clean-burning fuel or to assist in delivering such fuel into such vehicles; or (2) a motor vehicle propelled by clean-burning fuel. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to make credit-equivalent payments to States and to local governments in connection with qualified property.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual the following qualified employer-provided transportation benefits: (1) the value of transportation in a commuter highway vehicle between the employee's residence and workplace; and (2) up to $60 per month of the value of any transit pass entitling the employee to transportation on mass transit facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1989
Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1989 - Amends the Davis-Bacon Act to increase from $2,000 to $250,000 the threshold amount subjecting certain contracts to such Act and requiring them to specify the minimum wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish as the prevailing wage for a class of laborers or mechanics the entire range of wages being paid to a corresponding class of such workers in the particular urban or rural subdivision of the State in which the work is to be performed. Sets out the means for determining such prevailing wage in cases when more than a single wage is being paid to corresponding classes of workers. Excludes from the computation of wages the basic hourly rates of pay for workers on local Federal projects. Establishes a separate classification for helpers of laborers or mechanics, with their prevailing wages to be determined on the basis of the corresponding class of helpers. Prohibits the division of contracts into units of $250,000 or less for purposes of avoiding wage computation under such Act. Provides for administrative enforcement of such prohibition. Applies the increased contract amount threshold for coverage provided in this Act to other related Federal laws which use the Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage rate determination requirements. Provides that wages found to be due to laborers and mechanics pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act shall be paid to them directly from accrued payments withheld under the contract, in accordance with specified regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor. (Currently the Comptroller General makes such payments.) Directs the Administrator of General Services (rather than the Comptroller General) to distribute a list to all Federal agencies giving the names of persons or firms that the Secretary of Labor (rather than the Comptroller General) has found to have disregarded their obligations to employees and subcontractors. Amends the Copeland Act to require certain contractors or subcontractors to furnish compliance statements concerning weekly wages at the beginning, midpoint, and conclusion of the period covered by the contract, instead of every week as the wages are paid. Requires such statements at least every three months. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Comptroller General to submit to the Congress annual reports describing the effects of the Davis-Bacon Act, the Copeland Act, and this Act on local wages and on local and national economies.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Soviet Union should be held responsible for any use of chemical warfare by the Afghan regime against the mujahideen and should remove the potential for chemical warfare in Afghanistan; and (2) any such use may be cause for the United States to reduce or terminate diplomatic initiatives and economic cooperation with the Soviet Union.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1989
Amends the Fair Housing Act to extend the transition period with respect to housing qualifying as housing for older persons based on the age of the residents.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to extend from four to nine the number of ensuing fiscal years for which the Congressional Budget Office must project the effects that a reported measure providing new budget authority, new spending authority, or new credit authority, or providing an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures will have on the levels of such budget authority, budget outlays, spending authority, revenues, tax expenditures, direct loan obligations, or primary loan guarantee commitments under existing law. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that the report accompanying each public bill or joint resolution contain an estimate of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out such legislation in the fiscal year in which it is reported and in each of the succeeding ten fiscal years (currently five fiscal years).
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1989
Enclave Fire Protection Act of 1989 - Requires a Federal, State, or regional enclave which relies on the services of the emergency response personnel of a subordinate jurisdiction to cooperate with such personnel when such personnel are planning for and responding to emergencies involving the enclave. Permits such enclaves to take the steps necessary to protect national security information.
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 · 2 May 1989
Condemns the use of excessive and lethal force by Soviet troops in responding to the demonstrations of April 9, 1989, in Tbilisi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Urges the Soviet Union to investigate allegations of the use of toxic chemical agents against the demonstrators in Tbilisi and, if true, to take steps to prevent the reoccurrence of such use. Supports the demands of the people of Georgia for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any distribution from an individual retirement plan if: (1) the payee has attained age 59 1/2 on or before the date of distribution; and (2) the distribution is used during the taxable year to pay premiums for a long-term health care insurance policy covering necessary diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance, or personal care services for the payee or a spouse meeting the same 59 1/2 year age requirement.
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
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual otherwise taxable amounts derived from the whole or partial surrender, cancellation, or exchange of any life insurance policy if: (1) the individual is age 65 or older on the date of the transaction; and (2) the amounts in question are used to pay premiums for an insurance policy covering at least 12 months of medically necessary nonemergency care for the individual or a spouse meeting the same 65-year age requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1989
Drug Abuse Treatment Policy Act of 1989 - Prohibits the expenditure of any Federal funds or the provision of advice by any Federal officer or employee with respect to any program of distributing needles for the injection of any illegal drug or distributing bleach for cleansing needles for such injection. Prohibits any narcotic treatment program from providing any narcotic to treat any individual for dependence on heroin or any similar drug unless the program provides a comprehensive range of rehabilitative services, including counseling. Allows an exception for certain short-term detoxification programs. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General from authorizing a program for narcotic addiction treatment involving the provision of methadone under the terms and conditions proposed on a specified date, as published in the Federal Register.
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
Organ Transportation Good Samaritan Act - Limits to gross negligence the liability of persons who without compensation transport by air in interstate commerce human transplant organs.
![Official portrait of Rep. Armey, Richard K. [R-TX-26]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000217_200.jpg)