United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1985
Child Abuse Victims Rights Act of 1985 - Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Statute to extend its coverage to the sexual exploitation of children. Authorizes a civil suit for treble damages for any persons injured personally or in their business or property by violations of RICO relating to the sexual exploitation of children. Amends the Federal criminal code to provide a mandatory life sentence for any person who kidnaps an individual under the age of 18. Imposes the death penalty in any case where such victim dies as a result of the kidnapping. Increases the penalties for offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. Provides for a mandatory minimum sentence for second offenders. Extends the statute of limitations for certain offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. Requires the Attorney General, within one year, to submit a report to the Congress recommending possible changes in the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and other courtroom prosecutorial and investigative procedures which would facilitate the participation of child witnesses in cases involving child abuse and sexual exploitation. Specifies a list of considerations including: (1) the use of closed-circuit cameras, two-way mirrors, and other out-of-court statements; (2) the use of judicial discretion to circumscribe the use of harassment or confusing questions; (3) the use of videotape in investigations; (4) the possibility of streamlining investigative procedures; and (5) improved training of prosecutorial and investigative staff in the special problems of child witnesses. Requires the Attorney General to modify the classification system used by the National Crime Information Center in its Interstate Identification Index, and by the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with respect to offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children, to include the age of the victim and the relationship of the victim to the offender. Requires such classification to use a uniform definition of a child. Amends the Missing Children's Assistance Act to increase by one the membership of the Advisory Board on Missing Children.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 1985
Enterprise Zone Development and Employment Act of 1985 - Title I: Designation of Enterprize Zones - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the designation of enterprise zones by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for purposes of extending the tax incentives and regulatory flexibility measures provided by this Act. Provides that State and local governments shall nominate areas for such designation. Limits the designation of enterprise zones to 100 nominated areas, by the later of a 24 month period or July 1, 1985 (one-fourth of which must be in rural areas). Limits the period during which such deisgnation shall remain in effect. Provides that the Secretary may designate such zones only if: (1) the area is within the jurisdiction of the local government; (2) the boundary of the area is continuous; (3) the area has a population of at least 4,000 if any portion thereof is located within a standard metropolitan statistical area (with a population of at least 50,000) or 1,500 otherwise, or is within an Indian reservation; and (4) the area meets specified unemployment and poverty requirements. Requires nominating local governments, as a condition of the Secretary's designation, to agree in writing to follow a course of action which may include reducing tax rates, improving local services, simplifying or streamlining regulation of business, receiving commitments of private entities to assist employees and residents of the area, permitting State and local income tax deductions for fees for services performed by a nongovernmental entity formerly performed by a governmental entity, giving special preference to contractors owned and operated by members of a minority, and giving of surplus land in the enterprise zone to neighborhood organizations agreeing to operate a business on the land. Describes areas to which preference shall be given in deciding to designate enterprise zones. Requires the Secretary to prepare and submit to the Congress every four years a report on the effects of such enterprise zones' designation. Requires that any property tax reduction effected by a local government under the terms of this Act be disregarded for purposes of determining the eligibility of a State or local government for Federal assistance or benefits. States that designation of an enterprise zone shall not give displaced persons from such an area any rights or benefits under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970. Treats any area designated as an enterprise zone as a labor surplus area under Federal law. Title II: Federal Income Tax Incentives - Subtitle A: Credits for Employers and Employees - Allows employers located in enterprise zones a nonrefundable income tax credit for increased employment expenditures and employment of the disadvantaged. Allows a three-year carryback and a 15-year carryover of such credit. Sets the amount of such credit at ten percent of the increase in payroll (taking into account a maximum of $17,500 in wages per year per employee) plus 50 percent of the wages paid to certain disadvantaged workers for the first three years of the enterprise zone designation. Phases out such economically disadvantaged credit. Disallows a deduction for the portion of the wages or salaries taken into account for such credit. Requires that where there is an early termination of employment by an employer in the case of qualified economically disadvantaged individuals, the tax for that taxable year in which the termination occurred must be increased by the tax credits allowed for such employees. Allows employees located in enterprise zones a nonrefundable income tax credit equal to five percent of qualified wages earned per year (taking into account a maximum of $10,500 in wages per year). Phases out such credit. Subtitle B: Credits for Investment in Tangible Property in Enterprise Zones - Allows businesses an additional investment tax credit for investments made in certain enterprise zone construction property located in enterprise zones. Limits such credit to ten percent for new enterprise zone construction property, including rental property. Requires that the property subject to such credit be located in an enterprise zone, be predominantly used in the zone, be either constructed, reconstructed, renovated, etc. during the period of zone designation or acquired during such period, and not be acquired from relatives or related corporations. Requires the recapture of such credit upon the early disposition of the property. Provides for a phase-out of the enterprise zone tax credit as the enterprise zone ends. Provides for an adjustment to the basis of the enterprise zone construction property to reflect the enterprise zone tax credit. Subtitle C: Nonrecognition of Qualified Enterprise Zone Capital Gain Where Acquisition of Enterprise Zone Business Property - Provides for the nonrecognition of capital gain on the sale of property where within the one-year period beginning on the date of such sale qualified replacement property is acquired by the taxpayer, to the extent the gain from the sale does not exceed the cost of the replacement property. Defines "qualified replacement property" as any personal property used predominantly in an enterprise zone in the active conduct of a trade or business within the enterprise zone, any real property located in the enterprise zone used in the active conduct of a trade or business, or any corporation, partnership, or other entity if, for the three most recent taxable years of such entity ending before the date of the purchase of such interest, such entity was a qualified business. Sets forth special rules for the operation of this provision. Requires the basis of the replacement property to be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of gain not recognized on the sale of such other property. Extends the period for the statute of limitations relating to the assessment of tax with respect to the sale of property involving the nonrecognition provisions. Provides that the holding period for the qualified replacement property shall include the period for which the property sold or exchanged had been held as of the date of the sale or exchange. Subtitle D: Deduction for Purchase of Enterprise Stock - Allows a taxpayer to deduct the aggregate amount paid during the taxable year for the purchase of enterprise stock on the original issue of such stock by a qualified issuer. Limits the maximum amount of such deduction to $100,000 a year. Requires that the $100,000 limit must be allocated among the members of a controlled group. Requires the pro rata allocation of the $100,000 limit among the stock purchased where the aggregate amount of stock purchased exceeds the $100,000 limitation. Requires that the gain from the disposition of the stock shall be treated as ordinary income. Provides a formula for calculating such gain. Provides that interest is charged on the disposition of such stock if such disposition occurs before the end of the three-year period beginning on the date the stock was purchased. Provides that where an issuer ceases to be a qualified issuer of enterprise stock before the close of the fifth taxable year after the date the stock was issued, the taxpayer must include in income the amount of the deduction allowed with respect to such stock plus interest on the aggregate decrease in tax of the taxpayer resulting from the deduction allowed with respect to such stock. Sets forth special rules with respect to such stock. Requires the basis of such stock to be reduced by the amount of the deduction allowed with respect to such stock. Subtitle E: Rules Relating to Industrial Development Bonds - Provides that limitations on the cost recovery deductions for property financed with tax-exempt industrial development bonds shall not apply to enterprise zone property. Provides that the termination of the small issue exemption shall not apply to industrial development bonds the proceeds of which are used to finance facilities in such enterprise zones. Subtitle F: Ordinary Loss Deduction for Securities of Enterprise Zone Business Which Become Worthless - Permits an ordinary loss deduction for securities of enterprise zone businesses which become worthless during the taxable year. Subtitle G: Increase in Research Credit for Research Conducted in Enterprise Zones - Increases the tax credit for increasing research activities to 37 and one-half percent. (currently, 25 percent for research conducted in enterprise zones). Subtitle H: Sense of the Congress with Respect to Tax Simplification - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Internal Revenue Service should simplify the administration and enforcement of any provision of the Internal Revenue Code affected by this Act. Subtitle I: Regulations - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act not later than six months after the date of enactment. Title III: Regulatory Flexibility - Revises the definition of "small entity" for purposes of the analysis of regulatory functions to include qualified businesses (as defined in Title II of this Act) and governments and nonprofit enterprises operating within enterprise zones. Authorizes Federal agencies, upon request by a designating government, to waive or modify rules and regulations which pertain to the carrying out of projects or activities within an enterprise zone. Requires agencies to approve such request if the resulting benefits of job creation, community development, or economic revitalization outweigh the public interest in continuation of the rule unchanged. Disallows waiver or modification of a rule that would directly violate a statutory requirement (including the Davis-Bacon Act and Fair Labor Standards Act) or which would present a danger to the public health and safety. Provides that such waivers or modifications of a rule shall remain in effect as long as the zone designations. Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to promote the coordination of all enterprise zone programs and consolidate all periodic reports required under such programs into one summary report. Title IV: Establishment of Foreign-Trade Zones in Enterprise Zones - Requires the Foreign-Trade Board to consider on a priority basis and expedite the processing of applications for the establishment of foreign-trade zones within enterprise zones. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to give priority to, and expedite applications for, the establishment of ports of entry necessary to establish such zones. States that, to the maximum extent practicable, foreign-trade zones should be established within enterprise zones.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 1985
Children's Justice Act - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make additional grants to States for developing, operating, or implementing programs for: (1) handling child abuse cases in a manner to reduce trauma to the child (especially in sexual abuse cases); (2) successful prosecution or legal action against child abusers; and (3) protection of children from abuse. Makes a State eligible for such assistance if it establishes a multidisciplinary task force and adopts reforms recommended by such task force. Requires the task force to be comprised of professionals experienced in the criminal justice system. Requires a State to adopt reforms recommended by the task force in each of the three stipulated categories or submit a detailed explanation of the reasons for not carrying out such recommendations. Requires the Secretary, through the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, to: (1) compile, publish, and disseminate evaluations of the approaches utilized with respect to the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases; (2) develop and disseminate model training materials and procedures to help insure that law enforcement, legal, judicial, and child welfare personnel are adequately trained to deal with child abuse victims; and (3) provide for support of research projects to assist in identifying effective approaches to achieving successful investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases. Directs the Secretary, within two years, to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the activities carried out with the funds made available under this Act and report the results to the Congress. Requires the evaluation to be made available to State officials within 180 days after enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, and any other agency or department head designated by the President, to meet regularly to coordinate and prevent the overlap of programs that address child abuse. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to the Congress on the coordination of Federal programs. Requires the Attorney General to modify the classification system used by the National Crime Information Center in its Interstate Identification Index, and by the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its Criminal File and its Uniform Crime Reporting System, with respect to offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. Amends the Public Health Service Act with regard to the confidentiality of patient records to provide that nothing in such section shall supersede any State or local requirement for the reporting of incidents of suspected child abuse to authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1985
Military Real Property Disposal Act of 1985 - Alters the criteria for triggering the notice requirements before a proposed closure or realignment of any military installation may take place. Repeals the current criterion regarding any closure and any realignment involving a reduction of more than 1,000 or more than 50 percent of the civilian personnel authorized at the installation in question. Establishes as a new criterion any closure or realignment which increases the rate of unemployment in the economic region in question by one percent or more. Requires the Secretary of Defense or the military department concerned to include a socio-economic impact statement in any justification to the Armed Services Committees concerning a closing or realignment. Reduces the waiting period following the justification from 60 to 30 days. Removes the requirement that at least 300 civilian personnel be employed at a military installation before it is considered a military installation for purposes of such closures or realignments.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1985
'Designer Drug' Enforcement Act of 1985 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish criminal penalties for the manufacture or possession with intent to distribute or the distribution of unregulated drugs with a chemical structure or effect substantially similar to that of a controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 1985
Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute (RICO) to allow a civil action to be brought by a plaintiff only when the private suit rests on an injury caused by conduct that led to the defendant's conviction of one of the predicate offenses listed in the statute or of a criminal violation of RICO itself. Requires the plaintiff to bring such action within one year of the defendant's conviction.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1985
Home Employment Enterprise Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to permit individuals to engage in industrial homework (including sewing, knitting, jewelry, or craftmaking) or perform any service in or about their place of residence as employees of any employer covered by such Act if the employer complies with minimum wage and maximum hours requirements under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1985
Designates the period of October 1, 1985, through September 30, 1986, as the time to reflect on the achievements of the Peace Corps during its 25 years and on ways such programs might be used in the future. Authorizes and requests the President to proclaim this period as a time to honor Peace Corps volunteers and reaffirm the Nation's commitment to such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1985
Designates August 14, 1985, as Social Security Day and the week of August 11 through August 17, 1985, as Social Security Week. Authorizes and requests the President to commemorate August 14, 1985, as the 50th anniversary of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1985
Supports the initiative of the Director of the U.S. Information Agency to: (1) arrange for a high level Soviet official to appear on American television provided the Soviet Union allows a high level American official to appear on Soviet television; and (2) plan for United States and Soviet participation in a worldwide discussion using an international satellite television network and allowing journalists to ask uncensored questions of such officials.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1985
Even Start Act - Establishes a pilot program to combine adult basic education for parents and school readiness training for children into a single educational program. Requires that funds made available to a grant recipient under this Act be used to provide a program of adult literacy training which includes as a major component involving parents and children together to enhance the likelihood of educational achievement. Requires that each such program receiving a grant include the following elements: (1) identifying and recruiting eligible participants; (2) screening and preparing parents and children for participation (including testing, referral to necessary counseling, and related services); (3) designing programs and providing support services to suit the participants' work and other responsibilities (including child care, transportation, and scheduling and locating services to allow joint participation by parents and children); (4) establishing instruction programs that promote adult literacy, equip parents to support the education and growth of their children, and prepare children for success in regular school program; and (5) providing and monitoring integrated instructional services to participants through home-based programs. Makes eligible for participation in such programs families that: (1) include a parent eligible to participate in an adult basic education program under the Adult Education Act; and (2) reside, with a child aged four or five, in a school attendance area designated for receipt of funds under chapter 1 (Financial Assistance to Meet Special Educational Needs of Disadvantaged Children) of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA). Makes eligible to apply for such program grants any agency, organization, or institution that operates an adult basic education program under the Adult Education Act and that serves an area: (1) in which the unemployment rate exceeds the national average; and (2) at least 75 percent of which is comprised of school attendance areas designated for receipt of funds under chapter 1 of ECIA. Sets forth grant application requirements, including: (1) a demonstration that the applicant can coordinate programs under the Adult Education Act with program under chapter 1 of ECIA, with other related programs such as health care, nutrition, child abuse, and substance abuse control and with State and local educational agencies; (2) a statement of methods to be used to provide program services for those most in need of them and for special populations, such as the handicapped and those with limited English proficiency; and (3) a demonstration that the applicant has qualified personnel to provide staff training and preparation. Directs the Secretary of Education to select 15 to 20 applications for final review, with two-thirds of these from urban areas and one-third from rural areas. Provides that three of these applications shall be selected for receipt of funds by a review panel composed of the Secretary, and specified members of State and local directors of programs under chapter 1 of ECIA and the Adult Education Act, chief State school officers, and representatives from a local Parent-Teacher Association and from institutions of higher education with training, respectively, in early childhood education and in adult literacy training. Sets forth program agreement requirements, including: (1) participant enrollment for at least 12 months; and (2) grant recipient provision of at least 25 percent of program costs for the third year of operation, 50 percent for the fourth year, and continued program operation after the expiration of assistance under this Act, if the program has been demonstrated to be effective. Sets forth requirements for evaluation and dissemination of results of such pilot projects. Requires that the results of such evaluation be submitted by the end of FY 1992 to the national diffusion network for possible dissemination. Directs the Secretary, in order to carry out this Act, to reserve specified amounts from FY 1987 through 1991 funds which would otherwise be available for: (1) grants to States for adult basic education and adult education programs to be carried out by local educational agencies and private nonprofit agencies; and (2) evaluation and studies under chapter 1 of ECIA. Provides that such requirement shall not apply to funds appropriated before the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that U.S. national security policy should reflect a national strategy of peace through strength. Sets forth the principles and goals of such policy.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Public Housing Comprehensive Grant Act - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to authorize a public housing agency to use any amounts made available from contributions by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (the Secretary). Authorizes appropriations for FY 1987 and 1988. Authorizes the Secretary to make financial assistance available to public housing agencies. Directs the Secretary to determine from appropriated annual amounts the amount necessary to fund the annual accrual of capital improvement needs of public housing agencies and to allocate such sums to each public housing agency based on specified formulae reflecting capital improvement needs. Requires the Secretary to approve a five-year comprehensive plan submitted by a public housing agency before financial assistance may be made available under this Act (except where conditions constitute an immediate threat to the health or safety of tenants). Details the requirements of such a comprehensive plan and the basis upon which it will be disapproved. Requires the Secretary to notify the public housing agency in writing if the plan is not approved, indicating the reasons for disapproval and the modifications required to make the plan approvable. Permits a smaller public housing agency (including an Indian housing agency) to apply for grants for projects which cannot be funded with other available resources. Requires the Secretary to give preference to public housing agencies which: (1) have conditions constituting an immediate threat to the health or safety of tenants; (2) have the most severe need for improvements and replacements; and (3) have a demonstrated capability of implementing the work proposed in the agency's application for assistance. Limits the purposes for which a public housing agency may use financial aid. Requires a public housing agency which receives assistance to submit to the Secretary: (1) an annual statement of activities and expenditures projected to be funded by such assistance during the immediately following fiscal year of the public housing agency; and (2) a performance and evaluation report regarding the agency's activities. Requires the Secretary to review on at least an annual basis the activities of recipient agencies (including their capacities for implementing their comprehensive plans and their progress in satisfying performance standards prescribed by the Secretary). Prohibits the Secretary from providing financial assistance for FY 1987 unless the Secretary has determined that the public housing agency has made reasonable progress in implementing certain modernization projects. Authorizes the Secretary to withhold assistance or require a public housing agency to take corrective action in accordance with the Secretary's review. Requires that audit examinations be made of recipients. Requires the Secretary to prescribe by regulation: (1) the formula for determining the annual accrual of capital improvement needs of certain public housing agencies; (2) the formula for allocating assistance among larger public housing agencies; (3) criteria for determining whether proposed improvements will reasonably assure the long-term viability of a project; and (4) the performance standards to be applied in the Secretary's reviews and audits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1985
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that nothing in the Constitution shall abridge the right of persons to participate in voluntary prayer in public schools or institutions. States that no person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Prohibits the United States or any State from composing words of prayer to be said in the public schools.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1985
Establishes in the legislative branch of the Government the Perot Commission on Americans Missing in Southeast Asia to conduct an investigation and report to the Congress its findings with respect to the existence and the release of prisoners of war in Southeast Asia. Sets forth specified administrative procedures and powers of the Commission. Requires the Commission to terminate 30 days after the filing of its report to the Congress or on January 3, 1987, whichever occurs first.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 1985
Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to include in the Agency's study of the cumulative effect of substances on the stratosphere, particularly, the ozone, the effects of other trace gases. Grants priority in such study to increasing and improving measurements of ozone and other chemical species in the atmosphere that would indicate potential trends in actual ozone. Grants priority in other studies and research to a quantitative analysis of any effects of statospheric changes on human health, crops, and the ecosystem. Directs the Administrator to contract triennially with the National Academy of Sciences to study and evaluate changes in the ozone and their effects. Requires the Academy to report triennially to the Administrator and to the Congress on the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere and its causes and implications. Requires that other Federal agency studies concerned with the stratosphere be continued, with an emphasis on studying and monitoring any changes in the ozone and their effects. Directs the President to enter into international agreements to reach consensus on the causes of and responses to the ozone problem. Requires the President to report annually to the Congress on the status of such efforts. Directs the Administrator to regulate chlorofluorocarbons only if they are determined to be causing a dangerous depletion in the ozone and such regulation is feasible and cost-effective.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1985
States that the Congress condemns: (1) Nicaraguan actions that hinder freedom of religion; and (2) the association of the Nicaraguan Government with international terrorist organizations, including the Palestine Liberation Organization. Calls upon the President, in communications with Nicaragua, to raise the issues of religious persecution of and compensation for members of the Jewish, Miskito, and other communities who have been forced to leave because of interference with freedom of religion.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1985
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish an applicable test rate of nine percent for determining whether there is imputed interest in the case of seller-financed property. Permits a lower test interest rate of 80 percent of the Federal Treasury rate where such rates are lower than the nine percent test rate. Provides for a blended test rate for instances where the loan amount exceeds $4,000,000. Provides that in determining whether wraparound financing meets such testing rate, the test shall be applied to the net rate of interest on the seller's equity in the financing after deducting the existing third party financing. Authorizes the imputation of interest in seller-financed property sales of $4,000,000 or less of ten percent or 90 percent of the Federal Treasury rates, whichever is less, where the test interest rates have not been met. Allows for a blended imputed interest rate where the debt amount exceeds $4,000,000. Requires that all loan amounts from a single transaction or series of related transactions be aggregated for purposes of determining the loan amount. Provides that the imputed interest rules will not apply to assumptions of loans unless the terms and conditions of such debt obligations are modified in connection with the assumption. Repeals the provisions of the Code limiting the amount of interest expense a purchaser of personal use property may deduct for tax purposes. Excepts debt instruments arising from the sale or exchange of a residence from the imputed interest provisions where the obligor of the instrument uses the property as his other residence. Provides that the imputed interest rules shall not apply in the case of sales or exchanges of property where the borrowed amount does not exceed $4,000,000. Requires the interest on the obligation issued in connection with such sales or exchanges to be taken into account by both the buyer and the seller on the cash receipts and disbursement method of accounting unless both buyer and seller agree to use the accrual receipts and disbursement method of accounting.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1985
Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans Act - Title I: SSI Work Incentive Provisions - Makes permanent provisions which provide benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act for individuals who perform substantial gainful activity despite a severe medical impairment. Revises the eligibility requirements for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and implement procedures which provide that whenever an individual is formally notified of his or her SSI eligibility, such individual will also be notified of the availability of assistance under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act. Directs the Secretary, when any individual receives SSI benefits on the basis of a disability, to notify such individual of his or her potential eligibility for the SSI benefits available for those performing substantial gainful activity despite a severe medical impairment. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study of the operation of the SSI section which provides benefits for individuals who perform substantial gainful activity despite a severe medical impairment, with the particular objective of evaluating the work incentive provisions of such section. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the Congress the findings of such study. Title II: Disabled Workers Demonstration Program - Amends the Rehabilitation Act to direct the Secretary of Education to establish grant programs to: (1) assist employers to plan, implement, operate, expand, and evaluate retention and reemployment demonstration programs for disabled workers; (2) assist employers to develop plans for the initiation or substantial expansion of a comprehensive retention and reemployment program for disabled workers; (3) assist employers to implement or substantially expand a comprehensive retention and reemployment program for disabled workers; and (4) assist employers in evaluating the effectiveness of any retention and reemployment program for disabled workers. Requires any employer requesting a grant to apply to the Secretary in such form, and at such times, as the Secretary may request. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1992. Title III: Employment Opportunities Demonstration Program for SSI and Disability Insurance Recipients - Directs to Secretary to establish a grant program to assist the States in establishing and operating demonstration programs to promote, identify, secure, and evaluate employment opportunities for individuals receiving SSI on the basis of blindness or disability, and individuals receiving disability insurance benefits or child's insurance benefits under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act. Requires any State requesting a grant to apply to the Secretary in such form, and at such times, as the Secretary may require. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 1985
Youth Employment Opportunity Wage Act of 1985 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to authorize employers to pay employees under 20 years of age 75 percent of the minimum wage rate between May and September of each year. Exempts such employees from special certificate requirements. Restricts such authorization to: (1) hours worked by eligible employees in compliance with applicable child labor laws; and (2) youth employed after May 1 of each year. Prohibits the removal of employees ineligible for the subminimum wage rate in order to replace them with employees who are eligible. Makes technical and conforming amendments to the Job Training Partnership Act. Directs the Secretary of Labor to monitor the implementation of this Act and to report to the Congress concerning the employment effects of this Act. Terminates such minimum wage rate exception after September 30, 1987, and repeals, as of that date, the amendments made by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1985
Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute to extend the Act's coverage to the sexual exploitation of children. Authorizes a civil suit for treble damages for any person injured personally or in their business or property.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1985
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code relating to installment sales and the regulations relating to such sales should not be modified or amended in any way that will alter the manner in which mortgage-backed builder bond transactions are currently taxed.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1985
Amends the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 to provide that a buyer in the ordinary course of business who buys farm products from a seller engaged in farming operations shall take free of any seller-created security interest even though the buyer knows of its existence, unless within 12 months before the sale the buyer: (1) received notice of the security interest and of any payment obligations imposed by the secured party as conditions for waiver or release of the security interest and (2) has failed to perform such obligations. Sets forth parallel provisions for commission merchants or selling agents.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1985
Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act to authorize the award of a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs to the parents or guardian of a handicapped child or youth who is the prevailing party in a civil suit under such Act to protect the child's right to a free appropriate public education. Requires the party seeking such an award to submit an application, including an itemized statement of such fees and expenses from the attorneys or expert witnesses. Authorizes the court to: (1) increase the amount awarded to the prevailing party if the court finds that the local or State educational agency or the intermediate educational unit has engaged in conduct which unduly and unreasonably protracted the final resolution of the matter in controversy; or (2) reduce or deny an award if it finds that the prevailing party engaged in such conduct. Prohibits such awards from being paid with funds provided to the State under such Act. Provides that such amendments shall apply to actions and proceedings brought on or after July 4, 1984, and actions and proceedings brought prior to such date which were pending on such date. Provides that nothing in the Education of the Handicapped Act shall be construed to restrict or limit the rights, procedures, and remedies under the Constitution, title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or other Federal statutes prohibiting discrimination. Provides that specified provisions under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 relating to nondiscrimination toward the handicapped under Federal grants and programs shall be carried out in accordance with regulations in effect on July 4, 1984. Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act to provide for: (1) public access to hearing decisions; and (2) an informal complaint resolution procedure. Provides that any decision regarding participation in an informal complaint resolution meeting with the State or local educational agency or intermediate educational unit shall not affect the availability or provision of any rights of the parents or guardian of the handicapped child under procedural safeguard provisions of such Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bartlett, Steve [R-TX-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000204_200.jpg)