United States · United States Congress · 31 May 1984
Expresses the sense of Congress that television and radio networks and stations broadcasting coverage of the XXIII Olympiad should include public service announcements or other informational programming warning young people of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1984
Amends the Sikes Act to prohibit the sale of land or logs by the President and the leasing of land by a military department on a military reservation which is subject to a cooperative plan providing for the development, maintenance, and coordination of wildlife, fish, and games conservation and rehabilitaion on such reservation unless the effects of such sale or lease will improve wildlife, fish, and game conservation and rehabilitation in a manner consistent with such plan. Provides that contracts for services to implement and enforce cooperative plans for military reservations may be made only with Federal and State agencies having responsibility for fish or wildlife conservation or management. Requires that the commanding officers of military reservations ensure that implementation and enforcement services for such plans are provided by Department of Defense personnel with professional training in those services. Revises the requirements for the distribution of profits from the sale of lands or logs from a military installation or facility.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1984
States that the Congress: (1) adopts as an objective the release of all Americans still held captive in Southeast Asia and the full accounting of those still missing; (2) recognizes and supports the President's leadership with respect to those Americans; (3) supports his efforts in impressing upon the Southeast Asian nations the determination of the United States to resolve this issue; and (4) encourages him to continue to use all means to secure a full accounting of those Americans still missing and to inform the Congress of his progress regarding this matter.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1984
Constitutional Amendment - Permits the President to reduce or veto any item of appropriation in any Act or joint resolution, except an item of appropriation for the legislative branch or the judicial branch. Requires the President to return with his objections any item of appropriation reduced or vetoed to the House in which the bill originated. Subjects such bills to the same proceeding as other bills disapproved by the President, except that only a majority vote of each House of Congress shall be required to override a disapproval or reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the International Olympic Committee should establish a permanent Olympic facility on a site that insulates the games from international politics.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should support the efforts of the Catholic Bishops of Nicaragua to bring about a national reconciliation between the struggling factions in that country in order to establish democratic harmony.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that each State should establish a clearinghouse, to work in conjunction with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to provide information on missing children within the State. Declares that each clearinghouse should: (1) provide a centralized file for statewide exchange of information; (2) cooperate with State law enforcement agencies; (3) work as a liaison between public and private organizations; (4) provide a toll-free in- State telephone line to allow persons to report missing children; (5) provide a directory of State resources; (6) publish monthly bulletins; (7) distribute emergency flyers; and (8) train individuals in the operation of the clearinghouse.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1984
Clean Coal Production and Utilization Technology Demonstration Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a technology demonstration program of advanced systems to: (1) reduce air pollution from coal-burning powerplants and other facilities; and (2) prove more efficient and environmentally acceptable processes for producing coal-derived fuels. States that such program and its funding shall be in addition to the Research and Base Technology activity contained in the existing fossil energy research and development budget of the Department of Energy. Directs the Secretary to prepare detailed specifications for advanced systems to demonstrate: (1) five specified near-term technologies; (2) seven longer-term, second generation technologies; and (3) any other advanced technologies which may appear promising for extracting gas and oil from shale and coal through field tests, with an emphasis on exploiting these resources in the Eastern region of the United States. Directs the Secretary within six months from the date of the enactment of this Act to solicit proposals from the public to construct, install, and operate these systems pursuant to such detailed specifications, on a cooperative basis with appropriate assistance from the Secretary, in one or more new or existing electric powerplants. Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate committees of Congress concerning the selection of a proposal at least 45 days prior to accepting any proposal for technology demonstration. Directs the Secretary, within eight months following the date of the enactment of this Act, to prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a five-year national coal engineering, development, and technology demonstration plan. Requires such plan to be updated annually and submitted to such committees by January 31 of each succeeding year. Makes available, pursuant to authorization and annual appropriation to the Secretary of Energy for use in carrying out this Act, a specified amount of the funds deposited in the Energy Security Reserve pursuant to provisions of the United States Synthetic Fuels Corporation Act of 1980. Authorizes an amount to be appropriated for FY 1986 from such reallocated funds to carry out the purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1984
Sex Discrimination in the United States Code Reform Act of 1983 - Title I: Armed Forces, Soldiers' Home, Coast Guard, Lighthouse Service, and Merchant Marine - Amends Federal laws dealing with the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard to eliminate gender-based distinctions. Title II: Elimination of Gender-Based Distinctions Under the Social Security Act and the Railroad Retirement Act - Eliminates gender-based distinctions in the social security and railroad retirement programs. Title III: Amendments to United States Code - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Walsh-Healey Act, the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, the Federal criminal code and other Acts (dealing with Indian affairs, transportation, public lands, Saint Elizabeth's Hospital, contract law, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, longshoremen and harbor workers, conservation programs, internee benefits, and the spouses of former presidents, among other subjects) to eliminate gender-based distinctions. Title IV: Effective Date - Sets forth the effective date for the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1984
Designates the Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge and the Barnegat National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey collectively as the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1984
Children's Defense Act of 1984 - Prohibits a youth-oriented organization from utilizing the services of any individual which includes direct contact with children until such organization has inquired through the appropriate State agency and received an indication that such individual has no prior conviction of a sexual offense involving a child. Prohibits Federal agencies from extending Federal financial assistance to any youth-oriented organization which does not comply with this Act. Allows the chief legal officer of each State to establish a plan for the functioning of a State funneling agency to permit youth- oriented organizations to comply with this Act. Permits such plan to be submitted to the Department of Justice for the approval of the Attorney General. Establishes guidelines for State funneling agencies to receive records and information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sets forth security procedures for the records and information acquired and maintained by the State. Requires States to have in effect criminal and civil penalties and remedies for any security violation or unauthorized disclosure of records or information. Requires State and local governments to promptly report to the Department of Justice convictions for sexual offenses involving children.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1984
Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Transportation for FY 1985 through 1987 for the construction of versatile motor vehicle carrying vessels for private charter operation under the Merchant Marine Act, 1936.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 1984
Designates the Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge and the Barnegat National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey collectively as the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1984
Authorizes the Attorney General to make contracts retaining private counsel to furnish collection services in the case of any claim of indebtedness owed the United States. Permits the head of an executive or legislative agency to refer to a private counsel so retained any claims of indebtedness owed the United States arising out of such agency's activities. Declares that for the purposes of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a private counsel performing collection services under this Act shall be considered a debt collector. Requires the Attorney General to transmit to Congress an annual report on the activities of the Department of Justice to recover such indebtedness. Requires the Attorney General to transmit to Congress a report on the actions taken under this Act within 60 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1984
Land Remote-Sensing Commercialization Act of 1984 - Title I: Declarations of Findings, Purposes and Policies - Sets forth the findings, purposes, and policies of Congress concerning civil land remote-sensing. Declares it to be U.S. policy to: (1) preserve the right to acquire and disseminate digital remote-sensing data; (2) make available such data on a nondiscriminatory basis; (3) commercialize space remote-sensing functions relating to private sector operations; and (4) retain in the Government remote-sensing functions essentially of a public service nature. Title II: Contract for Existing Land Remote-Sensing Satellite System - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to contract with a United States private sector party to market digital remote-sensing data generated by the Landsat system. Authorizes the Secretary to conditionally accept competitive proposals from private sector parties. Provides that if no proposals are acceptable, the Secretary shall certify such finding to the Congress. Requires the Secretary to continue to operate and market data from the Landsat system if no acceptable proposal is received. Declares that the United States Government shall retain title to all data generated by the Landsat system. Entitles the contractor to the revenues from the sale of data copies after the contract commencement date. Sets forth conditions of competition for the contract. Requires the contractor to supply digital remote-sensing data to foreign ground stations in accordance with existing agreements between the United States and such foreign ground stations. Makes such digital data available to foreign ground stations on a nondiscriminatory basis upon the expiration of an agreement or, if no agreement exists, on the contract commencement date. Title III: Provisions of Data Continuity During Transition Period - Provides for a transition period between Government operation and private, commercial operation of civil land remote-sensing space systems. Directs the Secretary to contract, after competition, with a United States private sector party to: (1) generate digital remote-sensing data of a quality equivalent to that of Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) data; and (2) sell such data for the Government. Sets forth specific requirements of the contract. Sets forth the basis upon which the contract will be awarded. Directs the Secretary, if he finds no contract proposal acceptable under the conditions of this Act, to certify such finding to the Congress. Authorizes the Secretary, after the certification process has been completed, to assure MSS data continuity by procurement and operation by the Federal Government of the necessary systems. Directs the selected contractor to sell data in accordance with provisions of this title. Sets forth certain requirements on the sale of digital remote-sensing data. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress and the President on the progress of the transition to fully private financing, ownership, and operation of remote- sensing space systems. Title IV: Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems - Authorizes the Secretary, after consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, to grant, suspend, modify or revoke licenses of private remote-sensing space systems. Sets forth conditions for operation of a remote-sensing space system. Authorizes the Secretary to license qualified private sector parties, to limit the license period, and to adjudicate licensee cases regarding denial of issuance. Grants the Secretary regulatory and enforcement authority to carry out the provisions of this title. Sets forth a conditional termination date for this title. Title V: Research and Development - Directs the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to continue and to enhance NASA's programs of remote-sensing research and development. Specifies programs and technologies to be developed and public and private entities to cooperate with. Directs the Secretary to conduct a continuing program of: (1) research in applications of remote-sensing; (2) monitoring of the Earth and its environment; and (3) development of technology for such monitoring. Requires the Secretary and the Administrator of NASA, within one year of the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, to report to Congress. Declares the authorized uses for the data gathered in Federal experimental space remote-sensing programs, and how it may be sold. Title VI: General Provisions - Requires that any digital remote-sensing data be made available on a nondiscriminatory basis in accordance with the requirements of this Act. Requires system operators to make public the terms of sale of such data (but not the names of buyers or their purchases). Directs the Secretary to archive the land remote-sensing satellite data collected. Prohibits the reproduction and dissemination of such data by a purchaser. Authorizes the Federal Communications Commission and the Secretary to allocate radio frequencies appropriate for space remote-sensing systems to any license holders under title IV of this Act. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State on matters affecting national security and international obligations, respectively. Makes a conforming amendment to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization, 1983. Authorizes appropriations. Title VII: Prohibition of Commercialization of Weather Satellites - Prohibits the President or any other official of the Government from commercializing the weather satellite systems operated by the Department of Commerce or any successor agency.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1984
Broadcasters' Protection Act of 1984 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to declare that provisions requiring a broadcast station licensee to provide equal opportunities for station access to political candidates and prohibiting the licensee from censoring a candidate's broadcast do not require the licensee to broadcast any material the broadcast of which the licensee believes would violate any criminal law. Provides that a licensee's refusal to broadcast material based on such belief shall be a defense to any revocation action by the Federal Communications Commission and shall not be used adversely against the licensee in a comparative licensing process. Permits a broadcaster to petition any appropriate U.S. district court for a determination as to whether the broadcast of such material would violate a criminal law and for declaratory judgment relief. Allows a candidate whose broadcast is denied to petition the court for such a determination and for declaratory judgment relief with respect to such denial.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1984
Fair Trade in Steel Act of 1984 - Declares that it is the policy of Congress that access to the U.S. market for foreign-produced carbon, alloy, and specialty steel mill products should be on an equitable basis to safeguard national security, insure orderly trade in steel mill products, reduce unfair trade in steel mill products, and alleviate U.S. balance-of-payments problems. Expresses the intent of Congress to: (1) expand the economic viability of the U.S. steel industry and the jobs of its workers; (2) prevent the further decline of the domestic steel industry; and (3) temper the economic hardships resulting from unemployment in steel industry communities by encouraging reinvestment in existing steelmaking facilities. Limits annual imports of specified steel mill product categories to specified percentages of the apparent domestic supply which are based on adjusted average import penetration levels for each such product category for the years 1979, 1980, and 1981. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to allocate global product limitations among foreign countries, groups of countries, or areas. Sets forth guidelines for making such allocations. Requires the Secretary to make an annual determination of the expected apparent domestic supply in each steel mill product category. Requires the Secretary to revise such determination periodically during the year. Directs the Secretary to determine, within 90 days after the effective date of this Act, whether the steel industry companies have plans to use substantially all of the cash flow from the steel sector for reinvestment in and the modernization of the steel sector. Prohibits the import restrictions from taking effect until the Secretary determines that the steel companies have such plans. Directs the Secretary to monitor steel sector investments made and announced by the steel industry and to consult with steel industry representatives and employees in the course of such monitoring. Directs the Secretary to determine annually whether steel companies are using substantially all the cash flow from the steel sector for reinvestment in and modernization of the steel sector. Directs the Secretary to modify or suspend the relevant import restrictions if the Secretary determines that substantially less than all the cash flow from the steel sector is being used for such reinvestment and modernization and that the level of investment is not demonstrably justified by adverse financial conditions within the industry. Directs the Secretary to publish: (1) each annual determination and its rationale; and (2) the total amount of cash flow from the steel sector and the total amount used for reinvestment in and modernization of the steel sector. Requires the steel companies to provide the Secretary with the information necessary for making such determinations. Directs the Secretary to examine the supply and demand situation in the United States for a specified steel product category if requested by affected steel consumers. Sets forth criteria to be used in determining short supply. Directs the Secretary to monitor imports of fabricated steel mill products. Sets forth the method of investigating whether imports of fabricated steel products are rendering ineffective or materially interfering with the objectives of this Act. Limits the quantity of iron ore that may be entered from all sources during any calendar year after the effective date of this Act. Directs the Secretary to allocate global iron ore limitations among foreign countries, groups of countries or areas. Sets forth guidelines for making such allocation. Directs the Secretary, in making such allocations, to attempt first to accommodate the requirements of individual steel mills which have been traditionally dependent on ocean sourced foreign iron ore and the requirements of contractual obligations incurred before January 1, 1984. Authorizes the Secretary to waive the import restrictions on iron ore if necessary to meet the needs of such individual steel mills. Provides for the enforcement and implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1984
Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, to set forth circumstances under which vessels built with construction differential subsidies may be permitted to transfer to the domestic coastwise trade. Conditions such transfer upon repayment of the unamortized construction differential subsidy received and makes vessels so transferred ineligible for operating differential subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1984
Civil Service Amendments of 1984 - Title I: Pay for Performance; Senior Executive Service Management - Revises the merit pay system. Renames the system the performance management and recognition system. Allows the President to exclude any class of employees within any agency unit from such system under specified conditions. Excludes employees of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Botanic Garden, and the Administrative Office of the Courts from such system. Directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations under which an employee may be excluded from such system. Declares that such system shall provide for comparability pay increases, periodic step increases, and performance awards based on an employee's performance as measured on a five-level scale consisting of one fully successful level, two levels below fully successful, and two levels above fully successful. Requires that any employee whose performance is rated at: (1) the second level below fully successful receive no comparability increase; (2) the first level below fully successful receive one half of the comparability increase; and (3) the fully successful level or above receive the full comparability increase. Requires employees whose performance cannot be rated to receive the full comparability increase. Denies periodic step increases to employees who perform below the fully successful level. Authorizes annual step increases to take effect on the first applicable pay period beginning on or after October 1 of each year. Provides for the award of a full step increase or a fraction thereof based on the employee's level of performance and the employee's basic pay rate within his or her pay grade. Limits any step increase to the amount that would raise the employee's basic pay rate to the maximum rate for his or her pay grade. Directs OPM to prescribe regulations governing step increases for employees whose performance cannot be evaluated under the standard performance evaluation procedures. Requires the payment of an additional performance award of an amount not to exceed 20 percent of an employee's basic pay to any employee whose performance is rated at the second level above fully successful. Authorizes the payment of such a performance award to an employee whose performance is rated at the first level above fully successful. Directs an agency to use a specified percentage of the agency's payroll for employees in the agency's performance management and recognition system for performance awards. Prohibits a reduction in the pay of an employee brought under such system as long as the employee continues to occupy the same position. Allows an employee under such system to be paid less than the minimum rate of basic pay for the grade of the employee's position as a result of a less than fully successful performance rating. Continues the cash award program (currently provided under the merit pay system) under such system. Directs OPM to report to the President and Congress annually on the effectiveness of such system. Terminates such system, with the exception of the cash award program, five years after the enactment of this Act. Requires agencies to develop separate performance appraisal procedures for employees covered by such system. Requires such performance appraisal procedures to: (1) require that supervisors consult with employees before establishing performance standards; and (2) use the results of performance appraisals as a basis of personnel actions. Directs OPM to prescribe regulations requiring that such procedures assure accurate evaluation of job performance, communication with employees regarding job requirements prior to each appraisal period, evaluation of employees based upon the standards, assistance to employees performing below the fully successful level, and a reduction in grade for or removal of employees who continually perform at the lowest level. Lists factors to be considered in performance appraisals, which may include organizational accomplishment. Authorizes the review of an employee's performance appraisal by an agency officer or employee. Requires the reconsideration of an employee's appraisal by a superior to the appraiser at the employee's request. Bars any appeal of a performance appraisal outside the agency. Prohibits OPM or any agency from prescribing any particular distribution of levels of performance ratings or any specific performance standard or element. Provides that a step increase received by an employee under the performance management and recognition system shall be considered to be equivalent to a step increase under the General Schedule if that employee transfers to a General Schedule position. Requires OPM's biennial report to Congress on the Senior Executive Service (SES) to specify the number of SES employees who were removed from the SES as a result of a reduction-in-force and placed in a General Schedule position, as authorized under this Act. Repeals the right of a former career civil servant to be reinstated to an SES position after being removed under a reduction-in-force. Entitles an employee who is removed from the SES under a reduction-in-force to be placed in a civil service position in a grade no lower than a GS-15. Eliminates certain pay protection provisions for employees removed from the SES due to less than fully successful performance. Provides that a career appointee may be removed from the SES due to a reduction-in-force unless such appointee is qualified for and assigned to a vacant SES position in the same agency. Eliminates an appointee's right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) his or her removal or failure to receive an assignment to a vacant SES position. Authorizes the furlough of SES employees for insufficient work or funds or for other nondisciplinary reasons. Entitles a furloughed employee to appeal his or her status to the MSPB. Establishes the minimum amount for a performance award for an SES employee as five percent of such employee's basic pay. Limits the total amount an agency may pay in SES performance awards in a fiscal year. Repeals the aggregate pay limitation for SES employees who receive a bonus, award, or allowance. Allows an agency to suspend or remove an SES employee for failing to accept a directed reassignment or accompany a position in a transfer of function. Provides that such a removal based on an employee's refusal to accept a directed reassignment or to accompany a position transfer outside of the commuting area of the employee shall not jeopardize such employee's eligibility to receive a civil service annuity because of an involuntary separation. Allows an SES career appointee to be reassigned outside of his or her commuting area only if such appointee is provided with advance notice explaining the reasons for such reassignment. Title II: Effective Date; Transition Provisions - Sets forth the effective date of the performance management and recognition system. Provides that: (1) the basic pay rate of an employee under the merit pay system on the day before such date shall be such employee's pay rate on such date; and (2) any exclusion of an agency from merit pay system coverage shall cease to have effect on such date.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should urge Canada to discontinue imposing taxes on travel literature imported from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1984
States that the Congress: (1) protests the denial by the International Olympic Committee of accreditation to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) correspondents covering the winter Olympic games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and urges such Committee to grant accreditation to RFE/RL correspondents to cover future Olympic games, including the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles; and (2) calls upon the President to encourage the accreditation by the International Olympic Committee of RFE/RL correspondents who are recognized and supported by the U.S. Olympic Committee to cover the Olympic games.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 1984
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to apportion one-half of the sums authorized to be appropriated in accordance with the interstate cost estimate for FY 1985, and one-half of the sums to be apportioned in accordance with the interstate substitute cost estimate for FY 1984. Specifies apportionment factors.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bateman, Herbert H. [R-VA-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000229_200.jpg)