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United States · Official source
3,111 records where Rep. Bedell, Berkley W. [D-IA-6] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Designates the week beginning December 7, 1986, as National Alopecia Areata Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Designates August 1986 as Polish American Heritage Month.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Designates the week beginning on October 5, 1986, as Mental Illness Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Designates June 1986 as Youth Suicide Prevention Month.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Authorizes and requests the President to designate May 1986 as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1986
Designates the month of May 1986 as National Birds of Prey Month.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1986
Declares that the House of Representatives calls upon the President to urge: (1) Jean-Claude Duvalier to return to the Haitian people the wealth he has taken illegally; and (2) other countries to deny him asylum until he returns such funds.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that both Spain and Israel should be congratulated on establishing full diplomatic relations with each other.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Title I: Wheat and Feed Grains - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949, effective for the 1986 through 1990 wheat and feed grain crops, to establish voluntary marketing certificate programs for producers participating in annual acreage reduction programs. Determines the amount of such certificates by multiplying the individual farm program acreage by the farm's program yield (at a minimum of 1985 levels). States that such certificates are nontransferable. Makes such certificates available to importers. Requires wheat and feed grains sold for domestic consumption to be accompanied by a market certificate. Permits noncertificate wheat or feed grains to be sold for export or used on the producing farm. Provides that wheat or feed grains produced in excess of a farm's certificates may be used on that farm, sold for export, or carried over to the subsequent marketing year. Sets 1986 through 1990 loan rates at: (1) $5.00 per bushel for wheat; and (2) $3.50 per bushel for corn. Sets forth penalties for violations of such provisions. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide export incentives in cash or in kind to U.S. exporters selling certificate-accompanied grain abroad. Title II: Debt Adjustment - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary to provide a debt adjustment program of guaranteed farm ownership and operating loans. Includes provisions for debt write-offs and interest rate reductions in such program. Title III: Agricultural Loan Losses - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit an agricultural bank to amortize the loss from a restructured agricultural loan over ten years.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Amends part B (Peer Review) of title IX of the Social Security Act to require peer review organizations receiving a Medicare beneficiary's request, while such beneficiary is still a hospital inpatient, for reconsideration of a determination denying payment for continuing inpatient hospital care to give the beneficiary notice of its reconsidered determination within two days of receiving the request.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Directs the President to designate May 1986 as Older Americans Month.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Designates the month beginning April 1, 1986, as National Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Disapproves a proposed deferral (number D86-48) of $500,000,000 of budget authority for the community development block grant program, as set forth in the President's message to the Congress on February 5, 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1986
Repeals provisions of the Innovation Development Act of 1982 terminating assistance from the Small Business Administration to small businesses for research and development.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1986
Agricultural Loan Assistance Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require Federal banking agencies to permit an agricultural bank to: (1) amortize over ten years any loss on a qualified agricultural loan that the bank would otherwise be required to show on an annual financial statement for 1985 through 1989; and (2) reappraise the value of any real estate or other real or personal property that the bank acquired coincident to making a qualified agricultural loan and that it owned on January 1, 1985, and any additional property that it acquired before January 1, 1990, and to amortize over ten years any loss resulting from such reappraisal that it would otherwise be required to show on its annual financial statements. Allows such amortization only if there is no evidence that fraud or criminal abuse by the bank led to such losses.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1986
Designates October 1986 as Phobia Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1986
Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the Haitian people as they try to rebuild their nation and make a peaceful transition to democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1986
Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the sale, delivery, or importation of nonmetal firearms. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct research to improve the effectiveness of airport security devices with respect to the detection of nonmetal firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 1986
Designates April 28, 1986, as National Nursing Home Residents Day.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1986
Designates the month of October 1986 as Lupus Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 1986
Designates the week of May 26 through June 1, 1986, as Older Americans Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1986
Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the manufacture and importation of any firearm that is not readily detectable as a firearm by standard airport security equipment and readily identifiable as a firearm. Exempts specified firearms from such manufacturing prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1986
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to provide that, notwithstanding the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) and the sequestration order issued by the President (under such Act) on February 1, 1986, FY 1986 dairy expenditure reductions shall be implemented through a reduction in the price received by milk producers rather than through a reduction in Commodity Credit Corporation payments for dairy product purchases. States that such reductions shall be no greater than needed to equal the reduction in milk support expenditures required by such order.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1986
Designates the week of September 21 through September 27, 1986, as Emergency Medical Services Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1986
Designates the week of May 25 through May 31, 1986, as Critical Care Week.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
General Aviation Tort Reform Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to provide uniform rules for negligence and products liability claims arising from general aviation accidents. Allows any person claiming damages from such an accident to bring a products liability action against the general aviation manufacturer if: (1) the product was defective when it left the control of the manufacturer; (2) the defective condition was the proximate cause of the harm; (3) the condition would not have been corrected by actions described in directives issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the manufacturer; and (4) the aircraft was being used for a purpose and in a manner for which it was manufactured. Provides an alternative method to establish manufacturer liability where the manufacturer failed to provide reasonable warnings (unless such warnings would not have affected the conduct of the product user). Provides a third method to establish manufacturer liability where: (1) the manufacturer made an express warranty with respect to the product; (2) the warranty related to that aspect of the product which caused the harm; (3) the product failed to conform to the warranty; and (4) such failure was the proximate cause of the harm. States that all actions for damages arising from a general aviation accident shall be governed by the principles of comparative responsibility. Provides that defendants in such actions are severally but not jointly liable for damages (except that manufacturers of airframes and systems or components of aircraft may be jointly and severally liable under certain circumstances). Provides a 12-year limitation on liability of manufacturers. States that express warranties running for a longer period of time and the duty to provide additional warnings shall not be affected by such limitations. Allows awards of punitive damages. Prescribes a statute of limitations for such actions. Preempts State laws to the extent that this Act establishes applicable rules or procedures. Grants Federal district courts (concurrently with State courts) original jurisdiction (without regard to the amount in controversy) in all civil actions for damages arising out of a general aviation accident. Allows the removal of State actions to an appropriate Federal district court by any defendant. Prescribes venue restrictions. Expresses the intent of the Congress that orders to pay reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, be enforced.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present a gold medal to Mary Lasker in recognition of her humanitarian contributions in medical research and education, urban beautification, and the fine arts. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for the sale of bronze duplicates of the medal.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
Declares that the proposed rescission of budget authority (R86-55) for the urban development action grant program should not be approved in any rescission bill. Requires that such program be resumed not later than the date of enactment of this joint resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States, in cooperation with other members of the international donor community, should call upon the Ethiopian Government to recognize that resources donated for famine relief should be used for that purpose and not diverted to resettlement efforts; (2) such forced resettlements by the Ethiopian Government should be halted and monitored by the United Nations (U.N.); (3) the Ethiopian Government should commit sufficient resources to move food and relief goods to meet the needs of its people; and (4) the U.N. should insist on free access to resettlement sites for international observers and the news media and report on conditions in the resettlement camps.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1986
Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 1986 - Amends the judicial code to increase the number of bankruptcy judges: (1) from two to three for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; (2) from seven to eight for the Northern District of California; (3) from four to six for the Eastern District of California; (4) from 12 to 18 for the Central District of California; (5) from three to four for the Southern District of California; (6) from two to four for the Middle District of Florida; (7) from four to five for the Northern District of Georgia; (8) from one to two for the Southern District of Georgia; (9) from one to two for Idaho; (10) from eight to ten for the Northern District of Illinois; (11) from two to three for the Central District of Illinois; (12) from one to two for the Northern District of Iowa; (13) from one to two for the Southern District of Iowa; (14) from one to two for the Eastern District of Kentucky; (15) from two to three for the Western District of Louisiana; (16) from two to three for Maryland; (17) from two to three for the Western District of Michigan; (18) from one to two for Nebraska; (19) from two to three for Nevada; (20) from five to seven for New Jersey; (21) from one to two for the Western District of North Carolina; (22) from one to two for the Northern District of Oklahoma; (23) from two to three for the Western District of Oklahoma; (24) from three to four for the Western District of Pennsylvania; (25) from one to two for South Carolina; (26) from one to two for South Dakota; (27) from two to three for the Eastern District of Tennessee; (28) from two to three for the Western District of Tennessee; (29) from four to five for the Northern District of Texas; (30) from three to six for the Southern District of Texas; (31) from two to three for the Western District of Texas; (32) from two to three for Utah; (33) from one to two for the Eastern District of Washington; and (34) from three to four for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Makes members of the bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico eligible for appointment to bankruptcy judgeships.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1986
Designates the week of April 14 through April 20, 1986, as National Mathematics Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should urge the Government of South Africa to indicate its willingness to negotiate with the black majority by: (1) granting unconditional freedom to Nelson Mandela; (2) recognizing the African National Congress; and (3) establishing a framework for political talks.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1986
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to establish 1986 and 1987 minimum farm payment yields at 1985 levels for wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1986
Designates the month of November 1986 as National Alzheimer's Disease Month.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1986
Designates the week of September 7 through September 13, 1986, as National Independent Retail Grocer Week.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1986
Designates August 12, 1986, as National Neighborhood Crime Watch Day.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 1986
Designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 1986, as National Osteoporosis Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Consumer Rail Equity Act - Reaffirms the intent of the Congress that the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 and the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 be implemented in a manner which provides both greater competitive alternatives and adequate railroad revenues. Establishes a rebuttable presumption of rail market dominance if a person challenging a transportation rate shows that the railroad charging such rate does not face effective transportation competition. Shifts the burden of proof regarding transportation rate reasonableness from the shipper to the rail carrier establishing the challenged rate. Declares that it is Federal policy to encourage and promote competitive transportation rates for domestically produced coal and other commodities in order to increase their competitive position in domestic and export markets. Directs the Commission to establish a rail cost adjustment factor which includes changes in railroad productivity, volume, and output mix. Provides that certain rail carrier rates shall be reduced to the extent of any subsequent decreases in rail cost adjustment factors. Includes within the standards used to determine railroad revenue adequacy: (1) identification of revenues, expenses, and investment base reasonably related to rail transportation service; (2) straight-line depreciation of assets reasonably related to rail transportation service, minus deferred tax reserves resulting from accelerated depreciation; and (3) actual cost of debt capital and reasonable estimates of the current cost of equity capital. Requires the Commission, when making revenue adequacy determinations, to consider specified indicators of a rail carrier's financial status. Requires the Commission to determine, on an annual basis, which rail carriers are earning adequate or inadequate revenues and to determine for each rail carrier the revenues required to achieve or maintain revenue adequacy. Allows (current law requires) the Commission to exempt persons from application of this Act when: (1) such application is not necessary to implement Federal transportation policy; and (2) the Commission finds there is no market dominance involved in the affected transaction. Requires any rail carrier providing service under certain line rates to participate in competitive joint rail rates through practicable interchange connections (or publish a competitive proportional rate) if requested to do so by a rail carrier (or shipper or receiver) who has an actual or practicable interchange connection. Directs the Commission, upon petition of any interested party, to require certain terminal facilities owned by a rail carrier in interstate or foreign commerce to be used by another rail carrier if the Commission finds: (1) it is in the public interest to do so; and (2) that the owner of such terminal facility will not suffer substantial impairment of its own business interests. Directs the Commission to require, upon petition by an interested party, that rail carriers enter into reciprocal switching agreements if such an agreement is in the public interest or necessary to provide alternative competitive rail service. Directs the Commission to establish reciprocal switching compensation at a level not to exceed the current percentage of the actual variable costs for such service (unless the carrier demonstrates that a higher level is reasonable and necessary). Revises railroad line abandonment procedures to provide that a rail carrier must wait one year before resubmitting a previously denied abandonment application, unless a substantial change in circumstances can be shown. Requires the Commission to hold hearings in communities affected by a proposed railroad line abandonment if requested to do so by community protestants. Requires the Commission to base its abandonment determination upon financial data regarding the facility proposed to be abandoned rather than upon financial data regarding industry-wide averages. Subjects to Commission review any State decision regarding intrastate rates, rules, and practices if a party to such State proceedings petitions for Commission review. Requires the Commission to take action on such petition within 120 days of its receipt. Authorizes the Commission to vacate a State decision found inconsistent with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Michael J. Smith, Francis R. Scobee, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Judith A. Resnik, all of whom died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1986
Social Security Trust Funds Safeguard Act of 1986 - Amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require that all amounts appropriated to, or deposited in, a trust fund established under one of those programs be immediately and exclusively available for the purposes for which trust fund amounts are specifically made available under such program. Requires the President, in addition to appointing one member of the the public to the Board of Trustees of the social security trust funds (currently two members of the public are chosen), to appoint a Managing Trustee to the board, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of four years. Provides that the Managing Trustee may be removed only for cause, but is prohibited from engaging in any other business, vocation, or employment. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the Managing Trustee with appropriate assistance. Directs the Managing Trustee to invest that portion of the social security trust funds which is not required to meet current withdrawals in accordance with an annual investment plan submitted by the Board. Requires the Board to conduct a continuing study and actuarial analysis of the status of investments made by the Managing Trustee and, by August 1 of each year, formulate and submit to the President and each House of the Congress an investment plan to govern the investments of the social security trust funds during the fiscal year. Requires the annual investment plan to set forth standards governing the investment and disinvestment of the trust funds which ensure, so far as is possible, that the OASDI and Medicare programs fulfill their intended purposes in a fiscally and actuarially sound nonpartisan manner, free from the influence of irrelevant budgetary or fiscal considerations. Directs that such plan be accompanied by any recommendations of the Board regarding investment of the social security trust funds. Directs that the investment plan and recommendations be incorporated in a special message to each House. Sets a minimum and maximum on amounts of the social security trust funds to be invested in obligations which are not obligations of the United States but which are guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States. Sets forth effective date and transitional provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1986
Farm Tax Relief Act of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from income any gain from the sale of farm property by insolvent farmers where substantially all of the proceeds from the sale or exchange are applied to the indebtedness of the taxpayer. Provides that gross income does not include any income resulting from a discharge of indebtedness of a farmer who: (1) has a debt to asset ratio in excess of 70 percent; and (2) earned 50 percent or more of his gross income in the preceding taxable year in the trade or business of farming. Prohibits any investment tax credit recapture on sales of farm property by insolvent farmers.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1986
Agricultural Investment Act of 1985 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax exclusion for up to $1,000 ($2,000 for a joint return) of interest earned each year on an agricultural savings certificate. Defines an agricultural savings certificate as a certificate issued by a qualified savings institution in a specified denomination ranging from $10 to $1,000 which matures in 10, 15, or 20 years. Requires institutions to: (1) use the proceeds of such certificates to purchase U.S. agricultural savings bonds; or (2) pay a penalty. Revokes the tax exclusion of interest on any certificate redeemed or used as loan security before its maturity date. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue agricultural savings bonds. Requires the proceeds from the sale of such bonds to be credited to the Farm Trust Fund established by this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe how such a bond may be issued to a taxpayer in lieu of a refund check for overpayment of taxes. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans from such Fund to certain lending institutions, with priority given to those institutions with the higher percentages of loans outstanding to bona fide farmers. Requires such institutions to loan the amount received to bona fide farmers meeting specified financial criteria and to return the portion not loaned within 60 days or incur a penalty. Limits the annual interest rate on such loans to farmers to nine percent. Defines a bona fide farmer as any individual 50 percent of whose annual gross income is directly attributable to the raising or cultivating of livestock or agricultural commodities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1986
Prohibits any benefits payable from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, including cost-of-living increases, during calendar year 1987 from being subject to reduction or suspension by statute or presidential order.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 1986
Designates the week beginning on April 20, 1986, as National Reading is Fun Week.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 1986
Provides that, on the 125th anniversary of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Congress and appropriate agencies should acknowledge and honor all of the Medal's recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1986
Expresses disapproval of the refusal of the U.S.S.R. to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic Republics. Designates the 14th day of June 1986 as Baltic Freedom Day. Authorizes and requests the President to submit the issue of Baltic self-determination to the United Nations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1986
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the trade adjustment assistance programs for workers and firms through September 30, 1989.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 1986
Designates the week beginning on March 2, 1986, as Women's History Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 1985
Permits the reappointment of a specified number of air traffic controllers who were separated from service for participation in a strike initiated on August 3, 1981. Requires such reappointments to be made in FY 1986 and 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 1985
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the President should continue to express to the Soviet Union U.S. opposition with respect to the harassment and arrests of Hebrew teachers and Jewish activists in the Soviet Union; and (2) the Soviet Union should comply with its commitments under specified international human rights agreements and cease its persecution of individuals on the basis of their Jewish faith.