United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1986
Designates August 1, 1986, the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Accords, as Helsinki Human Rights Day. Requests the President to: (1) reassert American commitment to the Helsinki Accords; (2) raise the issue of noncompliance with such Accords with the U.S.S.R. and the Warsaw Pact nations; and (3) convey to U.S. allies the necessity of unity on these points.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1986
Designates July 3, 1986, as Let Freedom Ring Day. Requests the President to encourage people to ring bells immediately following the relighting of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1986
Amends generally Federal law relating to veterans and veterans' benefits to eliminate gender-based references currently contained in such provisions, and to make other technical corrections to such provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1986
Amends the National Housing Act to extend authority through FY 1987 for: (1) title I financial institution insurance for housing renovation and modernization; (2) general mortgage insurance; (3) low and moderate income and displaced families mortgage insurance; (4) homeownership for lower income families including mortgage insurance authority and housing stimulus authority; (5) mortgage co-insurance, including rental rehabilitation and development projects; (6) graduated payment and indexed mortgage insurance; (7) the demonstration mortgage reinsurance program; (8) mortgage insurance for armed forces' civilian employees and defense housing for impacted areas; (9) mortgage insurance for land development; and (10) mortgage insurance for medical and dental group practice facilities. Sets forth specified limits on FY 1986 and 1987 insured housing loans and on FY 1987 guaranteed mortgage-backed securities. Amends the Housing Act of 1964 to extend urban rehabilitation loan authority through FY 1987. Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to extend Farmers Home Administration authority through FY 1987 for: (1) insured loans for rental and cooperative housing and related facilities for elderly persons and families in rural areas; (2) rural communities with 10,000 to 20,000 population to participate in rural housing programs; and (3) mutual and self-help housing grant and loan authority. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend authority for national flood insurance, including emergency implementation and flood-risk zones through FY 1987. Amends the National Housing Act to extend authorities for the national crime insurance program and existing contracts through FY 1987. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to extend community development block grant entitlement authority for certain metropolitan city and urban county areas through FY 1987. Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to extend for 30 days the maximum interest rate limitation on loans for housing and related facilities for elderly or handicapped families through FY 1987. Extends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act through FY 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives the deductibility of contributions to individual retirement accounts should be maintained for all citizens as part of any tax reform legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 1986
Child Protection Act of 1986 - Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Statute to extend its coverage to the sexual exploitation of children. Allows any person injured personally or in his business or property by such violations to bring a civil suit for treble damages. Amends the Federal criminal code to require a mandatory life sentence in kidnapping offenses involving the murder of a minor. Establishes mandatory minimum sentences for the sexual exploitation of minors. Provides that the period of any applicable limitation for the commencement of prosecution for certain offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children shall not begin until the child has reached the age of 18 years. Directs the Attorney General to submit a report to the Congress detailing possible changes in the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and other procedures which would facilitate the participation of child witnesses in cases involving child abuse and sexual exploitation. Directs the Attorney General to modify the classification system used by the National Crime Information System and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with respect to offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children by: (1) including the age of the victim and the relationship of the victim to the offender; and (2) using a uniform definition of a child. Grants the Postal Service certain authority with respect to the seizure and forfeiture of materials used in, or depicting, the sexual exploitation of children. States that amounts received from such forfeitures shall be deposited in the Postal Service Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that unless the Health Care Financing Administration allocates sufficient funds and takes other action to ensure prompt payment of Medicare claims, the House of Representatives should adopt legislation ensuring prompt claims payment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that unless the Health Care Financing Administration allocates sufficient funds and and takes other action to ensure prompt payment of Medicare claims, the House of Representatives shall adopt legislation ensuring prompt claims payment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Government of Vietnam should not suspend future meetings with the United States regarding the prisoner of war-missing in action issue; (2) the United States should continue to stress the importance of this issue; (3) the Government of Vietnam should understand that its cooperation in resolving this issue is in its best interest; and (4) the United States should continue to devote its highest priority resources to resolving this issue.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1986
Calls upon Vietnam to permit the: (1) resumption of the processing of approved applicants for resettlement in the United States; and (2) departure of certain prisoners, Amerasian children, and other persons of special humanitarian concern to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1986
Former Presidents Austerity Act of 1986 - Title I: Presidential Libraries - Directs the Archivist of the United States, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services and the Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service, to promulgate architectural and design standards for presidential archival depositories. Authorizes the Archivist to accept, as private gifts or pursuant to agreements with State or local governments, institutes, or foundations, only such land, buildings, and equipment as are necessary to establish one depository in one building of a specified size for each President or former President, provided that an endowment has been established which will provide sufficient income, combined with admission fees, to cover all administrative and operational costs of such depository. Requires the Archivist to submit a prospectus for each proposed depository and change thereto to specified congressional committees. Prohibits the Archivist from accepting a gift or entering into an agreement to establish a depository if the land, buildings, and equipment do not meet the architectural and design standards. Prohibits any change or addition to a depository that would result in noncompliance with such standards. Requires the President, while holding office, to dispose of records which have no administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value after obtaining the views of the Archivist of the United States concerning such disposal, unless the Archivist notifies the President of the intention to request advice from certain congressional committees. Title II: Former Presidents - Entitles a former President to a lifetime monetary allowance equal to the rate of pay for a head of an executive department in lieu of an annuity or pension. Authorizes the Administrator of General Services to provide to each former President, upon request: (1) one office; (2) compensation, without an aggregate ceiling, for office staff who shall be subject to certain provisions of civil service laws; (3) payment for the travel and subsistence allowances for specified office employees; (4) communications services; (5) printing and binding expenses; and (6) movement of the former President's personal effects and household goods from the executive residence in Washington, D.C., to another location in the United States. Authorizes the Administrator to provide for the movement of the personal and household effects of a former Vice President. Allows any Federal employee to be detailed to the office staff of a former President, with the consent of the employee's agency head, during the first eight months and ten days after the President leaves office. Authorizes the use of a Government aircraft to assist a former President in winding up office affairs or for protective purposes when authorized by the President. Entitles the spouse of a deceased former President to two-thirds of the rate payble to a former President. Provides for refunding the contributions to an annuity or pension of any President who waives entitlement to such annuity or pension. Prohibits the use of funds provided for necessary services and facilities of a former President for partisan political activities or income generating activities. Permits a former President to use such funds to prepare memoirs if the former President signs an agreement providing that the Public Printer will print and distribute such memoirs. Authorizes the Administrator to provide a former Vice President with necessary services and facilities for concluding office affairs which are similar to the services and facilities provided to a former President under this title. Prohibits the expenditure of funds for services and facilities for a former President any time beyond 90 days after the former President dies. Requires each former President to submit to Congress an annual report concerning activities carried out with the assistance of such funds. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions of this title concerning the services and facilities to be provided for former Presidents and Vice Presidents. Directs the President to include in the budget transmitted to Congress for the fiscal year in which the President's regular term of office expires a proposed appropriation providing sufficient funds to carry out the provisions of this title. Repeals specified provisions of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963. Provides for the publication of presidential memoirs. Title III: Protection of Former Presidents, Former Vice Presidents, and Their Families - Prohibits the United States Secret Service from protecting a former President, former Vice President, or the spouse, widow, widower, or minor child of a former President, except as authorized under this title. Authorizes the Secret Service to protect: (1) a former President for eight years after the individual becomes a former President; (2) the spouse or minor child of a former President to the extent that such protection is incidental to the protection of the former President; and (3) the widow or widower of a former President for six months after the former President dies. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to reinstate the Secret Service protection of a former President for one year and of a spouse or minor child for six months after the original protection has been terminated upon finding that a serious threat warranting such protection exists. Authorizes additional extension of such periods of protection upon the individual's written request and with the approval of an existing advisory committee established to determine whether protection should be furnished to certain presidential or vice presidential candidates. Establishes an Advisory Panel on Secret Service Protection to review such requests for Secret Service protection and make recommendations to the advisory committee. Permits the Secretary to authorize Secret Service protection for a former Vice President for a period beginning on the last day of the individual's term and ending on the last day of the fiscal year in which the term expires, upon the former Vice President's written request and upon finding that a threat exists which warrants such protection.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1986
Amends the Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to hold a State harmless in FY 1987 against changes that Act effected in the annual calculation of the Federal medical assistance percentage under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act if such changes would cause a reduction of Medicaid payments to the State in FY 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1986
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow homeowners to deduct the full amount of prepaid interest in connection with the refinancing of their principal residences for the taxable year in which paid.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 1986
Designates the school year of September 1986 through May 1987 as National Year of the Teacher and January 28, 1987, as National Teacher Appreciation Day.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1986
White House Conference on Narcotics Abuse and Control Resolution of 1986 - Directs the President to call a White House Conference on Narcotics Abuse and Control to develop recommendations to control the illicit production, trafficking, and distribution of narcotics, and to prevent and treat narcotics abuse. Directs the Conference to review: (1) the impact of recently enacted laws on efforts to control trafficking in narcotics and to prevent and treat narcotics abuse; and (2) the recommmendations of the President's Commission on Organized Crime as they relate to narcotics abuse and control. Requires the Conference to report its findings to the President and the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1986
Amends Federal law relating to veterans' home loans to exempt such loans from any spending reduction order issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) or any other such legislation. Revises provisions concerning the definition and treatment of certain administrative expenses in connection with the Veterans' Administration Loan Guaranty Revolving Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1986
Directs the Secretary of Defense to recover from Ferdinand Marcos certain expenses incurred by the Department of Defense in connection with the transportation of Marcos, his family, and his associates from the Republic of the Philippines and all subsequent expenses incurred by the Department on their behalf.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that relations between the United States and China would be enhanced if the Government of People's Republic of China continued its progress toward a more open economic and political system with greater protection of human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President and the Secretary of State should insist at the Vienna Review Meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and in discussions with Communist Party and Soviet leaders, that imprisoned and exiled members of the Ukrainian and other Helsinki Monitoring Groups be released and allowed to emigrate to the countries of their choice. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Secretary of State should ensure that the U.S. consulate in Kiev reports on Soviet human rights violations in the Ukraine; and (2) such information should be included in reports on compliance with the Helsinki Final Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1986
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns the Soviet Union's failure to provide notification and information about the nuclear accident at Chernobyl; and (2) calls upon the Soviet Union to permit outside nuclear experts to assist with the accident and to allow the international press corps to cover the situation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1986
Amends Federal armed forces provisions to direct the Secretary of the military department concerned to conduct an independent operational test and evaluation with respect to a major defense acquisition program under which a major system is to be acquired. Requires such test and evaluation to be conducted before the program may proceed into the production stage. Requires side-by-side testing as part of such test and evaluation. Requires the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation to independently analyze the results of each such operational test and evaluation, and to report such analyses to the Secretary of Defense. Prohibits the operational testing to be conducted until the Director approves in writing the adequacy of the plans for such operational test and evaluation. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary concerned to contract for low-rate initial production of a program only for the purpose of acquiring items for use in operational tests and evaluations. Prohibits a final decision from being made to proceed with full production of a program until 30 days after the congressional defense committees have received the report of the Director. Authorizes the President to suspend any provision of this Act in time of a declared war.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Amends title VII (Unlawful Possession or Receipt of Firearms) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the firearms-related crimes for which persons with multiple convictions may receive increased penalties to include serious drug offenses and crimes of violence. (Previous law provided increased penalties for robbery and burglary only.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Readjustment Counseling Program Amendments of 1986 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to remove the requirement that veterans readjustment counseling be administered solely at Veterans Administration (VA) health-care facilities as of October 1, 1988. Establishes the Veterans Administration Readjustment Counseling Professional Fellowship Program (the Program) to assist in providing an adequate supply of trained professionals to furnish readjustment counseling services to veterans for the VA. Requires an individual, in order to be eligible to participate in the Program, to: (1) be a Vietnam-era veteran; and (2) be accepted in an accredited educational program which leads to a degree in a field appropriate to furnishing readjustment counseling services. Requires a written contract between the Administrator of Veterans Affairs and any veteran participating in the Program. Requires any veterans participating in the Program to also be full-time employees of the VA: (1) on the date on which their application for such Program is submitted; and (2) on the date on which they become particpants in the Program. Authorizes the Administrator to award a scholarship to each veteran accepted into the Program. Requires the Administrator, in accepting applicants into the Program, to give priority to members of groups determined to be disadvantaged minority groups. Requires the Administrator to include in the annual report submitted to the Congress a report on the Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Medicare Quality Protection Act of 1986 - Title I: Quality Assurance in Inpatient Hospital Settings - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and submit to the Congress a legislative proposal to improve the prospective payment system established under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act so that it more accurately approximates the costs of inpatient hospital services and accounts for variations in case complexity. Amends the Medicare program to require a hospital to give Medicare beneficiaries, upon their admission to the hospital, a written statement explaining: (1) the individual's rights to benefits for inpatient hospital and post-hospital Medicare services; (2) the circumstances under which such individual will be liable for charges for a continued hospital stay; (3) the individual's right to appeal denials of continued hospital services; and (4) the individual's liability for payment for services if such a denial of benefits is upheld on appeal. Amends part B (Peer Review) of title XI of the Act to require peer review organizations receiving a hospital inpatient's request for review of a hospital's decision that the patient no longer needs inpatient care to inform the patient of its decision within two days of receiving the request. Prohibits hospitals from charging patients for inpatient hospital services provided while patients wait for a peer review organization to respond to their timely review requests. Imposes a civil money penalty on hospitals which make payments to physicians and on physicians who knowingly receive payments which constitute an inducement to curtail the stay of, or services provided to, an identifiable patient. Directs the Secretary to study the adequacy of standards used for hospital compliance with Medicare participation conditions in assuring the quality of hospital services. Requires the Secretary to study the adequacy with which the prospective payment system compensates hospitals, and distributes such compensation among hospitals, for costs attributable to patients' extended hospital stays necessitated by delays in patient placement in skilled nursing facilities. Title II: Access to Appropriate Post-Hospital Care - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of the Medicare program to require hospitals to implement a discharge planning process which meets guidelines and standards, to be established by the Secretary, ensuring patients a timely and smooth transition to the most appropriate type of, and setting for, post-hospital or rehabilitative care. Extends the limitations on beneficiary liability for disallowed Medicare claims to cover home health services provided to certain unqualified individuals. Provides that skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies which keep their services for which Medicare coverage is denied below specified percentages and comply with certain administrative requirements shall not subsequently be denied payment for care provided. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Secretary to develop a uniform needs assessment instrument enabling health care providers and fiscal intermediaries to evaluate an individual's need and ability to pay for post-hospital extended care, home-health, and long-term care services. Requires the Secretary to develop procedures to expedite fiscal intermediaries' determinations as to whether provider claims for post-hospital extended care and home health services may be reimbursed under the Medicare program. Directs the Secretary to provide for prompt response (within 24 hours) to beneficiary requests as to whether the beneficiary's Medicare coverage for post-hospital extended care services has been exhausted. Authorizes providers to represent beneficiaries on appeals of benefit determinations. Permits beneficiary appeals of the Secretary's denials of claims for home health service benefits. Amends the Social Security Amendments of 1983 to extend, through 1989, the annual report on the impact of the prospective payment system and require the inclusion of information in such reports regarding the quality, and accessibility to Medicare beneficiaries, of post-hospital services. Title III: Improved Review of Quality by Peer Review Organizations - Amends part B (Peer Review) of title XI of the Act to require hospitals to submit data to peer review organizations on a monthly basis. Requires peer review organizations to review selected cases where individuals are readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of their most recent hospital discharge to determine if the previous inpatient hospital services and post-hospital services met professionally recognized health care standards. Directs each peer review organization to commit a reasonable proportion of its activities to review of the quality of services provided in cases and settings where potential quality problems have been identified. Requires the Secretary to identify methods facilitating the discovery of such cases. Requires each peer review organization to have at least one consumer representative on its board of directors. Directs such organizations to investigate all written beneficiary complaints about the quality of Medicare services which are filed with the organization. Requires peer review organizations to share data with organizations responsible for accrediting providers or State officials responsible for assuring quality care if such data reflects a substantial failure by providers or practitioners to provide quality care. Title IV: Study to Develop a Strategy for Quality Review and Assurance - Directs the Secretary to arrange a study which will serve as the basis for establishing a strategy for reviewing and assuring the quality of care provided under the Medicare program. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress regarding the study within two years of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Medicaid Infant Mortality Amendments of 1986 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give States the option of extending coverage to women in need of pregnancy-related medical services and infants up to age one whose family income exceeds current income eligibility thresholds, but does not exceed a State maximum income level to be established at or below the Federal poverty level. Allows States to continue such coverage for women until 60 days after pregnancy without regard to any change in her family income. Requires the State maximum income level for eligibility under this program to be no less than the payment level applicable to a family with no income under part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) of title IV of the Act. Prohibits States which provide coverage pursuant to this Act from reducing AFDC payment levels.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the requirement that there be at least a three-percent rise in the Consumer Price Index before a cost-of-living adjustment of benefits is made.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Declares that the House of Representatives, on behalf of the U.S. people, expresses its gratitude to the Government and people of the United Kingdom who assisted the United States in its exercise of self-defense against Libya and in the fight against state-sponsored international terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Acid Deposition Control Act of 1986 - Title I: Stationary Sources - Amends the Clean Air Act to require States to develop and submit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) an emissions limitation compliance schedule for sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from fossil-fuel-fired electric utility steam generating units. Requires a two-phase reduction in such emissions, the first to be achieved by 1993, the second by 1997. Requires each State to develop and submit to the Administrator a plan to achieve emissions reductions from other fossil-fuel-fired steam generating units by 1977. Directs the Administrator to conduct and update a comprehensive annual inventory of emissions of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from stationary sources, identifying achievable reductions which could be made by 1997. Requires States to submit to the Administrator for approval a plan for achieving such reductions. Grants States discretion in their choice of compliance measures. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress by July 1, 1993, on phase I reductions and the feasibility of meeting phase II reductions. States that phase II reductions will not take effect if the Congress enacts legislation to that effect. Sets forth emissions rates a State without an approved reductions plan must follow. Authorizes the Administrator to impose a fee on the generation and importation of electric energy between December 31, 1988, and December 31, 1996, to subsidize the interest on qualified pollution control debt incurred by the utility. Establishes civil penalties for fee violations. Establishes in the Treasury the Acid Deposition Control Fund to receive such fees and provide interest subsidy payments for pollution control systems meeting specified standards. Revises the standards for nitrogen oxides emissions for new electric utility steam generating units which burn bituminous or subbituminous coal and for certain fossil-fuel-fired steam generating units. Requires certain smelters to be in compliance with the applicable emissions reduction standard by January 2, 1988, without extension or delay. Title II: Control of Emission from Mobile Sources - Sets oxides of nitrogen emission standards for motor vehicles for model years 1988, 1989, and beyond. Modifies hydrocarbon standards for trucks after model year 1989. Directs the Administrator to regulate sulfur in diesel fuel for 1989 and beyond. Requires either the use of onboard hydrocarbon control technology or the use of gasoline vapor recovery of hydrocarbon emissions emanating from fueling motor vehicles. Title III: International Cooperation - Expresses the concern of the Congress over transboundary pollution between the United States and Mexico and directs the Secretary of State and the Administrator to conclude an agreement within three months of enactment. Requires such an agreement to cover specified copper smelters. Requires the Secretary and the Administrator to report to the Congress within six months on negotiating such agreement. Requires EPA to perform atmospheric field experiments to determine the effects of sulfur dioxide emissions, before and after pollution controls, of the Nacozaria smelter, Mexico, on specified western States. Directs the Secretary to establish an international agency, or utilize an existing agency, to report on the effects of transboundary air pollution from copper smelters on public health and welfare in the United States and in Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to specify the State allotment formula which the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to use when implementing a presidential order requiring the sequestration (through the application of a reduction percentage) of budget authority provided for FY 1986 or any fiscal year thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the present three-year basis recovery rule on the taxation of retirement annuities for government employees should be maintained and provisions requiring the repeal of such treatment in certain tax reform legislation (H.R. 3838) should be deleted.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1986
Prohibits the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to specified proposed sales of Sidewinder, Stinger, and Harpoon missiles and services to Saudi Arabia, as described in the April 8, 1986, certifications from the President to the Congress under the Arms Export Control Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Establishes the Insurance Availability Crisis Commission of 1986 to: (1) coordinate the intergovernmental examination of the tort law system and its relationship with insurance availability and cost; (2) bring representatives of industry, government, and consumers together to perform an examination of the issue of insurance availability; (3) make recommendations for reform of the tort system and insurance industry practices; and (4) raise funds to cover the costs of the Commission's activities. Directs the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the executive officer of each State. Provides for the Commission's termination upon the transmission of such report. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1986
Telephone Decency Act of 1986 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit any obscene or indecent telephone communication for commercial purposes to any person in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication. (Current law prohibits such communication to any person without his or her consent or to any person under 18 years of age.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1986
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from providing financial support for any project to establish or expand production or processing of citrus crops for export.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1986
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act - Requires States to provide by law for elections for Federal office: (1) absentee registration and absentee voting for uniformed services voters and overseas voters; and (2) the use of alternative write-in absentee ballots by overseas voters. Directs the President to designate the head of an executive department to have primary responsibility for the administrative functions of this Act, including: (1) prescribing an official postcard form containing a voter registration and an absentee ballot application; (2) prescribing an alternative write-in ballot for overseas voters; (3) prescribing forms and designs for balloting materials; (4) distributing election materials; and (5) reporting to the Congress in even-numbered years on its effectiveness. Provides for the distribution of official postcards. Sets forth recommendations to the States in carrying out provisions of this Act. Authorizes the use of the alternative write-in ballots in lieu of absentee ballots under specified circumstances. Directs the Postmaster to expedite the transport of election materials and declares such materials free of postage.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1986
Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to exempt from any sequestration of funds under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) certain benefits of veterans and their dependents and survivors which are based upon the service-connected disability or death of such veterans.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bilirakis, Michael [R-FL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000463_200.jpg)