United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1997
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit the Export-Import Bank of the United States from guaranteeing, insuring, or extending credit to an entity (except a small business) with respect to the export of any good or service to China unless the Board of Directors of the Bank determines that such entity is adhering to certain environmental and fair employment principles under a corporate code of conduct. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Bank and the Clearinghouse on Corporate Responsibility that is being developed by the Department of Commerce should work together to ensure that businesses are made aware of, and have access to, resources and organizations that can assist them in developing and monitoring global codes of corporate conduct.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1997
Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act - Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice to conduct a comprehensive review of the treatment by the Federal Government of Italian Americans during World War II (between September 1, 1939, and December 31, 1945) and to report to the Congress on the findings of such review. Requires the findings to include information regarding: (1) Italian Americans who were interned, taken into custody, ordered to move out of designated areas, or arrested for curfew, contraband, or other violations; (2) Federal Bureau of Investigations raids on Italian Americans homes; (3) restrictions on Italian American fishermen and railroad workers; and (4) civil liberties infringements suffered by Italian Americans during World War II. Requires the President, on behalf of the Government, to formally acknowledge that these events during World War II represented a fundamental injustice against Italian Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 1997
Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to direct the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank to prescribe and implement procedures to ensure that, in selecting from among firms to which to provide financial assistance, preference is given to any firm that has shown a commitment to reinvestment and job creation in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1997
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA) to revise and increase remedies and enforcement on behalf of victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex. Amends FLSA to provide for enhanced enforcement of equal pay requirements (also known as the Equal Pay Act of 1963), adding a nonretaliation requirement. Increases penalties for such violations. Provides for the Secretary of Labor to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in such cases. Amends CRA to direct the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to require certain employers to maintain payroll records and report to the EEOC pay information analyzed by race, sex, and national origin of employees. Applies such requirement to employers who have 100 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks. Requires EEOC and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving discrimination in the payment of wages. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, including convening a national summit and carrying out other specified activities. Establishes the Robert Reich National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace, which shall be evidenced by a medal. Sets forth criteria for specified types of entities to receive such an award. Authorizes appropriations to the EEOC, the OFCCP, and the Secretary to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1997
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Research, Treatment, and Assistance Act of 1997 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for a waiver of the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage for individuals disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to provide for Medicare coverage of any drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment or alleviation of ALS-related symptoms. Authorizes appropriations, in addition to any already available, for ALS research through the National Institutes of Health.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1997
Celebrates the accomplishments of: (1) title IX of the Education Act Amendments of 1972 in increasing opportunities for women and girls in all facets of education; and (2) the magnificent accomplishments of women and girls in sports.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1997
Point Reyes National Seashore Farmland Protection Act of 1997 - Amends Federal law to include the Farmland Protection Area in the Point Reyes National Seashore, California, with the primary objective being to protect private agricultural land from nonagricultural development by conservation easements. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make farmland acquisitions within the Area. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1997
Fair Play Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require: (1) each institution of higher education to provide the Secretary of Education with information regarding men's and women's athletic programs; and (2) the Secretary to prepare a report based on such information, which shall be made available on the Internet. Requires the Secretary to establish a toll-free telephone service to provide the public with information regarding such reports and respond to inquiries about title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and athletic opportunities for girls and women.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 1997
Supports the National Railroad Hall of Fame, Inc., of Galesburg, Illinois, in its endeavor to erect the monument known as the National Railroad Hall of Fame.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1997
Young American Workers' Bill of Rights - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise and increase requirements relating to child labor standards, including: (1) reporting, recordkeeping, and certification; (2) orders and regulations; (3) penalties; (4) coverage regardless of sales volume; (5) civil actions; and (6) migrant or seasonal agricultural labor. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) compile (jointly with the Census Bureau) annual child labor data with respect to individuals under age 18; (2) provide for coordination among enforcement personnel for Federal and State labor standards, occupational health and safety laws, and Federal immigration laws; (3) establish an Advisory Committee for Child Labor; and (4) publicize violators of child labor laws. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1997
FERS Buyback Act of 1997 - Amends Federal law concerning government organization and employees to make certain temporary Federal service creditable for retirement purposes. Sets forth provisions relating to persons who have separated from Government service.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1997
Amends Federal civil service law to provide that an individual serving in a position in the competitive or excepted service, under an indefinite or temporary appointment, who performs at least two years of service in such a position within a five-year period and passes a suitable noncompetitive examination, acquires competitive status for purposes of appointment to a position in the competitive service.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1997
Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the current alternative minimum tax on profitable individuals and corporations should remain wholly intact.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1997
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1997 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities, including an employing authority or office to which specified provisions of the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991 or the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 apply. Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares that: (1) this Act does not apply to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's partner; and (2) a disparate impact does not establish a prima facie violation of this Act. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from entering into a consent decree that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares that this Act does not apply to: (1) religious organizations (except regarding employment in a position the duties of which pertain solely to activities of the organization that generate unrelated business income subject to taxation under specified Internal Revenue Code provisions); (2) the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Provides for enforcement. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for all remedies (except punitive damages, with compensatory damages available to the extent specified in certain existing provisions of law) to the same extent as under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Allows recovery of attorney's fees. Requires posting notices for employees and applicants.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1997
Personal Information Privacy Act of 1997 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to redefine the term "consumer report" to exclude identifying information listed in a local telephone directory (thereby ensuring that the personal identification information in the credit headers accompanying credit reports of unlisted individuals remains confidential). Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit the commercial acquisition or distribution of an individual's social security number (or any derivative of it), as well as its use as a personal identification number, without the individual's written consent. Provides for a civil action in a U.S. District Court by any individual aggrieved by any violation of this prohibition. Provides for civil money penalties for violations as well. Amends the Federal criminal code to require the uses of social security numbers by State departments of motor vehicles to be consistent with the uses authorized by the Social Security Act, the Privacy Act, and by any other statutes explicitly authorizing their use. Prohibits the use of social security numbers by marketing companies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Amendments to Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 Title II: Amendments to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Title III: Repeal of Title V Relating to Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs Title IV: General Provisions Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1997 - Title I: Amendments to Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to: (1) include a finding that weapons offenses and homicides are two of the fastest growing violent crimes committed by juveniles; (2) include as a purpose to support State and local programs that prevent juvenile involvement in delinquent behavior; and (3) define "violent crime" as murder or non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, or robbery, or aggravated assault committed with the use of a firearm. (Sec. 104) Redesignates the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as the Office of Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention. (Sec. 105) Modifies provisions of the Act regarding: (1) concentration of Federal effort to repeal the requirements that the Administrator of the Office develop for each fiscal year a comprehensive plan of activities and that each Federal agency administering a Federal juvenile delinquency program submit annually a juvenile delinquency development statement; and (2) an annual report to require that such report include an evaluation of programs funded and their effectiveness in reducing the incidence of juvenile delinquency, particularly violent crime committed by juveniles. (Sec. 106) Eliminates: (1) the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and (2) certain allocations of funds to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. (Sec. 109) Modifies Act requirements regarding State plans. Provides that the advisory group shall consist of the State attorney general or such other State official who has primary responsibility for overseeing the enforcement of State criminal laws. Requires State plans to: (1) contain plans for providing needed services for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency in rural areas, mental health services to juveniles in the juvenile justice system, and gender-specific services for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency; and (2) provide for the coordination and maximum utilization of existing juvenile delinquency programs, programs operated by private agencies, and other related programs in the State. Requires such plans to provide that not less than 75 percent of the funds available to the State be used for specified purposes, including: (1) programs that assist in holding juveniles accountable for their actions; (2) expanded use of probation officers; (3) boot camps for juvenile offenders; (4) other activities (such as court-appointed special advocates) that the State determines will hold juveniles accountable for their acts and decrease juvenile involvement in delinquent activities; (5) establishing policies and systems to incorporate relevant child protective services records into juvenile justice records for purposes of establishing treatment plans for juvenile offenders; (6) a system of records equivalent to the records that would be kept for adults relating to any adjudication of juveniles under 18 years of age as delinquent for conduct that would constitute a violent crime if committed by an adult; (7) programs that utilize multidisciplinary interagency case management and information sharing that enable the juvenile justice and law enforcement agencies, schools, and social service agencies to make more informed decisions regarding early identification, control, supervision, and treatment of juveniles who repeatedly commit violent or serious delinquent acts; and (8) programs designed to prevent and reduce hate crimes committed by juveniles. Revises State plan requirements regarding limits on the placement of juveniles in secure detention or correctional facilities, juvenile contact with adults incarcerated or awaiting trial on criminal charges, and juvenile detention or confinement in adult jails and lockups. (Sec. 110) Revises the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant Program by: (1) repealing provisions governing grants for the National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, gang-free schools and communities, State challenge activities, treatment for juvenile offenders who are victims of child abuse or neglect, mentoring, boot camps, and the White House Conference on Juvenile Justice; and (2) authorizing the Administrator to make grants to eligible States for the purpose of providing financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out projects designed to prevent juvenile delinquency. Includes among such projects: (1) projects that assist in holding juveniles accountable for their actions; (2) projects that provide treatment to juvenile offenders who are victims of child abuse or neglect; (3) education projects or supportive services for delinquent or other juveniles; (4) projects which expand the use of probation officers; (5) one-on-one mentoring projects; (6) community-based projects which work with juvenile offenders and their family members; (7) substance abuse programs; (8) postsecondary education and training projects; (9) projects designed to prevent or reduce gang participation; (10) employment and job training referral projects; (11) delinquency prevention activities; and (12) family stengthening activities. Sets forth provisions regarding grant allocation (based on a State's relative juvenile population and crime rate), State and local government and entity grant eligibility requirements, and limitations. (Sec. 111) Authorizes the Administrator to undertake specified activities regarding research, evaluation, technical assistance, and training, including making agreements with: (1) the National Institute of Justice or another Federal agency to conduct research and evaluation relating to juvenile delinquency; and (2) the Bureau of Justice Statistics or another Federal agency to undertake statistical work in juvenile justice matters. (Sec. 112) Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to and contracts with States, local governmental units, Indian tribal governments, public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals to carry out projects for the development, testing, and demonstration of promising initiatives and programs for the prevention, control, or reduction of juvenile delinquency. Authorizes technical assistance for such grants. Sets forth provisions regarding eligibility and reports. (Sec. 113) Authorizes appropriations for specified programs under such Act for FY 1998 through 2001. (Sec. 115) Amends the Act to prohibit the use of funds for the cost of facility construction, with an exception, or for advocacy or support for the unsecured release of juveniles charged with violent crime. (Sec. 118) Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) receive surplus Federal property and lease such property to States and units of local government for use in or as facilities for juveniles offenders, or for use in or as facilities for delinquency prevention and treatment activities; and (2) issue rules that establish procedures and methods for making grants and contracts, and distributing funds available, to carry out the Act. Title II: Amendments to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act - Amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to: (1) include findings that it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an accurate national reporting system on runaway and homeless youth and that services for such youth are needed in urban, suburban, and rural areas; (2) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to public and nonprofit private entities to establish and operate local centers to provide services for such youth and their families; (3) require a grant applicant, to be eligible for assistance, to include assurances that the applicant shall submit an annual report that includes statistical summaries describing the number and the characteristics of such youth and youth at risk of family separation who participated in the project and the services provided to such youth by the project; and (4) modify the services that applicants must plan to provide in order to use grant money for street-based, home-based, and drug abuse education and prevention services. (Sec. 204) Revises Act provisions regarding: (1) approval of applications to direct the Secretary to consider the geographical distribution in the State of the proposed services; (2) authority for the transitional living grant program to repeal definitions of "homeless youth" and "transitional living youth project"; and (3) authority to make grants for research, demonstration, and service projects to repeal references to home-based and street based services from the research and demonstration projects. (Sec. 208) Repeals provisions of the Act: (1) regarding temporary demonstration projects to provide services to youth in rural areas; (2) directing that assistance to potential grantees include information on the need for the establishment of additional runaway and homeless youth centers in the geographical area identified by the potential grantee involved; and (3) barring the disclosure and transfer of records containing the identity of individual youths. Directs the Secretary to evaluate on-site a grantee that receives grants for three consecutive fiscal years. (Sec. 209) Modifies provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 regarding education and prevention grants to reduce sexual abuse of runaway, homeless, and street youth to authorize the Secretary to make grants to nonprofit private agencies for the purpose of providing street-based services to runaway and homeless youth and street youth who have been subjected to, or are at risk of, sexual abuse. Extends the authorization of appropriations through FY 2000. (Sec. 210) Amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to require the Secretary, by April 1, 1999, and at two-year intervals thereafter, to submit to specified congressional committees a report on the status, activities, and accomplishments of entities that receive grants under the Act. Lists information that must be included in the report. Requires the Secretary to include summaries of the Secretary's evaluations of grantees and descriptions of the qualifications and training of the individuals administering the evaluations. (Sec. 213) Authorizes appropriations under such Act for FY 1998 through 2001. Sets forth the division of appropriations among the programs. (Sec. 214) Grants the Secretary authority to implement a single consolidated application review process. Title III: Repeal of Title V Relating to Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs - Repeals Title V of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 regarding incentive grants for local delinquency prevention programs. Title IV: General Provisions - Makes this Act effective on the date of its enactment. Specifies that amendments made by this Act shall apply only to fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1997.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1997
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for a ten percent reduction of drug control and system improvement (Byrne) grants to States that do not have in effect a law which requires, at a minimum, imprisonment of not less than: (1) ten years, for first offenders inflicting serious bodily injury on a child; (2) 20 years, for offenders having a previous conviction for such offense; (3) five years, for first offenders inflicting any bodily injury on a child; and (4) ten years, for such offenders having a previous conviction. Provides for redistribution of such reduced amount to other States having such a law in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1997
Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to conduct a demonstration project under which covered members and beneficiaries under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) who are or become entitled to hospital insurance benefits under part A of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act will be eligible to enroll in health benefits plans offered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. Requires the demonstration project to be conducted in two geographic areas and to last at least two, but not more than three, contract years. Provides for: (1) management of participation in the project; (2) Government contributions for beneficiary coverage under the FEHB program; and (3) reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1997
Access to Women's Health Care Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to establish standards requiring that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans provide adequate access to services provided by obstetrician-gynecologists.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1997
Managed Care Plan Accountability Act of 1997 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) with respect to accountability for violations of requirements for managed care group health plans, especially failure to provide health benefits due to improper cost-driven delivery policy decisions. Imposes joint and several liability for actual (including compensatory and consequential) damages, and, in the court's discretion, for punitive damages, on a group health plan, or a plan health insurance issuer, for failure to provide a benefit in accordance with plan terms, insofar as such failure occurs pursuant to a clinically or medically inappropriate decision or determination resulting from application of any cost containment technique, related utilization review, or any other medical care delivery policy decision which restricts the ability of medical care providers to use their full discretion for treatment of patients. Provides for an action for damages in either a State or Federal court. Requires managed care group health plans to provide for full indemnification of medical care providers bound by plan restrictions for any liability incurred for such a failure if it is the direct result of a plan restriction on medical communications. Amends the IRC to establish an excise tax for such cost-driven violations of plan terms.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1997
Saint Helena Island National Scenic Area Act - Establishes the Saint Helena Island National Scenic Area, upon conveyance of such Island to the United States, to preserve and protect its outstanding resources and values and to provide for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of primitive recreation opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat, vegetation, and historical and cultural resources of such Island. Requires the boundaries of the Hiawatha National Forest to be extended to include such Area. Requires lands acquired by the United States under this Act to be treated as entitlement lands solely for purposes of payments in lieu of taxes to local governments. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a management plan for the Area as an amendment to the Land and Resources Management Plan for the Hiawatha National Forest. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the jurisdiction or responsibilities of Michigan with respect to fish and wildlife in the Area. Withdraws the lands within the Area from U.S. mining laws and from disposition under mineral and geothermal leasing laws. Prohibits the Secretary from allowing any mineral development on federally-owned land within the Area, except for construction and maintenance of roads and facilities within the Area. Allows the Secretary to acquire land and structures: (1) within the Area to further the purposes of this Act; and (2) on the mainland to the extent necessary for access to, and administrative facilities for, the Area. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1997
Congratulates the people of India and Pakistan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their nations' independence. Declares that the House of Representatives intends to send a delegation to India and Pakistan during such anniversary year to further enhance the mutual understanding among the United States, Pakistan, India, and among the Congress and the parliaments of those countries.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1997
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should: (1) immediately release to the Congress the study of mercury emissions required under the Clean Air Act to have been completed by November 15, 1994; (2) conduct landfill air emission tests for mercury in the Northeast and nationally; and (3) not exempt mercury-containing lamps from hazardous waste regulations, but instead adopt universal waste rules that foster mercury recycling.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Juvenile Offender Control and Prevention Grants Title II: Violent Juvenile Offenders Title III: Gang Violence Title IV: Prevention and Treatment of Youth Drug Addiction Title V: Improving Juvenile Crime and Drug Prevention Families First Juvenile Offender Control and Prevention Act of 1997 - Title I: Juvenile Offender Control and Prevention Grants - Juvenile Offender Control and Prevention Grant Act of 1997 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to replace provisions regarding alternative methods of punishment for young offenders with a juvenile offender control and prevention grant program. Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to qualifying units of local government, according to a specified formula, to be used for one of several specified activities, such as building or expanding secure juvenile correction or detention facilities for violent juvenile offenders. Sets forth provisions regarding prohibited uses of grant funds, repayment of unexpended amounts, and matching funds. Authorizes appropriations. Makes specified sums available to the Attorney General for studying effectiveness and efficiency, assuring compliance, and for administrative costs. Directs the Attorney General to establish and execute an oversight plan for monitoring the activities of grant recipients. Requires the Director to: (1) issue regulations establishing procedures under which a unit of local government is required to provide notice to the Director regarding the proposed use of grant funds; and (2) establish a process for the ongoing evaluation of projects developed with such funds. Sets forth provisions regarding sanctions for noncompliance and maintenance of effort requirements. (Sec. 103) Directs the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to provide information and technical assistance to community-based organizations and units of local government to assist in the establishment, operation, and replication of model programs designed to prevent juvenile delinquency. Title II: Violent Juvenile Offenders - Amends Federal criminal code (code) provisions regarding the transfer of a juvenile for criminal prosecution in Federal court to require that the transfer decision be made not later than 90 days after the first day of the hearing. (Sec. 202) Eliminates the statute of limitations for a Class A felony involving murder. (Sec. 203) Provides that, except for capital offenses and Class A felonies involving murder, no person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for a Class A felony that is a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime unless the indictment is returned or the information is filed within ten years after the commission of the offense. (Sec. 204) Modifies provisions regarding dispositional hearings to: (1) require that the probation officer prepare a predisposition report and promptly provide a copy to the juvenile, the attorney for the juvenile, and the attorney for the Government; and (2) require the court to order restitution; and (3) authorize the court, upon suspending the findings of juvenile delinquency, to impose any fine that would be authorized if the juvenile had been tried and convicted as an adult. Specifies that for a juvenile found to be delinquent the term for which: (1) probation may be ordered may not extend beyond the maximum term that would be authorized if the juvenile had been tried and convicted as an adult; (2) official detention may be ordered may not extend beyond the lesser of the maximum term of imprisonment that would be authorized if the juvenile had been tried and convicted as an adult, ten years, or the date on which the juvenile achieves age 26; and (3) supervised release may be ordered may not extend beyond five years. Authorizes the court, with respect to any juvenile prosecuted and convicted as an adult, pursuant to guidelines promulgated by the United States Sentencing Commission, to determine to treat the conviction as an adjudication of delinquency and impose any disposition authorized. Directs the Commission to promulgate such guidelines within a year. Requires that a juvenile detained pending juvenile proceedings or a criminal trial, or detained or imprisoned pursuant to an adjudication or conviction, be substantially segregated from any prisoners convicted for crimes who have attained age 21. (Sec. 205) Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to increase penalties for: (1) juvenile handgun possession; and (2) knowingly receiving a firearm with an obliterated serial number. (Sec. 207) Directs the Commission to amend the Federal sentencing guidelines to increase the base offense level for certain offenses relating to the transfer of firearms or ammunition to prohibited persons. (Sec. 208) Modifies code provisions regarding the use of juvenile records to direct that a juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent for an act that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony or for a violation of juvenile handgun possession provisions shall be fingerprinted and photographed and the results sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Directs the court to also transmit to the FBI information concerning the adjudication. Specifies that if the law of the State in which a Federal juvenile delinquency proceeding takes place permits or requires the reporting, retention, disclosure, or availability of records or information relating to a juvenile or to a juvenile delinquency proceeding or adjudication in certain circumstances, then such reporting, retention, disclosure, or availability is permitted under the code whenever the same circumstances exist. Title III: Gang Violence - Increases the penalty for, and the scope of provisions regarding, the use of physical force to tamper with witnesses, victims, or informants. (Sec. 302) Sets penalties for interstate: (1) travel to engage in witness intimidation or obstruction of justice; and (2) franchising of criminal street gangs. (Sec. 303) Expands pretrial detention eligibility for serious gang and other violent criminals. (Sec. 304) Establishes a conspiracy penalty for obstruction of justice offenses involving victims, witnesses, and informants. Title IV: Prevention and Treatment of Youth Drug Addiction - Expresses the sense of the Congress that appropriations for State grants (for drug and violence prevention programs) and national programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act should increase by specified amounts. (Sec. 402) Amends: (1) the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 to reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and (2) the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to authorize the Attorney General to reschedule certain drugs posing an imminent danger to public safety. (Sec. 403) Directs the Attorney General to add ketamine hydrochloride and gamma hydroxybutyrate to schedule III of the CSA. Title V: Improving Juvenile Crime and Drug Prevention - Directs the Attorney General to enter into a contract with a public or nonprofit private entity for the purpose of conducting a study or studies to: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of federally funded programs for preventing juvenile violence and juvenile substance abuse and criminal victimization of juveniles; (2) identify specific Federal programs and programs that receive Federal funds that contribute to reductions in juvenile violence, juvenile substance abuse, and risk factors among juveniles that lead to violent behavior and substance abuse and specific programs that have not achieved their intended results; and (3) make specific recommendations on programs that should receive continued or increased funding or that should have their funding terminated or reduced. Requires the Attorney General to request the National Academy of Sciences to enter into such contract, and if it declines, to carry out this title through other public or nonprofit private entities. Allows the contracting party to request assistance from the Department of Justice and any other appropriate Federal agency. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1997
Women's Business Centers Act of 1997 - Amends the Small Business Act to: (1) authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide financial assistance to private organizations to conduct five-year (currently, three-year) demonstration projects to benefit small businesses owned and controlled by women; (2) adjust the level of cash contributions required from Federal and non-Federal sources for each of the five years of the projects; (3) require each assistance applicant to submit a five-year (currently, three year) plan on proposed fund raising and training activities under a project; (4) allow each recipient to receive such assistance for five years (in lieu of three); (5) establish within the SBA the Office of Women's Business Ownership to administer SBA's women's business enterprise programs; (6) require the SBA to report biennially to the small business committees on the effectiveness of projects conducted under this Act; and (7) increase the annual authorization of appropriations for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Children's Environmental Protection Subtitle A: Disclosure of Industrial Releases That Present a Significant Risk to Children Subtitle B: Disclosure of High Health Risk Chemicals in Children's Consumer Products Title II: Public Right to Know About Toxic Chemical Use Children's Environmental Protection and Right to Know Act of 1997 - Title I: Children's Environmental Protection - Subtitle A: Disclosure of Industrial Releases That Present a Significant Risk to Children -Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish thresholds for toxic chemicals which may present significant risks to children's health or the environment. Includes lead, mercury, dioxin, cadmium, chromium and other specified bioaccumulative chemicals as substances subject to such thresholds. Makes dioxin and specified bioaccumulative chemicals subject to toxic chemical release form reporting requirements under such Act. Authorizes citizen suits against the Administrator for failures to establish thresholds under this Act. Subtitle B: Disclosure of High Health Risk Chemicals in Children's Consumer Products - Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the National Toxicology Program, to publish a list of substances which are toxic due to carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or reproductive toxic effects. Directs the Secretary to identify those substances to which infants and young children are exposed. Requires manufacturers or importers of eligible products (defined as toys or other articles intended for use by children) which contain such substances to report specified information to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including information supporting that a substance is not a misbranded or banned hazardous substance. Authorizes exemptions from such reporting requirements if a substance would not cause substantial personal injury or illness as a result of foreseeable handling, including ingestion by children. Permits citizen suits with respect to certain violations under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and against the Commission for failure to perform duties under this Act. Title II: Public Right to Know About Toxic Chemical Use - Expands information to be included in toxic chemical release forms, including the number of employees and occupational exposures at reporting facilities as well as materials accounting information. Requires the Administrator to take certain actions to: (1) standardize data and obtain and integrate information regarding toxic chemicals; (2) consolidate all annual reporting requirements of Federal environmental laws for small businesses and entities subject to toxic chemical release reporting; and (3) provide the public with one point of contact for access to information gathered by EPA. Requires disclosures on the uses of toxic chemicals by reporting facilities. Permits the withholding of portions of materials accounting information reported by covered facilities for purposes of protecting trade secrets.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1997
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1997 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish in the National Park Service (NPS) a program to be known as the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom under which the Secretary shall: (1) produce and disseminate educational materials about the Railroad; (2) provide technical assistance to other government agencies, private entities, or the Governments of Canada, Mexico, or any appropriate Caribbean country to ensure coordination of Federal and non-Federal elements of the Network; and (3) regulate use of an official symbol for the Network. Includes within the Network: (1) NPS units or programs pertaining to the Railroad; (2) Federal, State, local, or privately-owned properties pertaining to the Railroad that have a verifiable connection to it and that are included or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) governmental or nongovernmental facilities or programs of educational, research, or interpretive natures that are directly related to such Railroad. Prohibits amounts from being appropriated for the purposes of this Act except to the Secretary for carrying out his or her responsibilities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1997
Federal Procurement and Assistance Integrity Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness and protect the integrity of the Federal procurement and assistance systems by ensuring that the Federal Government does business with responsible contractors and participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to debar or suspend a person from procurement or nonprocurement activities upon a finding, in accordance with procedures developed under this Act, that the person violated any of the following: (1) the National Labor Relations Act; (2) the Fair Labor Standards Act; (3) the Occupational Safety and Health Act; or (4) Federal requirements for employment emphasis under Federal contracts to be given to special disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era. Directs the Secretary and the National Labor Relations Board to jointly develop procedures to determine whether a violation of a law listed above is serious enough to warrant debarment or suspension. Mandates a report by the Secretary and the National Labor Relations Board to the Congress on the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1997
Reaffirms the view that the status quo on Cyprus is unacceptable and detrimental to U.S. interests. Considers that lasting peace and stability on Cyprus could be best secured by a process of complete demilitarization leading to the withdrawal of all foreign occupation forces, the cessation of foreign arms transfers to Cyprus, and providing for alternative internationally acceptable and effective security arrangements as negotiated by the parties. Supports the commitment by President Clinton to give increased attention to Cyprus and make the search for a solution a priority of U.S. foreign policy. Encourages the President to launch an early substantive initiative, in close coordination with the United Nations, the European Union, and interested governments to promote a speedy resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of international law, the provisions of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, democratic principles, including respect for human rights, and in accordance with the norms and requirements for accession to the European Union. Calls upon the parties to lend their full support and cooperation to such an initiative. Requests the President to report actions taken to give effect to the objectives set forth in this Act in the bimonthly report on Cyprus transmitted to the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1997
Declares that the Congress: (1) maintains that the standard for the "Made in USA" label should continue to be that a product was all or virtually all made in the United States; and (2) urges the Federal Trade Commission to refrain from lowering the standard at the expense of consumers and jobs in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 1997
Authorizes the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial on Federal land within the District of Columbia or its environs to honor members of the armed forces killed while engaged in a military operation, other than a declared war, which involved conflict with an opposing foreign force. Prohibits the use of Federal funds in establishing such memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1997
National Beverage Container Reuse and Recycling Act of 1997 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the sale of beer, mineral water, soda water, wine coolers, or carbonated soft drinks in beverage containers by retailers and distributors unless such containers carry a refund value of ten cents. Provides for the adjustment for inflation of the refund amount at ten-year intervals. Requires: (1) distributors to collect from retailers the refund value for each beverage sold to retailers; and (2) retailers to collect from consumers the refund value for each beverage sold to consumers. Requires retailers and distributors to pay the refund on returned containers of brands (in the same kind and size of container) sold. Directs distributors to pay annually to a State unclaimed refund amounts (the amount by which the total refund value of all containers sold by distributors exceeds the amount paid by distributors to persons in that State). Makes unclaimed refunds available to a State for carrying out pollution prevention and recycling programs. Prohibits distributors and retailers from: (1) selling beverages in metal beverage containers with detachable openings; and (2) disposing of containers subject to this Act or any metal, glass, or plastic from such containers (other than the top or seal) in landfills or solid waste disposal facilities. Makes this Act inapplicable to States that have adopted requirements identical to those under this Act or that have demonstrated achievement of a recycling or reuse rate for beverage containers of at least 70 percent. Prohibits States or political subdivisions that impose taxes on the sale of beverage containers from imposing any tax on the amount attributable to the refund value of such containers. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1997
Leave Equity for Adoptive Families Act of 1997 - Entitles any employee who needs it, because of placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care, to any leave benefit provided by the employer for care of an employee's newborn biological child or for recovery from the employee's own illness, injury, or disability. Requires that such leave commence no later than 12 months after such placement. Authorizes civil actions to enforce this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1997
Federal Agency Compliance Act - Requires a Federal agency, in administering a statute, rule, regulation, program, or policy (statute) within a judicial circuit, to adhere to the existing precedent respecting the interpretation and application of such statute, as established by the decisions of the U.S. court of appeals for that circuit, with exceptions. Allows an agency to take a position, either in administration or litigation, that is at variance with such precedent if: (1) it is uncertain whether the administration of the statute will be subject to review by the appeals court that established that precedent or a court of appeals for another circuit; (2) the Government did not seek further review of the case in which that precedent was first established in that appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court because neither the United States nor any agency or officer thereof was a party to the case or because the decision establishing that precedent was otherwise substantially favorable to the Government; or (3) it is reasonable to question the continued validity of that precedent in light of a subsequent decision of that appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court, a subsequent change in any pertinent statute or regulation, or any other subsequent change in the public policy or circumstances on which that precedent was based. Requires: (1) the officers of any Federal agency supervising the conduct of litigation to ensure that the initiation, defense, and continuation of proceedings in the U.S. courts within, or subject to the jurisdiction of, a particular judicial circuit avoids unnecessarily repetitive litigation on questions of law already consistently resolved against the U.S. position in precedents established by the U.S. courts of appeals for three or more other judicial circuits; (2) decisions on whether to initiate, defend, or continue litigation for purposes of this Act to take into account specified factors, including the effect of intervening changes in pertinent law or the public policy or circumstances on which the established precedents were based; and (3) the Attorney General to report annually to specified congressional committees on the Federal agency efforts to comply with this Act. Specifies that a decision on whether to initiate, defend, or continue litigation is not subject to court review on the grounds that the decision violates the requirement under this Act regarding adherence to court of appeals precedents.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1997
Taking Back Our Neighborhoods Crime Fighting Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax credit to an individual who is an active participant of a neighborhood crime watch organization during the taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: America Reads Challenge Act Title II: Grants to States Title III: Local and Regional Grants to Support Effective Models and Exemplary Partnerships Title IV: Supportive Activities Title V: Miscellaneous America Reads Challenge Act of 1997 - Title I: America Reads Challenge - Makes appropriations to the Secretary of Education and provides for funds from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Corporation for National and Community Service for joint financial support for effective local reading programs for preschool-aged children and children attending both public and private schools. Title II: Grants to States - Directs the Secretary and the CEO to use specified amounts of funds for grants to States for subgrants to local reading programs and local "Parents As First Teachers" programs. Title III: Local and Regional Grants to Support Effective Models and Exemplary Partnerships - Directs the Secretary and the CEO jointly to: (1) make competitive grants for various local, regional, and national activities that identify and promote effective and promising practices for helping all children read well and independently by the end of the third grade; and (2) ensure that at least ten percent of such funds are awarded to national or regional information networks or other programs to provide support, training, and educational materials to assist parents to help their children become successful readers by the end of the third grade. Title IV: Supportive Activities - Directs the Secretary and the CEO to use certain reserved funds: (1) for technical assistance, dissemination of materials and information about best practices, and other activities; and (2) to evaluation of programs under this Act. Title V: Miscellaneous - Authorizes the Secretary and the CEO to waive certain provisions of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 under specified conditions. (Sec. 503) Prohibits use of funds under this Act for: (1) awards to a pervasively sectarian organization; or (2) support of religious worship, instruction, or proselytization.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Designation of Wilderness Title II: Administrative Provisions America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 1997 - Title I: Designation of Wilderness - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin wilderness areas; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas; (3) the Grand Staircase Wilderness and the Kaiparowits Plateau Wilderness; (4) Escalante Canyon wilderness areas; (5) the Henry Mountains Wilderness; (6) the Dirty Devil River Wilderness; (7) Cedar Mesa wilderness areas; (8) Canyonlands wilderness areas; (9) San Rafael Swell wilderness areas; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin wilderness areas. Title II: Administrative Provisions - Reserves the Federal Government's rights to a quantity of water sufficient for each wilderness area designated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1997
Hunger Has a Cure Act of 1997 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to provide for an annual price-indexed standard deduction adjustment (as of FY 2001). (Sec. 3) Revises maximum excess shelter deduction amounts and authorizes such amounts through FY 2001 (currently permanent). (Sec. 4) Provides for an annual price-indexed vehicle allowance adjustment. (Sec. 5) Revises work requirement provisions. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to reserve specified amounts for FY 1998 through 2002 employment and training programs. (Sec. 6) Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 to make legal immigrants who became disabled after U.S. entry and certain elderly and under-18 years of age legal immigrants eligible for the food stamp program (program). Extends program eligibility for refugees and asylees from five years to seven years. Repeals specified program attribution of (alien) sponsor income provisions. (Sec. 7) Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) specified funds under the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 should be appropriated to provide FY 1998 short-term emergency food assistance; and (2) FY 1997 and 1998 appropriations for the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) should meet case load demands. (Sec. 9) Amends the National School Lunch Act to: (1) increase lunch and supper reimbursement rates for the summer food service program for children; and (2) increase the number of meals and-or supplements available under the child and adult food care program. (Sec. 10) Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to direct the Secretary to carry out school breakfast and summer feeding program outreach activities. Obligates specified Treasury funds for State start-up and expansion costs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1997
Customs Enforcement and Market Access Act of 1997 - Directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), whenever the United States negotiates a protocol for accession of a country to the World Trade Organization (WTO), to negotiate for inclusion in that protocol: (1) provisions for effective market access to that country's domestic markets for U.S. textile and apparel products; and (2) provisions allowing the suspension or revocation of paragraph 14 (relating to increasing import levels based on growth rates) of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, if the country has failed to enforce such market access provisions. Requires negotiation of bilateral agreements containing similar provisions with countries that are not WTO members. (Sec. 3) Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to direct the USTR to identify annually, report to the Congress, and publish in the Federal Register the names of priority foreign countries that deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons producing or selling textile or apparel products. (Sec. 4) Establishes in the Treasury a Textile Global Competitiveness Research Fund, consisting in part of fines levied under this Act, and whose amounts shall be available: (1) to the Office of Textiles, Apparel, and Consumer Goods of the Department of Commerce to provide funds for the American Textile Partnership the Textile-Clothing Technology Center, the National Textile Center, and the Garment Industry Development Center; (2) for adjustment assistance for firms in the textile and apparel industry that have been adversely affected by textile and apparel imports; and (3) to the Customs Service for the enforcement of laws governing trade in textile and apparel goods. (Sec. 5) Directs the USTR to take necessary steps to negotiate a quota agreement with any non-WTO country whose exports to the United States exceed $100 million annually, or are creating serious damage or the actual threat of it to the U.S. textile and apparel industry. States the sense of the Congress that any agreement negotiated with a non-WTO country which already has a textile agreement with the United States should permit imports of textile and apparel products of that country, during each 12-month period, to increase by not more than the percentage of growth in the U.S domestic market for all textile and apparel products in the preceding 12-month period. Specifies provisions for inclusion in the accession protocol of countries acceding to the WTO. (Sec. 6) Requires the USTR to ensure that any protocol under negotiation for accession to the WTO of a non-WTO country with a bilateral textile import agreement with the United States, as well as any subsequent agreement, provides for a reduction in the quantity of that country's textile and apparel goods that may be imported into the United States if the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements determines that the bilateral agreement is being circumvented and that inadequate or no measures are being taken by that country to take action against such circumvention. (Sec. 7) Prescribes specified Customs Service enforcement actions and penalties (including fines, seizure, and forfeiture) for violations of customs laws involving textile and apparel goods. (Sec. 10) Directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish a Division on Textile Enforcement. (Sec. 11) Requires withdrawal of preferential tariff or quota treatment (unilateral trade concessions) from the textile and apparel goods of any country: (1) demonstrating a consistent pattern of circumventing textile agreements with United States; (2) refusing to cooperate in investigations; or (3) failing to provide fair and equitable market access for U.S. textile and apparel goods.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1997
Community Environmental Equity Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to define "covered substance" to mean hazardous contaminants, chemicals, materials, wastes, and substances listed, identified, or defined in specified laws or designated by the President. Prohibits any entity that handles, manages, treats, releases, disposes, stores, transports, or delivers covered substances from disproportionately exposing any individual or community, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, to any covered substance. Authorizes enforcement: (1) by denial or termination of authorization to handle, manage, etc., covered substances; (2) by any other means authorized by law; and (3) for entities receiving Federal financial assistance, through specified compliance provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1997
Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1997 - Amends the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990 to: (1) include among the Act's purposes to develop and implement proposals for the restoration of fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes Basin; and (2) include microorganisms within the definition of "nonindigenous species." Requires the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to: (1) ensure that proposals resulting from recommendations of the Great Lakes fishery resources restoration study or identified through an annual request to specified State and tribal entities are developed and that the highest priority proposals are implemented; and (2) annually request that State Directors and Indian Tribes submit fish and wildlife resources restoration proposals based on the results of the study or other sources. Requires the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to retain authority and responsibility for formulation and implementation of a comprehensive program for eradicating or minimizing sea lamprey populations in the Basin. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, at the Commission's request, to construct and improve water resources projects related to sea lamprey management. Establishes the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Proposal Review Committee. Requires the Director to select proposals to be implemented and, within available appropriations, fund their implementation. Sets forth cost-sharing requirements. Requires maintenance of the functions of the Great Lakes Coordination Office in East Lansing, Michigan, and of the Upper and Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Offices. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth a special rule for the donation by a corporation, as a charitable deduction, of computer equipment and software, as well as related training, to elementary and secondary schools and to qualified organizations providing assistance to disabled individuals. Directs the Comptroller General to report concerning such deductions. Expresses the sense of the Congress that one of the main purposes of such enhanced charitable deduction is to encourage the donation of computer equipment and software to: (1) schools serving low income communities; (2) schools with budgets below applicable norms; and (3) schools with student test scores below the norm.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1997
Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to preserve the territorial integrity, unity, sovereignty, and full independence of Lebanon. Commends the President for hosting the "Friends of Lebanon" conference on December 16, 1996, and urges the President to take further steps to assist Lebanon's reconstruction. Calls for: (1) the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon; (2) the President to consider resolving the presence of non-Lebanese forces in Lebanon without relying exclusively upon a comprehensive peace in the region; (3) the security of Lebanon from interference from its neighbors; (4) the President to negotiate directly with officials of the Government of Lebanon on issues pertaining to Lebanon; (5) Lebanon to assert more independence to assure the international community that it has the political will and military capability to guarantee security along its borders for itself and its neighbors and disarm all militias; (6) Lebanon to respect freedom of the press, human rights, judicial due process, political freedom, the right of association, and freedom of assembly; and (7) the President to use such guidelines in formulating U.S. policy toward Lebanon. Commends the Lebanese Government for its determination to hold municipal elections for the first time since 1963.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1997
Insular Fair Wage and Human Rights Act of 1997 - Amends Federal law to prohibit the affixation of the "Made in the USA" label to a textile fiber product from the Northern Mariana Islands unless: (1) each worker producing such product was paid a minimum wage equal to or greater than a specified amount; and (2) the product was manufactured in compliance with all Federal labor laws, including, but not limited to, the National Labor Relations Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Applies to the Northern Mariana Islands: (1) the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (2) the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as modified by this Act. Requires a minimum wage through December 31, 1997, of $3.55 per hour, adjusted semiannually thereafter in $.50 increments until it equals the minimum wage required by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Requires a study of the extent of human and labor rights violations in the Northern Mariana Islands, which shall be included in the Secretary of the Interior's annual Federal-CNMI Initiative on Labor Immigration, and Law Enforcement report to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1997
Public Schools Renewal and Improvement Act of 1997 - Establishes a procedure by which a local schools consortium shall request, through the State Governor, a declaration by the President that a public schools renewal effort is underway in its community. Requires such request to: (1) include the three-year plan for public schools renewal and improvement; (2) describe the nature and amount of State and local resources which have been or will be committed to such renewal and improvement; and (3) certify that State or local government obligations and expenditures will comply with all applicable matching requirements established pursuant to this Act. Authorizes the President to: (1) make such a requested declaration; and (2) authorize the Department of Education and other Federal agencies to provide assistance under this Act. Requires the consortium to make annual: (1) amendments to the request to include additional initiatives and approaches to improve academic effectiveness and school safety; and (2) progress reports to the Secretary of Education. (Sec. 5) Sets forth required elements of such public schools renewal and improvement plans, including specification of certain adverse conditions and certain assurances. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the President to provide for various forms of allowable Federal assistance under this Act. Directs the Secretary to distribute such funds and resources. (Sec. 7) Sets forth requirements for use of such assistance for various student-targeted resources, classroom-focused school development, accountability reforms, and other, similar types of public school reforms. (Sec. 8) Allows such assistance to be provided for each of FY 1998 through 2000. (Sec. 9) Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on this Act's effectiveness. (Sec. 10) Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth matching requirements for States or localities, which the President may waive upon the Secretary's recommendation.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bonior, David E. [D-MI-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000619_200.jpg)