United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1992
Amends the American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991 with regard to consumer commodities to: (1) permit labeling of contents in either inch-pound or SI metric measures; (2) exempt foods packaged at the retail store level from the requirement that the statement of net quantity of contents include the SI metric measure; and (3) permit inch-pound or SI metric measurements to be carried out to three decimal places. States that the amendments under this Act shall not: (1) apply to products with labels printed prior to the effective date of such Act; (2) apply to unit pricing, advertising, recipe programs, nutrition labeling, or other general pricing information; and (3) be construed to require package size changes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1992
Amends the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to authorize the National Science Foundation to foster the development and use of computer networks related to science and engineering research and education.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1992
Declares that the Congress acknowledges and appreciates the commitment, devotion, and sacrifices of present and former military families. Designates November 23, 1992, as National Military Families Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 1992
Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1992 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow, on order of a veterinarian: (1) a new animal drug approved for one use to be used for a different purpose, provided the use does not result in residues in food in violation of established safe levels for the drug; and (2) a new drug approved for human use to be used in non-food producing animals.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 1992
Every Fifth Child Appropriations Act - Appropriates funds to carry out the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children (WIC program) authorized in specified provisions of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Declares that, in order to achieve full funding for the program, there should be specified amounts appropriated in certain fiscal years. Appropriates funds to carry out the Head Start programs authorized in specified provisions of the Head Start Act. Declares that, in order to achieve full funding for the programs, there should be specified amounts appropriated in certain fiscal years. Appropriates funds to carry out the Job Corps program authorized in specified provisions of the Job Training Partnership Act. Declares that, in order to establish a minimum number of additional centers, serve a minimum additional number of youths, and achieve full funding for the program, there should be specified amounts appropriated in certain fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1992
Postal Patron Privacy Act of 1992 - Authorizes the Postal Service to permit its officers or employees to disclose the names and addresses of postal patrons if such disclosure: (1) consists of information relating to a change of address that was obtained on a Postal Service form which informed the patron of how the information would be disclosed and provided a means for the patron to deny disclosure; (2) has not been denied; and (3) would contribute to the efficiency of postal operations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1992
Title I: General Provisions - National Competitiveness Act of 1992 - Sets forth the purposes and goals of this Act. Title II: Manufacturing - Manufacturing Technology and Extension Act of 1992 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to designate the Department of Commerce as the lead civilian Federal agency to work with U.S. industry, State and local governments, and private entities to enhance U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Establishes the Nationwide Network of Manufacturing Outreach Centers to assist U.S. manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized firms, to expand the use of technology and modern manufacturing processes. Provides for a related communications infrastructure and information clearinghouse. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes the Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Networking Projects program to create technology development programs to create advanced computer-integrated, electronically-networked manufacturing technologies and associated applications. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to authorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish local manufacturing offices. Eliminates the requirement that a Manufacturing Technology Center be financially self-supporting after six years of operation. Authorizes appropriations for existing and new centers. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand the Engineering Research Centers program with emphasis on advanced manufacturing. Authorizes the establishment of up to five new Centers for such purpose. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Critical Technologies - Subtitle A: Miscellaneous - Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees regarding any executive branch international trade negotiations which might affect Federal research and development programs. Subtitle B: Council on Technology and Competitiveness - Establishes within the Executive Office of the President a Council on Technology and Competitiveness. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Advanced Technology Program - Directs the Secretary to submit to the Congress an expansion plan for the Advanced Technology program. Requires the establishment of at least two new critical technologies consortia. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: Technology Commercialization Loans - Authorizes the Secretary to make technology commercialization loans. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle E: Critical Technologies Development-Part I: General Provisions - Critical Technologies Development Act of 1992 - Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology (Under Secretary) to establish a critical technologies development advisory committee. Part II: Program Structure and Operation - Establishes a program of financing qualified business concerns through federally assisted licensees. Part III: Enforcement - Provides for license enforcement. Part IV: Miscellaneous - Authorizes the Under Secretary to issue and guarantee trust certificates for licensee preferred securities. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: International Standardization - Amends the American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991 to expand the standards pilot program to promote the dissemination of U.S. technical standards abroad. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress with regard to the appropriate Federal role in developing and promulgating domestic and global product and quality standards. Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the Office of the Under Secretary; (2) technology policy; (3) Japanese technical literature; (4) National Technical Information Service modernization, including a facilities study; and (5) specified activities within the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Prohibits the fraudulent use of "Made in America" labels. Provides for compliance with the Buy American Act. Prohibits the making of a Malcolm Baldrige Award within a category or subcategory if there are no qualifying enterprises in that category or subcategory. Title VI: Competitiveness Research, Data Collection, and Evaluation - Directs the Secretary to conduct a competitiveness research program. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1992
American Technology and Competitiveness Act - Title I: General Provisions - Sets forth the purposes and goals of this Act. Title II: Manufacturing - Manufacturing Technology and Extension Act of 1992 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to designate the Department of Commerce as the lead civilian Federal agency to work with U.S. industry, State and local governments, and private entities to enhance U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Establishes the Nationwide Network of Manufacturing Outreach Centers to assist U.S. manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized firms, to expand the use of technology and modern manufacturing processes. Provides for a related communications infrastructure and information clearinghouse. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes the Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Networking Projects program to create technology development programs to create advanced computer-integrated, electronically-networked manufacturing technologies and associated applications. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand the Engineering Research Centers program with emphasis on advanced manufacturing. Authorizes the establishment of up to five new Centers for such purpose. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Critical Technologies - Subtitle A: Miscellaneous - Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees regarding any executive branch international trade negotiations which might affect Federal research and development programs. Subtitle B: Council on Technology and Competitiveness - Establishes within the Executive Office of the President a Council on Technology and Competitiveness. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Advanced Technology Program - Directs the Secretary to submit to the Congress an expansion plan for the Advanced Technology program. Requires the establishment of at least two new critical technologies consortia. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: Technology Commercialization Loans - Authorizes the Secretary to make technology commercialization loans. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle E: Critical Technologies Development-Part I: General Provisions - Critical Technologies Development Act of 1992 - Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology (Under Secretary) to establish a critical technologies development advisory committee. Part II: Program Structure and Operation - Establishes a program of financing qualified business concerns through federally assisted licensees. Part III: Enforcement - Provides for licensee enforcement. Part IV: Miscellaneous - Authorizes the Under Secretary to issue and guarantee trust certificates for licensee preferred securities. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: International Standardization - Amends the American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991 to expand the standards pilot program to promote the dissemination of U.S. technical standards abroad. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress with regard to the appropriate Federal role in developing and promulgating domestic and global product and quality standards. Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the Office of the Under Secretary; (2) technology policy; (3) Japanese technical literature; (4) National Technical Information Service modernization, including a facilities study; and (5) specified activities within the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Prohibits the fraudulent use of "Made in America" labels. Provides for compliance with the Buy American Act. Prohibits the making of a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award within a category or subcategory if there are no qualifying enterprises in that category or subcategory. Title VI: Competitiveness Research, Data Collection, and Evaluation - Directs the Secretary to conduct a competitiveness research program. Authorizes appropriations. Title VII: Education and Workforce Training - Subtitle A: American Industrial Quality and Training - American Industrial Quality and Training Act of 1992 - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for workforce quality training partnerships. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make grants for youth technical apprenticeship programs. Directs such Secretary to establish a program information clearinghouse. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants for statewide systems of technical training. Authorizes appropriations. Requires reports on U.S. industry worker training and on the applicability of total quality management to education. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Scientific and Technical Education - Scientific and Technical Education Act of 1992 - Requires NSF to: (1) carry out a program to assist associate-degree-granting colleges to provide education in advanced technology fields, with emphasis on the needs of nontraditional students; (2) establish up to ten scientific and technical education centers of excellence; (3) make grants to eligible college partnerships to assist associate students in mathematics, science, engineering, or technology make the transition to bachelor-degree-granting institutions; and (4) make grants to strengthen the relationships between associate-degree-colleges and secondary schools. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes NSF to make grants for technology education teacher training. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Miscellaneous - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to require the Secretary to report to the Congress on establishment of a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for educational institutions. Directs the Secretary to establish in the Technology Administration the American Industrial Quality Foundation to further U.S. industrial competitiveness in the international marketplace. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Academic Research Facilities Modernization Act of 1988 to authorize appropriations for the Academic Research Facilities Modernization program. Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture, of Defense, and of Energy, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Director of the National Institutes of Aeronautics and Space Health to each establish academic research facilities awards programs. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes NASA, NSF, and the Department of Energy to establish a joint awards program in support of science and technology instructional equipment and facilities. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to authorize NSF to foster the development of high performance computing. Amends the Excellence in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for grants to educational agencies for systematic reform of mathematics and science education. Title VIII: Tax and Investment Incentives - Investment Incentives Act of 1992 - Subtitle A: Tax and Investment Incentives - Part I: Research and Experimentation Tax Credit Made Permanent - Amends the Internal Revenue Service Code to make the research tax credit permanent. Part II: Capital Gain Provisions - Provides for: (1) the indexing of certain assets acquired on or after February 1, 1992, for purposes of determining gain; and (2) a 50 percent exclusion for gain of individuals from certain small business stock. Part III: Temporary Investment Incentives - Provides for: (1) a temporary expensing increase for small businesses; and (2) a special depreciation allowance for certain equipment acquired in 1992. Subtitle B: Revenue Provisions - Makes the high-income personal exemption phaseout permanent. Disallows the deduction for: (1) certain employee remuneration in excess of $1 million; and (2) club membership dues. Requires specified identifying information with regard to certain seller-provided financing. Extends temporarily the overall limitation on high-income taxpayer itemized deductions. Sets forth a mark-to-market accounting method for securities dealers. Increases the base tax rate on ozone-depleting chemicals. Title IX: National Security Reinvestment - Subtitle A: Advanced Manufacturing Equipment Leasing Corporations - Provides for the establishment of a pilot Advanced Manufacturing Equipment Leasing Corporation which shall: (1) expand the commercial market for advanced manufacturing equipment produced by eligible Department of Defense (DOD) contractors; and (2) provide such equipment through lease or sale to small and medium commercial businesses at less than market rates. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Science and Mathematics Educational Reinstatement - Directs NSF to establish and administer a fellowship program for teaching certification in science and mathematics for qualifying displaced or retiring military and defense support personnel. Funds the program through DOD. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: National Security Retraining Fellowships - Directs NSF to establish and administer a fellowship program for retraining qualifying displaced or nonretiring military and defense support personnel with specialized defense-related expertise in science or engineering. Funds the program through DOD. Provides for the establishment of a related Engineer Reinvestment Panel. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: Multiprogram Laboratory Conversion - Requires that within five years of enactment of this Act, ten percent of all Federal funding for research and development at (the Department of Energy) multiprogram laboratories shall be used for joint projects with private industry, including specified priority projects. Subtitle E: Research and Development Spending - Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) any budget reductions in DOD research and development should be balanced by equal increases in civilian research and development spending; and (2) defense and civilian research and development spending should be made approximately equal as soon as practicable. Subtitle F: Manufacturing Extension and Critical Technologies - Authorizes DOD appropriations for: (1) manufacturing extension programs; and (2) critical technology application centers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 1992
Designates February 21 through 27, 1993, as American Wine Appreciation Week. Commends the winegrape and fruit growers and vintners of the United States for the production of high quality agricultural products.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1992
Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to create a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award category for educational institutions. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to the Congress regarding award and application criteria for such category.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1992
Earth Summit Leadership Act of 1992 - Title I: Foundation for Sustainable Development - Establishes the Foundation for Sustainable Development to: (1) encourage the growth of development institutions indigenous to developing countries which respond to the needs of the poor and promote environmental protection and conservation of natural resources; (2) support efforts to increase the productivity of the poor; (3) support self-help activities at the local level to enlarge opportunities for community development; (4) support efforts at community-based, environmentally sustainable management of natural resources; (5) stimulate and assist the process of people participating in the processes that affect their lives; (6) replicate successful projects promoting sustainable and equitable development funded by specified foundations; and (7) disseminate insights gained in the Foundation's work to the American public and citizens in developing countries. Authorizes the Foundation to provide grant assistance to indigenous organizations in developing countries or entities working in partnership with such organizations to carry out it purposes. Limits the total amount of assistance for a single project. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Regional Development Foundations - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1969 to increase the authorization amount for the Inter-American Foundation for FY 1993 and to authorize appropriations for FY 1994. Amends the African Development Foundation Act to authorize appropriations for the African Development Foundation for FY 1993 and 1994. Makes available an additional amount of economic support fund assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for Appropriate Technology International to enable it to emphasize large-scale replication of successful projects and partnerships with major development and financial institutions. Title III: Reduction in International Security Assistance - Places a ceiling on the total amount of international security assistance provided by the United States for FY 1993 and 1994. Expresses the sense of the Congress that international security assistance for FY 1995 and 1996 should be further reduced to promote global demilitarization and make available additional resources for sustainable development programs. Title IV: Multilateral Organizations - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive directors of specified multilateral development banks to promote the following actions: (1) to make available to the public information on physical, institutional, and economic details and the environmental, public health, and sociocultural impacts of proposed bank operations; (2) to ensure that poverty reduction becomes a higher priority, including increases for lending for health care and basic education to at least five percent of the bank's lending; (3) to ensure that all structural adjustment loans after July 1993 are presented with documentation on how such loans will affect incomes of the poor, the diversification of industrial and agricultural production, the delivery to low-income people of essential social and technical services, and the integrity of the natural resource base; (4) to ensure the development of sustainable energy systems by ensuring that all energy sector loans are based on end-use efficiency and renewable energy applications; (5) to establish a comprehensive water resource policy that will require a least-cost approach to planning for and investing in water resource development projects; and (6) to purchase commercial debt obligations of developing countries on the secondary market and forgive those debts in return for adoption of sustainable development policies. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should follow up U.S. participation in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) by taking an active role during the General Assembly session to ensure full implementation of UNCED recommendations on institutional reform issues. Title V: Domestic Environmental Policies - Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) all budgetary subsidies and tax advantages for unsustainable exploitation of natural resources should be eliminated as long as adequate provision is made to retrain displaced individuals and to assist poor people who are least able to bear the cost implied by such eliminations; (2) the director of the Office of Management and Budget should identify all current budgetary subsidies and tax advantages for the exploitation of nonrenewable energy, forest, and water resources and should estimate their cost to taxpayers as the basis for future congressional action to eliminate them; and (3) each Federal agency should conduct a survey of cost-effective renewable energy technologies which it could adopt for the conduct of its work and should begin conversion to those technologies as soon as possible. Directs the President to: (1) design a plan for reducing, by 2005, U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide to a level no greater than 80 percent of the 1990 level; and (2) formulate a national strategy for sustainable development.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1992
DeLauro-Lowey Water Pollution Control and Estuary Restoration Financing Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for the State water pollution control revolving fund program through FY 1999. Requires a specified percentage (increasing with each succeeding fiscal year) of such appropriations to be used by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make capitalization grants for estuary plans to qualified States. Requires States to submit estimates of the need for assistance for implementing and monitoring such plans. Prohibits the submission of such estimates unless the estimates are approved by the appropriate management conference under the National Estuary Program. Makes States that fail to submit approved estimates ineligible for assistance. Directs States to establish separate Estuary Accounts in their water pollution control revolving funds, to be used for implementing approved estuary plans. Permits loans made with amounts in such Accounts to be for terms of up to 40 years or for the useful life of a facility constructed with the loan, whichever is less, if the borrower demonstrates financial hardship. Allows States to use interest earned on amounts in such Accounts to subsidize up to 90 percent of the principal portion of debt service of certain entities that are financially unable to carry out a necessary project for an estuary plan. Establishes a State matching requirement for deposits into Accounts. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants for the implementation of estuary conservation and management plans. Limits the Federal share to 75 percent of the total cost of implementation. Authorizes appropriations. Permits certain grants under the National Estuary Program to be used for interim actions adopted by management conferences to protect the water and sediment quality of estuaries. Extends the authorization of appropriations for management conferences, grants, conservation and management plans, and research under the National Estuary Program through FY 1999. Revises provisions concerning the purposes of management conferences. Directs the Administrator to issue a guidance document that establishes requirements for: (1) management conferences to follow in developing, implementing, and monitoring conservation and management plans; and (2) approving and implementing interim actions to protect water quality of estuaries for which plans are developed. Requires management conferences to be convened for periods of at least five years (currently, up to five years). Permits the extension of a conference for an additional five years if the affected Governors concur in the extension and the extension is necessary to meet requirements. Revises approval and implementation procedures for estuary conservation and management plans and establishes such procedures for interim actions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1992
Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1992, for Disaster Assistance To Meet Urgent Needs Because of Calamities Such as Those Which Occurred in Los Angeles and Chicago - Makes dire supplemental appropriations for FY 1992 for: (1) the disaster loans program account of the Small Business Administration; and (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster relief and the disaster assistance direct loan program account.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1992
Authorizes the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to carry out an educational satellite loan guarantee program. Guarantees any lender against loss of principal or interest on a loan which is to be used solely to acquire and operate a communications satellite system dedicated to transmitting instructional programming. Restricts such a loan to a non-Federal, nonprofit, public corporation: (1) whose sole purpose is to acquire and operate such a system; (2) whose governing board includes members representing elementary and secondary education, vocational and technical education, community and State colleges, and universities; (3) whose charter is designed for affiliation with State and local instructional institutions and agencies, and other distance learning and instructional resource providers; and (4) which is in existence as of January 1, 1992. Requires such corporation, before such loan is guaranteed, to have: (1) investigated all practical means to acquire a communications satellite system; (2) reported to the Secretary its findings; and (3) recommended the most cost-effective, high-quality communications satellite system for the purposes of this Act. Sets forth limitations on the amount of guaranteed loans to: (1) acquire such system; and (2) operate and manage such system for up to three years. Requires the lender to assign rights and interests in such system to the United States upon payment of such loan guarantee. Authorizes the United States to exercise, retain, or dispose of any such right or interest in any manner it deems fit, upon recommendation of the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1992
Requires the Congress to enter into contracts with the lowest qualified bidders for the procurement of all services that can be procured from private enterprises through ordinary business channels, including security, food services, and services provided by the congressional publication offices, the Architect of the Capitol and the Sergeant at Arms and the Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives. Requires contracts for such services to mandate commercially competitive fees. Transfers operation of postal services in the Congress to the U.S. Postal Service.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1992
Extends emergency crop loss assistance to producers who lost crops during the period July 1, 1991, to April 15, 1992, to infestations of sweetpotato whitefly. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide specified funds to the Cooperative State Research Service for expanded research on sweetpotato whitefly control.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1992
Displaced Federal Employees Assistance Act of 1992 - Establishes notification requirements for reductions in force (RIFs) affecting Federal employees. Requires: (1) at least 60 days' written notice to the employee and any such employee's exclusive representative for collective-bargaining purposes before such employee is so released; and (2) 60 days' notice, if the RIF would involve the separation of a significant number of employees, to the appropriate State dislocated worker units and the chief elected official of such units of local government as appropriate. Specifies that, with respect to certain RIFs involving the separation of a significant number of employees of the Department of Defense (DOD), the notice period shall be 120 days. Requires: (1) the Office of Personnel Management to establish and keep current a Government-wide list of vacant (or soon to be vacant) positions; and (2) specified executive agencies, in filling vacant positions for which qualified RIFed employees have applied, to give full consideration to the applications of such employees before selecting any candidate from outside the agency for the position, subject to specified limitations. Requires the Secretary to establish a program under which separation pay (equal to six months basic pay) may be offered to encourage eligible employees to take immediate or early retirement, subject to specified requirements. Allows RIFed employees to keep their Government health insurance for 18 months while paying only the employee share of the premium, with the cost paid out of DOD's salaries and expenses account.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1992
Amends the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 and the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act to provide that the inclusion of a military installation being closed or realigned under such Acts in a report transmitted to the Congress shall be considered a notice of termination to its Department of Defense civilian employees for purposes of determining the employees' eligibility for assistance under the defense conversion adjustment program under the Job Training Partnership Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1992
Federal Facilities Toxics Release Act - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act to require Federal facilities that are subject to safety or chemical inventory reporting requirements under such Act or that manufacture or use a toxic chemical listed under such Act in excess of threshold amounts to comply with all Federal, State, and local requirements respecting emergency planning, notification, and reporting on substances covered by such Act. Waives sovereign immunity and the immunity of Federal employees for purposes of enforcement and injunctive relief. Authorizes the President to exempt a facility from requirements for one year if it is in the U.S. interest. Prohibits such an exemption due to lack of appropriations unless the President has specifically requested the appropriation as part of the budgetary process and the Congress failed to make it available. Authorizes additional exemptions for periods of up to one year. Permits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to commence administrative enforcement actions against Federal agencies pursuant to this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on making chemicals used by Federal facilities subject to toxic chemical release form requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1992
Western Hemisphere Environmental, Labor, and Agricultural Standards Act of 1992 - Declares that any free-trade area agreement negotiated under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (OTCA) in furtherance of the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative with any country in the Western Hemisphere outside North America must include the achievement of certain environmental, labor, and agricultural standards as principal negotiating objectives in addition to any other OTCA mandates. Sets forth worker rights and standards, including among others: (1) freedom of association and the right to organize free and independent unions, bargain collectively, and strike; (2) certain minimum ages for the employment of children in specified circumstances; (3) the right to a healthy working environment; (4) equal protection; and (5) humane standards of wages and hours of work. Sets forth principal negotiating objectives for environmental quality and protection, including among others: (1) protection of the integrity of ecosystems; (2) a process for full public disclosures of kinds, quantities, and risks of toxic chemical and hazardous substance discharges; and (3) prevention of the export of toxic and hazardous substances and products, and of products manufactured, extracted, or grown under environmental or workplace safety and health conditions that undermine comparable standards in the importing country. Requires adoption, in any such agreement, of the principle that systematic denial or practical negation of such labor and environmental standards constitutes an actionable unfair trade practice. Requires any such agreement to establish a comprehensive dispute resolution process with specified provisions, including one for a multilateral commission with authority to investigate, adjudicate, and issue timely binding judgments. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology to establish, through the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering, and Technology, an interagency committee to provide technical assistance to U.S. experts on the multilateral dispute resolution commission.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1992
North American Environmental, Labor, and Agricultural Standards Act of 1992 - Declares that any free-trade area trade agreement negotiated under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (OTCA) with Canada and Mexico (NAFTA) must include the achievement of certain environmental, labor, and agricultural standards as principal negotiating objectives in addition to any other OTCA mandates. Sets forth worker rights and standards, including among others: (1) freedom of association and the right to organize free and independent unions, bargain collectively, and strike; (2) certain minimum ages for the employment of children in specified circumstances; (3) the right to a healthy working environment; (4) equal protection; and (5) humane standards of wages and hours of work. Sets forth principal negotiating objectives for environmental quality and protection, including among others: (1) protection of the integrity of ecosystems; (2) a process for full public disclosure of kinds, quantities, and risks of toxic chemical and hazardous substance discharges; and (3) prevention of the export of toxic and hazardous substances and products, and of products manufactured, extracted, or grown under environmental or workplace safety and health conditions that undermine comparable standards in the importing country. Requires adoption, in any such agreement, of the principle that systematic denial or practical negation of such labor and environmental standards constitutes an actionable unfair trade practice. Requires any such agreement to establish a comprehensive dispute resolution process with specified provisions, including one for a trinational commission with authority to investigate, adjudicate, and issue timely binding judgments. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology to establish, through the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering, and Technology, an interagency committee to provide technical assistance to U.S. experts on the trinational dispute resolution commission.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1992
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a first-time homebuyer who purchases a principal residence a tax credit of ten percent of the purchase price of such residence. Limits the credit to $5,000. Requires married individuals filing jointly to both be first-time homebuyers. Allows the use of 50 percent of the credit in the first taxable year in which the residence is purchased and the remaining 50 percent in the succeeding taxable year. Makes this credit applicable to residences acquired after February 1, 1992, and before January 1, 1993, or for which a binding contract is entered into during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1992
Designates October 24 through November 1, 1992, as National Red Ribbon Week for a Drug Free America. Recognize the hard work and dedication of those involved in combatting substance abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 1992
Global Climate Protection Act - Directs the President to promulgate final regulations that will achieve stabilization of carbon dioxide emissions by January 1, 2000. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate and report biennially to the Congress on the progress made pursuant to such regulations. Directs the President to promulgate additional regulations to achieve stabilization if the Administrator finds that the regulations will not achieve stabilization. Permits citizen suits against officers of the United States for failures to perform duties in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 1992
Opportunities in Science and Technology Act of 1992 - Establishes a joint program by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy of annual competitive, merit-reviewed awards to provide and upgrade facilities and equipment at institutions engaged in fostering knowledge of science and technology. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 1992
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a first-time homebuyer who purchases a principal residence a tax credit of ten percent of the purchase price of such residence. Limits the credit to $5,000. Requires married individuals filing jointly to both be first-time homebuyers. Allows the use of 50 percent of the credit in the first taxable year in which the residence is purchased and the remaining 50 percent in the succeeding taxable year. Makes this credit applicable to residences acquired after February 1, 1992, and before January 1, 1993, or for which a binding contract is entered into during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1992
National Energy, Environment, and Competitiveness Research Act of 1992 - Title I: Reduction of Oil Vulnerability - Subtitle A: Oil and Gas Supply Enhancement - Directs the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) to conduct research and development programs in the following energy technologies in order to reduce national dependence upon imported oil, increase efficiency in meeting future energy needs, and reduce the adverse environmental consequences of energy production: (1) accelerated recovery of oil from domestic reservoirs in producing fields; (2) oil shale extraction and conversion for both Eastern and Western shales; (3) natural gas extraction from tight gas sands and devonian shales (or other unconventional sources); and (4) cofiring of natural gas with coal in utility and large industrial boilers to determine optimal natural gas injection levels for both environmental and operational benefits. Sets forth program goals, including short, mid-term, and long-term priorities. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Oil and Gas Demand Reduction and Substitution - Directs the Secretary to conduct research and development programs on: (1) cost effective technologies to reduce the demand for oil in the transportation sector through increased energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels; (2) advanced technologies to improve fuel economy of light-duty passenger vehicles powered by a piston engine, and hybrid vehicles powered by a combination of piston engine and electric motor; (3) techniques to improve natural gas and other alternative fuel vehicle technology; (4) biofuels user facilities to expedite industry adoption of biofuels technologies; (5) electric vehicles and batteries (in cooperation with the electric utility industry and the automobile industry); and (6) wider application of advanced electric vehicle technology, including advanced battery technologies. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress and the President on encouraging the purchase and use of electric vehicles. Directs the Secretary to conduct a research and development program on: (1) renewable hydrogen energy systems to supplement similar ongoing DOE activities; and (2) diesel engine combustion and engine systems, related advanced materials, and fuels and lubricants to reduce emissions oxides of nitrogen and particulates. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Oil Substitution Through Coal Liquefaction - Directs the Secretary to conduct a research and development program for economically and environmentally acceptable advanced technologies for oil substitution through coal liquefaction. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Energy and Environment - Subtitle A: Improved Energy Efficiency - Directs the Secretary to conduct a research and development program for: (1) cost effective technologies to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy in the buildings, industrial, and utility sectors; (2) energy efficient natural gas and electric heating and cooling technologies for residential and commercial buildings; (3) advanced pulp and paper technologies; (4) new technologies for integrated building design and products that provide affordable and commercially viable low emission, low energy buildings by the year 2005; and (5) expedited adoption of energy efficient industrial electric drive technologies, including adjustable speed drives, high speed motors, and high efficiency motors. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a Federal agency demonstration program for advanced commercially available energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for use in federally-owned buildings and facilities; and (2) a demonstration program at federally-owned buildings and facilities designated for long-term commitment of specified emerging energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that were substantially developed or derived from DOE research and development, and that are not commercially available. Subtitle B: Electricity Generation and Use - Directs the Secretary to conduct a research and development program: (1) to provide cost-effective options for the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources for grid and nongrid application; (2) on high efficiency heat engines to prove their technical and economic feasibility, emphasizing advanced gas turbine cycles, and the incorporation of energy efficient materials in such cycles for high efficiency electric and industrial power generation; and (3) to encourage the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Requires the Secretary to establish a Federal financial and technical assistance program for the first-of-a-kind engineering design of standardized commercial nuclear powerplants which are included in the DOE certification program for advanced light water reactor designs. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on program status and nuclear research, development, and demonstrations. Directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to report annually to the Congress, along with the President's annual budget request, on the certification process for certain standardized advanced light water reactor designs. Directs the Secretary to conduct a research and development program on: (1) new technologies for mitigating hazards associated with high level radioactive waste and spent fuel from nuclear reactors; (2) fusion energy technologies whose main focus shall be a cooperative effort to develop the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER); (3) advanced technologies that use coal to generate electricity in a more efficient and environmentally acceptable manner; and (4) efficient and environmentally benign decentralized power generation using fuel cells. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to establish the Electric Generation Technology Demonstration Task Force (the Task Force) to annually submit a report to the Secretary and the Congress on the status of electric generation technology. Authorizes appropriations for the Fast Flux Test Facility. Subtitle C: Pollution Prevention, Information, and Audits - Requires the Secretary to establish an Energy Efficient Pollution Prevention Program to implement research and development on energy efficient pollution prevention technologies and processes, emphasizing source reductions and a systems approach to minimizing adverse environmental effects of industrial production in the most cost-effective and energy efficient manner. Directs the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to: (1) expand the scope and frequency of data collection and reports on domestic energy use in order to significantly improve the ability to evaluate the efficacy of national energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and programs; and (2) report annually to the Congress on energy efficiency and on the gathered data. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to incorporate into a certain energy conservation audit program for small and medium sized manufacturers an identification and analysis of applicable energy savings and environmental benefits from the adoption of innovative energy efficient pollution prevention and waste minimization techniques. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Energy and Economic Growth - Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a National Critical Advanced Materials Initiative in the Office of Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy to implement a research and development program on production techniques for critical advanced materials and associated components with energy efficiency and renewable energy applications, to supplement similar ongoing DOE activities; (2) a program to expedite the use of critical advanced materials technologies in goods and services acquired by the General Services Administration; and (3) a National Critical Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Initiative in the Office of Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy to supplement similar ongoing DOE activities to improve energy efficiency and productivity in manufacturing. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to grant priority to user facilities to provide special scientific and research capabilities to serve the research needs of universities, industry, and private and Federal laboratories. Authorizes the construction of the Advanced Photon Source at the Argonne National Laboratory. Prohibits the Secretary from changing the user fee practice in effect as of October 1, 1991, unless expressly authorized to do so by law enacted subsequent to this Act. Requires the Secretary to expedite the construction of the Advanced Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) support university research reactor improvement programs, and report a five year-improvement plan to the Congress; and (2) develop a method to evaluate the effectiveness of DOE science and mathematics education programs. Requires the Director of the Office of Energy Research to operate an Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research as part of DOE's University and Science Education Programs. Directs the Secretary to: (1) support technology transfer activities conducted by the National Laboratories, and report to the Congress on the adequacy of their funding; (2) implement a least cost strategy for facility support and maintenance with respect to multiprogram energy laboratories; and (3) report to the Congress a comprehensive facilities plan for multiprogram energy laboratories. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to submit to the Congress a five-year program plan for improving DOE integration of basic and applied renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. Title IV: International Transfer of Advanced Energy Technology - Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a program of developing and adapting new energy technologies to the needs of developing countries to provide technological alternatives to meet their energy needs more efficiently and in an environmentally sound and economically competitive manner; and (2) establish in the Office of Policy an Office of Energy Coordination for Developing Countries to provide an information exchange program. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Policy and Administrative Provisions - Directs the Secretary to expedite procedures for reviewing cooperative research and development agreements entered into by DOE or its laboratories to make the administrative review process consistent with those at other Federal agencies and their laboratories, and to report on them to the Congress. Permits program funds authorized for Conservation Research and Development, and Fossil Energy Research and Development to be used for the implementation of cooperative research and development agreements by DOE laboratories. Prohibits the Secretary from obligating funds for substantial or major construction projects, or equipment acquisition without specific authorization by statute. Directs the Secretary to establish an Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Advisory Board (Advisory Board) to provide impartial technical advice with respect to energy research and development, and to submit periodic evaluations to the Congress of the effectiveness of DOE energy research and development programs in meeting the objectives of the previous National Energy Policy Plan. Declares that it is the policy of the United States that: (1) specified percentages of funds appropriated for DOE environmental restoration and waste management programs shall be used for research and development; and (2) where private sector technologies are more advanced than those used by the Federal Government, they shall be used for environmental restoration and waste management. Amends the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 to require the Secretary (currently the Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration) to submit to the Congress an annual comprehensive plan for energy research and development. Amends the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 to reflect the amendments made by this Act. Requires proposals submitted under this Act to include commitments of specified percentages from non-Federal sources. Authorizes the Secretary to vary such requirements upon determining that the proposed research is of a more basic or fundamental nature. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop an inventory and status report of technologies to enhance energy supply and to improve the efficiency of energy end uses; (2) establish comprehensive energy research and development program priorities as part of the National Energy Policy Plan, with highest priority given to the development of technologies assessed in such inventory and status report; and (3) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences (the Academy) to study factors which promote or inhibit the widespread domestic adoption of energy-efficient end-use technologies and energy-conserving practices. Directs the Academy to submit its findings and conclusions to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth conditions under which the Secretary shall disregard costs related to the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, or the storage and disposal of nuclear waste when awarding contracts to perform nuclear hot cell services. Title VI: Joint Ventures - Amends the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 to direct the Secretary to evaluate emerging renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies suitable for joint ventures, and to solicit proposals for, and provide assistance to, at least ten high priority joint ventures (currently three) that can expedite the commercialization of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Includes within the list of required joint ventures: (1) oil displacement by fuel cell technology; (2) renewable energy and energy efficiency technology export training; and (3) source reduction technology. Authorizes appropriations. Title VII: Uranium Enrichment - Subtitle A: Uranium Enrichment Corporation - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to establish the Uranium Enrichment Corporation as a wholly owned government corporation to: (1) operate as a business enterprise on a profitable, efficient basis; (2) acquire uranium for uranium enrichment; (3) acquire DOE facilities related to atomic vapor laser isotope separation technology (AVLIS) for uranium enrichment, and to commercialize alternative enrichment technologies; (4) market and sell its enriched uranium and related services; and (5) conduct the business as a self-financing corporation, eliminating the need for Federal financing. Vests Corporation powers in the Board of Directors appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Grants the Comptroller General audit powers over the Corporation. Requires the Corporation to submit an annual status report to the President and the Congress. Establishes the Uranium Enrichment Corporation Fund, which shall be available to the Corporation without fiscal year limitation. Prescribes guidelines under which the Corporation may issue bonds and notes. Provides for the Corporation to make payments to States and local governments in lieu of taxes. Exempts all Corporation property, activities, and income from any State, local, or Federal taxation. Applies to the Corporation Federal antitrust, occupational safety and health laws, and environmental laws, among others. Permits the Corporation to restrict the dissemination of trade secrets and commercial or financial information to the same extent as a privately owned corporation. Sets forth the Corporation's marketing and contracting authority. Grants the Corporation exclusive rights to: (1) an option to lease DOE gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment facilities; and (2) deploy, license, and use federally-owned AVLIS processes and technical information upon completion of a royalty agreement with DOE. Directs the President, upon Corporation request, to transfer without charge to the Corporation DOE rights and interests in property related to the performance of its purposes regarding AVLIS. Transfers to the Corporation as assets any balances in the Uranium Enrichment Special Fund, and balances appropriated to DOE for uranium supply and enrichment activities. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to lend the Corporation a specified sum in the form of a loan from balances in the Uranium Enrichment Special Fund receipt account ("Initial Debt"). Precludes the Corporation from receiving any Federal financial assistance other than as provided for in this Act. Permits the Corporation to apply to DOE for a patent license to use an invention or discovery useful in the production or utilization of special nuclear material or atomic energy when the patent has not been declared to be affected with the public interest. Requires DOE to: (1) establish standards to govern its gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment facilities; and (2) report annually to the Congress on the health, safety, and environmental conditions at such facilities. Prohibits the Corporation from operating such facilities unless DOE has determined its compliance with such standards. Subjects Corporation uranium enrichment facilities using AVLIS to the same licensing strictures as production and utilization facilities under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Requires the Corporation to: (1) prepare a strategic plan for privatization; and (2) begin activities necessary to prepare AVLIS for commercialization. Authorizes the Corporation to issue capital stock representing an equity investment in its uranium enrichment assets, as well as enter into joint ventures and majority held subsidiaries. Sets forth guidelines for privatization of the Corporation. Establishes the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund to implement decontamination and decommissioning, and other environmental restoration and waste management activities at DOE uranium enrichment facilities. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to submit annual Fund status reports to the Congress. Sets forth funding guidelines. Requires the Corporation to: (1) direct a pilot research and development program at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant to identify, evaluate, and implement decontamination and decommissioning approaches; and (2) submit an annual cost estimate review to the Congress regarding decontamination, decommissioning, and other environmental restoration and waste management activities at its uranium enrichment facilities. Subtitle B: Remedial Action At Active Processing Sites - Declares that remedial action costs shall be borne by certain persons licensed under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 for any activity resulting in the production of by-product material. Sets forth guidelines under which the Secretary shall annually reimburse such licensees for the portion of the remediation costs attributable to byproduct material generated as an incident of sales to the United States, and incurred by the licensee before a specified date. Requires the Secretary to promulgate reimbursement regulations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 1992
Community and Residents Education at Hazardous Waste Sites Act of 1992 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to conduct health studies at any hazardous waste facility and take other actions with respect to risks to human health posed by such facility. Requires the ATSDR Administrator, if a health study finds that the exposure concerned may present a health risk, to notify the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State (if the State has an authorized hazardous waste program) and recommend actions necessary to reduce the exposure and eliminate or mitigate risks. Directs the EPA Administrator or the State to order the owner or operator of the facility to take steps to reduce the exposure and eliminate or mitigate the risks. Provides for public participation in health studies, including public meetings and comments on proposed studies and public availability of completed studies. Permits petitions to request the performance of a health study. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the ATSDR Administrator to: (1) develop a plan to perform health assessments at hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facilities identified under the Solid Waste Disposal Act; (2) give priority in selecting such facilities to the 25 facilities believed to present the highest risk to human health; and (3) report to the Congress on such assessments, including findings on exposure and risk reduction and efforts to improve responsiveness to communities. Establishes: (1) an ATSDR Peer Review Board to carry out technical and scientific peer review of ATSDR health studies; and (2) an ATSDR Citizen Review Board to monitor ATSDR and EPA responsiveness to citizen concerns and to make recommendations on ways to improve citizen involvement and the readability of documents intended for public consumption. Requires: (1) the Peer Review Board to review and report to the Congress on the quality of the ATSDR health assessments; and (2) the Citizen Review Board to report to the Congress on the effectiveness of the ATSDR in responding to the needs of communities for information on health effects of hazardous wastes. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the ATSDR Administrator to make health education grants to any group that may be affected by exposure to hazardous wastes from a facility with respect to which a health study is being conducted. Permits such grants to be used for obtaining the following from health professionals: (1) information about threats of exposure and actions that can be taken to reduce exposure; (2) assistance in interpreting and reviewing health assessments and studies and other information developed by the ATSDR and other agencies; and (3) assistance in preparing public comments and in designing community health surveillance techniques. Limits the amount of such grants. Authorizes grant cost recovery from hazardous waste facility owners or operators as a condition of receiving a facility permit. Applies small purchase or other simplified procurement procedures to grant recipients. Permits grant cost recovery as a response cost under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 from persons contributing to hazardous substance releases in cases where a health assessment or study discloses exposure of a population to such releases. Authorizes the EPA Administrator to make specified amounts available to the Director of the Office of Research and Development for grants to demonstrate nonincineration technologies for the treatment of dioxin and hazardous wastes and substances. Requires the EPA Administrator to consider the use of nonincineration treatment technologies in corrective and response actions and to promote public participation in such demonstrations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1992
Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 - Title I: Tougher Law Enforcement Against Auto Theft - Subtitle A: Enhanced Penalties for Auto Theft - Amends the Federal criminal code to provide for a fine, up to 20 years imprisonment, or both, for taking (or attempting to take) a motor vehicle from the person or presence of another by force, violence, or intimidation. Increases penalties for: (1) the importation and exportation of stolen motor vehicles, off-highway mobile equipment, vessels, or aircraft (stolen vehicles); and (2) the transportation, sale, or receipt of stolen vehicles. Makes altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers, exporting or importing stolen vehicles, and dealing in counterfeit obligations or securities predicate offenses to a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Subtitle B: Targeted Law Enforcement - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to Anti-Car Theft Committees submitting applications in compliance with the requirements of this subtitle. Sets forth application requirements, including a statement from a chief executive of such committee that the applicant committee: (1) is either a State agency, an agency of a unit of local government, or a nonprofit entity organized pursuant to specific authorizing legislation by a State or such unit; (2) is or will be financed in part by a tax or fee on motor vehicles registered by or possessed within the State of not less than one dollar per vehicle; and (3) will devote its resources entirely to combating motor vehicle theft. Establishes formulas for the allocation of grant funds. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Automobile Title Fraud - Directs the Attorney General: (1) by March 1, 1993, to conduct a review of information systems pertaining to the titling of motor vehicles utilized by one or more States or by a third party which represents the interests of States, and promulgate such regulations as the Attorney General deems necessary to the establishment of an information system to serve as a clearinghouse for information pertaining to the titling of motor vehicles; and (2) within six months of the promulgation of regulations, and by no later than September 1, 1993, to establish such a system. Sets forth additional provisions with respect to: (1) system operation; (2) user fees; (3) minimum capabilities of the system (such as enabling the user to determine the validity and status of a document purporting to be a certificate of title); and (4) information availability. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes a State, by written notice to the operator, to elect to participate in the system. Grants the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation authority to deny access to the National Crime Information Center system to any State failing to participate in the information system pursuant to this Act. Sets forth: (1) title verification requirements (by participating States); (2) reporting requirements (by operators of junk or salvage yards and by insurance carriers); and (3) enforcement provisions (providing for the assessment and collection by the Attorney General of a civil penalty, which sum may be deducted from any sums owed by the United States to the person charged, subject to specified requirements). Title III: Illicit Trafficking in Stolen Auto Parts - Directs the Attorney General to promulgate a vehicle theft prevention standard which conforms to the requirements of this Act and which applies with respect to major automobile parts and replacement parts. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) deadlines for promulgation of a proposed and final standard, extensions, and the effective date of such standard; and (2) application of such standard (to major parts installed by the motor vehicle manufacturer in automobiles with a model year designation later than the calendar year in which such standard takes effect and major replacement parts manufactured after such standard takes effect). Requires that engines and transmissions installed by the motor vehicle manufacturer be permanently stamped with the vehicle identification number and that other major parts have labels affixed meeting certain specifications. Prohibits the standard, in the case of major replacement parts, from requiring identification of any part which is not designed as a replacement for a major part required to be identified under such standard and the inscribing or affixing of any identification other than a symbol identifying the manufacturer and a common symbol identifying the part as a major replacement part. Prohibits such standards from imposing costs, to comply with such standard, upon any manufacturer of: (1) motor vehicles in excess of $15 per vehicle; or (2) major replacement parts in excess of such reasonable lesser amount per major replacement part as the Attorney General specifies in such standard. Specifies that the cost of identifying engines and transmissions shall not be taken into account in calculating a manufacturer's costs under such provision. Directs the Secretary of Labor, at the beginning of each calendar year commencing on or after January 1, 1993, as data becomes available, to certify to the Attorney General and publish in the Federal Register the percentage difference between the average of the Consumer Price Index for the 12 months preceding the beginning of such calendar year and such average for the base period. Specifies that, effective for model years beginning in such calendar year, the amounts specified in the previous paragraph shall be adjusted by such percentage difference. Requires every manufacturer of a motor vehicle part which is subject to the standard and any manufacturer of major replacement parts subject to such standards: (1) to establish and maintain such records, make such reports, and provide such items and information as the Attorney General may reasonably require to enable the Attorney General to determine whether such manufacturer has acted or is acting in compliance with this Act and such standard; and (2) upon request of an officer or employee (officer) designated by the Attorney General, to permit such officer to inspect vehicles and major parts subject to the standard and appropriate documents relevant to determining whether such manufacturer has acted or is acting in compliance with this Act and such standard. Sets forth additional requirements with respect to inspections, certification of compliance with such standard, notification of errors to the Attorney General, and inapplicability of certification requirements (to motor vehicles or major replacement parts intended solely for export, which are so labeled or tagged on the vehicle or replacement part itself and on the outside of the container, if any, until exported, and which are exported). Directs the Attorney General to enter into an agreement for the operation of an information system containing the identification numbers of stolen motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and to designate an individual or entity as the operator of such system. Requires such system to include, at a minimum, the following information pertaining to each motor vehicle reported to a law enforcement authority as stolen and not recovered: (1) the vehicle identification number; (2) the make and model year; (3) the date on which the vehicle was reported as stolen; (4) the location of the law enforcement authority that received the reports of the vehicle's theft; and (5) if the vehicle at the time of its theft contained parts bearing identification numbers different from the vehicle identification number of the stolen vehicle, such identification numbers. Sets forth additional provisions regarding availability of information, recordkeeping, and user fees. Authorizes appropriations. Prohibits (with exceptions) any person from: (1) manufacturing for sale, selling, offering for sale, or introducing or delivering for introduction in interstate commerce or import into the United States any motor vehicle subject to the theft prevention standard under this Act or any major replacement part subject to such standard which is manufactured on or after the date the standard takes effect unless it is in conformity with such standard; (2) failing to comply with any rule prescribed by the Attorney General under this Act; (3) failing to keep specified records (or refusing access to or copying of records), make reports or provide items or information, or permit (or refusing to permit) entry or inspection as required by this Act; or (4) failing to furnish certification, or issuing a certification if such person knows that such certification is materially false or misleading, pursuant to this Act. Prohibits (with exceptions) any person from selling, transferring, or installing a major part marked with an identification number without: (1) first making a request of the operator of the system and determining that such major part has not been reported as stolen; and (2) providing the transferee with a written certificate bearing a description of such major part and the identification number affixed to such major part. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violation of this Act, including injunctions (upon petition by the Attorney General) to restrain specified violations of, and criminal contempt for violation of an injunction or restraining order issued pursuant to, this Act. Sets forth provisions with respect to venue and subpoenas. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) the confidentiality of information reported to, or otherwise obtained by, the Attorney General pursuant to this Act, with exceptions; (2) judicial review; and (3) coordination of State and local law with the Federal vehicle theft prevention standard. Directs the Attorney General to conduct three- and five-year studies regarding motor vehicle theft and make recommendations to the Congress. Title IV: Export of Stolen Vehicles - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the Commissioner of Customs to direct customs officers to conduct random inspections of motor vehicles and shipping containers that contain motor vehicles being exported for purposes of determining whether such vehicles were stolen. Directs the Commissioner to require all persons or entities exporting used self-propelled vehicles by air or ship to provide to the U.S. Customs Service, at least 72 hours before the export, the vehicle identification number of each such vehicle and proof of ownership of such vehicle. Makes such requirement applicable to vehicles exported for personal use. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct a pilot study of the utility of a nondestructive examination system for inspection of containers that contain motor vehicles leaving the country for the purpose of determining whether such vehicles are stolen.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1992
AmeRus Foundation for Research and Development Act of 1992 - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to establish the AmeRus Foundation for Research and Development as an endowed, nongovernmental, nonprofit foundation to: (1) promote and support joint research for peaceful purposes between scientists and engineers in the United States and former Soviet states; (2) establish joint nondefense industrial research and development through private sector linkages which may involve the academic sectors and shall include some contribution from industrial participants; and (3) ensure equal distribution of Foundation funding. Authorizes the Foundation to accept funding from governmental appropriations, private donations, debt conversions, and local foreign currencies generated by U.S. assistance programs as available. Requires a specified percentage of royalty revenues on patents resulting from Foundation projects to be returned to the Foundation. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1992
Coral Reef Environmental Act - Establishes a joint program between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct environmental research, monitoring, and public education relating to coral reef ecosystems. Directs the EPA Administrator and the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to jointly develop guidelines for assessing quality of coastal and marine waters in which coral reef ecosystems are found to ensure the sustainable use and conservation of such ecosystems. Requires the President to direct the Secretary of State to work with other nations and international organizations to: (1) implement an international research program to monitor the status of coral reef and related ecosystems; (2) implement a global strategy for the sustainable use of coral reef ecosystems and to encourage multilateral research efforts on sustainable management of such ecosystems; and (3) promote public education on the conservation of such ecosystems. Directs the President to convene conferences of the parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) and the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) for purposes of identifying research and management needs in coral reef ecology and their sustainable use and the implementation of such programs in the Caribbean and South Pacific. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1992
Paper Recycling Act of 1992 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax of four percent on the sale by the manufacturer, producer, or importer of any designated paper product that does not meet applicable minimum recycled content standards. Provides a higher tax on products which fail to satisfy the applicable standard and one or more levels below such standard. Allows a business-related tax credit for the production of high recycled content paper. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to establish minimum recycled content standards for paper products for 1993 through 2004 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1992
Requires that representatives of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) negotiate with the Governments of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, or the Commonwealth of Independent States regarding acquisition by the United States of civil space hardware and related technology for integration into U.S. civil space projects authorized by the Congress, with emphasis on the acquisition of prototypes and technology so that the actual hardware can be manufactured in the United States. Allows limited exemption, during the negotiations, from laws regarding the exporting of technical data. Provides for NASA approval of NASA contractors as NASA representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1992
Authorizes loans under specified provisions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to small and medium sized businesses for development and commercialization of advanced technologies and products and research and development on, and demonstration of the commercial feasibility of, advanced technologies and products in specified fields. Regulates the loan interest rate. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1992
Dire Emergency Job Creation Appropriations Act, 1992 - Makes dire emergency appropriations for FY 1992 to stimulate the economy and to create and retain productive jobs. Title I: Immediate Job Creation Through Vital Public Investments - Appropriates funds for the following investments in transportation to: (1) accelerate the resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of the nation's interstate highway system; (2) accelerate the construction, reconstruction, restoration, and rehabilitation of highways and transit systems; (3) accelerate the construction, alteration, and rehabilitation of runways, taxiways, aprons, and roads within airport boundaries; and (4) accelerate the construction and rehabilitation of National Park Service roads and parkways and the completion of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Declares the Federal share payable for highway projects to be 95 percent. Provides for the apportionment to the States of such funds and exempts such funds from specified limitations. Makes additional funds available for: (1) community development grants; (2) community services block grants to encourage the creation of business and employment opportunities; and (3) child care and development block grants to improve the availability and quality of child care services. Makes additional funds available for investments in: (1) wastewater treatment facilities; (2) water resource, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and reclamation projects; (3) natural resource protection and enhancement; (4) urban forest maintenance; and (5) park and recreation area improvements. Appropriates additional funds for investments in: (1) public housing modernization; (2) rural housing improvements; (3) energy conservation home improvements for low-income households; and (4) military family housing improvements in the United States. Appropriates an additional amount to restore the prior level of Federal support for economic development purposes as in effect immediately before September 30, 1982. Appropriates additional amounts to create jobs and promote economic development in the Appalachian and Tennessee Valley regions. Makes additional new and direct guaranteed loan authority available to increase small business opportunities. Makes available additional loan authority and additional funding for investments in: (1) rural electrification and telephone system upgrades; (2) watershed and conservation development; and (3) rural water and sewer improvements. Appropriates additional funds for: (1) maintaining and protecting public investment in Federal buildings; (2) improving facilities for veterans; (3) expanding and modernizing correctional facilities; (4) improving Indian health/reservation facilities; (5) constructing Federal biomedical research facilities; and (6) accelerating library construction. Appropriates funds to the Department of Labor to establish the emergency job creation program to provide productive jobs in an expeditious manner. Sets forth administrative provisions for such program. Requires the use of such funds to provide unemployed individuals with temporary employment for not more than six months for the repair, maintenance, and rehabilitation of publicly-owned facilities or for the conservation, rehabilitation, and improvement of public lands. Provides for allocating such funds to the territories, native Americans, and the States. Title II: Short-Term Assistance for Those Adversely Affected by the Economic Downturn - Makes additional funds available for: (1) the emergency food and shelter program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (2) retraining displaced workers who have been adversely affected by the recession; (3) the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children (WIC); and (4) the emergency food assistance program. Title III: Investments for Long-Term Economic Expansion - Appropriates additional funds for certain research and development and advanced technology programs concerning: (1) high energy physics; (2) advanced technology and technology transfer; (3) research facility upgrades; and (4) oceanic and atmospheric research. Appropriates additional funds for investments in education through: (1) the Head Start program; (2) vocational skills improvement; (3) construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of academic and residential facilities; and (4) science and engineering education and human resources programs. Title IV: General Provisions - Prohibits appropriations contained in this Act from remaining available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided. Designates all funds in this Act as emergency requirements for purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).
![Official portrait of Rep. Brown, George E., Jr. [D-CA-42]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000918_200.jpg)