United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1991
AMERICA 2000 Excellence in Education Act - Title I: New American Schools - Authorizes financial assistance for creating New American Schools (NAS) in communities that have been designated AMERICA 2000 Communities (A2Cs). Provides that such NAS shall reflect the best thinking about teaching and learning, employ the highest-quality instructional materials and technologies, and be designed to meet the National Educational Goals as well as the particular needs of their students and communities. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to reserve certain funds for a national program evaluation. Directs the Secretary to allocate the remaining funds among the States (and specified territories) in proportion to their respective numbers of members of Congress. Directs the Governor to nominate A2Cs to create NAS, for at least as many communities as there are members in the State's congressional delegation and at least one community in each congressional district of the State. Requires the Governor's nominations to be based on criteria established by the Secretary on the basis of expert panel advice, including: (1) the community's level of commitment and activity in the A2C initiative; (2) the community's schools' need for new and innovative educational programs; and (3) the quality of their application to the Governor. Sets forth conditions for the Secretary's approval, and for alternative nominations. Directs the Secretary to make NAS grants to selected agencies, organizations, and institutions on behalf of the selected communities. Limits any award to $1,000,000. Encourages grantees to adapt and implement one or more NAS designs developed by research and development teams funded by the NAS Development Corporation. Restricts use of such grant funds to certain special start-up costs associated with the creation and establishment of a NAS. Prohibits the use of such funds for construction or for the grantee's general administrative expenses. Requires each NAS to have obtained necessary State recognition or accreditation and to be fully operating by the start of the 1996-97 school year. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days, to convene an expert panel of educators, representatives of private business, and public representatives to advise on NAS program administration, including criteria for nomination of communities. Directs the Secretary to use reserved funds to conduct a national evaluation of NAS program impact on schools and communities and on education generally. Requires reports to the President and the Congress. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Merit Schools - Authorizes appropriations for Merit School awards to reward public and private elementary and secondary schools and faculties that make documented progress in attaining the National Education Goals, particularly the goal of increasing students' mastery of the core academic subjects. Directs the Secretary to allocate specified funds among the States on the same basis as allocations for education of disadvantaged children under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (the ESEA chapter 1 program). Requires Governors to submit State grant applications for a three-year period, which may be followed by an application for a two-year period. Makes specified provisions of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) inapplicable to this title. Specifies State use of funds for administrative costs (five percent) and Merit School awards (95 percent), with at least 20 percent of the latter earmarked for schools that demonstrate exceptional progress in improving students' performance in mathematics and science. Requires each Governor to: (1) establish a State review panel to assist in selection of Merit Schools; (2) submit annual program reports to the Secretary; and (3) apply specified national and State criteria in selecting schools. Requires each Merit School to use its award for activities to further its educational program, including staff bonus payments, college scholarships for secondary school students, special programs, equipment and materials, parental involvement, community outreach, and program replication. Prohibits State or local reduction of other assistance to the Merit School or its local educational agency. Title III: Teachers and School Leaders - Part A: Governor's Academies for Teachers - Directs the Secretary to make a one-time, five-year grant to each State to establish and operate Governor's Academies for Teachers and to recognize outstanding teachers. Requires a Governor to use the State's grant to make competitive awards to the State educational agency (SEA), local education agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education, and other public and private organizations or consortia, to establish and operate such Academies. Allows such Academies to be operated in cooperation or consortium with those of other States. Requires each Academy to conduct a program of intensive instruction for current elementary and secondary school teachers, during the summer or the school year, focusing on the core academic disciplines of English, mathematics, science, history, and geography. Directs the Governor to allocate to each Academy funds for a program of cash awards and recognition to outstanding teachers in the core academic subject or subjects covered by the Academy program. Requires Academies to select such teachers from nominations received from various groups. Limits any such award to $5,000, but allows the recipient to choose how to use it. Authorizes appropriations. Part B: Governors' Academies for School Leaders - Directs the Secretary to make a one-time, five-year grant to each State to establish and operate a Governor's Academy for School Leaders. Requires the Governor to make competitive awards to the SEA, LEAs, institutions of higher education, and other public and private organizations or consortia, to establish and operate such an Academy. Allows such academies to be operated in cooperation or consortium with those of other States. Directs each Academy to carry out specified activities relating to school leadership training and development. Authorizes appropriations. Part C: Alternative Certification of Teachers and Principals - Authorizes appropriations to assist States to develop and implement alternative certification requirements to improve the supply of well-qualified elementary and secondary school teachers and principals. Makes certain GEPA provisions inapplicable to this part. Requires States to use such funds to support programs, projects, or activities that develop and implement new, or expand and improve existing, alternative teacher and principal certification requirements. Authorizes States to do so directly, through contracts, or through subgrants to LEAs, intermediate educational agencies, institutions of higher education, or consortia of such agencies. Title IV: Educational Reform and Flexibility - Part A: Educational Reform Through Flexibility and Accountability - Amends the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) to establish a program for flexibility and accountability in education and related services. Directs the Secretary to assist projects for elementary and secondary schools and other service providers to improve achievement of all students and other participants, but particularly disadvantaged individuals, by authorizing waivers by which Governors, SEAs, LEAs, and other service providers can improve performance of schools and programs by increasing their flexibility in use of resources while holding them accountable for achieving educational gains. Authorizes the Secretary, in support of such projects, to waive, with specified exceptions, any statutory or regulatory requirement applicable to any program administered by the Department of Education that may impede a school or service provider from meeting the special needs of such students and other individuals. Authorizes other Federal agency heads, with the Secretary's agreement, to make similar waivers for their programs. Limits duration of projects and associated waivers to a maximum of three years; but authorizes the Secretary to extend a project and any associated waivers for an additional two years if it is making substantial progress in meeting its goals. Requires the Secretary to terminate a project and its associated waivers at any time if acceptable progress is not being made. Grants other Federal agency heads authority to determine extension or termination of their waivers. Grants the Secretary exclusive authority to extend or terminate a project. Requires each project that involves elementary or secondary schools to include participation of an SEA and at least one LEA and two schools. Requires, to the extent possible, project participation by each grade and academic program, including ESEA chapter 1 programs, in a participating school. Prohibits unreasonable concentration of available resources in participating schools, if fewer than all schools in an LEA participate. Requires each project that does not involve elementary or secondary schools to involve at least two programs, at least one of which is administered by the Secretary. Prohibits waiver of requirements: (1) in awarding new competitive grants to agencies participating in such projects; (2) relating to maintenance of effort, comparability, or equitable participation of private school students; and (3) under specified provisions of GEPA, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Sets forth requirements for reports and evaluations. Provides for the budget neutrality of such program. Part B: Amendments to Chapter 2 - Amends chapter 2 (Federal, State, and Local Partnership for Educational Improvement) of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA chapter 2) to provide that part A funding for educational reform and improvement shall be divided equally between State and local programs (50 percent to each, while the current allocation formula requires at least 80 percent to go to local programs and not more than 20 percent to State programs). Reduces the portions of such State-level funds which: (1) may be used for State administration (from 25 to ten percent); and (2) must be used for the effective schools programs (from 20 to eight percent). Revises State application requirements to require approval by the Governor before submission to the Secretary. Includes educational choice programs among local targeted assistance programs of SEAs and LEAs. Includes, among authorized activities of such programs, any activities or expenses directly related to planning, implementing, operating, evaluating, and disseminating information about the LEA's educational choice program, including expenses of parents and children resulting from their program participation. Title V: Parental Choice of Schools - Part A: Findings - Sets forth congressional findings relating to parental choice in education. Part B: Parental Choice and Chapter 1 - Amends chapter 1 Financal Assistance to Meet Special Educational Needs of Children) of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA chapter 1) to provide for chapter 1 services for children participating in educational choice programs. Requires the LEA to provide such services in the form of: (1) supplementary compensatory education services; or (2) if that is not feasible or efficient, payment to parents of a per-child share of the LEA's basic chapter 1 grant. Allows parents to use such funds only for: (1) purchase of supplementary compensatory education services that meet the child's special educational needs from any elementary or secondary school, or any other public or private agency, organization, or institution that the LEA designates; and/or (2) transportation costs related to the child's participation in the choice program. Excludes such payments from the gross income of parents for Federal income tax purposes. Allows an LEA to use chapter 1 funds for the additional transportation costs of children receiving chapter 1 services who are in an educational choice program. Requires that LEAs with educational choice programs to explain to parents of chapter 1 participating children: (1) the availability of compensatory education services under various available options; and (2) options available under the educational choice program and the chapter 1 program. Part C: Assistance for Parental Choice Programs - Directs the Secretary to make one-year grants to LEAs that carry out educational choice programs. Authorizes appropriations. Makes an LEA eligible for such a grant if it: (1) will carry out an educational choice program during the year for which assistance is sought; and (2) carried out such a program during the preceding year. Defines an educational choice program, as one adopted by a State or an LEA under which: (1) parents select the school, including private schools, in which their children will be enrolled; and (2) sufficient financial support is provided to enable a significant number or percentage of parents to enroll their children in a variety of schools and educational programs, including private schools. Requires LEAs to use grant funds only for student educational services and parental involvement activities in addition to those that would otherwise be provided from State or local funds. Prohibits use of grant funds for LEA general administrative expenses. Part D: Parental Choice Programs of National Significance - Directs the Secretary to make five-year grants to SEAs, LEAs, and other agencies, institutions, and organizations to conduct and demonstrate nationally significant model programs of educational choice. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary, in any fiscal year for which funds are available to make new awards, to announce the approaches to educational choice that will be considered in the competition for such funding. Requires grant recipients to use such funds only for activities directly related to planning, implementing, operating and evaluating, and disseminating information about, the educational choice demonstration program. Allows such funds to be used to meet expenses of parents and children resulting from their participation in such program. Title VI: National Assessment of Educational Progress - Amends the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) to extend through FY 1996 the authorization of appropriations for the National Center for Educational Statistics and its programs, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Requires the NAEP to collect representative data on a national and State basis for those States that choose to participate. Repeals a requirement for data collection on a regional basis. Requires the NAEP to collect and report data: (1) at least once every four years in the core academic areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, and geography; and (2) annually on students at specified ages and in specified grade levels. (Current law varies such deadlines for the different academic subjects and sets a biennial deadline for the age and grade levels.) Removes a confidentiality restriction on NAEP information with respect to individual schools. Removes a prohibition against use of NAEP test items and data to rank, compare, or otherwise evaluate individual students, schools, or school districts. Requires States which choose to enter NAEP agreements to conduct such Assessment at the school level for all schools in the State sample and coordinate within the State, subject to a minimum State contribution of $100,000. Directs the Secretary to pay the State a certain amount for the costs of conducting such Assessment in excess of the minimum State contribution. Title VII: National Commission on Time, Study, Learning, and Teaching - Establishes a National Education Commission on Time, Study, Learning, and Teaching (the Commission). Requires the Commission to examine the quality and adequacy of the study and learning time of U.S. elementary and secondary students in an era when World Class Standards of achievement need to be met, including issues regarding: (1) the length of the school day and year; (2) the extent and role of homework; (3) how time is currently being used for academic subjects (especially the five core subjects of English, mathematics, science, history, and geography); (4) year-round professional opportunities for teachers; and (5) the use of school facilities for extended learning programs. Directs the Commission, within one year after it concludes its first meeting, to subject a final report to the Congress and the President. Requires such report, in addition to the primary issues, to analyze and make recommendations about: (1) use of incentives for students to increase educational achievement in available instructional time; (2) how children spend time outside school; and (3) if appropriate, a model plan for adopting a longer academic day and year for U.S. elementary and secondary schools by the end of this decade, including mechanisms to assist in such transition. Terminates the Commission 90 days after it submits its final report. Authorizes appropriations. Title VIII: Regional Literacy Resource Centers - Amends the Adult Education Act to direct the Secretary to make grants or contracts for operation of regional literacy resource centers in appropriate regions. Makes eligible for such grants or contracts SEAs, LEAs, State literacy offices, volunteer-organizations, community-based, organizations, institutions of higher education, or other nonprofit entities. Provides that the Federal share of activity costs shall decline over a five-year period from a maximum of 80 percent to 60 percent. Authorizes appropriations. Title IX: General Provisions - Sets forth definitions for this Act. Makes specified provisions of Federal law permitting consolidation of grants to the Insular Areas inapplicable to funds received by such an area under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1991
Farm Animal and Research Facilities Protection Act of 1991 - Amends title XIV of the Food Security Act of 1985 to add a new subtitle prohibiting (and establishing criminal penalties for) specified acts of destruction, theft, or damage to farm animal, research, and educational facilities. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Attorney General to jointly conduct a study of the extent and effect of terrorism on animal research, production, and processing facilities. Grants jurisdiction for cases arising under these provisions to U.S. district courts. Establishes a private right of action.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow farmers' cooperatives to elect to treat as ordinary income or loss certain capital gains and losses from the disposition of assets used in conducting business with or for patrons.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1991
Rural Medical Emergencies Air Transport Act of 1991 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to at least seven States to assist in the creation or enhancement of air medical transport systems that provide victims of medical emergencies in rural areas with access to treatments. Requires: (1) preference for States with plans to integrate the proposed air medical system into a comprehensive network or plan for regional or statewide emergency medical services; and (2) the grant to be administered by the State agency responsible for medical emergency or trauma services programs. Allows the State to award grant funds to public and private entities. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1991
Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 to allow a consortium including one or more rural hospitals (including at least a small rural hospital and/or one or more rural health clinics) to participate in the rural health medical education demonstration project of the Department of Health and Human Services. Authorizes appropriations as necessary to pay costs of such project which are attributable to travel and living expenses of medical residents and travel expenses of supervising physicians, to the extent such costs are not reimbursed under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1991
Improving Access to Health Care Through Telecommunications Act - Mandates grants to rural health care consortia for acquisition and operation of interactive telecommunications systems to improve delivery of health care services. Allows information uses to include consultations, x-ray transfers, professional education programs, patient record transfers, and claims processing. Limits grants to one consortium per State, subject to waiver for consortia serving two or more States. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 1991
Requires the head of a Federal agency or the Secretary of a military department to provide to the primary next of kin of a Federal employee or member of the armed forces in a missing status: (1) notice that such missing status is to be reviewed; (2) an opportunity to attend the review hearing with an attorney; (3) access to all information on which such review is based; and (4) an opportunity to present relevant information. Requires the agency head or Secretary concerned to exhaust all reasonable possibilities to obtain proof of the death of a missing person in order to establish a reasonable presumption that the employee or member is dead. Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to the Congress on an examination and evaluation of procedures by which the missing status of an employee or member is reviewed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 1991
States that specified milk producer assessment refunds shall not be considered price supports or payments for eligibility purposes under the highly erodible land conservation and the wetland conservation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1991 - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for: (1) the National Highway Program; (2) the Urban and Rural Program; (3) the Bridge Program; and (4) the Right-of-Way Revolving Fund. Specifies that unobligated balances of funds apportioned or allocated to a State under Federal highway provisions before October 1, 1991, shall be available for obligation in such State under the law, regulations, policies, and procedures relating to the obligation and expenditure of those funds in effect on September 30, 1991. Provides for the establishment of the National Highway System (NHS) to consist of: (1) the highways of the Interstate System (IS); (2) other urban and rural principal arterials, including toll facilities; (3) highways of the Strategic Highway Network (SHN) (defined as a network of highways that constitutes an important factor in U.S. strategic defense policy); and (4) major Strategic Highway Network Connectors (SHNCs) (which provide access from major military installations to the SHN.) Makes the following activities, subject to specified conditions, eligible for funding: (1) construction; (2) operational and highway safety improvements; (3) modifications to existing facilities necessary to accommodate other modes; (4) transportation planning; and (5) highway research and development. Specifies that: (1) designation of the NHS, other than the IS, SHN, and SHNCs, shall be by the State in cooperation with local officials; (2) in urbanized areas, local officials shall act through the designated metropolitan planning organizations; (3) the NHS shall be based on a functional reclassification of roads and streets in each State which shall be designated not later than September 30, 1993, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary of Transportation; and (4) the Secretary shall have the authority to approve, in whole or in part, the NHS and may add segments to the NHS as necessary to meet National Highway Program objectives. Sets forth further specifications with respect to new construction or major reconstruction of NHS beltways and bypasses. Directs the Secretary to establish an Urban and Rural Program to provide a category of funds that minimize Federal requirements and to provide flexibility in the use of available funds for either highway or transit projects. Specifies eligible highways and projects. Requires States to: (1) have an ongoing bridge inspection and inventory system; and (2) develop a method to distribute apportionments within the State fairly and equitably to rural areas, urban areas, and urbanized areas of over 200,000 population. Sets forth provisions with respect to the obligation of funds, and the Federal share of projects, for the construction of toll roads, bridges, and tunnels. Declares it to be in the vital interest of the nation that a program be established to enable the States and Federal agencies to replace and rehabilitate highway bridges over waterways, other topographical barriers, other highways, or railroads when the States or Federal agencies and the Secretary find that a bridge is important, that it is unsafe and poses a safety hazard to highway users, that its replacement or rehabilitation would minimize disruptions, delays, and costs to users, or that its replacement or rehabilitation would provide more efficient routes for emergency services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) inventory all highway bridges on any public road which are bridges over waterways, other highways, and railroads; (2) classify them according to serviceability, safety, and essentiality for public use; and (3) based on such classification, assign each a priority for replacement or rehabilitation; and (4) determine the cost of replacing each such bridge with a comparable facility or of rehabilitating such bridge. Sets forth requirements and procedures for Federal participation in, and approval of, bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects. Makes funds available to the States under a Major Bridge Discretionary Program. Sets forth criteria and requirements under such program. Authorizes States to give special consideration to low volume traffic bridges qualifying for replacement or repair under such program. Encourages, and authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds to, States to initiate or expand efforts for planning and program development for scenic byways. Sets forth provisions regarding the availability and apportionment of funds for the various programs, including specifications of the Federal share of certain projects. Authorizes a State to transfer up to 15 percent of its annual apportionments for the National Highway Program, the Urban and Rural Program, and the Bridge Program among the three programs, as it determines necessary. Sets forth limitations on obligations for Federal-aid highway programs for FY 1992 through 1996 and provisions regarding the redistribution of unused obligation authority.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1991
Designates September 20, 1991, as National POW/MIA recognition Day. Requires the display of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag: (1) at all national cemeteries and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial on May 30, 1991 (Memorial Day), September 20, 1991 (National POW/MIA Recognition Day), and November 11, 1991 (Veteran's Day); and (2) on, or on the grounds of, the White House, and the buildings containing the primary offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the Selective Service Commission on September 20, 1991 (National POW/MIA Recognition Day).
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the tax-exempt status of a cooperative telephone company to provide for the tax treatment of income received from a nonmember telephone company for services by the cooperative which are indirectly paid for by members of the cooperative. Includes billing and collection services for a nonmember telephone company under such treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1991
Crime Victims' Restitution Act of 1991- Amends the Federal criminal code to require (currently, authorize) the court to order restitution of the victim of the offense of which a defendant is convicted when such defendant is being sentenced for specified offenses. Authorizes a court to order restitution of any person who, as shown by a preponderance of the evidence, was harmed physically, emotionally, or pecuniarily by unlawful conduct of the defendant during the criminal episode during which the offense occurred or during the course of a scheme, conspiracy, or pattern of unlawful activity related to the offense. Directs the court: (1) to order restitution to a victim in the full amount of the victim's losses as determined by the court without consideration of the economic circumstances of the offender or the fact that a victim is entitled to receive compensation for a loss from insurance or any other source; and (2) upon determination of the amount owed to each victim, to specify in the restitution order the manner of, and schedule for restitution in consideration of the financial resources and other assets, projected earnings and other income, and financial obligations of the offender, including obligations to dependents. Specifies that: (1) a restoration order may direct the offender to make a single, lump-sum payment, partial payments at specified intervals, or such in-kind payments as may be agreeable to the victim and the offender; and (2) such in-kind payments may be in the form of the return or replacement of property, or services rendered to the victim or another person or organization. Provides that when the court finds that more than one: (1) offender has contributed to the loss of a victim, the court may make each offender liable for payment of the full amount of restitution or may apportion liability among the offenders to reflect the level of contribution and economic circumstances of each offender; and (2) victim has sustained a loss requiring restitution by an offender, the court shall order full restitution of each victim but provide for different payment schedules to reflect the economic circumstances of each victim. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) compensation with respect to losses from insurance or other sources; (2) set-offs against amounts later recovered as compensatory damages by the victim in Federal and State civil proceedings; and (3) payment by the offender to the clerk of the court for accounting and payment in accordance with this Act. Specifies that a restitution order shall constitute a lien against all property of the offender and may be recorded in any Federal or State office for the recording of liens against real or personal property. Makes compliance with the schedule of payments and other terms of a restitution order a condition of any probation, parole, or other form of release of an offender. Specifies actions the court may take, including revocation of probation or supervised release, if a defendant fails to comply with a restitution order. Provides for enforcement of restitution orders. Authorizes: (1) a victim or the offender to petition the court to modify a restitution order in view of a change in the economic circumstances of the offender; and (2) the court to refer any issue arising in connection with a proposed restitution order to a magistrate or special master for proposed findings of fact and recommendations as to disposition, subject to a de novo determination of the issue by the court.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1991
Design Innovation and Technology Act of 1991 - Amends the copyright law to provide for the protection of industrial designs of useful articles (including typefonts), except designs that are: (1) not original; (2) staple or commonplace; (3) different from commonplace or staple designs in insignificant ways; (4) determined solely by a utilitarian function; (5) embodied in a useful article that was made public by the designer or owner in the United States or a foreign country more than one year before the date of application for registration; (6) composed of three-dimensional features of shape and surface in wearing apparel; (7) a semiconductor chip product already protected under another provision; (8) embodying a process or idea or system; or (9) for motor vehicle glass. States that protection for a design shall be available for subject matter usually excluded if the design is a substantial revision, adaptation, or rearrangement of such subject matter. Sets the term of protection at ten years. Requires the design to be marked with a design notice when it is made public. States that omission of such notice shall not cause loss of protection or prevent recovery for infringement against any person who receives written notice of the protection. Grants the owner of a protected design the exclusive right to make, import, or distribute for sale or use in trade any useful article embodying such design. Specifies the criteria for determination of infringement of a protected design. Provides that protection of a design shall be lost if application for registration is not made within one year after the date on which the design is first made public. Provides procedures for application for the protection of a design through a certificate of registration. Sets fees for services relating to the administration of this Act. Specifies the ownership and transfer rights of designs subject to protection. Provides remedies for infringement of a registered design, including injunctive relief and damages. Allows judicial review of a final refusal of the Register of the Copyright Office to register a design. Prescribes penalties for fraudulent registration, false marking, and false representation of any design. Requires the Secretary of Treasury and the U.S. Postal Service to issue regulations for the enforcement of rights concerning importation of useful articles. Provides that this Act shall take effect one year after the date of enactment. States that no design made public prior to the effective date shall be protected.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code and title II of the Social Security Act (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) with respect to the social security exemption for election officials and election workers employed by State and local governments to increase the allowed remuneration paid to such workers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Directs the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor World War II veterans and to commemorate U.S. participation in that conflict. Directs the Commission to plan, design, construct, and oversee the operation of the memorial. Specifies that such design shall provide for accessibility by, and accommodations for, the physically handicapped. Establishes the World War II Memorial Advisory Board to: (1) promote the establishment of the memorial and encourage the donation of private funds for construction and maintenance; (2) assist and cooperate with the Commission in the selection of the site and design for the memorial; and (3) transmit annual reports on its activities to the Congress. Authorizes the Commission to solicit private contributions for such memorial. Establishes a fund in the Treasury which shall be made available to the Commission to carry out this Act. Authorizes Federal funding, in addition to such private funds, for: (1) site preparation, design, planning, and associated administrative costs for establishment of the memorial; and (2) construction, maintenance, and operation of the memorial. Authorizes assistance from specified Federal departments and agencies, including the Library of Congress. Authorizes the transfer of Federal property to the Commission. Authorizes the Commission to purchase suitable property within the District of Columbia for the establishment of such memorial. Urges the Government to encourage 50th anniversary commemorations of the U.S. role in World War II. Urges the Smithsonian Institution and other Federal museums to develop commemorative exhibitions to be shared with academic institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
World War II 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should recognize the 50th anniversary of World War II by minting and issuing commemorative coins. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue and mint such coins in five dollar, one dollar, and half dollar denominations. Mandates that surcharges received from the sale of such coins be deposited in a coinage profit fund and allocated, upon separate congressional authorization, to the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II memorial. Directs the Secretary to report semiannually to the Congress regarding implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1991
Agricultural Extended Retirement Credit Act of 1991 - Extends creditable service under the Civil Service Retirement System for periods of service in certain Federal-State cooperative programs which had agricultural or related purposes. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer to the Department of Agriculture's Surplus Fund the savings resulting from the expedited retirement of those employees of the Department who have been extended such credit. Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of any budget authority or outlays saved in any fiscal year by reason of implementation of this Act. Requires the surplus budget authority and outlays transferred to the fund to be: (1) deposited by the Secretary in the Treasury to the credit of the Civil Service Retirement Fund, as a Government contribution; and (2) credited against pay and other personnel costs required to be sequestered under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Requires the Comptroller General to notify the Congress of each instance of noncompliance with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1991
Private Property Rights Act of 1991 - Prohibits any regulation issued by an executive agency from becoming effective until that agency is certified by the Attorney General as being in compliance with Executive Order 12630 or similar procedures to assess the potential for, and minimize, the taking of private property by regulatory activity. Limits judicial review of an action taken pursuant to this Act to the question of certification. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) study the effect this Act will have on the farm economy and agricultural production; and (2) report to specified congressional comittees on necessary actions to limit that effect and on Department of Agriculture procedures to minimize the taking of private property in regulatory procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1991
Authorizes the States to waive application of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 to vehicles used either for transporting farm supplies from retail dealers to or from a farm, for custom harvesting, or in commercial feed yard operations, regardless of whether or not they are controlled or operated by a farmer.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1991
Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding admissions of minority students to institutions of higher education, especially with respect to illegal exclusion and illegal racial discrimination against Asian-Americans and other groups.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1991
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits the Congress from making any appropriation that would result in total fiscal year appropriations in excess of estimated fiscal year revenues. Authorizes suspension of this prohibition in time of war or national emergency. Prohibits any increase in the national debt. Requires repayment of this debt during the 100-year period following ratification, at a rate of ten percent repayment per ten-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1991
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits the Supreme Court or any inferior court of the United States from ordering a State or political subdivision, or an official of such State or subdivision, from laying or increasing taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1991
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to exclude from the definition of "owner or operator," for purposes of limiting liability for releases of hazardous substances, a person who, without participating in the management of a vessel or facility, holds indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest in such vessel or facility. Defines "indicia of ownership" as an interest in a vessel or facility acquired either for: (1) securing payment of a loan or indebtedness or the performance of an obligation; or (2) protecting a security interest. Makes liable for any release or threatened release of a hazardous substance attributable to their activities: (1) any person who causes the transfer of a vessel or facility subject to a security interest; or (2) a fiduciary or trustee who acquires ownership or control of a vessel or facility. Makes conforming amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the treatment of rental and nonrental real estate activities under the limitations on losses from passive activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1991
Used Oil Recycling Act of 1991 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from listing or identifying as a hazardous waste any: (1) recycled oil; (2) used oil transferred to a person who certifies that such oil will be rerefined, processed, or reclaimed for a beneficial purpose or stored less than 12 months prior to such transfer; and (3) used oil which has been removed from the engine of a light duty motor vehicle or household appliance by the owner, transferred to a service station dealer, and stored by the dealer for less than 12 months. Requires the Administrator to determine whether to list as a hazardous waste used oil which is a solid waste and does not satisfy the above-listed criteria. Directs the Administrator to establish management standards for the storage, testing, transportation, treatment, exportation and importation, and processing of used oil. Requires such standards to be designed to protect human health and the environment by encouraging and expanding reliance on recycling of used oil. Exempts generators of used oil from recordkeeping or reporting requirements if such generators: (1) enter into an agreement for delivery of such oil to a recycling facility whose owner or operator certifies compliance with such standards or recycles such oil; (2) do not mix the oil with any hazardous wastes; and (3) maintain necessary records relating to the oil. Prohibits mixing used oil with any hazardous waste identified under such Act except where: (1) such mixing involves an identified hazardous waste and the resulting mixture does not exhibit a characteristic identified in such Act; and (2) the used oil mixture is burned to recover useful energy such that protection of human health and the environment is assured. Deems owners or operators of facilities which process used oil for fuel to have permits for recycling activities if in compliance with management standards. Directs the Administrator to conduct inspections of such facilities to determine compliance with such standards. Requires the Administrator to implement educational programs to inform the public about the environmental and safety hazards associated with improper handling of used oil and the benefits of used oil recycling. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations concerning the procurement of used oil fuel by Federal agencies subject to the requirements of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act of 1991 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to revise provisions concerning permits for dredged or fill material. Prohibits, unless such activity is undertaken pursuant to a permit issued by the Secretary of the Army: (1) the discharge of dredged or fill material into U.S. waters; or (2) the draining, channelization, or excavation of wetlands. Authorizes the Secretary to issue permits for such activities. Sets forth permit application procedures. Requires the Secretary, upon receiving applications, to: (1) classify as Type A wetlands wetlands that are of critical significance to the long-term conservation of the ecosystem of which they are a part and which meet specified requirements; (2) classify as Type B wetlands wetlands that provide habitat for a significant population of avian, aquatic, or wetland dependent wildlife or provide other significant wetlands functions; and (3) classify as Type C wetlands wetlands that serve marginal functions but exist in such abundance that regulation of activities is not necessary to conserve wetlands values and functions, or are prior converted cropland, fastlands, or wetlands within intensely developed areas that do not serve significant wetlands functions. Directs the Secretary to notify a permit applicant of the classification. Permits owners of interests in Type A wetlands to seek compensation for the fair market value of such lands. Provides that title for such lands shall pass to the United States upon acceptance of an offer for compensation. Deems such takings to be takings of surface interests in lands only or water rights allocated under State law unless the Secretary determines that the exploration for, or development of, oil and gas or mineral interests is not compatible with conservation of the surface interests in lands that have been classified as Type A wetlands. Authorizes the Secretary to classify such interests as Type A wetlands and to notify the owner that he may receive compensation. Sets forth provisions concerning court jurisdiction and remedies for taking of interests. Requires the Secretary to deny a permit authorizing activities in Type A wetlands unless: (1) such activities can be undertaken with minimal alteration or surface disturbance; (2) there are overriding public interest concerns that require use of the lands for purposes other than conservation; or (3) the proposed use of the land will result in overall environmental benefits. Authorizes the Secretary to issue a permit for activities in Type B wetlands subject to conditions that ensure that the watershed or aquatic ecosystem of which such wetlands are a part does not suffer loss or degradation of wetlands values or functions. Imposes requirements for mitigation when such activities result in the permanent loss or degradation of Type B wetlands where such loss or degradation is not a temporary or incidental impact. Directs the Secretary to establish a mitigation banking program in each State to ensure compensation for loss and degradation of wetlands. Requires the primary objective of such programs to be to provide for the restoration, enhancement, or creation of ecologically significant wetlands on an ecosystem basis. Sets forth requirements of such programs. Permits activities in Type C wetlands to be undertaken without specified authorization. Authorizes the Secretary to issue general permits on a State, regional, or nationwide basis for activities in wetlands if such activities are similar in nature and will not result in the significant loss of ecologically significant wetlands values and functions. Exempts specified activities from this Act's requirements. Permits States or political subdivisions to submit land management plans for identified wetlands for the Secretary's approval. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to establish standards that govern the delineation of lands as wetlands. Prohibits more than 20 percent of any county, parish, or borough from being classified as Type A wetlands. Requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to undertake a project to identify and classify U.S. wetlands. Provides for public participation in such project and makes information concerning identification and classification available to the public. Authorizes the Secretary to commence civil actions for permit violations. Prescribes civil penalties for such violations. Authorizes States to administer permit programs for activities covered by this Act, subject to the Secretary's approval.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Jobs Corps Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Job Training Partnership Act (the Act) to revise provisions for the Job Corps. Raises the maximum age limit for Job Corps enrollees from 22 to 25, and repeals authority to waive the age limitation for handicapped individuals. Declares that nothing in the Act prohibits participation of Job Corps participants in Training Services programs for the disadvantaged. Increases from ten to 20 percent the maximum percentage of Job Corps enrollees who may be nonresident participants in any year. Gives priority as such nonresidential participants to single parents with dependent children. Prohibits any Department of Labor funds from being used to carry out any contract with a nongovernmental entity to administer or manage a Civilian Conservation Center of the Job Corps on public land. Directs the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to provide child care at or near Job Corps centers for the children of Job Corps participants. Requires each Job Corps Center to provide alcohol or drug abuse counseling and referral to related prevention services for enrollees. Directs the Secretary to provide all nonprofit Job Corps contractors with an equitable and negotiated management fee of not less than one percent of the contract amount.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1991
Urges the President to instruct the Attorney General to appoint an independent counsel to investigate the involvement of Government officials in the savings and loan scandal.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to eliminate references to "ability-to-benefit" students in definitions of vocational school (for purposes of the Stafford loan program), proprietary institution and postsecondary institution (for purposes of all student assistance under HEA), and institution of higher education (for purposes of HEA in general). Eliminates "ability-to-benefit" provisions. Requires independent testing of students who are not high school graduates, for purposes of eligibility for any grant, loan, or work assistance under HEA student assistance provisions. Eliminates any statute of limitations for collection of student loan repayments or grant overpayments under HEA student assistance provisions. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to HEA student assistance programs to ensure that those serving on active duty in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm: (1) are not placed in a worse position financially in relation to their Stafford or Perkins loans because of such service; (2) have administrative burdens eased and avoid inadvertent technical defaults with respect to student loans under HEA title IV; and (3) do not have their future eligibility for Pell Grants reduced by the amount of assistance awarded for the instruction period they were unable to complete because of such service. Directs the Secretary to publish notice of such waivers or modifications. Expresses the sense of the Congress that all institutions offering postsecondary education should provide at least a pro rata refund or credit for tuition and fees for that portion of an instruction period that any Armed Force or Reserve member was unable to complete because of active duty service in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage institutions to provide such refunds or credits; and (2) report to the appropriate congressional committees on their actions, including information received regarding any institutions not providing such refunds or credits. Terminates on September 30, 1997, provisions of this Act relating to Operation Desert Shield or Storm student assistance waiver authority and tuition refunds or credits. Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to provide for education programs for commercial drivers. Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive matching grants for adult education programs which increase the literacy skills of eligible commercial drivers so that they may successfully complete the knowledge test requirements under the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. Requires grantees to refer individuals identified as having literacy skills problems to appropriate adult education programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1993 for such grants. Directs the Secretary to treat the University of Detroit Mercy of Detroit, Michigan, as an eligible institution under part A (Strengthening Institutions) of title III (Institutional Aid) of HEA for purposes of assistance to institutions under other programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1991
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal to General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in recognition of his exemplary performance in coordinating the planning, strategy, and execution of U.S. combat action and his invaluable contributions to the United States and to the liberation of Kuwait. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the National Trails System Act to designate as components of the National Trails System: (1) the California National Historic Trail, extending from Independence and Saint Joseph, Missouri, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, to various points in California and Oregon; and (2) the Pony Express National Historic Trail, extending from Saint Joseph, Missouri, through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to Sacramento, California. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise its application. Revises minimum wage and maximum hours provisions (as well as provisions for special industry committees for American Samoa) to apply such requirements specifically to employers of employees who in any workweek are engaged in industrial homework and who are either engaged in commerce or in the production of goods in commerce (in addition to any other employees so employed). Revises the scope of the application of requirements relating to: (1) wage rate orders for employers in American Samoa; (2) prohibition of sex discrimination in wage rates; and (3) handicapped workers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1991
Endorses a National Victory Parade in Washington, D.C., and regional victory parades throughout the United States to honor servicemen and women who participated in Operation Desert Storm. Encourages Federal, State, and local governments and private industry to get involved in supporting such parades.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exemption for qualified small issue industrial bonds (bonds issued to finance manufacturing facilities and farm property) through 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1991
Acclaims the President for his decisive leadership, unerring judgment, and sound decisions with respect to the Persian Gulf crisis. Commends and expresses appreciation to the members of the U.S. armed forces and other members of the international coalition who participated in Operation Desert Storm. Conveys sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of coalition and U.S. forces who were injured or killed during such operation. Expresses compassion for the families of noncombatants who suffered hardship and personal losses during the Persian Gulf War. Supports continued efforts to promote peace and stability in the Persian Gulf.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permanently extend the period during which qualified mortgage bonds and mortgage credit certificates may be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1991
Greer Spring Acquisition and Protection Act of 1991 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire, under certain conditions, fee title to Greer Spring, Missouri, for addition to the Mark Twain National Forest.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1991
Older Americans' Freedom to Work Act of 1991 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to remove the limitation on the amount of outside income which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn without incurring a reduction in benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1991
Amends the International Air Transportation Competition Act of 1979 to repeal a provision relating to the regulation of air carrier flights from Love Field, Texas, to destinations outside the State of Texas.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1991
Extends the immediate retirement provisions applicable to Federal law enforcement officers to: (1) revenue officers for the Internal Revenue Service; (2) customs inspectors for the U.S. Customs Service; (3) customs canine enforcement officers for the U.S. Customs Service; and (4) inspectors for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1991
Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions governing the income tax deduction for the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals to: (1) make the deduction permanent (under current law it will expire after tax year 1991); and (2) phase in an increase in the allowable deduction, reaching 100 percent for taxable years beginning in 1994 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
National Literacy Act of 1991 - Title I: Literacy: Strategic Planning, Research, and Coordination - Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Literacy. Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to direct the Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education to coordinate literacy-related programs. Establishes the National Institute for Literacy and the National Institute Board. Authorizes the Institute to award Literacy Leader Fellowships. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to authorize the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to make grants to establish a network of State or regional adult literacy resource centers. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Workforce Literacy - Establishes in the Department of Labor a National Workforce Literacy Assistance Collaborative. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to revise provisions for national workforce literacy strategies grants to business, industry, labor, and education partnerships for workplace literacy. Requires the Secretary of Education (the Secretary), in awarding grants for exemplary demonstration partnerships for workplace literacy, to: (1) give priority to partnerships which include small businesses; and (2) limit such grant awards to not more than three years. Directs the Secretary to reserve a specified amount, whenever appropriations for workforce literacy partnership grants exceed a certain level, to establish a program of grants for large-scale national workforce literacy strategies. Authorizes appropriations for AEA workforce literacy programs. Title III: Investment in Literacy - Extends through FY 1995 the authorization of appropriations for programs under the Adult Education Act (AEA). Revises the use of funds under the AEA basic State grants program. Requires that basic grants to States also be used for competitive two-year Gateway Grants to public housing authorities for literacy programs and related activities. Requires biennial evaluations and reports on such Gateway Grants. Revises AEA to give State advisory councils, plans, and evaluations literacy-related responsibilities. Requires States to report biennially to the Interagency Task Force on meeting literacy goals, coordinating workplace literacy services, and building a high quality delivery system for adult literacy programs. Provides for training educators to recognize and serve illiterate individuals more effectively. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise targeted assistance programs under ESEA to include training programs to enhance the ability of teachers and school counselors to identify, particularly in the early grades, students with reading and related problems which place them at risk for adult illiteracy. Renames the Even Start program under ESEA as the Even Start Family Literacy Program. Revises the program to expand eligibility to include community-based organizations or other nonprofit organizations of demonstrated quality applying in collaboration with a local educational agency (LEA) (as well as LEAs and LEA consortia). Sets minimum grant amounts. Makes individual children eligible from birth through age seven (currently from age one through age seven). Provides for continuation of eligibility for certain participants until the parents become ineligible due to educational achievement or until all children in the family attain age eight. Gives priority to applicants demonstrating that the area to be served has a high percentage or a large number of children and adults in need of program services. Authorizes appropriations for the Even Start Family Literacy Program. Establishes a Family Literacy Public Broadcasting Program. Authorizes the Secretary of Education, subject to availability of appropriations, to contract with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for production and dissemination of family literacy programming and accompanying materials to assist parents in improving family literacy skills and languages development. Requires CPB to: (1) cooperate with local public broadcasting stations; (2) arrange for distribution of audio and video instructional media materials for use, and distribution on loan, to families at sites chosen from among State and local libraries with literacy programs and nonprofit entities serving hard-to-serve populations; and (3) report to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations for the Family Literacy Public Broadcasting Program. Title IV: Business Leadership for Employment Skills - Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to provide for education programs for commercial drivers. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive matching grants for adult education programs which increase the literacy skills of eligible commercial drivers so that they may successfully complete the knowledge test requirements under the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986. Requires grantees to refer individuals identified as having literacy skill problems to appropriate adult education programs. Authorizes appropriations. Title V: Books for Families - Revises the ESEA inexpensive book distribution program to require that priority be given in selection of additional local programs to those which serve children and students with special needs. Requires the program contractor (Reading is Fundamental) to report to the Secretary of Education annually on such additional programs. Amends the Library Services and Construction Act to direct the Secretary of Education, in awarding grants for library literacy programs and services, to give priority to those that: (1) will be delivered in areas of greatest need with highest concentrations of adults without secondary education or its equivalent, and which either have few community or financial resources or have low per capita income, unemployment, or underemployment; and (2) coordinate with literacy organizations and community-based organizations providing literacy services. Title VI: Students for Literacy - Amends HEA to authorize appropriations for Student Literacy Corps programs. Requires individual students in such programs, as a condition of course credit, to perform at least 60 hours of voluntary, uncompensated service as tutors in a public community agency's educational or literacy program. Title VII: Volunteers for Literacy - Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to establish a Literacy Challenge Grants program. Authorizes the Director of the ACTION Agency to award such grants to eligible public and private entities to pay the Federal share of costs of establishing, operating, or expanding community or employee literacy programs that include the use of full- or part-time volunteers. Authorizes appropriations for Literacy Challenge Grants, but only if there are specified levels of funding for the VISTA Program and the VISTA Literacy Corps. Title VIII: Literacy for Incarcerated Individuals - Amends the Adult Education Act (AEA) to establish requirements for mandatory functional literacy programs for incarcerated adults in State correctional systems and local jails or detention centers. Requires such a program to be in effect in at least one major correctional facility, for each State correctional system and each local jail or detention center with an inmate population, within two years after enactment of this Act. Requires, if adequate funds are available, each State correctional system and each local jail or detention center with over 150 inmates to have such a program in effect within five years after enactment of this Act. Sets forth required components of such programs, including inmate mandatory participation any individual who is serving a life sentence without parole, or terminally ill, or under a sentence of death. Requires annual reports. Encourages: (1) parole agencies to make educational recommendations for those being released who do not have a marketable job skill or a high school diploma; and (2) jails with less than 150 inmates to develop such mandatory functional literacy programs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1991
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax deduction for interest on certain indebtedness incurred to pay the educational expenses of the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent. (Under current law, such a loan must be secured by an interest in real property.)
![Official portrait of Rep. Coleman, E. Thomas [R-MO-6]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000618_200.jpg)