United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Truth-in-Budgeting Act of 1999 - Requires the President's budget, the budget report of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) required under the Congressional Budget Act, and the concurrent budget resolution to include, effective for FY 2001: (1) the receipts and disbursements totals of the on-budget trust funds, including the projected levels for at least the next five fiscal years; and (2) the deficit or surplus excluding such trust funds, including the projected levels for at least the next five fiscal years. Requires the President's budget and the CBO budget report to include an itemization of the on-budget trust funds for the budget year, including receipts, outlays, and balances.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. (Such FLSA prohibitions are also known as the Equal Pay Act). (Sec. 3) Amends FLSA to provide for enhanced enforcement of equal pay requirements, adding a nonretaliation requirement. Increases penalties for such violations. Provides for the Secretary of Labor to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in such cases. (Sec. 4) Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, including convening a national summit and carrying out other specified activities. (Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop guidelines for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria, to be used voluntarily by employers to compare wages for different jobs to determine if pay scales adequately and fairly reflect each job's educational and skill requirements, independence, working conditions, and responsibility, in order to eliminate unfair pay disparities between occupations traditionally dominated by men or women; and (2) establish a program to recognize employers who use such guidelines to ensure that women are paid fairly in comparison to men without lowering men's wages. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance for employers to carry out such evaluations. (Sec. 7) Establishes the Robert Reich National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace, which shall be evidenced by a medal. Sets forth criteria for specified types of entities to receive such an award. (Sec. 8) Amends the Civil Rights Act to direct the EEOC to: (1) complete a survey of data currently available to the Government relating to employee pay information for use in the enforcement of Federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination, and identify additional data collections to enhance enforcement of such laws; and (2) based on survey results and consultations with other relevant Federal agencies, issue regulations for the collection of pay information data from employers as described by the sex, race, and national origin of employees. (Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
National Discovery Trails Act of 1999 - Amends the National Trails System Act to provide for the establishment, as components of the National Trails System, of national discovery trails which shall be extended, continuous interstate trails located so as to provide for outdoor recreation and travel and to connect representative examples of America's trails and communities. Requires the appropriate Secretary for each national discovery trail to administer the trail in cooperation with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization. Prohibits a trail from being considered feasible and desirable for designation as a national discovery trail unless it: (1) links to one or more areas within the boundaries of a metropolitan area and joins with other trails, tying the National Trails System to significant recreation and resources areas; (2) is supported by a competent trailwide volunteer-based organization and has extensive local and trailwide support by the public, user groups, and affected State and local governments; and (3) extends and passes through more than one State and, at a minimum, is a continuous, walkable route. Requires the responsible Secretary, within three complete fiscal years after enactment of legislation designating a national discovery trail, to submit to specified congressional committees a comprehensive plan: (1) for the protection, management, development, and use of the Federal portions of the trail; and (2) for technical assistance to States, local governments, and private landowners, as requested, for non-Federal portions of the trail. Designates as a national discovery trail the 6,000-mile American Discovery Trail which shall extend from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, traveling northern and southern routes from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Denver, Colorado.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
Safety Net Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a new prospective payment system for federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
History of the House Awareness and Preservation Act - Directs the Librarian of Congress to: (1) prepare a new and complete written history of the U.S. House of Representatives; (2) in preparing the history, consult, commission, or engage the services or participation of eminent historians and Members or former Members of the House; (3) arrange for the printing of the history and the dissemination of excerpts of the history over the Internet; (4) make the history available for sale to the public; and (5) make available, free of charge, a limited number of copies to each Member of the House of Representatives and to the Senate. Sets forth guidelines for the history. Authorizes the Librarian to solicit and accept private funding for the publication, marketing, and public distribution of the history. Directs the Librarian to accept for deposit, preserve, maintain, and make accessible, an oral history of the House as told by its Members and former Members, compiled and updated (on a voluntary or contract basis) by the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress or other outside organization. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) orientation programs for freshman Members of the House should contain a seminar on the history of the House; and (2) the Speaker of the House should conduct a series of forums on the topic of such history.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Osteoporosis Education and Prevention Act of 1999 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to require plans by area agencies on aging to provide that such agencies will coordinate education relating to osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and cooperate with State or localities which have implemented such programs. Includes osteoporosis screening in the list of disease prevention and health promotion services eligible for grants under the Act. Adds to the list of demonstration projects to receive special consideration for grants and contracts to improve supportive services to, or otherwise promote the well-being of, older individuals projects that: (1) determine the best practices for providing information and outreach services relating to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis; and (2) measure the effectiveness of osteoporosis prevention programs over a three-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that all Americans should recognize their responsibility to become trained in the life-saving technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and seek the opportunity to halt the devastation of cardiac arrest. Supports the efforts of the National CPR Task Force in its development of mass CPR training programs in ten States by the end of 1999, and in every State by the end of 2001. Commends the goals and ideas of the National CPR Weekend initiated by the Task Force in order to facilitate awareness of its program and the need for individuals to receive training in administering CPR.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Medicare HEAL (Hospital Emergency Assistance Legislation) Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase certain payment amounts made under the Medicare program for prospective payment system hospitals, for indirect medical education, and for disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustments.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 - Title I: Use of Controlled Substances Consistent With the Controlled Substances Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that for purposes of such Act, alleviating pain or discomfort in the usual course of professional practice is a legitimate medical purpose for the dispensing, distributing, or administering of a controlled substance consistent with public health and safety even if the use of such a substance may increase the risk of death. Declares that nothing in this Act authorizes intentionally dispensing or administering a controlled substance for purposes of causing death or assisting another person in causing death. Prohibits the Attorney General, in determining whether a controlled substance manufacturer, distributor, or dispenser registration is consistent with the public interest under the Act, from giving force and effect to State law permitting assisted suicide or euthanasia. Authorizes certain educational and research programs carried out by the Attorney General under the Act to include educational and training programs for local, State, and Federal personnel on the necessary and legitimate use of controlled substances in pain management and palliative care and means by which investigation and enforcement actions by law enforcement personnel may accommodate such use. Title II: Promoting Palliative Care - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research to carry out a program to: (1) develop and advance scientific understanding of palliative care; and (2) collect and disseminate protocols and evidence-based practices regarding such care, with priority given to pain management for terminally ill patients, and make such information publicly available. Defines "palliative care" as the active total care of patients whose prognosis is limited due to progressive, far-advanced disease. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to health professions schools, hospices, and other entities for programs to provide education and training to health care professionals in palliative care. Sets forth requirements for grant applicants. Provides for the evaluation of such programs to determine their effect on knowledge and practice regarding palliative care. Makes funds available for such grants and contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1999
Expresses the sense of the Congress relating to the timely distribution of payments to local educational agencies (LEAs) under the Impact Aid (IA) program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Declares such IA program should be funded at a level that allows its funds to be made available on the currently-required, forward-funded basis. Urges the Secretary of Education, upon completion of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for each fiscal year, to distribute such IA program payments to eligible LEAs within 45 days after the enactment of each such Act, if other congressional action has not caused a delay and State education agencies have supplied all the necessary information to the Department of Education for such distribution.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Hospital Outpatient Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to limit temporarily the reductions in Federal payments under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Provides for the retroactive effectiveness of this Act as if included in BBA '97.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commission Act - Establishes the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commission to plan, encourage, coordinate, and conduct the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase and its exploration by Lewis and Clark. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Medicare Home Health Access Restoration Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase payment amounts to home health agencies with specified limits under the national average. Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to eliminate the 15 percent contingent reduction in payment amounts under the interim prospective payment system (PPS) for home health services. Directs: (1) the Secretary to prepare specified informational materials for assisting Medicare beneficiaries with regard to home health services; and (2) the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on certain aspects of the Medicare home health benefit, including whether it has resulted in overall lower costs to the Federal Government.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any premium support, privatization, or voucher plan for the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) should be rejected; (2) the eligibility age for Medicare should not be increased; (3) no copayment should be imposed on home health care; (4) specified changes should be made to Medicare to improve and extend it; and (5) the current guarantee of Medicare benefits should not be eliminated.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Bear Protection Act of 1999 - Prohibits any person from: (1) importing bear viscera into, or exporting it from, the United States; or (2) selling bear viscera, bartering, offering it for sale or barter, or purchasing, possessing, transporting, delivering, or receiving it in interstate or foreign commerce. Subjects persons who violate such prohibitions to specified penalties. Waives such prohibition for wildlife law enforcement purposes where a valid permit has been issued. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of State to discuss issues involving such trade with the appropriate representatives of countries that are the leading importers, exporters, or consumers of such products. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to report to Congress on the progress of efforts to end illegal trade in bear viscera.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Enhancement Act of 1999 - Amends title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act to revise additional grants requirements, providing for: (1) additional State entitlements to grants for designated qualified empowerment zones and qualified enterprise communities as well as for strategic planning communities (currently not provided for); (2) specified funding for such additional designated qualified empowerment zone State grants (according to urban or rural status) as well as for additional designated qualified enterprise community State grants and strategic planning community State grants; (3) direct grants to the governing bodies of eligible Indian tribes or Alaska Native villages or regional or village corporations, subject to certain conditions; (4) use of grant funds for revolving loan fund loans to residents, institutions, organizations, or businesses that hire disadvantaged adults and youths; and (5) environmental review to ensure that the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other applicable Federal law are most effectively implemented in connection with the expenditure of grant funds under SSA title XX additional grants provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act - Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to authorize appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 for research and development activities of the following departments and agencies in connection with the High-Performance Computing Program (establishing goals and priorities for, and engaging in, Federal high-performance computing research, development, networking, and related activities): (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF); (2) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (3) the Department of Energy; (4) the National Institute of Standards and Technology; (5) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and (6) the Environmental Protection Agency. Earmarks specified amounts of such authorized funds for: (1) long-term basic research on networking and information technology, including grants for information technology research centers; (2) grants for the development of major research equipment; and (3) information technology internship grants. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 and 2002 for support by such departments and agencies of the Next Generation Internet Program (research, development, and demonstration of advanced networking technologies to increase Internet capabilities and performance). Requires a previously-established advisory committee on high-performance computing to: (1) conduct periodic evaluations of high-performance computing and networking and information technology research and development programs; and (2) report at least once every two fiscal years to specified congressional committees on its findings and recommendations. Directs the NSF to study and report to Congress comparing the availability of encryption technologies in foreign countries to such technologies subject to export restrictions in the United States. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent a credit allowed for increased research activities as compared to the prior taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction for premiums on qualified long-term care insurance contracts. Expands the child care credit and renames it the family care credit. Amends title XI of the Social Security Act to require annual social security account statements to include information concerning the limitation on Medicare and Medicaid long-term care benefits. Authorizes appropriations. Amends Medicaid (title XIX) provisions of the Social Security Act to expand State long-term care partnerships by exempting 75 percent of partnership assets from Medicaid estate recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend the retroactive eligibility dates for financial assistance for higher education for spouses and dependent children of law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Railway Safety and Funding Equity Act of 1999 - Amends Federal transportation law to authorize to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) for each of FY 2000 through 2003 to carry out projects for the elimination of hazards of railway-highway crossings and projects for the elimination of railway-railway crossings an amount determined by the Secretary of the Treasury to be equivalent to the total of amounts received in the Treasury in the previous fiscal year that are attributable to taxes imposed on fuel used in a train. Sets forth provisions regarding apportionment of funds. Directs that at least five percent of sums available to a State in a fiscal year be expended on education and awareness campaigns, and that at least ten percent be expended on projects for the elimination of railway-railway crossing hazards. Sets the Federal cost share at 80 percent. Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to exclude such funding from the obligation ceiling for Federal-aid highway and highway construction programs. (Sec. 3) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) transfer the excise taxes on fuel used in trains to the HTF beginning on October 1, 1999; and (2) terminate such excise taxes on October 1, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Expresses: (1) the sense of the House of Representatives that the artwork displayed in the Capitol and the House office buildings should also represent the contributions of women to American society; and (2) full support of the House for the efforts of the House Fine Arts Board, the Joint Committee on the Library, and the Architect of the Capitol to incorporate into their regular plan for the Capitol and the House office buildings a selection of displayed artwork that is more fully representative of such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Export Enhancement Act of 1999 - Sets forth policy recommendations for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the International Trade Administration (ITA). Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend through FY 2003 OPIC's authority to issue investment insurance and guarantees. Revises the purposes of the Trade and Development Agency to include, with respect to the promotion of U.S. private sector participation in development projects in developing and middle-income countries, special emphasis on economic sectors with significant U.S. export potential, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environment. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes appropriations to the ITA for its Market Access and Compliance program, Trade Development program, and Commercial Service program. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to take steps to ensure the appointment of United States and Foreign Commercial Service employees in no fewer than ten sub-Saharan African countries, including the adequate appointment of personnel for South and Central America and the Caribbean, in order that U.S. businesses are made aware of existing market opportunities for goods and services. Directs the ITA to undertake the Global Diversity and Urban Export Initiative in order to increase exports from minority-owned businesses, focusing on businesses in under-served areas, including inner-city urban enterprise zones. Authorizes the ITA to advertise in newspapers, business journals, and other relevant publications and related media to inform businesses about ITA services. Revises the composition of the OPIC Board of Directors. Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) to develop a Federal trade promotion plan that, among other things, shall: (1) ensure that all export promotion activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development are fully coordinated and consistent with those of other agencies; (2) identify the means for providing more coordinated export promotion services to small and medium-sized businesses; and (3) establish a set of priorities to promote U.S. exports to, and free market reforms in, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and other emerging markets, that are designed to stimulate job growth both in the United States and those regions and emerging markets. Requires the TPCC to: (1) report on actions taken to eliminate the areas of overlap and duplication identified among Federal export promotion activities; (2) coordinate efforts to sponsor or promote any trade show or trade fair; (3) work with all relevant State and national organizations, including the National Governors' Association, that have established trade promotion offices; and (4) report to Congress on actions taken to promote better coordination among State, Federal, and private sector export promotion activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Medicare Community Nursing Demonstration Extension Act of 1999 - Grants an additional three-year extension for demonstration projects under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 that provide payment on a prepaid, capitated basis for community nursing and ambulatory care furnished to beneficiaries under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends Federal provisions concerning the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to adjust the basic SBP annuity amount for surviving spouses age 62 or over of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent, for months beginning on or before the enactment of this Act (current law); (2) 40 percent of such pay, for months beginning after the date of enactment of this Act until October 2004; and (3) 45 percent of such pay, for months beginning on or after October 2004. Adjusts similarly the percentage amounts of SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided for such surviving spouses. Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure appropriate adjustments in the computation of retired pay reductions for such supplemental annuities made necessary by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Roadside Emergency Safety Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to Congress on means for improving the safety of persons present at roadside emergency scenes, including motor vehicle accident scenes. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to improve the safety of emergency personnel at roadside emergency scenes. Amends Federal highway law to require State highway safety programs to include, among other things, guidelines to improve the safety of law enforcement, fire department, and emergency medical services personnel, and any other persons who may be called upon to respond, in the case of a roadside emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1999
NAFTA Impact Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to, among other things: (1) provide for the designation of NAFTA-impacted communities; (2) establish an employment credit for such communities; and (3) provide for job training grants to such communities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1999
Calls for the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring the U.S. Submarine Force on its 100th anniversary.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Father Theodore M. Hesburgh Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, a congressional gold medal to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for Alzheimer's disease research. Requires payment of collected amounts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Expresses the sense of Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by NIH below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President should instruct the U.S. representative to the United Nations (UN) to use all appropriate means to prevent the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan from obtaining the seat in the UN General Assembly reserved for Afghanistan as long as gross violations of internationally recognized human rights against women and girls persist; and (2) the U.S. should refuse to recognize any such government which is not taking actions to achieve specified goals in Afghanistan, including the effective participation of women in all civil, economic, and social life, the right of women and girls to an education without discrimination, and equal access of women and girls to health facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1999
Iran Nonproliferation Act of 1999 - Directs the President to report periodically to specified congressional committees on foreign persons who, on or after January 22, 1998, have transferred to Iran: (1) controlled goods, services, or technology; or (2) non-controlled goods, services, or technology that would nevertheless would be, if they were U.S. goods, services, or technology, prohibited for export to Iran because of their potential contribution to the development of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, or ballistic missile systems. Excludes from identification in such reports any such persons who were previously identified, or who have acted on behalf of, or in concert with, the U.S. Government. Authorizes the President, with specified exceptions, to apply to such foreign person certain measures: (1) set forth in Executive Order 12938 prohibitions; (2) prohibiting the sale to such persons of defense items on the United States Munitions List and defense articles and defense services, or design and construction services under the Arms Export Control Act; and (3) prohibiting the export to such persons of controlled goods and technology under the Export Administration Act of 1979. Prohibits any U.S. agency from making extraordinary payments to the Russian Space Agency in connection with the International Space Station, or any other organization or entity of the Government of the Russian Federation, unless the President has determined, and reported to specified congressional committees, that: (1) it is the policy of the Government of the Russian Federation to oppose the proliferation to Iran of weapons of mass destruction and missile systems capable of delivering such weapons; (2) such government is taking the necessary steps to prevent the transfer from Russia to Iran of goods, services, and technology useful in the development of such weapons and systems; and (3) neither the Russian Space Agency, nor any organization under its control, has, during the one-year period prior to the determination, made transfers to Iran of controlled goods, services, or technology or non-controlled goods, services, or technology that has potential to contribute to Iran's development of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, or of ballistic missile systems.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1999
Mother Teresa Religious Worker Act of 1999 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide permanent authority for U.S. special immigrant entry by certain religious workers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Strategies for Preventing Crimes Against Seniors Title II: Combating Crimes Against Seniors Title III: Preventing Telemarketing Fraud Title IV: Preventing Health Care Fraud Title V: Protecting Residents of Nursing Homes Title VI: Protecting the Rights of Elderly Crime Victims Seniors Safety Act of 1999 - Title I: Strategies for Preventing Crimes Against Seniors - Directs the Attorney General (AG) to study and report to the congressional judiciary committees on crimes against seniors (over 55 years of age) in order to prevent and otherwise reduce the incidence of those crimes, which include telemarketing fraud, elder abuse, and health care fraud. (Sec. 102) Requires certain statistics concerning crimes against seniors to be included by the AG within each annual National Crime Victimization Survey. Title II: Combating Crimes Against Seniors - Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend Federal sentencing guidelines to include the age of a crime victim as one of the criteria for determining whether a sentencing enhancement is appropriate. Requires a Commission report to Congress on issues relating to the age of crime victims. (Sec. 202) Directs the Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend sentencing guidelines and Commission policy statements to include persons convicted of offenses involving fraud in connection with a health care benefit program. (Sec. 203) Amends the Federal criminal code to provide increased penalties for fraud which results in serious injury or death. (Sec. 204) Provides civil and criminal penalties for any person who executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice to: (1) defraud any retirement arrangement or any person in connection with the establishment or maintenance of such an arrangement; or (2) falsely or fraudulently obtain any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any retirement arrangement or other person in connection with such an arrangement. (Sec. 205) Authorizes the AG to bring a civil action to enforce penalties for defrauding pension plans. (Sec. 206) Revises criminal code provisions concerning the illegal influencing of operations of employee benefit plans to: (1) add certain definitions; and (2) include under such provisions bribery and graft committed by an applicable person (an employee benefit plan administrator, officer, counsel, agent, employee, or other person having influence with respect to such plan). Title III: Preventing Telemarketing Fraud - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish procedures to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who reasonably believe that they have been the victim of fraud in connection with telemarketing; (2) provide to such individuals and any others information on telemarketing fraud; and (3) refer such complaints to appropriate entities, including State consumer protection and law enforcement agencies, for potential law enforcement action. Requires the AG to establish and maintain a computer database containing information on corporations and companies convicted of Federal or State telemarketing fraud. Requires such database to be made available to the FTC. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 302) Includes a wire communications facility (facility) utilizing a telephone service within the scope of telemarketing fraud subject to enhanced criminal penalties under the criminal code. Provides that if a common carrier is notified by the AG that a facility furnished by such carrier is being or will be used by a subscriber to transmit or receive a wire communication in interstate or foreign commerce to execute any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent representations, in connection with telemarketing, then the carrier shall discontinue or refuse to lease, furnish, or maintain the facility to such subscriber after reasonable notice to the subscriber. Title IV: Preventing Health Care Fraud - Includes within Federal injunctive authority against fraudulent actions certain offenses under the Social Security Act relating to false claims and illegal kickback schemes involving Federal health care programs. Amends the Social Security Act to authorize the AG to bring an action to enforce such authority. (Sec. 402) Includes within the AG's authority to subpoena information involving a Federal health care offense any allegation of fraud or false claims (whether criminal or civil) in connection with a Federal health care program as defined under the Social Security Act. Prohibits, during the production of such information, any record that contains personally identifiable information from being disclosed to any person, with exceptions for certain attorneys and government personnel as part of their official functions. Requires court ordered disclosures to be undertaken so as to preserve the confidentiality and privacy of individuals, unless such disclosure is required by the nature of such proceedings. Requires such records to be destroyed within 90 days after their production. (Sec. 403) Amends the Social Security Act to extend certain antifraud safeguards to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. (Sec. 404) Authorizes grand jury disclosure of matters occurring during an investigation of a Federal health care offense for use in any investigation or civil proceeding relating to fraud or false claims in connection with a Federal health care program. (Sec. 405) Delegates to the Deputy or an Assistant Attorney General the AG authority to issue civil investigative demands for the production of information relevant to a false claims law investigation. Allows disclosure of such information only upon a showing that such disclosure would assist the Department of Justice in carrying out its statutory responsibilities. Title V: Protecting Residents of Nursing Homes - Nursing Home Resident Protection Act of 1999 - Provides civil penalties against anyone who knowingly and willfully engages in a pattern of violations that affects the health, safety, or care of individuals in a residential health care facility, and results in significant physical or mental harm to one or more of such individuals, except that any organization shall be fined not more than $2 million per facility. Authorizes the AG to bring an enforcement action. Lists maximum penalty amounts. Authorizes other relief, including equitable and declaratory relief to eliminate a pattern of violations. Prohibits retaliation against any person reporting a condition that may constitute grounds for civil action. Includes information as to such violations within Federal investigative demand procedures. Title VI: Protecting the Rights of Elderly Crime Victims - Amends Federal civil forfeiture provisions to authorize the AG to retain or transfer forfeited property as restoration to any victim of the offense giving rise to the forfeiture, including a money laundering offense or any offense constituting the underlying specified unlawful activity. (Sec. 602) Amends provisions of the Controlled Substances Act relating to criminal forfeitures to state that a defendant may not use property subject to forfeiture to satisfy an order of restitution, except when the defendant has no assets other than the property subject to forfeiture. Directs the Government to restore the forfeited property to the victims. (Sec. 603) Prohibits the use of bankruptcy proceedings to shield illegal gains from false claims brought against the Government. Prohibits the debt arising from such illegal gains from being discharged in bankruptcy proceedings. (Sec. 604) Authorizes a criminal or civil court, in imposing a sentence on a person convicted of a retirement offense (an offense involving fraudulent gains from another's retirement arrangement), to order such person to forfeit property that constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the commission of such offense.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1999
Volunteer Firefighter's Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow, for a volunteer firefighter, an annual deduction (of up to $500) for contributions to a volunteer firefighter savings account.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Medicare Rehabilitation Benefit Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide certain Medicare beneficiaries with an exemption to the financial limitations imposed on physical, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of specified effects of this Act for a report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Federally Impacted School Improvement Act - Provides matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for construction, renovation, and repair of school facilities in areas affected by Federal activities. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Education to distribute such funds as follows: (1) 45 percent for basic matching grants to LEAs eligible for impact aid assistance as serving children from Indian lands, if the number of such children is at least 25 percent of the total number in attendance; (2) 45 percent to the Secretary of Defense for basic matching grants to LEAs serving children from military bases, if the number of such children is at least 25 percent of the total number in attendance; and (3) ten percent for emergency non-matching grants in cases of health or safety hazards at facilities of LEAs which have a number of impact aid eligible children equal to at least 50 percent of their total attendance. Sets forth requirements for: (1) LEA eligibility; (2) basic grant awards and amount limits; (3) applications; and (4) emergency grant certifications, amounts, and priorities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1999
Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act of 1999 - Amends Federal aviation law to require congressional review, according to a specified procedure, of civil aviation agreements establishing air navigation (including air routes and services) between the United States and a foreign country.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 1999
Farm Loan Freedom Act or Agricultural Bond Enhancement Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt certain small issue agriculture bonds from the State volume cap.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to commence a methane hydrate research and development program. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) award program grants or contracts (based on a competitive merit-based process) to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, institutions of higher education and industrial enterprises; and (2) establish a panel to provide advice on applications of methane hydrate and priorities for the program. Limits to five percent the amount of program funding that can be used for administrative expense and prohibits funding for building construction. Requires the Secretary, in awarding such grants or contracts or entering into such cooperative agreements, to: (1) facilitate and develop partnerships among government, industry, and institutions of higher education; (2) undertake programs to develop basic information necessary for promoting long-term interest in methane hydrate resources as an energy source; (3) ensure that the data and information developed through the program are accessible and widely disseminated; (4) promote cooperation among agencies that are developing technologies that may hold promise for methane hydrate resource development; and (5) report annually to Congress on accomplishments. Amends the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 to: (1) redefine "marine mineral resource" to include methane hydrate (for the purposes of the marine mineral resources research program); and (2) define "methane hydrate." Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004. Terminates the methane hydrate research and development program after FY 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Brownfield Remediation and Environmental Cleanup Title II: Innocent Landowner, Prospective Purchaser, and Contiguous Property Owner Liability Title III: Seller Liability Relief and State Voluntary Response Programs Community Revitalization and Brownfield Cleanup Act of 1999 - Title I: Brownfield Remediation and Environmental Cleanup - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to provide grants to local governments to inventory and conduct site assessments of brownfield sites. Defines a "brownfield site" as a parcel of land that contains or contained abandoned, idled, or under-used commercial or industrial facilities, the expansion or redevelopment of which is complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. (Sec. 103) Directs the Administrator to establish a program of grants to local governments for capitalization of loan programs for brownfield site cleanup by the locality or owner or developer. (Sec. 104) Imposes funding limitations, including a restriction on use of funds to meet Federal cost-sharing requirements and a prohibition on the use of grants to pay fines or penalties. (Sec. 105) Requires reports to specified congressional committees regarding the site assessment and loan capitalization programs. (Sec. 108) Authorizes appropriations to carry out the site assessment and loan capitalization programs and State voluntary response programs described under title III of this Act. Title II: Innocent Landowner, Prospective Purchaser, and Contiguous Property Owner Liability - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), with respect to defenses to liability of an owner of property acquired after April 15, 1994, to deem a person to have made appropriate inquiry into the property's previous ownership and uses only if the person establishes that an environmental site assessment was conducted which meets specified requirements (compliance with an American Society for Testing and Materials standard or with standards issued by the Administrator) and the person fulfills certain responsibilities concerning information compilation, exercise of appropriate care with respect to hazardous substances at the facility, and cooperation with those conducting response actions. (Sec. 202) Absolves from liability for response actions bona fide prospective purchasers or operators of a facility owned by such a purchaser to the extent liability for a release or threat thereof is based solely on ownership or operation of a facility and such persons meet other specified conditions, including notice requirements, exercise of appropriate care concerning the hazardous substances, cooperation with those conducting response actions, and lack of affiliation with liable parties. Gives a lien upon a facility to the United States for unrecovered response costs not inconsistent with the National Contingency Plan in any case in which there are such unrecovered costs for which the owner is not liable by reason of being a prospective purchaser and the action increases the fair market value of the facility. (Sec. 203) Adds CERCLA provisions governing owner-operator status of persons owning or operating property contiguous to a release site. Title III: Seller Liability Relief and State Voluntary Response Programs - Amends CERCLA to add provisions requiring the Administrator to provide technical and other assistance to States to establish and enhance qualifying State voluntary response programs, comprised of elements including public participation opportunities, oversight and enforcement authorities, and certification mechanisms.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Designation of Wilderness Areas Title II: Administrative Provisions America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 1999 - Title I: Designation of Wilderness Areas - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin wilderness areas; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert wilderness areas; (3) Grand Staircase-Escalante wilderness areas; (4) Moab-LaSal Canyons wilderness areas; (5) Henry Mountains wilderness areas; (6) Glen Canyon wilderness areas; (7) San Juan-Anasazi wilderness areas; (8) Canyonlands Basin wilderness areas; (9) San Rafael Swell wilderness areas; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin wilderness areas. Title II: Administrative Provisions - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to file a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees. (Sec. 203) Provides that if State-owned land is included within a designated wilderness area, then the Secretary shall offer to exchange U.S. lands in the State of approximate equal value (prohibits the transfer of associated mineral interests) in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Wilderness Act. (Sec. 204) Reserves the Federal Government's rights to a quantity of water determined by the Secretary to be sufficient for each wilderness area designated by this Act. (Sec. 205) Sets forth provisions for the measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness. (Sec. 206) Permits authorized grazing of livestock within the designated wilderness areas to continue subject to such regulations and procedures as the Secretary considers necessary, as long as they are consistent with: (1) the Wilderness Act; and (2) the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990. (Sec. 209) Withdraws such Federal land, subject to valid rights existing on the enactment of this Act, from all forms of: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under public law; (2) location, entry, and patent under mining law; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials. (Sec. 210) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 1999
Commends President Glafcos Clerides of Cyprus for his decision to cancel the deployment of the S-300 antiaircraft missiles in Cyprus. Urges the President of the United States to use the influence of the U.S. Government to persuade Turkey to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1217 and 1218 and to cooperate for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1999
Public School Modernization Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide: (1) a limited credit for qualified public school modernization bonds; (2) for qualified school construction bonds and qualified zone academy bonds and establish limits and allocation formulas for such bonds; and (3) corporations, a limited specialized training center credit. Amends the General Education Provisions Act to provide for the application of certain labor standards to projects financed under this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish provisions concerning employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Human Rights Information Act - Requires certain Federal agencies to identify and organize all human rights records regarding activities occurring in Guatemala and Honduras after 1944 for declassification and disclosure purposes, and to make them available to the public. Instructs the President to report to Congress regarding agency compliance. Prescribes guidelines under which the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel shall review agency determinations to postpone public disclosure of any human rights record. Authorizes postponement of such public disclosures on specified grounds. Requires any U.S. agency, upon request by an entity created by the United Nations, the Organization of American States (or similar entity), a national truth commission (or similar entity), or from the principal justice or human rights official of a country that is investigating a pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, to review, declassify, and publicly disclose any human pertinent rights records. Directs the Information Security Policy Advisory Council to report to Congress on declassification of human rights records relating to other countries and to make such report available to the public. Creates two additional positions in the Panel in order to implement this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Cuban Food and Medicine Security Act of 1999 - Exempts from the embargo on trade with Cuba the export of food and other agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, medical supplies, instruments, or equipment, or any travel incident to the delivery of such items. Declares that such exemption shall not apply to certain restrictions imposed under the Export Administration Act of 1979 or the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report to specified congressional committees on existing U.S. agricultural export promotion and credit programs to determine how such programs can be carried out to promote the consumption of U.S. agricultural commodities in Cuba. Directs the President to report to Congress on: (1) the extent (expressed in volume and dollar amounts) of sales to Cuba of food and other agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, medical supplies, instruments, and equipment; (2) the types and end users of such items; and (3) whether there has been any indication that any medicines, medical supplies, instruments, or equipment exported to Cuba since enactment of this Act have been used for torture or other human rights abuses, were reexported, or were used in the production of any bio-technological product.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Rural Teachers Recruitment Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to eligible rural local educational agencies to recruit and retain qualified teachers for elementary and secondary schools. Includes among authorized uses of such teacher incentive program funds: (1) salary increases; (2) reimbursement for teacher certification and relocation expenses; and (3) assistance to pay college and graduate school tuition and training expenses. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Dog and Cat Protection Act of 1999 - Prohibits: (1) the importation of dog or cat fur into the United States; and (2) any person in the United States from introducing into commerce, manufacturing, selling or offering to sell, trading, advertising, or transporting or distributing in commerce, any dog or cat fur product. Subjects a person to both civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1999
Made in USA Label Defense Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to prohibit the affixation of the "Made in the USA" label to a product of the Northern Mariana Islands. Prohibits such products from being imported into the United States free of duty or quotas.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1999
Retirement Accessibility, Security, and Portability Act of 1999 - Title I: Pension Access and Coverage - Subtitle A: Improved Access to Individual Retirement Savings - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow a tax credit for qualified start-up costs of eligible small employers in establishing a qualified pension plan or qualified employer payroll deduction system. Limits the amount of such credit to: (1) $1,000 for the first credit year; (2) $500 for each of the two taxable years immediately following the first credit year; and (3) zero for any other taxable year. (Sec. 102) Provides for an exclusion from an employee's gross income of payroll deduction contributions to individual retirement accounts (IRAs). (Sec. 103) Provides for a nonrefundable tax credit for contributions to individual retirement plans. (Sec. 104) Allows the use, without penalty, of distributions from certain plans during periods of unemployment. Subtitle B: Secure Money Annuity or Retirement (SMART) Trusts - Establishes a defined benefit plan option for small businesses, to be known as secure money annuity or retirement (SMART) trusts. Subtitle C: Improved Fairness in Retirement Plan Benefits - Amends the IRC to require a specified minimum employer contribution to simple retirement accounts. Provides for an employer option to suspend contributions with 30-days' notice. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) with respect to fiduciary duties in the case of such accounts. (Sec. 122) Amends the IRC to set forth various nondiscrimination rules for qualified cash or deferred arrangements and matching contributions. (Sec. 123) Increases from $75,000 to $80,000 per year specified compensation criteria for a highly compensated employee. Excludes specified categories of employees with respect to age, short length of service, and part-time service from the meaning of highly compensated employee. (Sec. 124) Includes multiemployer plans, as well as governmental plans, under specified provisions of IRC for: (1) special limitation rules relating to compensation limits; and (2) exemptions for survivor and disability benefits. (Sec. 125) Declares that compensation deferred under a mirror plan shall not be taken into account in applying certain limits (with respect to deferred compensation plans of State and local governments and tax-exempt organizations) to compensation deferred under any other deferred compensation plan. (Sec. 126) Amends specified Federal law relating to Federal employees to allow immediate participation in the Thrift Savings Plan for Federal employees by eliminating certain waiting periods. (Sec. 127) Amends IRC and ERISA to set a full funding limitation for multiemployer plans. (Sec. 128) Eliminates IRC partial termination rules for multiemployer plans. (Sec. 129) Replaces the 150 percent of current liability factor in the calculation of the full-funding limit with an incremental scale from 155 percent in 1998 to 170 percent in 2001, followed by zero in 2002 and succeeding years. Title II: Security - Subtitle A: General Provisions - Amends ERISA to revise requirements for periodic pension benefits statements. (Sec. 202) Applies an ERISA requirement for annual, detailed investment reports to certain IRC section 401(k) plans. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of Labor, in prescribing regulations for required information in such reports, to consider including specified types of information. (Sec. 204) Directs the Secretary to study and report to the Congress on: (1) the extent to which pension plans invest in collectibles; and (2) whether such investments present a risk to the pension security of the participants and beneficiaries of such plans. (Sec. 205) Amends IRC to prohibit qualified employer plans from making loans through credit cards and other intermediaries. (Sec. 206) Increases the amounts of multiemployer plan benefits guaranteed under ERISA. (Sec. 207) Increases the maximum amount of the civil penalty which may be assessed administratively for certain prohibited transactions. (Sec. 208) Amends ERISA with respect to substantial owner benefits to revise the phase-in of guarantee and the allocation of assets. (Sec. 209) Directs the Secretary to report annually to the President and the Congress on plans from which residual assets were distributed to employers (reversion report). Subtitle B: ERISA Enforcement - Amends ERISA enforcement provisions to change from mandatory to discretionary the Secretary's authority to impose certain civil penalties for breach of fiduciary responsibilities. (Sec. 212) Revises reporting and enforcement requirements for employee benefit plans. Requires plan administrators and accountants to notify the Secretary: (1) of specified irregularities; and (2) upon termination of the accountant. Authorizes the Secretary to impose civil penalties for failure to make such notifications. (Sec. 213) Sets forth additional ERISA requirements for qualified public accountants. (Sec. 214) Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Labor to study, and report to Congress and the Secretary on, the need for regulatory standards and procedures to authorize the Secretary, in appropriate cases, to prohibit persons from serving as qualified accountants for purposes of specified annual reports. Subtitle C: Increase in Excise Tax on Employer Reversions - Amends the IRC to increase the excise tax on reversions of qualified employee benefit plan assets to employers. Title III: Portability - Amends ERISA and the IRC to provide for faster vesting of employer matching contributions. (Sec. 302) Revises certain restrictions on distributions from IRC section 401(k) plans. (Sec. 303) Amends ERISA and the IRC with respect to an accrued benefit not to be decreased by plan amendment to revise the treatment of transfers between defined contribution plans. (Sec. 304) Amends ERISA rules requiring transfer of benefits of missing participants to direct the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to prescribe similar rules for multiemployer plans that terminate. Requires transfer of missing participants' plan benefits to the PBGC by certain plans not otherwise subject to ERISA enforcement provisions. (Sec. 305) Allows rollovers from and to the IRC section 403(b) plans (annuities purchased for employees by a tax-exempt organization or public school). (Sec. 306) Amends the IRC to set forth requirements relating to rollover contributions from deferred compensation plans of State and local governments. (Sec. 307) Extends the IRC 60-day rollover period in the case of presidentially declared disasters and service in combat zones. (Sec. 308) Excludes from gross income, for certain IRC purposes, amounts involved in a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer to a defined benefit governmental plan, if such transfer is for: (1) purchase of service credit under such plan; or (2) a specified type of repayment. Title IV: Comprehensive Women's Pension Protection - Subtitle A: Pension Reform - Amends the IRC and ERISA to provide for the spouse's right to know specified distribution information relating to survivor annuities. Provides for the employee's right to know of the opportunity for elective contributions under IRC section 401(k) plans. (Sec. 402) Directs the Secretary of Labor to contract with an independent organization to create a women's pension toll-free phone number and contact. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 403) Amends the Social Security Act to modify the government pension offset with respect to certain insurance benefits for wives, husbands, widows, widowers, and mothers and fathers. (Sec. 404) Amends the IRC and ERISA to treat periods of family and medical leave, under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, as hours of service for purposes of pension participation and vesting. (Sec. 405) Amends the IRC to: (1) disallow integration for simplified employee pensions; and (2) provide for eventual repeal of certain pension integration rules. (Sec. 406) Amends the IRC and ERISA with respect to division of pension benefits upon divorce, at the former spouse's election, to deem any State divorce decree to be a domestic relations order specifying that half of the marital share of the participant's accrued benefit is to be provided to such former spouse. (Sec. 407) Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (RRA) to entitle divorced spouses to railroad retirement annuities independent of the employee's actual entitlement. Subtitle B: Protection of Rights of Former Spouses to Pension Benefits Under Certain Government and Government-Sponsored Retirement Programs - Amends RRA to extend Tier II railroad retirement benefits to surviving former spouses pursuant to divorce agreements. (Sec. 412) Amends Federal civil service law with respect to survivor annuities for widows, widowers, and former spouses of Federal employees who die before attaining the age for deferred annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). (Sec. 413) Amends Federal civil service law with respect to payment of lump-sum benefits to former spouses of Federal employees under CSRS and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Subtitle C: Modifications of Joint and Survivor Annuity Requirements - Modifies ERISA and IRC requirements for joint and survivor annuities to provide for an alternative joint and two-thirds survivor annuity payable while both the participant and the spouse are alive. (Sec. 422) Requires spousal consent for distributions from the IRC section 401(k) plans. Title V: Date for Adoption of Plan Amendments - Sets forth dates for adoption of plan amendments.
![Official portrait of Rep. Costello, Jerry F. [D-IL-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000794_200.jpg)