United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1990
ESOP Promotion and Improvement Act of 1990 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow S corporations (certain small business corporations) to participate in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Extends the ESOP exception to the ten percent early withdrawal penalty tax to certain ESOP distributions to employees made at any time. (Currently the exception applies only to distributions made before January 1, 1990.) Permits ESOP participants whose compensation does not exceed a certain amount to contribute up to 50 percent of it to the plan. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit payroll deductions for ESOP participants to make certain political contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1990
Designates April 6, 1990, the 88th birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, as Education Day, U.S.A. Calls on heads of state of the world to join the President of the United States in this tribute by signing scrolls of honor commemorating the 40th anniversary of Schneerson's leadership of the Lubavitch movement. Welcomes the cooperation of the Department of State in extending the good office of the U.S. missions to the Lubavitcher emissaries.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1990
Urges the President and the United States Trade Representative: (1) not to include civil air transport services under the General Agreement on Trade in Services that is being negotiated under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; nor (2) to require future negotiations to include such services under such Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1990
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) deny the charitable deduction for contributions to organizations that participate in voter registration drives; (2) deny the tax-exempt status of organizations that participate in such drives; and (3) establish an excise tax on nonpermitted participation by tax-exempt organizations in such drives.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1990
Sugar Equity and Reform Act of 1990 - Title I: Sugar Price Support Program - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to support the price of each of the 1991 through 1995 crops of domestically grown sugarcane through six-month nonrecourse loans, with the loan rate for raw cane sugar at 95 percent of the rate announced for the preceding crop year. Requires the loan rate for sugar beets to be fair and reasonable in relation to the rate for sugarcane. Title II: Regulation of Sugar Imports - Prescribes policy for the regulation of sugar imports, including quotas and lowest tariff rates. Directs the Secretary to announce a market stabilization price and a threshold price for raw sugar no later than 30 days before the beginning of the October 1, 1991, sugar marketing year. Requires the President to maintain the market price for raw sugar at or near the market stabilization price through imposition of tariff rate import quotas on various sugar products. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to repeal the mandate to operate the sugar program at no cost to the Government by preventing the accumulation of sugar acquired by the Commodity Credit Corporation through sugar loan forfeitures. Repeals the requirement that a sugar exporting country verify that it does not import Cuban sugar for reexport to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 1990
Requires the President, with respect to each year after 1989, to determine whether: (1) there was a reduction in the quantity of illicit coca produced or in illicit coca activities in Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru; and (2) any reduction is attributable to the implementation of social or economic alternatives in such countries. Authorizes the President, if an affirmative determination with respect to such a country is made, to apply special trade treatment to articles that: (1) are products of such country; and (2) are entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption in U.S. customs territory in the year following the year such determination was made. Prohibits such special treatment if specified actions under the Narcotics Control Trade Act are in effect with respect to such country. Authorizes the President to provide economic assistance to Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru to promote the production, processing, or marketing of agricultural commodity exports, excluding commodities from which narcotic and psychotropic drugs are derived. Waives provisions of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act that prohibit economic assistance for the growth or production in a foreign country of commodities which would compete with similar U.S. commodities with respect to such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 1990
Savings and Economic Growth Act of 1990 - Title I: Capital Gains Provisions - Subtitle A: Reduction in Capital Gains Tax - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the capital gains rate for noncorporate taxpayers through a deduction of: (1) 30 percent for assets held at least three years; (2) 20 percent for assets held at least two years; and (3) ten percent for assets held at least one year. Provides for the treatment of collectibles as short-term gains or losses (making them ineligible for such deduction). Disallows the capital gains deduction in computing the alternative minimum tax. Subtitle B: Depreciation Recapture - Provides for the treatment of gain from the disposition of certain depreciable realty as ordinary income. Title II: Home Ownership and Savings Incentives - Allows an exemption from the ten-percent additional tax on early distributions from qualified retirement plans up to $10,000, if the distribution is used to make a first-home purchase at a cost of no more than 110 percent of the median home price in the geographic area where the residence is located. Allows an individual (other than a dependent) to establish a family savings account for the exclusive benefit of an individual and the individual's beneficiaries. Limits contributions to such accounts to $2,500 for the taxable year, if the individual's adjusted income does not exceed $60,000 ($120,000 in the case of joint returns). Subjects the family savings account to the tax imposed on unrelated business income of tax-exempt organizations. Provides that distributions paid out of such accounts shall not be included in gross income, except for earnings on contributions held less than seven years. Establishes a ten-percent additional tax on earnings on contributions held less than three years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1990
Federal Victim's Service and Protection Act of 1990 - Title I: Federal Victim's Services and Protections Compliance - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish an evaluation system for law enforcement officers which rates such officers on their compliance with specified laws protecting victims of crimes; and (2) use such evaluation system to create standards governing services to victims and witnesses in Federal cases and to serve as a model to States and localities. Requires the Office for Victims of Crime to report periodically to the public, the Congress, and the President on victim protections and on compliance with this Act. Title II: The Federal Child Victim's Bill of Rights - Amends the Federal criminal code to require the court, at the earliest possible stage, to determine whether the appointment of a guardian ad litem for a child who is an alleged victim or witness in a criminal proceeding would be in the best interests of the child and if so, to appoint such guardian. Sets forth provisions with respect to the qualifications, duties and powers, and immunity of such guardian. Grants a child testifying at a criminal proceeding the right to be accompanied by an adult. Authorizes the court to order that a child's testimony be taken by closed-circuit television (TV) if it finds that the child is unable to testify in open court because of: (1) the child's persistent refusal to testify despite judicial requests to do so; (2) the child's total inability to communicate about the offense because of extreme fear, failure of memory, or other similar reasons; or (3) the substantial likelihood that the child will suffer substantial emotional trauma from so testifying. Specifies that the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney shall be present in the room with the child and the child shall be subject to direct and cross-examination. Requires that: (1) the child's testimony be transmitted by closed-circuit TV into the courtroom; (2) the defendant be provided with the means of private, contemporaneous communication with his attorney during the testimony; and (3) the closed-circuit TV transmission relay the defendant's image into the room in which the child is testifying, and the child's testimony into the room in which the defendant is viewing the proceeding. Sets forth provisions with respect to videotaped depositions of child victims and child witnesses. Authorizes the court to permit the child to use anatomical dolls, puppets, drawings, or any other demonstrative device it deems appropriate to assist a child in testifying. Sets forth requirements with respect to competency examinations for child witnesses. Prohibits: (1) the release to the public of the name, or other identifying information about the child victim or child witness except as authorized by the court; and (2) the name and any identifying information from appearing in any public record. Grants the child victim or witness the same right to submit victim impact statements prior to sentencing as prescribed for an adult victim. Directs that child victims or witnesses be assisted by their court appointed guardian ad litem in preparing victim impact statements. Authorizes the court, in any proceeding where a child is called to give testimony, to designate the case as being of special public importance and to expedite the action. Requires the court to ensure a speedy trial and, in deciding whether or not to grant a continuance, to take into account the child's age and the potential adverse impact the delay may have on the child's well-being. Creates a hearsay exception for an out-of-court statement related to sexual abuse, physical abuse, or sexual exploitation of that or another child if the court finds that: (1) the statement possesses particularized guarantees of trustworthiness; (2) the proponent of the statement has given sufficient notice to adverse parties of the intent to introduce the statement; and (3) there is corroborative evidence of the statement or the truth of the statement. Encourages the use of multidisciplinary teams designed to assist child victims or child witnesses. Delineates the role of such teams. Specifies that there shall be no statute of limitations for the prosecution of any child physical abuse, sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation offense. Requires physicians, social workers, teachers, and specified other individuals who, while involved in any such capacities on Federal land or in a federally operated (or contracted) facility, have reason to suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child to immediately report to the appropriate authorities. Grants civil and criminal immunity to individuals who, acting in good faith, make such a report or otherwise provide information or assistance with a report investigation, or legal intervention. Makes failure to report a misdemeanor. Makes spousal privileges and the privileged nature of any communications between physician (or psychotherapist, psychologist, social worker, and any other health care provider) and patient inapplicable in any criminal proceeding after a report of child abuse, neglect, or sexual exploitation. Title III: Child Care Worker Employee Background Check - Requires: (1) each Federal agency and facility that hires, or contracts for hire, individuals involved with the provision of services to children under age 18 to assure that all existing and newly-hired employees undergo a criminal history background check; and (2) all existing staff to receive such checks within six months and prohibits the hiring of additional staff without a check having been initiated. Sets forth procedures with respect to the conduct of such background checks. Specifies that: (1) any conviction for a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, or a drug offense shall be grounds for denying employment or for dismissal of an employee engaged in specified child care services; (2) an incident in which an individual has been charged, but where the charge has not yet been disposed of, shall permit the employee's suspension from any job-related contact with children until the case is resolved; and (3) convictions of other crimes may be considered if they bear on an individual's fitness to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children. Sets forth requirements with respect to questions to be asked in employment applications, criminal history records checks, and access to (and the right to challenge the accuracy of) the criminal history report.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1990
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the right of self-determination should be restored to the people of Lithuania through free and fair elections conducted under the auspices of an international commission; and (2) the withdrawal of all non-Lithuanian military forces and political, administrative, and police personnel from Lithuania prior to the February 24, 1990, scheduled elections will enhance the prospects that the elections will be free and fair.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 1990
Independent Immigrant Act of 1990 - Makes additional immigrant visas available for FY 1991 through 1995 for nationals of foreign states that have traditionally denied freedom of emigration. Provides for admissions on a point assessment system based on: (1) age; (2) education; (3) occupational demand; (4) occupational training and work experience; (5) prearranged U.S. employment; and (6) membership in a persecuted religious group.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1990
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend, through December 31, 1995, the existing suspension of duty on machines designed for heat-set stretch texturing of continuous man-made fiber.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 1989
Amends Federal law to authorize and request the President to designate May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month annually, beginning in 1990. (Current law designates a seven-day period beginning on May 4, 1979).
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1989
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 · 17 November 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China has dramatically decreased political and economic freedom and is moving toward a more repressive form of rule which violates human rights; (2) the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has become increasingly democractic, economically free, and respectful of human rights; and (3) U.S. relations with such countries should accurately reflect the primacy that U.S. policy places on political and economic freedom and human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1989
Declares that no person who is a retired regular officer of the U.S. armed forces shall be considered as holding a public office for purposes of provisions that require anyone who destroys public records to forfeit public office and be disqualified from holding office.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1989
Directs the heads of Federal departments or agencies which hold or receive records and information which have or could possibly have been correlated to U.S. personnel listed as prisoners of war or missing in action in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts to publicly disclose such records and information, except where such disclosure would compromise national security. Requires the Department of Defense to publicly disclose a complete list of such personnel including those killed in action (body not returned) in such hostilities with each service member's current classification as well as any changes in such classification occurring during or after such hostilities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1989
Provides that any retired military officer who forfeits public office by reason of being convicted of concealing, removing, damaging, or falsifying Government records shall not forfeit his right to retired pay and other military personnel benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 1989
Recommends that the President: (1) invite President-elect Guillermo Endara and Vice-Presidents-elect Ricardo Arias Calderon and Guillermo Ford of Panama to seek full diplomatic recognition from the United States; (2) upon receipt of such a request, accord such recognition; (3) encourage other nations, particularly members of the Organization of American States, to confer such recognition; and (4) accord such Government all appropriate diplomatic, political, economic, and moral support in its efforts to achieve full governing authority over Panama.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 1989
Requires the President to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one additional judgeship for the Northern District of Illinois. Provides for the conversion of an existing temporary judgeship. Requires the President to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one additional district judge for the Central District of Illinois and one additional district judge for the Southern District of Illinois. Limits the refilling of future vacancies in such districts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 1989
Federal Reserve Reform Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal Reserve Act to direct the Federal Open Market Committee to meet and consult with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors during certain periods related to the submission of: (1) certain reports by the Board of Governors to the Congress; and (2) the President's budget for the coming fiscal year. Changes the term of office of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from four years to the period ending on January 31 of the first calendar year beginning after the end of the term of the President who appointed the Chairman expires. Provides that in the event of the absence or unavailability of the chairman, the vice chairman (or in the vice chairman's absence, another member of the Board) may be designated acting chairman. Provides that the vice chairman shall perform the duties of the chairman until a successor takes office if a vacancy occurs in the office of the chairman. Provides that in the case of vacancies in both offices chairman and vice chairman, the member of the Board with the most years of service shall perform the duties of the chairman until a successor takes office. Requires each change in the intermediate targets for monetary policy adopted by the Federal Open Market Committee to be disclosed to the public on the date of adoption. Defines "intermediate targets" as any policy objectives regarding monetary aggregates, credit aggregates, prices, interest rates, or bank reserves. Repeals provisions which exempt from Comptroller General audit any transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee and deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy by the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks. Requires the estimated expenditures and receipts and proposed appropriations for the Board to be submitted to the President by October 16 each year and included, unchanged, in the annual Federal budget submitted by the President to the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1989
Directs the Committee on Rules to report to the House of Representatives a resolution to amend the Rules of the House to: (1) require that no member or employee of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence may be given access to classified information in the possession or control of such committee unless and until an appropriate security clearance has been granted to such individual by the House; and (2) establish standards (comparable to those applicable to the executive branch) and procedures (including confidentiality provisions) governing the granting, denial, periodic review, renewal, and withdrawal of such security clearances.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1989
Declares it is in the interests of the United States to support efforts to protect South Pacific marine resources (including albacore tuna, porpoises, whales, seals and other marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, and fish) from the slaughter of driftnet fishing. Supports the Tarawa Declaration and the South Pacific Commission resolution calling for an immediate ban on driftnet fishing in the South Pacific. Urges the Secretary of State to work toward an international convention banning driftnet fishing in the South Pacific. Urges Japan and Taiwan to immediately cease the use of driftnets in international South Pacific waters.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 1989
Denounces the action taken on October 2, 1989, by the European Community (EC) Council of Ministers in adopting a broadcasting directive that is trade restrictive and in violation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Urges the President and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to take appropriate steps, including possible action under the Trade Act of 1974, to protect and maintain U.S. access to the EC broadcasting market. Requests the USTR to consult regularly with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives on the status of the dispute and any action which it is considering with respect to such dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restrict the partial exclusion from income of interest on loans used to acquire employer securities to cases where the employee stock ownership plan owns at least 20 percent of: (1) each class of outstanding stock of the issuing corporation; or (2) the total value of all outstanding stock of the corporation. Limits securities acquisition loans to terms of 15 years. Limits the partial exclusion to loans of $100,000,000 or less except for employee stock ownership plans that own at least 50 percent the corporation's stock. Imposes an excise tax on: (1) the disposition of employer securities within three years of acquisition; and (2) any disposition of such securities before allocation to participant accounts, where the proceeds of disposition are not allocated to such accounts either.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 1989
Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 1989 - Amends the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to grant the President legislative line item veto rescission authority. Authorizes the President to rescind all or part of any budget authority if the President determines that such rescission: (1) would help balance the Federal budget, reduce the Federal budget deficit, or reduce the public debt; (2) will not impair any essential Government functions; and (3) will not harm the national interest. Requires the President to notify the Congress of such a rescission by: (1) special message not later than 20 calendar days after enactment of appropriations legislation; or (2) special message accompanying the budget when such rescissions have not been proposed previously for that fiscal year. Makes such a rescission effective unless the Congress, during a review period of 20 calendar days, enacts a rescission disapproval bill. Describes: (1) information to be included in the President's message; and (2) procedures to govern consideration of rescission disapproval legislation in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1989
Designates October 27, 1989, as National Hostage Awareness Day in recognition of the 42d birthday of Terry Anderson and his fifth year in captivity. States that efforts should be made to have such date declared International Hostage Day by the United Nations. States that all Federal and international agencies should increase efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Lebanon. Calls for prayer on such date for the release of all U.S. and foreign hostages in Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Catastrophic Coverage Repeal Act of 1989 - Repeals Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) catastrophic health care coverage provided under the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988. Makes transitional and conforming amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1989
Urges the Government of the United Kingdom to allow the people of Hong Kong, in a plebiscite, to determine their own political future and decide whether sovereignty over Hong Kong should remain with the people of Hong Kong or be given over to the People's Republic of China on January 1, 1997.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1989
Commends the citizens of the Sioux City, Iowa, tri-State area for their heroism and volunteerism in providing assistance to the passengers and crew of crashed United Airlines Flight 232.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) human rights violations in Cuba should be condemned; and (2) the President should award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Armando Valladares.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1989
Directs the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its immediate area 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 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 site preparation, design, planning, establishment, construction, maintenance, and operation of the memorial. Authorizes assistance from specified Federal departments and agencies, including the Library of Congress. Authorizes Federal property to be transferred 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 · 27 June 1989
United Services Organization's 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than a specified number of five dollar gold coins, one dollar silver coins, and half dollar clad coins to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Services Organization (USO). Requires such coins to be emblematic of USO Services to military service personnel and families. Sets forth certain features of such coins and provides for their design, issuance, and sale. Terminates the minting of such coins after February 4, 1991. Requires surcharges from the sale of such coins to be deposited in a coinage profit fund and used for USO programs and to reduce the national debt. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress semiannually through December 31, 1992, on activities under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that individuals throughout the United States should observe Independence Day, July 4, 1989, as Take Pride in the Flag Day to celebrate the 213th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 201st anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
![Official portrait of Rep. Crane, Philip M. [R-IL-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000873_200.jpg)