United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2001
Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to declare that a major objective of the U.S. foreign assistance program is to control tuberculosis (TB) and that consequently Congress expects the agency primarily responsible for the administration of TB control health programs to: (1) coordinate with the World Health Organization and other designated health organizations toward the development and implementation of a comprehensive TB control program, including expanding the use of the strategy of directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS) and strategies to address multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) where appropriate at the local level, particularly in countries with the highest TB rate; and (2) set as a goal the cure of at least 85 percent of TB cases detected by focusing efforts on the use of DOTS strategy or other internationally accepted primary TB control strategies in those countries in which the agency has established development programs, and the reduction of TB -related deaths by 50 percent, by December 31, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2001
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise title I as Improving the Academic Performance of the Disadvantaged (currently Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards). Revises title I part A with respect to: (1) yearly testing and assessments of student performance; (2) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards; (3) identification of schools for improvement and corrective actions; (4) supplemental education services, or public (or private) school choice options under certain conditions, if a school fails repeatedly; (5) reporting to parents and the public on school performance and teacher quality; (6) State reservation of funds for school improvement; (7) formulas relating to Basic, Concentration, Targeted, and Education Finance Incentive Grants; and (8) eligibility requirements for schoolwide programs. Revises and reauthorizes title I provisions for: (1) the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program; (2) Education of Migratory Children; (3) Neglected or Delinquent Youth; and (4) Federal evaluations and demonstrations. Establishes title I programs for: (1) Reading First and Early Reading First initiatives; and (2) Comprehensive School Reform. Rural Education Initiative Act - Revises, reauthorizes, and transfers to title I part G Rural Education Flexibility and Assistance, ESEA provisions for a Rural Education Initiative, with State formula grants for: (1) flexibility for small rural schools; and (2) assistance for low-income and rural schools. Revises ESEA title II as Preparing, Training, and Recruiting Quality Teachers to: (1) replace the current Eisenhower Professional Development and Class-Size Reduction programs; and (2) establish a teacher quality training and recruiting fund as a State formula grant program, with subgrants to LEAs, to support various similar and additional activities to improve elementary and secondary school teaching. Establishes a Mathematics and Science Partnerships subgrants program involving SEAs, higher education mathematics or science departments, and LEAs. Includes among authorized national teacher activities, administered by the Secretary, support for: (1) the Troops-to-Teachers program recruiting military retirees into teaching; and (2) innovative preretirement teacher certification programs for members of the Armed Forces. Eliminates an authorization for the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Math and Science Education. Sets forth title II part B, Teacher Liability Protection, to provisions to exempt teachers, administrators, and school board members from certain liability for actions taken in official capacity to maintain school discipline. Revises ESEA title III as Education of Limited English Proficient Children; Indian and Alaska Native Education (consolidating current title VII and title IX parts A and C). (Current title III Technology for Education programs are eliminated, but some similar activities are consolidated under the new title V part B.) English Language Proficiency and Academic Achievement Act - Sets forth a title III part A, Education of Limited English Proficient Children. Replaces the Bilingual Education Act programs, Foreign Language Assistance Program, and Emergency Immigrant Education Program with this program of formula grants to States for education of limited English proficient (LEP) children. Requires students who have been in U.S. schools for at least three years to be tested for reading in English. Sets forth certain language program exceptions for programs that serve Native American and Native Pacific Island children and children in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to rename the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs as the Office of Educational Services for Limited English Proficient Children. Reauthorizes and revises ESEA provisions for Indian and Alaska Native Education (currently under ESEA title IX parts A and C, but eliminates current title IX part B provisions for education of Native Hawaiians), under the new title III part B. Alaska Native Educational Equity Support and Assistance Act - Revises the Alaska Native Educational Equity Support and Assistance Act (currently under ESEA title IX part C). Amends the Education Amendments of 1978 to revise provisions for Bureau of Indian Affairs programs. Revises ESEA title IV as Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs. (Transfers parts of the current title IV to title V.) Revises and reauthorizes: (1) part A Innovative Programs (currently under title VI Innovative Education Program Strategies); (2) part B Public Charter Schools (currently under title X part C); and (3) part D Magnet Schools Assistance (currently under title V part A). Allows Innovative Program funds to be used for public (or private) school choice, under certain conditions, for disadvantaged students in failing schools. Establishes a part C Educational Opportunity Fund for competitive awards to eligible entities for school choice research and demonstration projects concerning the effectiveness of school choice programs in improving the academic performance of low-income students. Revises ESEA title V as Safe Schools for the 21st Century. (Eliminates current title V parts B and C provisions for Women's Educational Equity and for Assistance to Address School Dropout Problems.) Safe Schools for the 21st Century Act of 2001- Revises and reauthorizes title V part A, Supporting Drug and Violence Prevention and Education for Students and Communities (currently under title IV, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities). Revises: (1) school safety programs; (2) national activities; and (3) gun-free school requirements (currently under title IX part F of ESEA, also known as the Gun-Free Schools Act). Requires drug and violence prevention programs to be consistent with certain principles of effectiveness. Requires States to establish policies providing public school choice (and private school choice if a safe public school cannot accommodate them) to students who attend persistently dangerous schools or who are victims of violent crimes in school or on school grounds. Allows States to carry out programs through grants and contracts with charitable, religious, and other private organizations, in addition to LEAs. Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001 - Sets forth title V part B, Enhancing Education Through Technology which revises and reauthorizes some programs currently under title III Education for Technology and title X part I 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Consolidates such program activities for telecommunications and technology access into a formula grant program for State and local technology for success programs, and authorizes certain national technology initiatives. Sets forth title V part C Character Education programs (revises and expands a pilot project currently under title X part A). Revises and reauthorizes the Impact Aid Program as ESEA title VI (currently title VIII). Revises ESEA title VII as Flexibility and Accountability. Sets forth part A, State Accountability for Improving Academic Achievement. Authorizes various education performance awards for States and schools. Penalizes States that fail to achieve progress in certain educational assessments by reducing administrative funds under ESEA formula grant programs. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) awards to States for costs of developing certain additional required assessments and standards, administration of assessments and other accountability activities; and (2) bonus payments for development of such assessments ahead of deadline. Academic Achievement for All Act (Straight A's Act) - Sets forth ESEA title VII part B, Performance Agreements. Allows States a certain type of flexibility in consolidating and using specified formula program funds for State education priorities and programs, in exchange for being held accountable for meeting, in a five-year period, certain performance goals which they propose. State and Local Transferability Act - Sets forth ESEA title VII part C, Transferability of Funds. Authorizes State and LEA transfers of funds: (1) among specified ESEA formula grant programs; and (2) from such programs to their allocations for ESEA title I but does not allow transfer of title I funds to other programs. Revises as ESEA title VIII General Provisions (current title IX), including flexibility in the use of administrative and other funds, coordination of programs, consolidated plans and applications, waivers, uniform provisions, and evaluations. Sets forth the sense of the Congress regarding: (1) paperwork reduction; and (2) memorials. Prohibits: (1) use of Federal funds or sanctions for mandatory national certification of teachers and paraprofessionals; and (2) use of ESEA funds for federally-sponsored national testing, unless specifically authorized by law. Redesignates as ESEA title VIII parts H, I, J, and K, current ESEA title XIII provisions for: (1) Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers; (2) National Diffusion Network; (3) Eisenhower Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortia; and (4) Technology-Based Technical Assistance. Amends the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 with respect to State assessments. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2001 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to revise and reauthorize provisions for education for homeless children and youth. Repeals provisions under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act for: (1) the National Education Goals Panel and the National Education Standards and Improvement Council; and (2) an International Education Program. Repeals the Troops-to-Teachers Program Act of 1999. Repeals the following ESEA provisions: (1) part B of title IX, education of Native Hawaiians; (2) title X, Programs of National Significance, including the Fund for the Improvement of Education and programs for gifted and talented children, arts in education, inexpensive book distribution, civic education, Ellender fellowships, urban and rural education assistance, and the national writing project; (3) title XI, Coordinated Services; and (4) title XII, School Facilities Infrastructure Improvement, a program of grants for school construction and renovation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2001
Pacific Salmon Recovery Act - Requires the Secretary of Commerce, subject to appropriations, to provide financial assistance for salmon conservation and habitat restoration activities to: (1) Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California, and Idaho (qualified States); and (2) tribal governments in such States and Alaska Native villages or regional or village corporations that are involved in salmon management and recovery or conservation activities and have the organizational capability to maximize the benefits of assistance provided under this Act (qualified tribal governments). Allocates 85 percent of assistance per fiscal year equally among such States and 15 percent among qualified tribal governments. Requires qualified States, to receive assistance under this Act, to submit a Salmon Conservation and Salmon Habitat Restoration Plan to the Secretary. Directs qualified tribal governments, to receive such assistance, to enter into memoranda of understanding with the Secretary regarding use of the assistance. Requires funds allocated to qualified States to be used for local and regional projects. Permits the use of assistance outside the jurisdiction of the recipient if the assisted activity will provide conservation benefits to naturally produced salmon in streams of concern to the recipient. Requires States to match, in the aggregate, financial assistance provided under this Act. Directs States seeking assistance under this Act to establish citizens advisory committees or other similar fora for the public to participate in obtaining and using assistance under this Act. Requires qualified tribal governments to hold public meetings to receive recommendations on the use of such assistance. Includes: (1) Lahontan cutthroat trout and bull trout within the definition of "salmon" for purposes of applying this Act in Oregon; and (2) bull trout within such definition for purposes of applying this Act in Washington and Idaho. Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 to extend the authorization of appropriations for capitalizing the Northern and Southern Funds under the 1999 Pacific Salmon Treaty Agreement through FY 2004. Directs the President, for U.S. citizens who served as employees of the International Pacific Salmon and North Pacific Fisheries Commissions who worked in Canada during the course of such employment, to: (1) calculate the difference in amount between the valuation of the Commissions' annuity for each employee's payment in U.S. and Canadian currency for past and future annuity payments; and (2) compensate such employees for past and future benefits resulting from the exchange rate inequity.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2001
National Right-to-Work Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment).
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2001
Assistant United States Attorneys Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2001 - Makes applicable to Assistant United States Attorneys the provisions of the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System that apply to Federal law enforcement officers. Directs the Department of Justice to provide notice to incumbent Assistant U.S. Attorneys as to their election rights under this Act and the effects of making or not making a timely election under this Act. Allows such incumbents to elect the option to be treated either: (1) in accordance with the amendments made by this Act; or (2) as if this Act had never been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2001
Access to Innovation for Medicare Patients Act of 2001- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, to provide for Medicare coverage of self-injected biologicals approved by the Food and Drug Administration that are prescribed as a complete replacement for a drug or biological that otherwise cannot be self-administered.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2001
Energy Self-Sufficiency Act for the 21st Century - Requires a utility distribution company to interconnect its local utility distribution facilities with, and provide service to, a distributed generation facility, if the facility owner or operator: (1) complies with a final rule promulgated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that establishes safety, reliability, and power quality standards for such a facility; and (2) pays the just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory costs directly related to such interconnection and service. Requires FERC to establish an advisory commission to make recommendations regarding promulgation of such a rule. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the energy tax credit to distributed energy resources property placed in service during the taxable year, including distributed power property and combined heat and power system property. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to implement an accelerated cooperative research and development program to ensure reliability, efficiency, and environmental responsibility of Distributed Energy Resources, including: (1) Advanced Energy Technologies and Systems Development; (2) Advanced Grid Reliability Technologies development; and (3) Technology Transfer and Education. Directs the Secretary to develop and submit to Congress a six-year research and development program plan.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2001
Permits an individual or business located in a State experiencing a power emergency on any given day to operate any type of power generation available using any fuel available, to ensure the individual's or business' economic stability. Requires any person or State official, upon the request of either the Secretary of Energy or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to share information regarding the available supply of or the projected demand for electricity. Prohibits emissions attributable to generation permitted solely because of such power emergency from being taken into account for purposes of determining the attainment or nonattainment status of an area under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2001
Marriage Tax Elimination Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to provide that the basic standard deduction on a joint return shall be equal to 200 percent of the dollar amount of an individual who is not married. Provides a schedule for making, by 2005, the maximum taxable income in the lowest married bracket equal to double the maximum taxable income in the lowest single filer bracket. Increases the earned income credit phaseout amount on a joint return by $2,000. Revises IRC provisions relating to limitation based on tax liability and the definition of such liability to provide that the aggregate amount of credits allowed as nonrefundable personal credits shall not exceed the sum of: (1) the taxpayer's regular tax liability for the taxable year reduced by the foreign tax credit; and (2) the tax imposed by the alternative minimum tax.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2001
Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (the Code) with respect to pensions. (All the following are amendments to the Code, except where the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, ERISA, is mentioned.) Increases: (1) annual dollar Individual Retirement Account (IRA) contribution limits; and (2) benefit and contribution limits, with indexes for inflation. Revises requirements relating to: (1) plan loans for subchapter S owners, partners, and sole proprietors; and (2) specified top-heavy rules. Provides that elective deferrals shall not be taken into account for purposes of limits on certain plan contributions. Repeals specified coordination requirements for deferred compensation plans of State and local governments and tax-exempt organizations. Revises certain deduction limits for stock bonus and profit sharing trusts and for defined contribution plans. Provides for optional treatment of elective deferrals as after-tax contributions. Allows individuals age 50 or older to make additional contributions to an applicable employer plan (section 401(k) or similar plan). Sets forth requirements relating to equitable treatment for contributions of employees to defined contribution plans. Provides for faster vesting of certain employer matching contributions under the Code and ERISA. Revises: (1) minimum distribution rules; (2) requirements relating to tax treatment of division of section 457 plan benefits upon divorce; and (3) provisions for safe harbor relief for hardship withdrawals from 401(k) plans. Permits, under certain conditions, rollovers: (1) from and to various types of plans; (2) of IRAs into workplace retirement plans; and (3) of after-tax contributions in an exempt trust. Sets forth a hardship exception to the 60-day rule. Sets forth requirements for treatment of forms of distribution available under transferor and transferee plans under the Code and ERISA. Revises restrictions on distributions, including the same desk exception. Allows trustee-to-trustee transfers to purchase permissive service credit with respect to governmental defined benefit plans. Allows employers to disregard rollovers for purposes of cash-out amounts, under retirement plan provisions of the Code. Revises minimum distribution and inclusion requirements for section 457 plans. Repeals, for plan years beginning in 2004 and following years, the current liability full funding limit under the Code and ERISA. Revises maximum contribution deduction rules, and applies them to all defined benefit plans. Allows an employer, in determining the amount of nondeductible contributions for any taxable year, to elect not to take into account any contributions to a defined benefit plan except to the extent they exceed the full-funding limitation. Establishes an excise tax for the failure of a defined benefit plan or an individual account plan (except governmental, church, and other specified plans) subject to minimum funding standards to meet specified notice requirements, under the Code and ERISA, for plan amendments which significantly reduce benefit accruals. Makes certain compensation limitations for defined benefit plans inapplicable to governmental and multiemployer plans. Prohibits combining or aggregating a multiemployer plan with any other plan maintained by the employer for the purpose of applying such limitations. Amends the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 to protect the investment of employee contributions to 401(k) plans by providing that specified requirements apply to elective deferrals for plan years beginning after December 31, 1998. Requires that pension benefit statements be furnished annually (once every three years for defined benefit plans) or on request. Establishes an excise tax for certain prohibited allocations of stock in an S corporation ESOP. Revises Code and ERISA requirements relating to timing of plan valuations. Allows applicable dividends of ESOPs to be reinvested without loss of dividend deduction. Repeals a transition rule relating to certain highly compensated employees under the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Directs the Secretary to modify specified regulations with respect to certain plan participation by employees of tax-exempt entities. Treats the provision of certain retirement planning services by an employer for an employee as a de minimis fringe benefit to the extent it is not treated as a working condition fringe. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide simplified annual filing requirements for retirement plans with assets below a specified amount, if they cover: (1) one participant (an owner and spouse); or (2) fewer than 25 employees. Directs the Secretary to continue to update and improve the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System, or any successor program. Repeals a multiple use test. Allows certain alternative ways of satisfying nondiscrimination, coverage, and line of business rules. Exempts plans maintained by any governmental entity from certain nondiscrimination rules. Directs the Secretary to modify specified regulations relating to the notice and consent period regarding distributions. Revises ERISA provisions relating to: (1) annual report dissemination; (2) the National Summit on Retirement Savings; (3) missing participants; (4) Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) reduction of premiums for new plans of small employers and of additional premiums for new and small plans; (5) PBGC authority to pay interest on premium overpayment refunds; (6) substantial owner benefits in terminated plans; (7) civil penalties for breach of fiduciary responsibility; and (8) benefit suspension notices. Prescribes time requirements for plan amendments or annuity contract amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2001
Death Tax Elimination Act - Repeals the estate tax, gift tax, and the tax on generation-skipping transfers, effective January 1, 2011. Provides for annual reductions of the tax until such date. Increases the unified estate and gift tax credit to $1.3 million. Repeals the estate and gift tax provisions applicable to family-owned businesses. Amends provisions concerning the special rules for allocation of the generation-skipping tax (GST) exemption to provide, as a general rule, that: (1) if any individual makes an indirect skip during such individual's lifetime, any unused portion of such individual's GST exemption shall be allocated to the property transferred to the extent necessary to make the inclusion ratio for such property zero; and (2) if the amount of the indirect skip exceeds such unused portion, the entire unused portion shall be allocated to the property transferred. Declares that, if a trust is severed in a qualified severance, the trusts resulting from such severance shall be treated as separate trusts thereafter. Revises valuation rules for gifts for which a gift tax return was filed or deemed allocation made. Provides that, if an allocation of the GST exemption to any transfers of property is deemed to have been made at the close of an estate tax inclusion period, the value of the property shall be its value at such time. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe circumstances and procedures under which extensions of time will be granted to make an allocation of GST exemption or an election not to apply specified allocation requirements to certain lifetime direct skips, indirect skips, or transfers to a particular trust. Increases the permissible number of partners or shareholders in a closely held business for purposes of eligibility for an extension of estate tax payments.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2001
James Guelff Body Armor Act of 2001 - Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and amend the Federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to provide an appropriate enhancement for any crime of violence or drug trafficking crime in which the defendant used body armor. Expresses the sense of Congress that any such sentencing enhancement be at least two levels. Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit the purchase, ownership, or possession of body armor by violent felons. Makes it an affirmative defense that: (1) the defendant obtained prior written certification from his or her employer that the defendant's purchase, use, or possession of body armor was necessary for the safe performance of lawful business activity; and (2) the use and possession by the defendant were limited to the course of such performance. Sets penalties for violations. Authorizes the head of a Federal agency to donate body armor that is surplus property and in serviceable condition, and that meets or exceeds National Institute of Justice Standard 0101.03, directly to any State or local law enforcement agency. Allows specified officials in the Treasury and Justice Departments to act as the head of a Federal agency. Specifies that the United States shall not be liable for any harm occurring in connection with the use or misuse of any body armor donated under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2001
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) all Americans should take an active role in combating reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) by recognizing specified symptoms (which often follow an injury or surgery); (2) national and community organizations should be recognized and applauded for their work in promoting RSD awareness and for providing information and support to its sufferers; (3) health care providers should continue to increase their efforts to diagnose the disease in its earliest possible stages to increase the likelihood of remission; and (4) the Government has a responsibility to endeavor to raise awareness about the importance of the early detection and proper treatment of RSD, work to increase research funding so that the causes of, and improved treatment and cure for, RSD may be discovered, and continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating RSD.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2001
Declares Executive Order 13166, "Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency," to be null and void. Prohibits the use of funds for the promulgation or enforcement of an executive order that creates an entitlement to services provided in a language other than English.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2001
Housing Bond and Credit Modernization and Fairness Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the required use of certain principal repayments on mortgage subsidy bond financings to redeem bonds; (2) modify the purchase price limitation under mortgage subsidy bond rules based on median family income; and (3) define the term "area median gross income" for low-income housing credit projects.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2001
Veterans American Dream Homeownership Assistance Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code concerning the eligibility of veterans for State-financed veterans' home mortgages.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2001
Workplace Goods Job Growth and Competitiveness Act of 2001 - Prohibits the filing of a civil action against a manufacturer or seller of a durable good (except a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or train that is used primarily to transport passengers for hire) more than 18 years after it was delivered to its first purchaser or lessee for: (1) damage to property arising out of an accident involving such good; or (2) damages for death or personal injury arising out of an accident involving such good if the claimant has received or is eligible to receive worker compensation and the injury does not involve a toxic harm (including, but not limited to, all asbestos-related harm). Declares that this Act: (1) shall not bar an action against a defendant who made an express warranty in writing as to the safety or life expectancy of a specific product which was longer than 18 years (except that this Act shall apply at the expiration of such warranty); and (2) does not supersede or modify any statute or common law that authorizes an action for civil damages, cost recovery, or any other form of relief for remediation of the environment.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2001
ADA Notification Act - Amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to deny a court jurisdiction over a civil action with respect to a place of public accommodation or a commercial facility unless: (1) before filing the complaint, the plaintiff provided to the defendant notice of the alleged violation (by registered mail or in person); (2) the notice identified the specific facts that constitute the alleged violation, including identification of the location at which, and the date on which, the violation occurred; (3) at least 90 days have elapsed after the date on which the notice was so provided; (4) the notice informed the defendant that the civil action could not be commenced until the expiration of such 90-day period; and (5) the complaint states that, as of the date on which the complaint is filed, the defendant has not corrected the alleged violation. Directs that, with respect to a civil action that does not meet the criteria: (1) the court shall impose an appropriate sanction upon the attorneys involved; and (2) if the criteria are subsequently met and the civil action proceeds, the court may not allow the plaintiff attorneys' fees or costs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2001
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from self-employment net income certain conservation reserve program payments. Amends the Social Security Act to exclude such payments from the definition of "net earnings from self-employment."
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2001
Disapproves a specified rule submitted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration relating to ergonomics, and declares that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2001
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to revise the boundaries of a specified portion of the Brigantine Wilderness Area (in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, formerly known as the Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge) located on Long Beach Island in Ocean County, New Jersey, to provide a narrow transition zone between the mean high tide line and the wilderness boundaries to permit vehicles to safely access and park on the beach without inadvertently entering the wilderness area. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter the Secretary's authority to prohibit or restrict public access to such area during the breeding season of the piping plover.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2001
Medicare Education and Regulatory Fairness Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) concerning: (1) prospective application only of certain regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS); and (2) certain requirements for judicial and regulatory challenges of regulations. Requires the Secretary, with respect to Medicare audits, except when clear and convincing evidence exists of fraud or similar fault, to give a physician, provider of services, or provider of ambulance services (physicians or providers) the option of entering into: (1) an arrangement to offset alleged overpayments against future payments; or (2) a repayment plan with its carrier or fiscal intermediary to recoup such an overpayment. Prohibits the Secretary from taking any action to recoup an overpayment or to impose a penalty during the period in which a physician or provider is appealing a determination that such an overpayment has been made or the amount of the overpayment. Prohibits carriers, absent cause, from demanding the production of records or documentation before paying a Medicare claim. Amends SSA title XI with respect to prohibited extensions of remuneration to a Medicare-eligible individual to influence a choice of provider, practitioner, or supplier. Excludes from the meaning of remuneration any waiver of copayment made in a written, mailed communication with existing patients. Amends SSA title XVIII with regard to: (1) construction of hearing rights related to decisions to deny or not renew a physician enrollment agreement; (2) the post-payment audit process; (3) definitions relating to physicians or providers; and (4) the right to appeal on behalf of deceased beneficiaries. Amends SSA title XVIII to require carriers, fiscal intermediaries, and contractors to conduct education programs (funded from the Medicare Integrity Program) for physicians and providers on billing, coding, cost reporting, and documentation regulations and procedures. Outlines provisions with regard to certain information requests from physicians and providers. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for the inclusion of regulatory costs in the calculation of the sustainable growth rate with respect to the costs of physicians' services. Prohibits the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) from implementing any new evaluation and management documentation guidelines under Medicare, unless it: (1) has provided for an assessment of the proposed guidelines by organizations representing physicians; (2) has established a plan that contains specific goals, including a schedule, for improving use of such guidelines; (3) has completed a minimum of four pilot projects to test such guidelines; and (4) finds that specified objectives will be met in the implementation of such guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2001
American Land Sovereignty Protection Act - Amends the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980 to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from nominating any Federal lands for inclusion on the World Heritage List unless: (1) commercially viable uses of nominated lands and lands within ten miles will not be adversely affected; (2) the Secretary has reported to Congress on the lands' natural resources and the impact of inclusion on existing and future uses of such lands; and (3) such nomination is specifically authorized by law. Requires the Secretary to object to the inclusion of any property in the United States on the list of World Heritage in Danger unless the Secretary: (1) has reported to Congress on the necessity for such inclusion, the associated natural resources, and the impact of inclusion on existing and future uses of such property; and (2) is specifically authorized to assent to the inclusion by a joint resolution of Congress. Prohibits any Federal official from nominating any lands in the United States for designation as a Biosphere Reserve. Nullifies any such designation before enactment of this Act unless the Biosphere Reserve: (1) is specifically authorized by a law enacted after enactment of this Act and before December 31, 2003; (2) consists solely of federally owned lands; and (3) is subject to a management plan that ensures that the use of intermixed or adjacent non-Federal property is not limited or restricted as a result of that designation. Prohibits any Federal official from nominating, classifying, or designating any Federal land for a special or restricted use under any international conservation agreement unless specifically authorized by law. Provides that any such nomination, classification, or designation of private or State or local lands shall have no force or effect without the owner's consent or specific authorization by State or local law, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2001
State Criminal Alien Assistance Program II and Local Medical Emergency Reimbursement Act - Amends the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to provide for the reimbursement of States for indirect costs of incarcerating illegal aliens. Defines such costs as: (1) court costs, county attorney costs, and non-trial criminal proceedings; (2) indigent defense; and (3) unsupervised probation costs. Provides for the reimbursement of States for costs of incarcerating juvenile aliens. Provides that reimbursement of States for incarcerating illegal aliens and certain Cuban nationals shall be allocated to give special consideration for any State that: (1) shares a border with Mexico or Canada; or (2) has a large number of undocumented aliens. Authorizes appropriations for allotments to States to be paid to local governments, hospitals, and other providers for emergency health services provided to undocumented aliens. Provides special consideration for providers: (1) in a border county with Mexico or Canada; or (2) in an area with a large number of undocumented aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2001
Medicaid Safety Net Hospital Continued Preservation Act of 2001 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal specified reductions after FY 2000 and thereby extend certain modifications to disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments provided under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. Increases the Medicaid DSH allotment for the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2001
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish, for a limited time period, deductions and credits for commercial and residential properties using specified energy efficient construction or reconstruction materials or technologies, including solar energy. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) allocation of deductions for public property; and (2) property financed by subsidized energy financing. Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish specified certification and compliance procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2001
Revises a demonstration project under which the Secretary of Defense provides health care for Medicare-eligible beneficiaries of current and former military personnel under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program to: (1) remove the requirement that such a beneficiary must reside within one of the areas covered by the project; (2) extend such project from three to five years; and (3) require a military medical facility providing health care to a covered beneficiary to be reimbursed by the applicable FEHB health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2001
Members-elect Gift Ban Application Act of 2001 - Amends Federal law to apply to Members-elect certain requirements and restrictions concerning gifts to Federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2001
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement of 1996 should terminate on a specified date, with no extension or further quota agreement; and (2) the President should consult with appropriate stakeholders, including consumers, and continue discussions with the Government of Canada to promote open trade of softwood lumber between Canada and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2001
Faith-Based Lending Protection Act - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to exclude loans made to nonprofit religious organizations from the maximum amount of member business loans outstanding at a Federal credit union at any one time.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Hope for Children Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the expenses allowable towards the adoption credit. Renames such credit as the "Tom Bliley adoption credit."
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Childhood Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2001, or the DMD CARE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health to: (1) expand and intensify programs of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (the National Institutes) with respect to research and related activities concerning Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD); (2) award grants or contracts to public or nonprofit entities for at least three DMD research centers of excellence; and (3) provide for donation, collection, and preservation of tissues and genetic materials for such research. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee to coordinate all Federal DMD health programs and activities. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants and cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of DMD data. Requires the establishment through the CDC of at least three regional centers of excellence in DMD epidemiology. Directs the Secretary to establish a DMD education and information program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Men's Health Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services an office to be known as the Office of Men's Health. Requires a report.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act of 2001 - Amends the Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for intentionally initiating the transmission of any unsolicited commercial electronic mail message (message) to a protected computer in the United States with the knowledge that any domain name or other initiator identifying information contained in or accompanying such message is false or inaccurate. Prohibits any person from sending such a message unless the message contains a valid e-mail address, conspicuously displayed, to which a recipient may send notice of a desire not to receive further messages. Prohibits a person from sending other unsolicited commercial e-mail messages after a reasonable period of time following such notice. Requires any such message to include information that: (1) identifies the message as unsolicited commercial e-mail; and (2) contains notice of the opportunity for the recipient to request to not receive further messages. Makes it unlawful for a person to initiate the transmission of such a message in violation of a policy regarding unsolicited commercial e-mail messages that complies with specified requirements. Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to notify violators under this Act, to prohibit further initiation of such messages, and to require the initiator to delete the names and e-mail addresses of the recipients and providers from all mailing lists. Requires the names and e-mail addresses of any children of the recipient to be included in such notification.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Persian Gulf War Illness Compensation Act of 2001 - Amends a veterans' benefits program of compensation for disabilities occurring in veterans of the Persian Gulf War to: (1) require such disabilities, to be compensable, to occur before December 31, 2011, or such later date as prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; (2) define an "undiagnosed illness" in such veterans as one manifested by specified symptoms or signs the cause, etiology, or origin of which cannot be specifically and definitely identified; and (3) include an undiagnosed illness having such a symptom or sign within the presumption of being service-connected and therefore treatable as a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
National Center for Social Work Research Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Center for Social Work Research (and a related advisory council) to conduct, support, and disseminate targeted research on social work methods and outcomes related to problems of significant social concern. Sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Amends Federal provisions relating to the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to change from October 1, 2008, to October 1, 2002, the effective date on or after which no reduction may be made in the retired pay of an SBP participant for any month after the later of: (1) the 360th month for which such pay was so reduced; and (2) the month during which the participant attains 70 years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act of 2001 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to remove certain requirements for States with respect to construction of treatment works under capitalization grant agreements. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to assist States in establishing simplified procedures for small water systems to obtain assistance under the Act. Requires revolving funds to be used only for providing assistance for activities which have as a principal benefit the improvement or protection of water quality of navigable waters. Provides for an extended repayment period and additional subsidization with respect to loans made to financially distressed communities from revolving funds. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY 2002 through 2006 for the revolving fund program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2001
Declares that Federal funding for diabetes research should be increased in accordance with the recommendations of the Diabetes Research Working Group so that a cure for juvenile diabetes can be found.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2001
Medicare Osteoporosis Measurement Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to define a qualified individual, for purposes of coverage of bone mass measurement, as any individual (currently, estrogen-deficient women) at clinical risk of osteoporosis.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2001
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2001 - Adjusts the basic Survivor Benefit Plan (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 (current law), for months beginning on or before the enactment of this Act; (2) 40 percent of such pay, for months beginning after enactment of this Act until October 2004; (3) 45 percent of such pay for months beginning after September 2004 and before October 2011; and (4) 55 percent of such pay for months after September 2011. 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.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2001
Congratulates Ariel Sharon on his election as Israeli Prime Minister. Urges: (1) Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat to use his influence and resources to see that violence in the Middle East is brought to an end; and (2) countries that neighbor Israel and the international community to respect the freely expressed will of the Israeli people and to be prepared to engage in constructive relations with the new Israeli Government. Restates the U.S. commitment to a secure peace for Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2001
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Act - Authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct a temporary education center for educating people about the Memorial. Requires the center to remain for ten years, after which Congress may reevaluate the continuing need for the center. Sets forth conditions for the use of excess coin funds under the United States Veterans Commemorative Coin Act of 1993 in the construction of such center, including that the Fund provide detailed information with respect to the use of such funds.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2001
Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2001 - Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Repeals certain provisions discounting such service as qualifying service.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2001
Amends provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 providing additional funding for State emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens to: (1) revise such provisions; and (2) extend such funding for two additional fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2001
Blind Empowerment Act of 2001 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to increase, by specified increments over five years, the level of earnings demonstrating the ability of a blind person to engage in substantial gainful activity for purposes of determining disability insurance benefit payments.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cunningham, Randy (Duke) [R-CA-50]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f7a20214ed0287681c64239810f66010_200.jpg)