United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Fairness in Securities Transactions Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to reduce (from one three-hundredth of one percent to one five-hundredth of one percent) the transaction fees designed to recover the costs to the Government of securities markets oversight and enforcement. Provides that if insufficient fees are collected for the budget authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission as provided by an appropriations Act, such Act may provide for a fee increase, with all such increases deposited and credited as offsetting collections to the pertinent appropriations account. Requires that ten percent of all such fees be deposited and credited as offsetting collections to the pertinent appropriations account.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 1999 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to define "high speed data service" as a service capable of transmitting electronic information at a rate generally not less than 384 kilobits per second in at least one direction. Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and each State, except as expressly provided in this Act, from regulating the rates, charges, terms or conditions for, or entry into the provision of, any high speed data service or Internet access service, or to regulate the facilities used in the provision of such service. Prohibits the FCC from requiring an incumbent (established) local exchange carrier to: (1) provide unbundled access to any network elements used in the provision of any high speed data service, other than those elements described in FCC regulations; or (2) offer for resale at wholesale rates any high speed data service. States that nothing in this Act shall: (1) limit or affect the authority of any State to regulate voice telephone exchange services; (2) affect the ability of the FCC to retain or modify the exemption from interstate access charges for enhanced service providers; or (3) prohibit the FCC from modifying the regulation concerning the number of networks subject to its unbundling requirement. Requires each incumbent local exchange carrier to provide: (1) Internet users with the ability to subscribe to and have access to any Internet service provider that interconnects with such carrier's high speed data service; (2) any Internet service provider with the right to acquire necessary facilities and services to facilitate such interconnection; and (3) any Internet service provider with the ability to collocate equipment in order to achieve such interconnection. Includes high speed data service or Internet access service within the definition of "incidental interLATA services" permitted for a Bell operating company (BOC). States that, until the date a BOC is authorized to offer interLATA services originating in an in-region State, such BOC offering any high speed data service or Internet access service may not, in such State, bill or collect for interLATA voice telecommunications service obtained by means of such high speed data or Internet access service provided by such company.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Amendments of 1999 - Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes the generous contribution made by each living individual who has donated an organ to save a life; and (2) acknowledges the advances in medical technology that have enabled organ transplantation with organs donated by living individuals to become a viable treatment option for an increasing number of patients. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend programs relating to organ procurement and transplantation, among other changes requiring the Organ Procurement and Transportation Network to: (1) carry out studies and demonstration projects to improve procedures for organ procurement and allocation; and (2) develop a peer review system to assure that members of the Network comply with appropriate medical and other specified criteria. Mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services establish additional procedures for providing oversight of, and public accountability for, operation of the Network. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants or contracts for: (1) payment of travel and subsistence expenses incurred toward living organ donation; and (2) studies and demonstration projects. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to educate the public about organ donation. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to implement the rules published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on February 16, 1999, relating to use of additional hunting methods to increase the harvest of mid-continent light geese and the establishment of a conservation order for the reduction of such goose populations, without regard to the withdrawal of such rules by a certain rule published on June 17, 1999. Makes such requirement applicable until the later of: (1) the effective date of rules issued by the Service to control such overabundant geese populations; or (2) the date of the publication of a final environmental impact statement for such rules.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Amends the Clean Air Act to remove a limitation on the amount of funds authorized to be allocated to any one State for air pollution control programs under provisions regarding grants for air pollution planning and control.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Internal Revenue Service, as we know it, must be abolished, and the Internal Revenue Code must be replaced with a new, simple, and fair tax system that reduces taxes and applies a single, low rate to all Americans; and (2) the President should submit to Congress a comprehensive proposal to reform the Internal Revenue Code by April 1, 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
School and Library Construction Affordability Act - Makes inapplicable to contracts for the construction and repair of schools and libraries the requirements of: (1) the Davis-Bacon Act (which requires that the locally prevailing wage rate be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working under federally-financed or federally-assisted contracts for construction, alteration, and repair of public buildings or public works); and (2) the Copeland Act (which requires the Secretary of Labor to regulate contractors and subcontractors engaged in the construction or repair of public buildings, public works, or federally-financed or federally-assisted buildings or works).
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
Small Business Franchise Tax Relief Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish certain franchise operations as 15-year property under the accelerated cost recovery system (ACRS). Establishes certain qualified leasehold improvement property as 10-year ACRS property. Excepts certain franchises from the general rule pertaining to the capital gain treatment on the transfer of franchises, trademarks, and trade names.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1999
Expresses that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns the crimes that occurred in Sacramento, California, at Congregation B'Nai Israel, Congregation Beth Shalom, and Kenesset Israel Torah Center on June 18, 1999; (2) interprets such attacks as an attack on all Americans; (3) is committed to using Federal law enforcement personnel and resources to bring the persons who committed these attacks to justice; (4) recognizes the residents of the Sacramento, California, area who have so quickly joined together to lend support and assistance to the victims and who remain committed to preserving the freedom of religion of all members of the community; and (5) calls upon all Americans to categorically reject similar crimes of hate and intolerance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Small Business Lawsuit Abuse Protection Title II: Product Seller Fair Treatment Small Business Liability Reform Act of 1999 - Title I: Small Business Lawsuit Abuse Protection - Allows punitive damages to be awarded against a small business only if the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that conduct carried out by the defendant through willful misconduct or with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of others was the proximate cause of the harm that is the subject of the action. Limits such punitive damages to the lesser of two times the amount awarded for economic and noneconomic losses, or $250,000. (Sec. 104) States that, in any civil action against a small business: (1) each defendant shall be liable only for the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to that defendant in direct proportion to the percentage of responsibility of that defendant for the harm caused to the plaintiff; and (2) the court shall render a separate judgment against each defendant describing such percentage of responsibility. (Sec. 105) Excepts from such liability limitations any misconduct of a defendant: (1) that constitutes a crime of violence, international terrorism, or a hate crime; (2) that results in liability for damages under specified provisions of the Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990 or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980; (3) that involves a sexual offense or violation of a Federal or State civil rights law; or (4) caused by being under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or a drug. (Sec. 106) Preempts inconsistent State law. Title II: Product Seller Fair Treatment - States that this title governs any product liability action brought in any Federal or State court. Excludes from this title actions for commercial loss, negligent entrustment, negligence per se concerning firearms and ammunition, and actions brought under a dram-shop or third-party liability arising out of the sale or provision of alcohol to an intoxicated person or a minor. (Sec. 204) Mandates that, in any product liability action covered by this Act, a product seller other than a manufacturer shall be liable to a claimant only if such claimant establishes that: (1) the product that caused the harm was sold, rented, or leased by the seller, the seller failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the product, and such failure was the proximate cause of harm to the plaintiff; (2) the seller made an express warranty applicable to such product, the product failed to conform to the warranty, and such failure caused the harm to the plaintiff; or (3) the product seller engaged in intentional wrongdoing (as determined under applicable State law), and such wrongdoing caused the harm to the plaintiff. States that a seller shall not be considered to have failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to a product based upon a failure to inspect if: (1) there was no reasonable opportunity to inspect; or (2) such inspection would not have revealed the aspect of the product that allegedly caused the claimant's harm. Allows a seller to be liable as a manufacturer if: (1) the manufacturer is not subject to appropriate service of process; or (2) the court determines that the claimant is or would be unable to enforce a judgment against the manufacturer. Provides limited liability for persons engaged in the business of renting or leasing a product.
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 · 24 June 1999
Medicare Patient Appeals Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) revise Medicare determinations and appeals requirements, providing for deadlines for reconsiderations and appeals under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and for reviews and appeals under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); and (2) eliminate sua sponte motions by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on decisions of the Provider Reimbursement Review Board. Subjects national coverage determinations to review by the Departmental Appeals Board of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and local coverage determinations to review by an HHS administrative law judge, whose determination may also be reviewed by the HHS Departmental Appeals Board.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Increases from 50 to 100 percent the amount of gain excluded from the sale of certain small business stock. Reduces from five to three years the holding period applicable to such a sale. Makes such exclusion available to corporations. Makes the stock of larger businesses eligible. Repeals the minimum tax preference for the exclusion for incentive stock options.
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
Academic Achievement for All Act (Straight A's Act) - Allows States flexibility in combining and using use specified Federal elementary and secondary education 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. (Sec. 3) Allows a State to opt to enter into such a performance agreement with the Secretary of Education, under which provisions of law relating to specified eligible programs shall not apply to the State, with certain exceptions. Includes under the terms of such agreements requirements relating to: (1) use of such funds to improve student achievement; (2) an accountability system; (3) performance goals and measures, and student achievement data; (4) fiscal responsibilities; (5) civil rights; (6) private school student and staff participation; (7) State financial participation; and (8) annual reports. (Sec. 4) Lists such eligible programs, under various provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the Department of Education Appropriations Act of 1999, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, and the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. (Sec. 5) Sets forth requirements relating to: (1) within-State distribution of funds; (2) local participation; and (3) a set-aside for State administrative expenditures. (Sec. 8) Requires performance reviews at the end of the five-year period. Requires reductions of State administrative funds for States that have made little or no progress. Allows States that have met at least 80 percent of their performance goals to apply for renewal of performance agreements for an additional five-year period. (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary annually to set aside sufficient funds from the Fund for the Improvement of Education under ESEA to grant achievement gap reduction rewards to States. Requires a performance reward to equal at least five percent of funds allocated to the State during the first year of the performance agreement for programs included in the agreement. Makes a State eligible to receive a reward if, over the five-year term of the performance agreement, it reduces by at least 25 percent the difference between the percentage of highest and lowest performing groups of students that meet the State's definition of proficient, with such reduction occurring in at least: (1) two content areas, one of which must be mathematics or reading; and (2) one grade level.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Congressional Responsibility Act of 1999 - Prohibits a regulation from taking effect before the enactment of a bill comprised solely of the text of the regulation. Requires an agency, whenever it promulgates a regulation, to submit to each House of Congress a report containing its text and an explanation. Sets forth expedited congressional procedures for consideration of agency regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
New Millennium Classrooms Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) expand the tax deduction for computer donations by corporations to tax-exempt schools to include donations to public libraries; (2) increase from two to three years the age of computers that can be contributed for such deduction; and (3) allow a business tax credit of 30 percent of the value of computers donated to tax-exempt schools and public libraries. Increases the amount of such credit to 50 percent for contributions to schools or public libraries in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, and Indian reservations.
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
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
Requires an officer who entered the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 1983 and successfully completed instruction at such University in 1987 to be treated in the same manner as a student of the University who graduated in 1986 for purposes of determining pay and years of service, notwithstanding enactment of the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1999
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) all American men should take an active role in the fight against prostate cancer by all available means, including regular testing and medical examinations; and (2) the role played by national and community organizations and health care providers in promoting regular examinations and testing, and in providing related information, support, and access to services, should be applauded. Declares that the Federal Government has a responsibility to: (1) try to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and proper treatment; (2) continue to fund research into the causes of, and improved treatment for, such cancer; and (3) continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating it.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 1999
Former Hostage Compensation Act of 1999 - Declares it is congressional policy that the Department of State should make a full effort to compensate former American hostages taken and held in Lebanon as victims of international terrorism for injuries related to their imprisonment. Authorizes the Secretary of State, subject to available appropriations, to pay to each plaintiff in the case of Cicippio v. Islamic Republic of Iran (Civil Action No. 96-1805 (TPJ)) who requests such payment a sum not to exceed $10 million to a former hostage or $4 million to the spouse of a former hostage.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) Expansion Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the sunset date for, and numerical limitation on, Medicare participation in Medicare+Choice medical savings account (MSA) plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice).
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1999
Abolishment of Obsolete Agencies and Federal Sunset Act of 1999 - Establishes the Federal Agency Sunset Commission to: (1) submit to Congress a schedule for review by the Commission, at least once every 12 years, of the abolishment or reorganization of each agency; (2) review and evaluate the efficiency and public need for each agency; and (3) recommend whether each agency should be abolished or reorganized. Requires the abolishment of any agency within one year of the Commission's review, unless the agency is reauthorized by Congress. Authorizes the deadline to be extended for an additional two years if enacted by a super majority of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Sets forth criteria for such review. Directs the Comptroller General and the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, in cooperation with the Director of the Congressional Research Service, to prepare an inventory of Federal programs within each agency for the purpose of advising and assisting Congress and the Commission in carrying out the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
Open Competition and Fairness Act of 1999 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit discrimination against any bidder on a prime contract for a federally funded project on the basis of a requirement that such person enter into or adhere to a collective bargaining agreement or any similar agreement as a condition of performing work on such contract.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1999
U.S.S. New Jersey Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue one-dollar silver coins in commemoration of the U.S.S. New Jersey. Mandates that ten percent of all coin surcharges be paid to the U.S.S. New Jersey Battleship Foundation in Middletown, New Jersey, for activities associated with the costs of moving the U.S.S. New Jersey and permanently berthing her in her new location.
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
Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend the wetland reserve program. Replaces the total program acreage limitation with an annual enrollment limitation through FY 2005. Includes within eligible program land non-wetland areas that would substantially contribute to North American Waterfowl Management Plan habitat objectives. Authorizes program related cooperative agreements for goods and services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) Expansion Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the sunset date for, and numerical limitation on, Medicare participation in Medicare+Choice medical savings account (MSA) plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice).
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Declares that the House of Representatives recognizes the importance of: (1) families pledging to each other to share their lives as organ and tissue donors; and (2) discussing organ and tissue donation as a family.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1999
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Clinton administration should: (1) be commended for supporting United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1999-13 (concerning continued discrimination against religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran), and should continue to work through the United Nations to assure that Iran implements that resolution's recommendations; (2) condemn the recent arrest of members of Iran's Jewish minority and urge their immediate release; (3) urge all nations having relations with Iran to condemn the treatment of religious minorities in Iran and call for the release of all prisoners held on the basis of their religious beliefs; and (4) maintain the current U.S. policy toward Iran unless and until that country moderates its treatment of religious minorities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Fair Access to Indemnity and Reimbursement Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act to allow the recovery of attorney's fees and costs by certain employers and labor organizations which are prevailing parties in administrative or court proceedings brought by or against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), or by or against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) through the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Requires that such employers or labor organizations have not more than 100 employees and a net worth of not more than $7 million at the time of such proceedings. Provides for such recovery without regard to whether the position of the NLRB, the Secretary of Labor (for OSHA), or the United States was substantially justified or special circumstances make an award unjust.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Teacher Empowerment Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise and rename title II as Teacher Quality (replacing the current title II Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program). (Sec. 2) Sets forth a new title II part A Teacher Empowerment program of grants to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Directs the Secretary of Education to make such formula grants to States. Requires States to distribute such grant funds as follows: (1) 95 percent for subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) according to specified formulas; (2) two-and-one-half percent for competitive subgrants to eligible partnerships; and (3) two-and-one- half percent for authorized State activities. Sets forth requirements for coordination, public accountability, and applications. Requires eligible partnerships to use such subgrants for: (1) professional development activities in core academic subjects to ensure that teachers have content knowledge in the subjects they teach; and (2) assistance to LEAs and their teachers, principals, and administrators for professional development activities. Requires LEAs to use portions of such subgrants for: (1) professional development activities in mathematics and science, in an amount at least equal to that under the current Eisenhower Program (unless given a State waiver); (2) professional development activities that give teachers, principals, and administrators the knowledge and skills to provide students with the opportunity to meet challenging State or local content standards and student performance standards; and (3) recruitment, hiring, and training of certified teachers, including teachers certified through State and local alternative routes, in order to reduce class size (unless given a State waiver), or for hiring of special education teachers regardless of whether such action reduces class size. Authorizes LEAs to use such subgrants for highly qualified teacher recruitment programs, including: (1) signing bonuses or other financial incentives for teaching in academic subject areas where there is a shortage; (2) recruiting and providing alternative routes to teacher certification for professionals from other fields; (3) providing increased opportunities for minorities, individuals with disabilities, and other individuals underrepresented in teaching; and (4) hiring policies that identify teachers certified through alternative routes and intensively screen for the most qualified applicants. Authorizes LEAs to use such subgrants also for: (1) highly qualified teacher retention programs (including master teacher mentoring of newly hired teachers, or other incentives for highly qualified teachers to remain in the classroom); (2) teacher quality improvement and professional development programs (including technology training through partnerships with institutions of higher education, delivery of professional development activities through technology and distance learning, tenure reform, merit pay, testing of teachers in the subject areas they teach, instruction in how to teach children with different learning styles, particularly those with disabilities or special learning need, and instruction in classroom discipline and identifying early and appropriate interventions); and (3) teacher opportunity payments. Requires LEAs receiving subgrants to provide parents information regarding the professional qualifications of students' classroom teachers. Prohibits the provision of professional development funds from LEA subgrants for a teacher and an activity if the activity is not: (1) directly related to the curriculum and content areas in which the teacher provides instruction; or (2) designed to enhance the teaching of such areas. Permits the use of such funds for instruction in methods of disciplining children. Authorizes LEAs to use subgrants for teacher opportunity payments to certain teachers or groups of teachers for professional development activities of their own choosing. Requires certain LEAs, if they fail to meet State teaching standards, to make such teacher opportunity payments. Requires providing notice to teachers regarding the availability of such funds. Sets forth a process for selecting teachers in the event of inadequate funds. Sets forth certain national activities under part A of title II of ESEA. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to eligible consortia for Teacher Excellence Academies, in elementary or secondary school facilities, to carry out specified activities promoting alternative routes to State teacher certification, specified model professional development activities, or all such activities. Authorizes continuation of the Troops-to-Teachers Program under specified conditions. Authorizes the Secretary to make a grant to the National Writing Project. Authorizes the Secretary to make a grant or contract to continue the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education. Authorizes appropriations through FY 2004 for part A (Teacher Empowerment) of title II (Teacher Quality) of ESEA. (Sec. 3) Extends through FY 2004 the authorization of appropriations for the Reading Excellence Act (REA) program. Redesignates REA as part B of title II of ESEA. (Sec. 4) Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) using Federal funds to plan, develop, implement, or administer any national teacher test or certification; or (2) withholding funds from any State or LEA that fails to adopt a specific method of teacher certification. Provides that: (1) nothing in ESEA title II shall be construed to permit, allow, encourage, or authorize any Federal control over any aspect of any private, religious, or home school, whether or not a home school is treated as a private school or home school under State law; and (2) private, religious, or home schools are not barred, by the previous provision, from participation in programs or services under ESEA title II.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Arrow Excise Tax Clarification Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the excise tax on arrows to: (1) include among taxable components any article used to attach a point and shaft; (2) provide a reduced rate for certain hunting and fishing points; (3) impose a tax on imported arrows; (4) define "taxable arrow"; and (5) provide for tax-free sales by component purchasers to governments or tax-exempt entities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1999
Automobile Emissions Information Act of 1999 - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to require fuel economy labels for new automobiles to contain an air pollutant emissions index number representing the composite level of controlled emissions (including the range of the air pollutant emissions index numbers of comparable automobiles of all manufacturers) for such automobile. Authorizes a State to enforce its laws or regulations on disclosure of air pollutant emissions for an automobile only if such law or regulation is identical to the Federal disclosure requirements on such emissions. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to calculate, provide to the manufacturer, and publish for each model of automobile and for each model year an air pollutant emissions index number representing the composite level of emissions for such automobile. Provides a waiver to States with respect to Federal pollutant emission disclosure requirements.
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
Commends the bravery and honor of the citizens of Remy, France, for their actions with respect to the American fighter pilot Lieutenant Houston Braly during and after August 1944. Recognizes the efforts of the surviving members of the U.S. 364th Fighter Group to raise funds to restore the stained glass windows of Remy's 13th century church.
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
Bring Them Home Alive Act of 1999 - Directs the Attorney General to grant refugee status in the United States to any alien (and the parent, spouse, and child of such) who: (1) is a national of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, or any of the independent states of the former Soviet Union; and (2) personally delivers into U.S. custody a living American Vietnam War POW or MIA. Requires the granting of the same status to any alien (and parent, spouse, and child) who is a national of North Korea, China, or any of the independent states of the former Soviet Union and who personally delivers a living American Korean War POW or MIA. Directs the International Broadcasting Bureau to broadcast to such foreign countries information that promotes such refugee programs. Requires: (1) a minimum level of such broadcasting; and (2) the Bureau to ensure that such information is made available on the Internet. Expresses the sense of the Congress that RFE-RL, Inc., Radio Free Asia, and any other recipient of Federal grants that broadcasts to such countries should also broadcast such information.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Citizen Legislature and Political Freedom Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to terminate limitations on Federal election campaign contributions after 2000. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate after December 31, 1999, the designation of income tax payments to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Terminates the Fund itself and the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account after December 31, 2000, and transfers any amounts remaining in the Fund to the general fund of the Treasury. Amends FECA, in the case of a political committee of a national political party, to require reports of all funds transferred to any political committee of a State or local political party, without regard to whether or not the funds are otherwise treated as contributions or expenditures under such Act (soft money). Requires any political committee of a State or local political party to file with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) a copy of any report on disbursements it is required under a State or local law, rule, or regulation to submit to the State or local government. Directs the FEC to make electronic filing of reports mandatory. Revises current deadlines for notification of contributions by a campaign committee. Applies such deadlines to each campaign committee of a candidate, not (as currently) just the principal campaign committee. Requires each political committee to notify, in writing, the appropriate office of any contribution (currently, of $1,000 or more) received by the committee during the period which begins on the 90th day before an election (currently, after the 20th day after, but more than 48 hours before, an election) and ends at the time the polls close for such election. Requires such notification to be made within 24 hours (or, if earlier, by midnight of the day on which the contribution is deposited) (currently, within 48 hours) after receipt of the contribution. Requires the FEC to make report information available on the Internet and at FEC offices as soon as practicable after its receipt. Declares that the "best efforts" exception to noncompliance with FECA shall not apply with respect to information regarding the identification of any contributor of more than $200 in the aggregate during a calendar year (thus requiring strict observance of reporting deadlines for all such contributions).
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Jennifer's Law - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide grant awards to enable States to improve the reporting of unidentified and missing persons. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1999
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp in honor of the S.S. LANE VICTORY.
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 · 20 May 1999
Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit, and set penalties for, knowingly creating, selling, or possessing a depiction of animal cruelty with the intention of placing that depiction in interstate or foreign commerce for commercial gain.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1999
Health Care Worker Needlestick Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to amend the bloodborne pathogens standard to require that: (1) employers utilize needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections in their work sites to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens; and (2) non-managerial direct care health care workers of employers participate in the identification and evaluation of such systems and sharps. Provides an exemption where an employer demonstrates that needleless systems and sharps: (1) do not promote employee safety, interfere with patient safety, or interfere with the success of a medical procedure under certain circumstances in the employer's work facility; or (2) are not commercially available to the employer. (Sec. 2) Includes under such revised standard requirements relating to: (1) exposure control plans; (2) sharps injury logs; and (3) worker training in the use of such systems and sharps. (Sec. 3) Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to establish and maintain a national database on existing needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections. Requires the Director to: (1) develop a set of evaluation criteria for use by employers, employees, and other persons in evaluating and selecting such systems and sharps; (2) develop a model training curriculum to train employers, employees, and other persons in such evaluation process, and provide requested technical assistance to the extent feasible; and (3) establish a national system to collect comprehensive data on needlestick injuries to health care workers, including data on mechanisms to analyze and evaluate prevention. Authorizes NIOSH access to information recorded by employers in sharps injury logs. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to require hospitals, as a condition of their Medicare program participation, to comply with the bloodborne pathogen standard as amended under this Act with respect to hospital employees, even if they are not otherwise subject to such standard because they are exempt from OSHA regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1999
Disapproves the rule submitted by the U.S. Postal Service relating to delivery of mail to a commercial mail receiving agency (as published in the Federal Register on March 25, 1999). Declares that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the German Government should promptly agree to a fair settlement with, and promptly make payments under that settlement to, the families of the members of the U.S. Air Force killed in a collision between a U.S. Air Force C-141 Starlifter aircraft and a German Luftwaffe Tupelov TU-154M aircraft off the coast of Namibia on September 13, 1997.
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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cunningham, Randy (Duke) [R-CA-50]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f7a20214ed0287681c64239810f66010_200.jpg)