United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2001
Clean Diamond Trade Act - Prohibits the importation of rough diamonds into the United States unless the exporting country is implementing a system of controls on the export or import of rough diamonds that: (1) meets specified requirements, consistent with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/56 adopted on December 1, 2000, or is functionally equivalent; or (2) meets the requirements of an international agreement which requires such controls and to which the United States is a party. Prohibits the importation of polished diamonds (including jewelry containing diamonds) into the United States unless the exporting country: (1) is implementing a system of controls on the export and import of rough diamonds, except such system shall not be required for countries that do not import rough diamonds; and (2) requires that its own imports of diamonds originate from countries that have implemented a system of controls on the export and import of rough diamonds. Provides a waiver of the requirements of this Act. Urges the President to negotiate an international agreement to eliminate trade in diamonds used to support conflict in the country or regions in which such diamonds are mined.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2001
Omnibus Mercury Emissions Reduction Act of 2001 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to establish standards for mercury and mercury compound emissions applicable to: (1) electric utility steam generating units; (2) coal- and oil-fired boiler units of a specified capacity; (3) chlor-alkali plants that use the mercury cell production process; and (4) dust from Portland cement plants. Sets forth permit requirements. Requires the Administrator to authorize methods of emissions control. Establishes mercury emission baselines for electric utility and coal- and oil-fired boiler units. Requires the regulations to ensure that recovered mercury is disposed of in a manner that ensures that: (1) mercury hazards are not transferred between environmental media; and (2) there is no release of mercury into the environment. Directs the Administrator to establish a program of long-term disposal research and publicize emission data for each facility. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator to publish a list of mercury-containing items to be separated and removed from the waste streams that feed solid waste facilities. Requires mercury-content labeling by manufacturers. Requires persons that transfer solid waste that may contain a listed mercury-containing item to submit separation and removal plans. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations concerning measurement of mercury emissions from solid waste combustion flue gases. Requires permits for solid waste incineration units to specify inspection, entry, monitoring, compliance certification, and reporting requirements. Directs the Administrator to require incineration units that exceed the maximum emission rate to install measures that will result, within three years, in a rate below the specified maximum. Prohibits, three years after this Act's enactment, the sale of mercury-containing products unless the manufacturer has been granted an exemption. Requires reports on reductions of mercury emissions from medical and hazardous waste incinerators, military uses of mercury, the sources and extent of emissions in North America, sedimentation trends in water bodies of concern, and fish consumption advisories. Directs the Administrator to establish a program to evaluate and address mercury-related health effects on high-risk populations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator to establish an advisory committee to report on the progress made in complying with this Act's amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2001
Commends and congratulates Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the tenth anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Recognizes her contributions and work toward bringing peace and democracy to Burma. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President and Secretary of State should continue to encourage the Government of Burma to restore basic human rights to the Burmese people, to eliminate the practice of human trafficking, to address the manufacture of heroin and methamphetamine, to continue releasing political prisoners, to recognize the results of the 1990 democratic elections, and to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to enjoy unfettered freedom of speech and freedom of movement; and (2) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be invited to address a joint meeting of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2001
Medicare Improvements for Special Needs Beneficiaries Act of 2001 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for specialized Medicare+Choice plans for special needs beneficiaries and the treatment of such plans as coordinated care plans under Medicare part C. Permits: (1) restriction on the enrollment of individuals in a specialized Medicare+Choice plan to special needs beneficiaries; and (2) continuous open enrollment for such beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2001
American Citizens' Protection and War Criminal Prosecution Act of 2001 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) support the due process rights of U.S. citizens before foreign tribunals, including the International Criminal Court (ICC); (2) continue to participate in negotiations of the ICC's Preparatory Commission and as an observer in the Assembly of States Parties; (3) provide diplomatic and legal assistance to U.S. citizens who face prosecution without full due process; and (4) undertake to ensure that no U.S. citizen will face prosecutions without due process. Declares that the United States shall not extradite U.S. citizens to the ICC under specified circumstances. Directs: (1) the United States, if a U.S. citizen is accused of a crime under the Rome Statute to the ICC, to investigate and prosecute the crime, with an exception; and (2) the President, if a case involving a U.S. citizen is found admissible, to use diplomatic and legal resources to ensure that such person receives due process and available exculpatory evidence. Sets forth various study and reporting requirements. Authorizes the United States to provide assistance to the ICC for the prosecution of accused war criminals. Directs the President to: (1) ensure that procedures are in place to prevent the transfer of classified national security information to the ICC, the United Nations, and other governments; and (2) certify, prior to submission of the Rome Statute to the Senate, that the ICC has established a demonstrated record of fair and impartial prosecution.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2001
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2001 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities (including employment agencies, labor organizations, and training programs). Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares this Act inapplicable to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's domestic partner. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from: (1) collecting statistics on sexual orientation from covered entities; and (2) compelling covered entities to collect such statistics. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) an order or consent decree for a violation of this Act that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares that this Act is inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Prohibits the imposition of affirmative action for a violation of this Act. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for remedies to the same extent as under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2001
Income Equity Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny employers a deduction for payments of excessive compensation (more than 25 times the lowest compensation paid any other employee).
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2001
Social Security Fairness Act of 2001 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) pension offset provisions applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to Old-Age and Survivors insurance benefit payments; and (2) windfall elimination provisions with respect to computation of the primary insurance amount of an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2001
Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of: (1) the National Institutes of Health to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to blood cancer, particularly with respect to leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma; (2) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a related public information program, to be carried out in collaboration with private health organizations that have national education and patient assistance programs on blood-related cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2001
Ordnance and Explosives Risk Management Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a program manager for unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other abandoned military munitions who shall serve as the single point of contact in the Department of Defense for policy and budgeting issues involving the characterization, remediation, and management of explosives and related risks at former military ranges known or suspected to contain UXO or other abandoned military munitions that pose a threat to human health or safety. Requires the Secretary to develop and maintain an inventory of former military ranges that are known or suspected to contain abandoned munitions, to prioritize each such range according to overall conditions, and to annually update the inventory and prioritization. Establishes the Abandoned Military Munitions Account, Defense, for the removal and cleanup of abandoned military munitions. Directs the Secretary to prepare a site security plan for each range listed on the inventory. Requires the UXO program manager to establish an independent UXO advisory and review panel.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2001
States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act - Transfers marijuana from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to schedule II of such Act. Declares that, in a State in which marijuana may be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use under applicable State law, no provision of the Controlled Substances Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict: (1) the prescription or recommendation of marijuana by a physician for medical use; (2) an individual from obtaining and using marijuana from a physician's prescription or recommendation of marijuana for medical use; or (3) a pharmacy from obtaining and holding marijuana for the prescription or recommendation of marijuana by a physician for medical use under applicable State law. Prohibits any provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act from prohibiting or restricting a State entity from producing or distributing marijuana for the purpose of its distribution for prescription or recommendation by a physician in a State in which marijuana may be prescribed by a physician for medical use.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2001
Salmon Planning Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) providing for peer review of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) biological opinion regarding the Operation of the Federal Columbia River power system, issued December 21, 2000, and any subsequent modification of it (opinion) and submission of a report on the results. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Commerce to publish a determination of whether implementation of the salmon recovery measures in the opinion are sufficient to achieve recovery, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, of the salmon and steelhead populations; and if not, whether partially removing the four lower Snake River dams (the dams) are necessary to restore Snake River salmon and steelhead populations; (2) the Secretary of the Interior to publish a determination of whether partially removing the dams are necessary to meet treaty obligations; and (3) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish a determination of whether partially removing the dams are necessary to meet Federal Water Pollution Control Act requirements. Directs the Comptroller General to study the potential effects of partially removing the dams. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Corps of Engineers, to partially remove the dams if the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior, or the EPA Administrator finds that such action is necessary to meet the aforementioned requirements. Directs the Secretary of the Army to undertake such preliminary engineering, design, construction, and other activities as necessary to remove the dams.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2001
Recognizes the courage of Serbian democrats, in particular, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, in facilitating the transfer of Slobodan Milosevic to the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. Calls for the continued arrest and transfer of other indicted war criminals throughout the Balkans to the Tribunal. Encourages the release of all innocent political prisoners held in Serbian prisons. Declares that the House of Representatives remains committed to providing foreign assistance to support the success of economic, political, and legal reforms in Yugoslavia and other nations of the Balkans region as long as the Yugoslav Government and others continue to cooperate in the matter of war criminals.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2001
Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of his or her right to make such request. Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge may refer in making decisions regarding the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2001
Expresses support for the goals and ideas of "National Night Out" (an event during the evening of August 7, 2001, to demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of community participation in crime prevention). Requests that the President focus appropriate attention on the issues of neighborhood crime prevention, community policing, and reduction of school crime by delivering speeches, convening meetings, and directing his Administration to make reducing crime an important priority.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2001
Higher Education Assistance Improvement Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to increase funds available for the provision of student financial assistance. Increases the maximum individual Pell grant amount to: (1) $7,500 for academic year 2002-2003; and (2) $7,900 for academic year 2003-2004. Increases amounts authorized to be appropriated for FY 2002 and 2003 under the HEA student assistance provisions: (1) Federal TRIO programs; (2) Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP); (3) supplemental education opportunity grants; (4) graduate assistance in areas of national need; and (5) Thurgood Marshall legal educational opportunity program. Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriations for the following higher education programs should be increased by specified amounts for FY 2002 and as necessary for FY 2003: (1) Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP); (2) Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CAMPIS); (3) work-study; (4) National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs; (5) Perkins loans; and (6) Javits fellowships. Expands eligibility under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), Federal direct loan, and Federal Perkins loan programs by: (1) eliminating certain new borrower restrictions; (2) expanding eligible service; and (3) eliminating delays in service benefit. Directs the Secretary of Education to repay or cancel certain amounts of loan obligations under those HEA student loan programs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2001
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission Act - Establishes the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission to: (1) study and recommend Government activities to honor Benjamin Franklin on the tercentenary of his birth, including the minting of a Benjamin Franklin tercentenary coin and the issuance of a Benjamin Franklin tercentenary postage stamp; (2) serve as the contact point for State, local, international, and private sector initiatives regarding tercentenary activities; and (3) seek to enter into an arrangement for the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to serve as the secretariat of the Commission and house the Commission's administrative offices.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2001
Working Lands Stewardship Act of 2001 - Amends specified agricultural Acts to: (1) revise and increase funding for the farmland protection program; (2) provide market development grants and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who forgo development of certain lands; (3) expand State marketing programs, including set-asides for development of local and regional markets and research; (4) increase funding for farmer-to-consumer marketing assistance; (5) provide for a program to promote the purchase of locally grown produce; (6) increase funding for programs for socially disadvantaged farmers; (7) extend and increase funding for the environmental quality incentives program, including set-asides for livestock, pesticide reduction, and water conservation; (8) provide watershed quality incentive contracts; (9) provide loans for manure reuse activities and facilities; (10) extend and increase funding for the wildlife habitat incentives program, including set-asides for imperiled native species, and acquisition of easements and water rights; (11) extend and increase acreage for the wetlands reserve program; (12) establish a wetlands reserve enhancement program; (13) extend and increase funding for the conservation reserve program, including an acreage set-aside for environmentally-sensitive lands and buffer strips, and enrollment of grasslands and rangelands; (14) authorize incentive payments for private grazing land conservation; (15) establish a grassland reserve program; (16) expand the National Organic Program to include organic farming transition assistance; (17) establish an organic certification reimbursement program; (18) extend and increase funding for the forest stewardship program, including set-asides for new land management practices, and watershed forestry initiative activities; (19) authorize appropriations for urban and community forestry activities; (20) provide funding for specified conservation technical assistance and administration and outreach, including establishment of training centers in specified cities; and (21) establish a demonstration program to promote ecosystem- and watershed-based conservation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2001
Bioenergy Act of 2001 - Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to conduct environmental research and development, scientific and energy research, development, and demonstration, and commercial application of energy technology programs, projects, and activities related to bioenergy, including biopower energy systems, biofuels energy systems, and integrated bioenergy research and development (including biofuels). Authorizes appropriations for biopower energy systems, biofuels energy systems, and integrated bioenergy research and development. Mandates specified cost-sharing commitments from non-Federal sources.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2001
Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to opposing any commercial and lethal scientific whaling and to supporting the expansion of whale sanctuaries. Calls for: (1) the President to use all available diplomatic channels to convey U.S. opposition to commercial whaling activities and lethal scientific whaling and to consider actions, including bilateral negotiations and sanctions, to eliminate such whaling and to prevent any trade in whale meat; and (2) the United States to strongly oppose any effort at the 53rd meeting of the International Whaling Commission in London to approve the resumption of commercial whaling and all efforts at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to downlist any threatened or endangered whale population and to reopen international trade in whale meat.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2001
Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2001 - Extends Federal recognition to: (1) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe of Virginia; (2) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe - Eastern Division of Virginia; (3) the Upper Mattaponi Tribe of Virginia; (4) the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., of Virginia; (5) the Monacan Tribe of Virginia; and (6) the Nansemond Tribe of Virginia. Sets forth the service areas of the various Tribes and requirements for the Tribes with respect to submission of a membership roll, adoption of a constitution, and election of officials. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, upon certain land transfers, to take specified lands into trust for the various Tribes' benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2001
National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2001 - Establishes the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the Treasury to promote the development, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable and safe low-income housing.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2001
High-Speed Rail Investment Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit to holders of qualified Amtrak bonds. Sets forth definitions, State contribution requirements, and other rules. Requires approval, by the Secretary of Transportation, of qualified Amtrak projects funded by such bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2001
Congratulates: (1) the people of Peru for the successful completion of free and fair elections on April 8 and June 3, 2001; (2) Alejandro Toledo for his election as President and his commitment to democracy; (3) Valentin Paniagua, the current President, for his commitment to a peaceful transition; and (4) the Organization of American States Electoral Observer Mission for promoting representative democracy by working to ensure free and fair elections in Peru. Call for: (1) the United States to expand its cooperation with the Peruvian Government to promote the strengthening of democratic institutions and the rule of law, economic development, and an improved quality of life for citizens of both countries; and (2) such Governments to act in solidarity to promote democracy and respect for human rights and to enhance cooperation to confront common threats. Expresses: (1) sympathy to the Peruvian people for losses suffered as a result of the June 23, 2001 earthquake and support for their efforts to rebuild; and (2) support for relief and reconstruction assistance to Peru from the international community. Urges the President of the United States to encourage relief entities to expedite assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2001
International Human Rights Equality Resolution - Declares that Congress: (1) condemns all violations of internationally recognized human rights norms based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual; (2) recognizes that human rights violations abroad based on sexual orientation and gender identity should be punished without discrimination between these and other crimes, regardless of the real or perceived sexual identity of the victims, and that such violations should be given the same consideration and concern as human rights violations based on other grounds in the formulation of policies to protect and promote human rights globally; (3) further recognizes that the protection from human rights abuses, such as torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, is fully embedded in international humanitarian law, regardless of the sexual orientation and gender identity of the victim; and (4) commends nongovernmental human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, as well as the United States Department of State and the United Nations, for documenting the ongoing abuse of human rights on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2001
Women Immigrants Safe Harbor Act of 2001 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) to exempt battered aliens from the ban on receiving benefits under specified Federal programs, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (titles XIX and XVI of the Social Security Act (SSA)) and other Federal assistance. Amends: (1) PRWORA concerning the status as qualified alien for nonimmigrant "U" visa holders; and (2) the Immigration and Nationality Act concerning treatment of family-sponsored battered aliens under the public charge provisions of such Act. Provides that benefits provided to battered aliens are not subject to reimbursement under PRWORA.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2001
Burma Freedom Act - Prohibits the importation into the United States of any Burmese products until the President determines and certifies to Congress that the State Peace and Development Council in Burma has made progress in: (1) reversing gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights and worker rights; (2) implementing democratic government; and (3) cooperating with U.S. counter-narcotics efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2001
College Fire Prevention Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to States, private or public colleges or universities, fraternities, or sororities for up to half the cost of providing fire sprinkler systems in student housing and dormitories. Directs the Comptroller General to gather, and report to Congress, data on the number of college and university housing facilities and dormitories that have and do not have fire sprinkler systems and other forms of built-in fire protection mechanisms. Provides that any application for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2001
Savings for Working Families Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit any qualified financial institution, qualified nonprofit organization, or Indian tribe to establish one or more qualified individual development account programs. Defines such an account as an account established for an eligible individual (income based) as part of a qualified individual development account program (matched individual and entity savings accounts for qualifying educational, first-time home purchase, or business expenses). Sets forth provisions concerning such accounts, including: (1) the structure and administration of account programs; (2) procedures for opening and maintaining an account and qualifying for matching funds; (3) withdrawal procedures; and (4) disregarding account funds for purposes of certain means-tested Federal programs. Provides matching funds through a tax credit for a participating entity's program investment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2001
Bridges to the Cuban People Act of 2001 - Exempts from the embargo on trade with Cuba (including prohibitions under the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 against the unloading at a U.S. port of vessels that previously entered a Cuban port to engage in trade) the export of any agricultural commodity, farm machinery or equipment, medicine, or medical device, or any travel incident to the delivery of such items. Prohibits the President from prohibiting or regulating travel to or from or within Cuba by U.S. nationals or lawful resident aliens, including specified transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, financial or otherwise. Authorizes the President to provide scholarships for Cuban nationals who seek to undertake graduate study in public health, public policy, economics, law, or other field of social science. Authorizes the President to waive certain sanctions against, and restrictions on assistance to, Cuba, including the exclusion from the United States of certain aliens who have confiscated property in Cuba of U.S. nationals or who traffic in such property, if he determines that it will promote the peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba or will further U.S. national economic interests. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from limiting the amount of remittances to Cuba that any U.S. person may make. Authorizes the import into the United States of a Cuban originated medical article if the Secretary of Health and Human Services makes a determination that there is a medical need in the United States for such article that is not being met by any medicine or medical device in commercial distribution in the United States. Prohibits the use of funds to enforce unilateral sanctions on the export of goods and services intended for the exclusive use of children in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2001
Nutrition Assistance for Working Families and Seniors Act of 2001 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to make legal immigrants eligible for food stamp program benefits. Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 respecting the food stamp program to: (1) increase standard income deductions; (2) increase the minimum household allotment; (3) increase the transitional benefits period; (4) provide for personnel training, a toll-free information number, pilot programs for inter-program application and verification, and Internet and telephone participation; (5) provide grants for partnerships and technology to enhance program access, including outreach to families with low program participation, or participating in (or unable to participate in) the temporary assistance for needy families program. Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to authorize additional appropriations for emergency food assistance commodities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2001
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) Federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis; and (2) a deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums and enrollment fees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2001
Declares that the House of Representations condemns and deplores: (1) the continued detention of Li Shaomin, Gao Zhan, Wu Jianmin, Tan Guangguang, Teng Chunyan, and other scholars detained on false charges by the Government of the People's Republic of China and calls for their immediate and unconditional release; (2) the lack of due process afforded to these detainees and the probable coercion of confessions from some of them; and (3) the ongoing and systematic pattern of human rights violations by the Chinese Government. Urges the Chinese Government to consider: (1) the implications to the broader U.S.-Chinese relationship of detaining and coercing confessions from U.S. citizens and permanent residents on unsubstantiated spying charges or suspicions; and (2) releasing Liu Yaping on humanitarian grounds. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should: (1) make the release of the scholars a top priority of U.S. foreign policy with the Chinese Government; (2) make every effort to assist the scholars and their families while discussions of their release continue; (3) make it clear that the detention of U.S. citizens and permanent residents on unsubstantiated spying charges or suspicions of spying and the infliction of human rights violations upon U.S. citizens and residents, is not in the interests of the Chinese Government; and (4) send a special, high ranking representative to reiterate the deep concern of the United States regarding the continued imprisonment of the scholars and to discuss their legal status and immediate humanitarian needs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2001
Medicare Medical Nutrition Therapy Amendment 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 coverage of medical nutrition therapy services for certain Medicare beneficiaries with cardiovascular diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2001
End Racial Profiling Act of 2001 - Prohibits any law enforcement agency or agent from engaging in racial profiling. Authorizes the United States, or an individual injured by racial profiling, to bring a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief to enforce this prohibition. Specifies that proof that the routine investigatory activities of law enforcement agents in a jurisdiction have had a disparate impact on racial or ethnic minorities shall constitute prima facie evidence of a violation. Authorizes the court to allow a prevailing plaintiff, other than the United States, reasonable attorneys' fees as part of the costs, including expert fees. Requires Federal law enforcement agencies to: (1) maintain adequate policies and procedures designed to eliminate racial profiling; and (2) cease existing practices that encourage racial profiling. Directs that any application by a State or governmental unit for funding under a covered program include a certification that such unit and any agency to which it is redistributing program funds: (1) maintains adequate policies and procedures designed to eliminate racial profiling; and (2) has ceased existing practices that encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to States, law enforcement agencies and other governmental units, Indian tribal governments, or other public and private entities to develop and implement best practice devices and systems to ensure the racially neutral administration of justice. Directs the Attorney General to submit to Congress a report on racial profiling by Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2001
Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2001 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give States the option of providing Medicaid coverage for certain low-income HIV-infected individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2001
Providing Reliable Officers, Technology, Education, Community Prosecutors, and Training In Our Neighborhoods Act of 2001 or PROTECTION Act - Modifies provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 regarding public safety and community policing ("cops on the beat" program, COPS) to authorize the Attorney General to use funding under COPS grants to: (1) increase prosecutor presence and to enhance law enforcement access to new technologies; (2) pay overtime to existing career law enforcement officers to the extent that such overtime is devoted to community policing efforts; and (3) promote higher education among in-service State and local law enforcement officers by reimbursing them for the costs associated with seeking a college or graduate school education. Includes among permitted additional grant projects: (1) specialized integrity and ethics training; and (2) innovative proactive crime control and prevention programs involving school officials and religiously-affiliated organizations. Authorizes the Attorney General to use up to five percent of appropriated funds for technical assistance and training to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other public and private entities. Repeals provisions of the Act regarding termination of grants for hiring officers. Allows grants to be used to assist: (1) police departments in employing specified professional, scientific, and technological advancements; and (2) State, local, or tribal prosecutors' offices in implementation of community-based prosecution programs that build on local community policing efforts. Reserves specified funds for units of local government with a population of less than 50,000. Authorizes the Attorney General to use no more than 50 percent of grant renewal funds to award grants targeted specifically for retention of police officers.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2001
Domestic Spirits Tax Equity Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a distilled spirits wholesaler a distilled spirits wholesalers credit equal to the product of: (1) the number of cases of bottled distilled spirits which were bottled in the United States and which are purchased by such wholesaler during the taxable year directly from the distiller or importer of such spirits; and (2) the average tax-financing cost per case for the most recent calendar year ending before the beginning of such taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2001
Voting Rights Protection Act of 2001 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit States from removing a registrant from the official list of eligible voters for Federal elections by reason of criminal conviction unless the State provides the registrant with a notice of removal containing: (1) a statement that the State intends to make the removal; (2) a description of the reasons for it; and (3) a statement that the registrant may obtain a review of the removal from an appropriate election official of the State in accordance with specified guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2001
Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2001 - Establishes within the Department of Justice (DOJ) the Office of Children's Services which shall be responsible for coordinating and implementing law and policy for unaccompanied alien children. Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Unaccompanied Alien Children. States that an unaccompanied alien child found in the United States shall be promptly paroled into the United States and placed under the jurisdiction of the Office. Sets forth a family reunification preference order. Prohibits, with an exception for violent children, detention in adult or delinquent children facilities. Directs the Office to develop procedures for prohibited detention practices. Prohibits an unaccompanied alien child from being repatriated to a country unless an appropriate voluntary agency has conducted an assessment of the country conditions and the Office has conducted an assessment of the suitability of the placement of the child. Directs the Office to provide that each unaccompanied child have counsel and guardian ad litem. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a special immigrant juvenile visa (J Visa). Expresses congressional commendation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service' s issuance of its "Guidelines for Children's Asylum Claims." Directs the Attorney General to provide immigration officers with related training. Amends the Act to exempt unaccompanied alien children from certain removal and asylum filing provisions. Directs the Comptroller General to report respecting the Office's effectiveness.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2001
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the existing moratoria on new oil and natural gas leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities on submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf should be maintained.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2001
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act - Redefines the term "law enforcement officer" under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to include: (1) Federal employees not otherwise covered by such term whose duties include the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted individuals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; and (2) such employees of the Internal Revenue Service whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns. Requires that such service which is performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer be treated: (1) on or after the enactment date of this Act, for all purposes, as service performed as a law enforcement officer, irrespective of how such service is treated under the following; and (2) before, on, or after such date, for purposes of CSRS and FERS, as service performed as such an officer, but only if an appropriate written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management five years after such date or before separation from Government service, whichever is earlier. Provides that nothing under current law respecting mandatory separation from Government service under CSRS or FERS shall cause the involuntary separation of an officer before the end of the three-year period beginning on such date.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2001
Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2001 - Provides for the permanent resident adjustment of status of certain Liberian nationals present in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2001
Directs the Secretary of the Army to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Institute). Repeals statutory authority for the Institute. Prohibits any training or education facility from being established in the Department of Defense (DOD) for Latin American military personnel for ten months. Establishes a joint congressional task force to assess appropriate education and training for DOD to provide to military personnel of Latin American nations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2001
Automobile Fuel Economy Act of 2001 - Sets forth certain increased average fuel economy standards for certain light trucks, automobiles (up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight), and certain classes of vehicles in the Federal fleet that are manufactured or purchased after specified dates.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2001
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to eliminate authority for employees and agents of the United States to assist foreign countries in interdiction of aircraft suspected of drug-related operations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2001
Tibetan Policy Act of 2001 - Sets forth congressional declarations, including that it: (1) reaffirms that Tibet is an occupied country under the established principles of international law; (2) commends the Republic of India and the kingdom of Nepal for providing asylum and humanitarian care to the Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile; (3) expresses concern over incidents of ill treatment of transiting Tibetans in border areas; and (4) urges continued cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kathmandu. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President and the Secretary of State (as well as U.S. and European parliamentarians in the United States-European Interparliamentary Group) should initiate steps to encourage the Government of the People's Republic of China to enter into negotiations with the Dalai Lama or his representatives leading to an agreement on Tibet. Establishes within the Department of State a United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues who shall promote substantive dialogue between the Government of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives. Directs the U.S. executive director of each international financial institution, including the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the Trade and Development Agency, to support projects in Tibet consistent with specified principles. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) the release of, and access by humanitarian organizations to, Tibetan prisoners detained in China because of their political or religious beliefs; (2) the establishment of a U.S. branch office in Lhasa, Tibet; (3) Tibetan language training to U.S. foreign service officers assigned to the consulate in China; (4) U.S. promotion of economic development, cultural preservation, health care, and education and environmental sustainability for Tibetans inside Tibet; (5) Tibet considerations at the United Nations; and (6) the end of religious persecution in Tibet.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2001
Public Safety Act - Provides that to be eligible to receive a grant under the violent offender incarceration and truth-in-sentencing incentive grant program, an applicant shall provide assurances to the Attorney General that if selected to receive funds the applicant shall not contract with a private contractor or vendor to provide core services related to the incarceration of an inmate. Makes this provision inapplicable to an existing contract to provide such core services, but applicable to renewals or extensions of an existing contract. Amends the Federal criminal code to require the Bureau of Prisons to provide that: (1) any penal or correctional facility or institution, except for nonprofit community correctional confinement (such as halfway houses), confining any person convicted of offenses against the United States shall be under the direction of the Director of the Bureau and shall be managed and maintained by Federal, State, or local government employees; and (2) the housing, safeguarding, protection, and disciplining of any person charged with or convicted of any offense against the United States (with that exception) shall be conducted and carried out by Federal, State, or local government employees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2001
Relief, Community Vitalization, and Emergency Readiness in India and El Salvador (RECOVERIES) Act of 2001 - Authorizes the President to provide emergency international disaster assistance for: (1) recovery from the earthquakes of January and February 2001 in the Republic of India and the Republic of El Salvador; and (2) disaster mitigation activities in such countries and other countries that contain highly disaster-prone areas.
![Official portrait of Rep. Delahunt, William D. [D-MA-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000210_200.jpg)