United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1986
Natural Gas Policy Act Amendments of 1986 - Title I: Open Access to Transportation - Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the Commission) to: (1) allow any pipeline to transport natural gas on behalf of any person; (2) require pipelines to transport gas without discrimination; and (3) require pipelines which receive gas to provide nondiscriminatory transportation services. Requires the Commission (upon request by any person) to direct an interstate pipeline to provide transportation service (without discrimination) unless such pipeline demonstrates to the Commission that it is incapable of providing such service. Title II: Removal of Wellhead Price Controls and Repeal of Jurisdiction Over First Sales - Removes wellhead price controls over all natural gas first sales beginning April 1, 1987. Removes such control for certain gas sales contracts executed after March 1, 1986. Removes Commission jurisdiction over first sales of natural gas committed or dedicated as of the day before enactment of this Act. Repeals Commission authority to specify the minimum duration of certain natural gas contracts (thus removing all non-price regulation of first sales of natural gas). Declares that, with respect to ceiling prices of certain natural gas sales, the last price paid for such gas shall be considered a federally established rate for purposes of an area rate clause. Title III: Repeal of Certain Restrictions on the Use of Natural Gas and Petroleum Use and Pricing - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to: (1) repeal the prohibitions against the use by electric powerplants and major fuel-burning installations of petroleum and natural gas as primary energy sources; (2) remove the restrictions placed upon Federal major fuel-burning installations against the use of natural gas and petroleum as primary energy sources; and (3) repeal the guidelines for the emergency use of natural gas or petroleum as a primary energy source by any person operating a peakload powerplant or a major fuel-burning installation. Revokes the authority of the Secretary of Energy to require any major fuel-burning installation to furnish certain information regarding the use of primary energy sources of fuel. Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to repeal the natural gas incremental pricing provisions. States that incremental pricing rules promulgated by the Commission shall continue in effect only with respect to the flow-through of costs incurred before enactment of this Act, including any surcharges based on such costs.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Energy Incentives and Agricultural Financial Resources Act of 1986 - Title I: Sense of Congress on Tax Reform Provisions Which Detrimentally Affect the Petroleum Industry - Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that retention of current income tax provisions relating to the petroleum industry is necessary to provide capital formation for the industry. Urges elimination of any provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1985 (H.R. 3838) or of any similar tax reform legislation which would detrimentally affect the oil depletion allowance, the deduction for intangible drilling and development costs, the credit for producing fuel from a nonconventional source, or other tax provisions favorable to the petroleum industry. Title II: Federal Banking Agency Cooperation with Troubled Banks and Thrift Institutions - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to revise provisions concerning the extraordinary acquisition of troubled banks and thrift institutions. Authorizes an in-State or out-of-State bank holding company or savings and loan holding company to: (1) establish a newly chartered bank in a State where an insured bank with total assets of $250,000,000 or more is closed or is in danger of failing (as determined by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) for the purpose of purchasing the assets and assuming the liabilities of the closed or failing bank; (2) purchase the stock of the failing bank; (3) purchase the stock or assets of, or merge with, a bank subsidiary which is in danger of closing if the subsidiary holds 35 percent or more of the assets of a bank holding company with assets of at least $1,000,000,000; or (4) establish a newly chartered bank in the same State as the failing subsidiary to merge with, or purchase the assets and assume the liabilities of, such subsidiary or affiliated banks. Requires any such transaction to be approved by the Corporation and the primary Federal and State supervisors of each party thereto. Provides that an out-of-State bank holding company which acquires a closed or failing bank shall not be entitled to acquire additional banks in the State in which such bank is located. Authorizes any acquired bank to retain and operate all existing branches and to establish new branches to the same extent as a national bank located at such bank's principal office. Prohibits any in-State or out-of-State bank holding company which acquires a closed or failing bank from being required to divest any other bank or from being prevented from acquiring any other bank or bank holding company by reason of such acquisition. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) the shareholder approval of such an acquisition; and (2) the solicitation of offers and disclosure of information to prospective purchasers by the Corporation. Amends the Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 to extend the Net Worth Certificate Act for two years. Requires the appropriate Federal banking agency to: (1) permit an insured agricultural or energy bank to account for troubled debt restructuring according to generally accepted accounting principles by not requiring a change in the recorded investment unless the investment exceeds total, reasonably anticipated, future receipts, given the new terms of the loan; (2) establish a program of capital standard forbearance for such an insured bank for which capital reduction is largely attributable to problems in the agricultural or energy sectors of the economy or any other sector of the economy experiencing financial difficulties; and (3) implement call report requirements for renegotiated loans which authorize such loans to be disclosed as "restructured and in compliance with modified terms." Directs the Comptroller of the Currency to establish new lending limits for banks covered by the capital standard forbearance program. Prohibits such a lending limitation from exceeding 20 percent of the unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus of the lending institution. Creates a moratorium on the establishment of nonbank banks until July 15, 1986. Title II: Repeal of Certain Restrictions on the Use of Natural Gas and Petroleum -(Please note that H.R.4553 has two titles numbered "Title II.") - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to: (1) repeal the prohibitions against the use by electric powerplants and major fuel-burning installations of petroleum and natural gas as primary energy sources; (2) remove the restrictions placed upon Federal major fuel-burning installations against the use of natural gas and petroleum as primary energy sources; and (3) repeal the guidelines for the emergency use of natural gas or petroleum as a primary energy source by any person operating a peakload powerplant or a major fuel-burning installation. Revokes the authority of the Secretary of Energy to require any major fuel-burning installation to furnish certain information regarding the use of primary energy sources of fuel. Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to repeal the natural gas incremental pricing provisions. States that incremental pricing rules promulgated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) shall continue in effect only with respect to the flow-through of costs incurred before enactment of this Act, including any surcharges based on such costs. Authorizes FERC to direct natural gas companies to provide transportation services through certificated facilities if to do so does not impair such companies' ability to render adequate service to their customers. Provides for the transportation of natural gas on a non-discriminatory basis as to class of shipper or recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Designates May 21, 1986, as National Andrei Sakharov Day. Authorizes and requests the President to urge the Soviet Union to permit Andrei Sakharov and Elena Bonner to freely choose their place of residence.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1986
Prohibits the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to specified proposed sales of Sidewinder, Stinger, and Harpoon missiles and services to Saudi Arabia, as described in the April 8, 1986, certifications from the President to the Congress under the Arms Export Control Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Establishes the Insurance Availability Crisis Commission of 1986 to: (1) coordinate the intergovernmental examination of the tort law system and its relationship with insurance availability and cost; (2) bring representatives of industry, government, and consumers together to perform an examination of the issue of insurance availability; (3) make recommendations for reform of the tort system and insurance industry practices; and (4) raise funds to cover the costs of the Commission's activities. Directs the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the executive officer of each State. Provides for the Commission's termination upon the transmission of such report. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1986
Emergency Energy Act of 1986 - Title I: Amendments of Internal Revenue Code of 1954 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a credit against the income tax for crude oil producers equal to the excess of an oil well's operating costs allocable to a barrel of oil over the sales price of the barrel (but in no event for more than $5.00 per barrel). Provides for a carryback of unused excess credits for any year. Allows a credit for 15 percent of the costs of exploring for oil or natural gas in the United States. Provides for a carryback of unused excess exploration cost credits. Revises the minimum tax treatment rules for insolvent oil producers to provide that an insolvent taxpayer who transfers property used in the active conduct of a trade or business of exploring for or producing crude oil is not required to treat the net capital gain on a transfer as a tax preference if the transfer was made to a creditor in cancellation of indebtedness or to a third party under a threat of foreclosure. Limits such treatment revision to persons who have derived at least 50 percent of the gross income from an oil exploration or production business. Revises the minimum tax rules to allow a taxpayer to elect to carry over any portion of a percentage depletion deduction to the succeeding taxable year. Revises the definition of intangible drilling and development costs eligible for annual deduction as business expenses when paid or incurred to include geological, geophysical, and surface casing costs paid or incurred for the purpose of ascertaining the existence, location, extent, or quality of any domestic deposit of oil or gas. Repeals the tax preference cutback which currently requires integrated oil and gas producers to reduce (and thereby capitalize) the amount of intangible drilling and development costs eligible for a tax deduction by 20 percent. Repeals the rule that limits percentage depletion for oil or gas properties to 50 percent of a taxpayer's net income from the property. Revises the rule regarding an election to treat operating mineral interests as separate properties to allow such an election without regard to whether one or more of the operating mineral interests participated, under a voluntary or compulsory unitization or pooling agreement, in a single cooperative or unit plan of operation. Repeals specified rules which currently disqualify certain properties from: (1) the percentage depletion allowance deduction; and (2) the stripper well oil exemption from the windfall profits tax. Revises the special rules for the windfall profits tax to declare that a return shall not be treated as required if the amount of windfall profit tax withheld from the purchase payment to an oil producer equals or exceeds the amount required to be withheld as shown on the first purchaser's return. (The statute of limitations on assessments for windfall profits tax liability will thus begin to run concurrently with the statute of limitations on the taxpayer's income tax return.) Limits such rule revision to returns filed after February 29, 1980. Repeals the windfall profits tax. Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the provisions relating to oil and gas taxation contained in H.R. 3838, the Tax Reform Act of 1985 (as passed by the House of Representatives), or any similar provisions in any other legislation, shall not be enacted. Title II: Removal of Wellhead Price Controls and Repeal of Natural Gas Act Jurisdiction Over Certain First Sales of Natural Gas - Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to: (1) remove wellhead price controls over natural gas prices; (2) repeal the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over natural gas exempt from wellhead price controls; (3) repeal the President's standby price control authority; and (4) repeal congressional review of natural gas price controls. Title III: Repeal of Certain Restrictions on the Use of Natural Gas and Petroleum - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to: (1) repeal the prohibitions against the use by electric powerplants and major fuel-burning installations of petroleum and natural gas as primary energy sources: (2) remove the restrictions placed upon Federal major fuel-burning installations against the use of natural gas and petroleum as primary energy sources; (3) repeal the guidelines for the emergency use of natural gas or petroleum as a primary energy source by any person operating a peakload powerplant or a major fuel-burning installation. Revokes the authority of the Secretary of Energy to require any major fuel-burning installation to furnish certain information regarding the use of primary energy sources of fuel. Title IV: Repeal of Incremental Pricing Requirements - Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to repeal the natural gas incremental pricing provisions. States that incremental pricing rules promulgated by FERC shall continue in effect only with respect to the flow-through of costs incurred before enactment of this section, including any surcharges based on such costs. Title V: Strategic Petroleum Reserve - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve only with crude oil produced in the United States. Prohibits the disposition of the Federal share of crude oil in the Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve unless: (1) the minimum quantity of crude oil in storage in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is 750,000,000 barrels (currently, 500,000,000 barrels). Title VI: Plugging of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells - Declares it is the sense of the Congress that: (1) no State should impose less than a one year waiting period before requiring the permanent plugging of abandoned oil and gas wells; and (2) States should encourage limited plugging of such wells for reopening at a later date at minimal cost. Title VII: Separability - Sets forth separability provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Federal excise taxes and tariffs when incurred by business in the production of income should remain deductible for Federal income tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1986
Telephone Decency Act of 1986 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit any obscene or indecent telephone communication for commercial purposes to any person in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication. (Current law prohibits such communication to any person without his or her consent or to any person under 18 years of age.)
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the aspirations of the Angolan people deserve U.S. support; (2) the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and its leader, Dr. Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, have the right to play a role in the political life of Angola; and (3) the Marxist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has violated the rights of the Angolan people. Declares that the MPLA should agree to negotiations which will include UNITA, end the presence of Soviet and Cuban forces in Angola, result in national reconciliation within Angola, and facilitate the independence of Namibia. Urges the President to provide assistance to UNITA in order to promote a political solution and withdrawal of outside forces, and to help UNITA deter and resist continued Soviet, Cuban, and MPLA military escalation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1986
Provides that any requirement to substantiate a deduction under the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the business use of a vehicle must be based on regulations in effect before the Tax Reform Act of 1984.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 1986
Authorizes and requests the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, gold medals to Anatoly and Avital Shcharansky in recognition of their supreme dedication and total commitment to human rights and freedoms. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to determine the design of the medals. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to sell bronze duplicates of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 1986
Declares that each standing committee of the House of Representatives may, within two days of adoption of this resolution, submit to the House Budget Committee alternatives to the President's sequestration order under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), insofar as such order affects laws within the jurisdiction of the committee. Requires the Budget Committee, within four days of adoption of this resolution, to report a resolution containing instructions to committees sufficient to achieve the total level of deficit reduction contained in the President's sequestration order for FY 1986. Provides that such instructions shall require that each committee (and each subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations) achieve the same level of deficit reduction with respect to programs under its jurisdiction as would have been saved under the President's order. Requires committees to submit recommendations to the Budget Committee by February 21, 1986, sufficient to meet deficit reductions. Requires the Budget Committee to promptly report a reconciliation bill carrying out such recommendations. Authorizes the Budget Committee to include legislative language within the jurisdiction of any noncomplying committee. Requires such reconciliation bill to include a provision which states that if it is enacted on or before March 1, 1986, then the sequestration order for FY 1986 is null and void. Establishes procedures for floor consideration of such reconciliation bill, including limitation on debates and amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress, and instructs its committees and conferees, that the Congress will not approve any provisions in H.R. 3838 or in similar legislation that would adversely affect the tax-exempt status of the bonds or other obligations of the States or their political subdivisions and instrumentalities which comply with current law and which are issued prior to: (1) January 1, 1987; or (2) any later date provided in enacted law.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 1986
Encourages the President to request the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union to designate three of the ten moons recently discovered near the planet Uranus by the names of the three crew members of Apollo I.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Requests the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union to officially designate seven of the ten moons recently discovered by the Voyager-2 spacecraft near the planet Uranus in the names of the seven astronauts who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Michael J. Smith, Francis R. Scobee, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Judith A. Resnik, all of whom died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 1986
Authorizes the L-5 Society to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor America's astronauts, especially those astronauts who gave their lives in pursuit of knowledge for all mankind. Requires the L-5 Society to select, subject to the approval of the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, the site, design, and plans for the memorial. Terminates the authority to establish the memorial if its construction is not begun within five years with non-Federal funds sufficient to ensure its completion.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 1986
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that citizens or residents of the United States who are in a foreign country in violation of an executive order shall not be permitted to exclude from income the foreign earned income from sources within such country or the housing expenses allocable for housing in such country.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1986
Live Birth Abortion Revision Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny a taxpayer's personal exemption deduction for a child who is born alive after an induced abortion or an attempt to perform an abortion and dies as a result of such procedure. Denies the deduction for abortion expenses unless the abortion was performed to save the life of the mother. Denies the personal exemption deduction for the spouse or a dependent of the taxpayer if the taxpayer intentionally causes the death of such spouse or dependent. Requires a court determination of an intentional cause of death.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 1986
Expresses disapproval of the refusal of the U.S.S.R. to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic Republics. Designates the 14th day of June 1986 as Baltic Freedom Day. Authorizes and requests the President to submit the issue of Baltic self-determination to the United Nations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 1985
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the President should continue to express to the Soviet Union U.S. opposition with respect to the harassment and arrests of Hebrew teachers and Jewish activists in the Soviet Union; and (2) the Soviet Union should comply with its commitments under specified international human rights agreements and cease its persecution of individuals on the basis of their Jewish faith.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 1985
Amends rule XV of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit the House from passing or adopting any bill or joint resolution making appropriations or providing revenue except by a rollcall vote.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 1985
Calls upon the President to direct the Agency for International Development to work in a global effort to provide universal access to childhood immunization by 1990 by: (1) assisting in the delivery, distribution, and use of vaccines; and (2) performing and supporting research and development activities that will be targeted at developing new vaccines and at modifying existing vaccines to make them more appropriate for use in developing countries. Declares that the President should appeal to the public to provide the necessary resources to achieve universal access to childhood immunization by 1990. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase the authorization of appropriations for FY 1987 for the Child Survival Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 1985
Trade Expansion Act - Title I: Export of Alaskan Oil - Exempts the export of Alaskan crude oil from the restrictions of the Export Administration Act of 1979, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, or any other law if such oil is transported in certain tankers. Title II: Business Information and Confidentiality Procedures - Business Information Confidentiality Procedures Act - Directs each Federal agency to promulgate regulations to provide procedures to protect the confidentiality of business information consisting of trade secrets and commercial or financial information. Establishes procedures under which a submitter of such information shall be: (1) notified of a decision allowing disclosure; (2) permitted to provide written objections; and (3) permitted to seek de novo judicial review of a decision to allow disclosure over such objections. Title III: Business Accounting and Foreign Trade Simplification - Business Accounting and Foreign Trade Simplification Act - Changes the name of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) to the Business Practices and Records Act. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require securities issuers to maintain an internal accounting system that provides reasonable assurance that specified accountability and accuracy goals are met. Prohibits imposing criminal liability for failing to maintain such an accounting system. Prohibits imposing civil injunctive relief with respect to: (1) an issuer who fails to maintain the required accounting system if the issuer tried in good faith to meet the requirements; or (2) any person other than an issuer in connection with an issuer's failure to comply with such requirements, unless such person knowingly caused the issuer to fail to comply. Prohibits anyone from knowingly circumventing such an accounting system for a purpose inconsistent with the accountability and accuracy goals of such system. Requires only good faith efforts at ensuring compliance by issuers who hold 50 percent or less of the equity of domestic or foreign firms. Transfers from the Securities and Exchange Commission to the Department of Justice jurisdiction to enforce the bribery prohibitions of the FCPA with respect to issuers. Revises the prohibition against domestic concerns using any means of interstate commerce to further payments to obtain business with a foreign official. States that such a payment made "directly or indirectly" to a foreign official is illegal. Prohibits such payments that are made to: (1) influence a foreign official's act or induce such an official to violate a legal duty; or (2) induce a foreign official to affect a foreign government's act. Prohibits domestic concerns from using interstate commerce to direct or authorize an agent to further such a payment to a foreign official. Exempts from such prohibitions: (1) payments to foreign officials to expedite or to secure the performance of routine governmental action; (2) payments to such officials that are lawful under the foreign country's laws; (3) payments which constitute tokens of regard or esteem; (4) expenditures associated with selling, purchasing, or demonstrating goods; or (5) ordinary expenditures associated with performing a contract with a foreign government. Revises the fines and criminal penalties for violations of such Act. Empowers the Attorney General to undertake all civil investigations necessary to enforce the Act. Prohibits prosecution of a domestic concern or specified agents of such concern for violating the Federal mail or wire fraud provisions by making a payment to a foreign official if the prosecution is based on the theory that the official, by receiving the payment, violated a duty to or defrauded the foreign government or the citizens of a foreign country. Authorizes the Attorney General to issue guidelines specifying: (1) permissible conduct associated with common types of export sales arrangements; and (2) precautionary procedures which would create a rebuttable presumption of compliance. Provides for the establishment of a Business Practices and Records Act Review Procedure to answer specific inquiries concerning enforcement of such Act. Requires the Attorney General to issue opinions regarding compliance. Makes such opinions final and binding on all parties if the opinion states that the conduct does not involve a violation. Directs the Attorney General to protect the confidentiality of materials submitted in the review procedure. Requires annual reports to the Congress by: (1) the Attorney General concerning actions taken pursuant to such Act; and (2) the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning the reporting requirements. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should negotiate an international agreement on illicit payments, including a dispute resolution procedure. Directs the President to report to the Congress on: (1) the progress of such negotiations; (2) the steps the United States could take if the negotiations fail to eliminate the competitive disadvantage of U.S. business; and (3) possible methods of promoting international cooperation to prevent bribery in third world countries. Requires the report to contain recommendations for new legislation and an analysis of the potential effect on U.S. interests of the corruption of foreign officials and political leaders. Title IV: Average Fuel Economy Standard - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to lower the average fuel economy standard to 26 miles per gallon after 1985. Title V: Pharmaceutical Exports - Pharmaceutical Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to permit the export of certain drugs (including biological products) intended for human or animal use even though such drugs have not been approved or licensed for use in the United States. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and update a two-tiered list of countries with adequate governmental health authorities which in the first tier includes developed regulatory procedures and tests with experienced scientific personnel and in the second tier includes sufficient ability to assure consistency of labeling information. Permits shipments to nonlist countries where differing health conditions make such shipments desirable. Permits the export of an unapproved drug to a second tier country if such drug is approved for use in a first-tier country. Prohibits the export of drugs denied approval on the basis of safety and efficacy or whose manufacture in the United States has been determined to be contrary to U.S. health and safety. Sets forth other criteria and restrictions on the export of such drugs, including notice requirements. Title VI: Antitrust Law Reform - Amends the Clayton Act to repeal the provision prohibiting the acquisition by one corporation of the stock of another.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 1985
Equity and Choice Act of 1985 - Amends chapter 1 (Financial Assistance to Meet the Special Educational Needs of Disadvantaged Children) of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) (hereinafter referred to as Chapter 1) to add provisions for educational vouchers. Requires each local educational agency (LEA) to provide an educational voucher, upon parental request, to the parents of each educationally deprived child selected to participate in the LEA's Chapter 1 program. Requires each LEA to: (1) provide written notice to such parents of the options available to them under Chapter 1, including their right to obtain an educational voucher for their child; (2) afford such parents a reasonable period of time to request such vouchers; and (3) convene an annual public meeting to discuss the availability and authorized uses of such vouchers, and invite parents of all eligible children and representatives of private eligible educational institutions to such meeting. Sets forth authorized uses of such vouchers. Allows such vouchers to be used as payment toward tuition and/or to obtain compensatory services at: (1) a public school outside the child's school attendance area (if the LEA permits this); (2) a public school outside the child's district; or (3) private school. Sets forth formulas for determining the amount of such a voucher. Requires each LEA to provide regular Chapter 1 programs and projects for eligible public and private school children whose parents do not request educational vouchers from that LEA. Sets forth requirements for LEA applications for Chapter 1 assistance. Declares that such voucher payments to a private school or a public school outside the child's school district shall not constitute Federal financial assistance to the private school or that public school. Declares that the use of such funds by such private or public schools shall not constitute a program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Provides that such voucher payments to parents shall not be subject to Federal, State, or local income taxes. Requires that any private school eligible for such voucher payments include a statement that it does not discriminate against student applicants or students on the basis of race in any published bylaws, advertisements, admission application forms, or other published materials. Makes inapplicable to such voucher programs specified Chapter 1 provisions relating to authorized program design and description and application approval and assurances. Allows each LEA to use Chapter 1 funds to provide for transportation, on an equitable basis, to eligible children whose parents obtain vouchers and enroll such children at public schools outside their school attendance area or school district or at private schools. Makes such use of funds an administrative cost of carrying out Chapter 1 programs and projects. Sets forth provisions relating to nondiscrimination by private schools in such voucher program. Prohibits voucher payments with respect to any private school if there is in effect a judgment by a U.S. district court declaring that such school follows a racially discriminatory policy, or if a U.S. court of appeals has ordered the district court to enter such a judgment. Requires each private school, before receiving voucher payments, to file with the LEA a verified statement: (1) declaring that such school has not followed a racially discriminatory policy during the previous 12 months; (2) indicating whether such a declaratory judgment or order has been entered against the school in an action brought under this Act; and (3) attesting that the school has complied with the requirement to include a statement of nondiscrimination in its published materials. Grants the Attorney General exclusive jurisdiction to investigate and determine whether a private school is following a racially discriminatory policy. Defines "racially discriminatory policy" for purposes of this Act. Declares that a racially discriminatory policy shall not include failure of any institution to pursue or achieve any racial quota, proportion, or representation in the student body. Defines "race" to include color or national origin. Authorizes the Attorney General to have sole discretion to seek a declaratory judgment against any private school upon: (1) receipt within the previous one-year period of any allegation of discrimination against such institution; and (2) a finding of good cause by the Attorney General. Authorizes the U.S. district court for the district in which the private school is located to make a declaration with respect to whether such institution follows a racially discriminatory policy, upon the filing of an appropriate pleading by the Attorney General. Sets forth procedures with respect to such allegations, pleadings, and declarations. Authorizes the Attorney General to have sole discretion to enter into settlement agreements prior to and in lieu of filing such actions. Authorizes the court to award costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to any private school which prevails in such actions unless the court determines that the Attorney General was substantially justified. Provides for post-judgment motions for declarations that a school no longer follows a racially discriminatory policy. Sets forth technical and conforming amendments to ECIA and to specified provisions of Federal law relating to the creation of the declaratory judgment remedy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 1985
Telecommunications Equipment and Information Services Act of 1985 - Authorizes the Bell operating companies to provide information services (excluding electronic publishing) and to manufacture telecommunications equipment, subject to such regulations as the Federal Communications Commission may prescribe. Conditions such authority on the Commission's determination that no Bell operating company could impede competition in the information services or telecommunications equipment manufacturing businesses. Requires the Commission to include in its annual report to the Congress an assessment, providing for public comment, of the impact of this Act on employment in such businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 1985
Designates May 25, 1986, as Hands Across America Day. Authorizes and requests the President to commend: (1) United Support of Artists for Africa for their Hands Across America project; and (2) the American people for their commitment to helping people help themselves.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 1985
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should immediately withdraw its proposed rule on natural gas block billing (a substitute pricing method for natural gas).
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 1985
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should: (1) forever desist from congratulating the Soviet Union on the anniversary of the Communists' seizure of power; and (2) annually express, on November 7, our solidarity with the people and countries under Soviet domination, and our hope for their imminent freedom and national integrity.
![Official portrait of Rep. DeLay, Tom [R-TX-22]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000217_200.jpg)