United States · United States Congress · 13 November 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Improved Communications Act Remedies for Slamming Title II: Regulation of Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices in Connection with Slamming Slamming Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 1997 - Title I: Improved Communications Act Remedies for Slamming - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require any telephone exchange carrier that submits or executes a change in a subscriber's selection of a provider of telephone exchange or toll service in violation of subscriber verification requirements prescribed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to refund to such subscriber any charges imposed for such service during the three-month period after such change is effected. Prohibits any change in selection, or verification of such a change, without the affirmative request of the subscriber. Requires the FCC to complete rulemaking for enforcement of such verification requirements within two years after the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Provides a private right of action for any subscriber whose service is changed in violation of such requirements. Authorizes the appropriate State court to increase damage awards by up to three times the maximum allowable award for willful and knowing violations. Title II: Regulation of Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices in Connection With Slamming - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe rules to prohibit unfair and deceptive acts and practices in any advertisement for or solicitation of any change in a subscriber's selection of a service provider. Requires a carrier to clearly and conspicuously disclose that the offer seeks to change the subscriber's service provider, as well as the total cost for such new service. Permits States to bring civil actions on behalf of residents to enjoin unlawful exchange practices, to enforce carrier compliance with FTC rules, or to obtain damages or other appropriate relief.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 1997
Campus Hate Crimes Right to Know Act of 1997 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to collect and report statistics concerning the occurrence on campus of all criminal incidents that manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability that are reported to campus security or local police agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 1997
Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of the Treasury to use available customs user fees to provide salaries for up to 50 full-time equivalent inspectional positions through FY 1998 in connection with the arrival in Florida of passengers aboard commercial vessels, regardless of whether such passengers are required to pay such fees.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 1997
Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1997 - Provides for the permanent resident status adjustment of certain Haitian nationals (and their spouses and children) who were paroled into the United States or filed for amnesty before a specified date. Sets forth stay of removal and work authorization provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the low-income State housing credit ceiling amount; and (2) provide for a cost-of-living adjustment for such amount.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1997
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to declare that any Medicaid-related funds recovered or paid to a State as part of a settlement or judgment reached in litigation the State initiated or pursued against one or more tobacco companies shall not be treated as an overpayment.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1997
Multichannel Video Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 1997 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) initiate, and report to specified congressional committees on, an inquiry on the extent to which a certain differential fee decision (relating to the per subscriber per month royalty fee for the retransmission of superstation and distant network signals by direct-to-home satellite service providers) constitutes an impediment to the development of effective market competition for multichannel video programming distribution; and (2) based on such inquiry, make necessary regulatory changes. Includes direct-to-home satellite services under provisions protecting telecommunications services from piracy. Prohibits any U.S. officer or employee from taking any action to implement or enforce the differential fee decision until 120 days after FCC submission of its report.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1997
Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act of 1997 - Amends Federal criminal law to prescribe criminal penalties (including mandatory restitution) for willful failure to pay child support obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1997
Insurance Disclosure Act of 1997 - Requires insurers, if a medical exam (procured by the insurer) is required for initial or continued enrollment, to: (1) provide the individual involved with all medical information obtained from the exam; and (2) encourage the individual to make the information available to the individual's physician. Deems the above requirements to be provisions of the Public Health Service Act for purposes of provisions relating to enforcement, preemption, State flexibility, and construction. Provides for a private cause of action, including applying certain civil enforcement provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Supersedes any State law providing less protection to individuals. (Sec. 7) Amends ERISA to require a group insurance plan, and any insurer offering a policy in connection with such plan, if a medical exam (procured by the insurer) is required for initial or continued eligibility for benefits, to: (1) provide the individual involved with all medical information obtained from the exam; and (2) encourage the individual to make the information available to the individual's physician. Supersedes any State law providing less protection to individuals. Makes an administrator who fails or refuses to comply liable to the individual for up to $100 per day. Allows other relief.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 1997
Recognizes the historic significance of the fiftieth anniversary of the reestablishment of the State of Israel. Commends the Israeli people for their achievements in building a new state and a pluralistic democratic society in the Middle East. Reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel. Extends congratulations and best wishes to the State of Israel and her people for a peaceful, prosperous, and successful future.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 1997
Jennifer's Law Act of 1997 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for a ten percent reduction (for redistribution to States in compliance) for any State not substantially complying with rules made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to achieve greater ease in cross referencing indexes of missing persons with those of unidentified persons and requiring: (1) immediate reporting by a State's authorities of every unidentified person found in that State's jurisdiction, to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and to the State's law enforcement authorities; (2) the subsequent entry of a complete profile of the unidentified person; (3) the entry of an NCIC or other appropriate number on all unidentified persons' death certificates; and (4) the retention of all such records pertaining to unidentified persons in the NCIC and with appropriate State agencies until the person is identified. Directs the FBI to issue regulations to ensure compliance, including a requirement that any charge for making available such information not exceed the actual cost of making such information available.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1997
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1997 - Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to: (1) make grants to States or units of local government to purchase armor vests for use by law enforcement officers; and (2) give preferential consideration to applications from jurisdictions that have the greatest need, a mandatory wear policy, and a violent crime rate at or above the national average. Sets forth provisions regarding matching funds and allocation of funds, State and local applications, and grant application renewal. Prohibits any State or unit of local government that receives financial assistance made available by this Act from purchasing equipment or products manufactured using prison inmate labor. Authorizes appropriations. Expresses the sense of the Congress that entities receiving assistance under this Act should, in expending such assistance, purchase only American-made equipment and products.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude distributions form an individual retirement account from inclusion in gross income to the extent that such distributions are used for charitable purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1997
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the transfer of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China (PRC) does not alter the current and future status of Taiwan; (2) the future of Taiwan should be determined by peaceful means through a democratic process; and (3) the United States should assist in the defense of Taiwan in case of threats or military attack by the PRC.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 1997
Superfund Recycling Equity Act of 1997- Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to absolve persons (other than owners or operators) who arranged for the recycling of recyclable material from liability for environmental response actions. Deems transactions involving scrap paper, plastic, glass, textiles, or rubber (other than whole tires) to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that the following criteria were met: (1) the recyclable material met a commercial specification grade and a market existed for the material; (2) a substantial portion of the material was made available for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of a new saleable product; (3) the material (or product to be made from the material) could have been a replacement for a virgin raw material; and (4) with respect to transactions occurring 90 days after this Act's enactment, the person exercised reasonable care to determine that the facility where the material would be managed by another was in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations. Deems transactions involving scrap metal to be arranging for recycling if the person who arranged the transaction demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; (2) he or she complied with applicable standards regarding activities associated with the recycling of scrap metals; and (3) the scrap metal was not melted prior to the transaction. Deems transactions involving spent lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or other batteries to be arranging for recycling if the person involved demonstrates that: (1) the criteria for scrap materials were met; and (2) he or she complied with applicable Federal environmental regulations or standards regarding such batteries. Makes the exemptions from liability under this Act inapplicable if the person: (1) had an objectively reasonable basis to believe at the time of the recycling transaction that the recyclable material would not be recycled or would be burned as fuel or for energy recovery or incineration or that the consuming facility was not in compliance with Federal, State, or local environmental laws or regulations; (2) had reason to believe that hazardous substances had been added to the material for purposes other than processing for recycling; or (3) failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the management of the material. Makes such exemptions inapplicable if the recyclable material contained polychlorinated biphenyls in excess of 50 parts per million or any new Federal standard or if such material is an item of scrap paper containing, at the time of recycling, a concentration of a hazardous substance determined to present a significant human health or environmental risk.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 1997
Iran Missile Proliferation Sanctions Act of 1997 - Directs the President to report periodically to specified congressional committees on foreign persons (except those previously identified or sanctioned or subject to waiver) who, on or after August 8, 1995, have transferred, or attempted to transfer, controlled goods or technology, or provided, or attempted to provide, technical assistance or facilities that contributed, or would have contributed, to Iran's efforts to acquire, develop, or produce ballistic missiles. Requires imposition on such persons of minimum two-year sanctions prohibiting: (1) sales to such persons of items on the United States Munitions List (and terminating sales of any controlled U.S. arms); (2) the export to such persons of dual use goods and technology; and (3) the provision of U.S. financial assistance. Authorizes the President to waive such sanctions, with written justification to Congress, on the basis of U.S. national security or additional information demonstrating that the sanctioned person did not commit the acts alleged.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 1997
Osteoporosis Federal Employee Health Benefits Standardization Act of 1997 - Amends Federal law concerning Government organization and employees to prohibit contracts from being made or plans approved under the health insurance program for Federal employees which do not include coverage of bone mass measurements of qualified individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 1997
Amends the Clean Water Act to require grants made under the National Estuary Program to be used for assisting activities necessary for the development and implementation of conservation and management plans (currently, for research and other technical work necessary for the development of such plans). Reauthorizes appropriations for the Program for FY 1998 through 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1997
Medicare Prostate Cancer Screening Act of 1997 - Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to accelerate from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 1998, the effective date for the prostate cancer screening test benefit under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 1997
Denounces and rejects the resolution adopted on September 21, 1997, by the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League in their conference in Cairo which invites Arab states to take action to ease United Nations (UN) sanctions against Libya. Reaffirms U.S. commitment to support the sanctions until the two individuals suspected in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 and UTA flight 772 are turned over to appropriate judicial authorities in the United States or the United Kingdom and France as required by UN Security Council resolutions. Calls upon the President to suspend all U.S. assistance to all countries which violate the UN sanctions. Requests that the Secretary of State express to the government of each Arab League member country the profound concern of the United States about efforts to undermine the international fight against terrorism by weakening or violating the sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1997
Authorizes the President to present gold medals, on behalf of the Congress, to named individuals referred to collectively as the "Little Rock Nine," in recognition of the selfless heroism they exhibited and the pain they suffered in the cause of civil rights by integrating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates of such medals in bronze. States that these medals are national medals.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1997
Oceans Act of 1997 - Directs the President to develop and maintain a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national policy on ocean and coastal activities and, regarding Federal agencies and departments, to review ocean and coastal activities, plan and implement an integrated program of ocean and coastal activities, designate responsibility for funding and conducting ocean and coastal activities, and ensure cooperation and resolve differences arising from laws and regulations. (Sec. 5) Establishes the Commission on Ocean Policy, requiring it to report to the President and the Congress on a comprehensive national ocean and coastal policy to carry out the purpose and objectives of this Act. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 6) Directs the President to report to the Congress biennially, describing ocean and coastal activities of all independent agencies and departments and evaluating those activities in terms of the purpose and objectives of this Act. Requires each department or independent agency to include with its annual appropriations request a report identifying budget elements relating to ocean and coastal activities and specifying how each element contributes to implementation of the national ocean and coastal policy. Directs the President to identify in each budget submitted to the Congress those elements of each agency or department budget that contribute to the implementation of the national ocean and coastal policy. (Sec. 7) Repeals the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1997
Requires the U.S. Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first-class mail that is equal to the regular rate plus a differential of not to exceed 25 percent to be offered as an alternative that patrons may use voluntarily to contribute to funding for prostate cancer research. Requires the Service to pay amounts attributable (additional revenues minus costs) to such differential to the National Institutes of Health under arrangements as mutually agreed, provided payments are made at least twice a year. Requires the Postmaster General to include in each annual report to the Board of Governors information concerning the operation of this Act. Terminates the provisions of this Act at the end of the two-year period beginning on the date on which such postage stamps are first made available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1997
Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act of 1997 - Amends Federal criminal code provisions regarding failure to pay legal child support obligations to create two new categories of felony offenses, subject to a two-year maximum prison term: (1) traveling in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to evade a support obligation if the obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than one year or is greater than $5,000; and (2) willfully failing to pay a support obligation regarding a child residing in another State, if the obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than two years or is greater than $10,000. Specifies that the existence of a support obligation that was in effect for the time period charged in the indictment or information creates a rebuttable presumption that the obligor has the ability to pay such obligation for that period. Directs the court, upon a conviction, to order restitution in an amount equal to the total unpaid support obligation as it exists at the time of sentencing.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Consumer Bankruptcy Issues Title II: Improved Bankruptcy Administration Responsible Borrower Protection Bankruptcy Act - Title I: Consumer Bankruptcy Issues - Amends Federal bankruptcy law to prescribe guidelines for a needs-based bankruptcy system which precludes individuals from filing for complete relief in bankruptcy (under chapter 7 (Liquidation)) if certain current monthly income is available to pay creditors. (Sec. 101) Sets forth formulae for income levels determinative of debtor eligibility for bankruptcy relief. Treats as having income available to pay creditors (and thus eligible for chapter 13 Adjustment of Debts of an Individual with Regular Income) any individual (or in a joint case, an individual and spouse combined) with: (1) a current monthly total income of 75 percent of the national median household income for one earner (or 75 percent of the national median family income for a family of equal size); (2) projected monthly net income greater than $50; and (3) projected monthly net income sufficient to repay 20 percent or more of unsecured non-priority claims during a five-year repayment plan. (Sec. 102) Provides for adjustment to a chapter 13 debtor's monthly net income for extraordinary circumstances such as loss of income or unusual expenses. (Sec. 103) Modifies notice requirements to apprise a consumer debtor of alternatives to bankruptcy, including independent non-profit debt counseling services. (Sec. 104) Declares embezzlement or fraudulently-incurred debts of individuals nondischargeable in bankruptcy. (Sec. 105) Instructs the bankruptcy court to confirm the bankruptcy plan of an individual if it provides that the holder of a secured allowed claim retains the lien securing such claim until discharge of all debts. (Sec. 106) Grants a claim arising from a nondischargeable debt incurred to pay a Federal tax (or any other nondischargeable debt) the same priority as the claim for the underlying obligation which was paid for by such nondischargeable debt. (Sec. 107) Establishes a presumption that consumer debts owed to a single creditor and incurred within 90 days prior to an order for relief in bankruptcy are nondischargeable in bankruptcy. (Sec. 108) Revamps prescriptions governing the effects of conversion from chapter 13 to another chapter. Declares that: (1) valuations of property and of allowed secured claims in a chapter 13 case shall not apply in a chapter 7 case; and (2) with respect to cases converted from chapter 13, the claim of any creditor holding security as of the date of the petition shall continue to be secured by that security unless the full amount of that claim determined under applicable non-bankruptcy law has been paid in full as of the date of conversion. (Sec. 109) Terminates the automatic stay 30 days after filing of a petition if a petition was pending and dismissed under chapter 7 the previous year, unless the subsequent filing is in good faith. Delineates conditions under which a history of previous petitions in bankruptcy give rise to a rebuttable presumption that the case is not filed in good faith. (Sec. 110) Requires that the value of personal property collateral be at least equal to the outstanding balance of the purchase price, including interest and charges, where the property was acquired by the debtor within 180 days of filing the petition in bankruptcy. (Sec. 111) Declares that, in the case of chapter 7 and chapter 13 debtors, the personal property securing the individual debtor's personal property shall be the replacement value as of the date the petition is filed without deduction for costs of sale or marketing. (Sec. 112) Modifies debtor's duties to mandate specified affirmative actions to be taken by a chapter 7 debtor, including reaffirmation of the debt or redemption of the property within 60 days, in order to retain possession of personal property. (Sec. 113) Establishes the Bankruptcy Exemption Study Commission to study and report to the Congress on issues and problems in the bankruptcy system, including whether exemptions should be uniform nationally, and the appropriate size of exemptions in individual cases. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 114) Mandates that a chapter 13 debtor file a bankruptcy plan within a specified deadline. (Sec. 115) Changes from discretionary to mandatory the court's authority to dismiss an individual debtor case if relief would be a substantial abuse of chapter 7. Requires the court to find that substantial abuse exists if: (1) the debtor is ineligible for chapter 7 relief under the needs-based test; or (2) the totality of the circumstances of the debtor's financial situation demonstrate substantial abuse. (Sec. 116) Provides for a chapter 7 debtor's assumption of executory contracts and unexpired leases. Declares that in a chapter 11 case in which the debtor is an individual, and in a chapter 13 case, if the lease is not assumed in the plan, it is rejected (and no longer subject to an automatic stay) as of the plan's confirmation date. (Sec. 117) Mandates a maximum five-year payment period under a chapter 13 plan for any individual debtor (or in a joint case, an individual and spouse combined) with a current monthly total income of 75 percent of the national median household income for one earner (or 75 percent of the national median family income for a family of equal size). Permits the court to approve a longer period, not to exceed seven years. (Sec. 118) Revises prescriptions governing a stay of action against a codebtor to provide that: (1) the co-debtor stay would continue to be available when the debtor who borrowed the money sought Chapter 13 relief; but (2) if a guarantor or other co-debtor who did not receive the consideration for the creditor's claim filed for relief, the debtor who borrowed the money would not be protected by a stay unless he or she also filed a bankruptcy petition. Declares that the stay shall terminate as to the debtor's interest in personal property if the debtor surrendered or abandoned that property. (Sec. 120) Includes within the definition of a debtor's "principal residence" an individual condominium or cooperative unit, or mobile, or manufactured home or trailer. Provides that the inclusion of incidental property in a mortgage on the debtor's principal residence will not disqualify that mortgage from protection under chapter 13. Provides that if the debtor resides in a house the debtor owns during the 180 days before filing, such protection applies. States that the automatic stay will not be violated if a prepetition foreclosure proceeding is postponed during the pendency of a Chapter 13 proceeding, so long as any prepetition default remains uncured by actual payment in full according to the plan. (Sec. 121) Extends the mandatory period between discharges in bankruptcy from six to ten years for chapter 7 debtors. Sets five years as the mandatory period between discharges for chapter 13 debt repayment plans. Title II: Improved Bankruptcy Administration - Modifies the organization of bankruptcy courts to mandate the compilation of bankruptcy statistics for individual debtors with primarily consumer debts seeking relief under chapters 7, 11 (Reorganization), and 13. Directs the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (Administrative Office) to make such statistics public and to report them annually to the Congress. (Sec. 202) Requires each U.S. trustee to report to the Attorney General on audit results of bankruptcy petitions and schedules performed by independent certified or licensed public accountants. Requires the Attorney General to establish random audits of individual bankruptcy cases under chapter 11. (Sec. 203) Directs the Administrative Office to establish and maintain a nationwide debtors' docket accessible to searches by any users. (Sec. 204) Revises guidelines governing meetings of creditors and equity security holders to provide that if the debtor is an individual in a voluntary case under chapters 7, 11, or 13, the first meeting of creditors shall not convene earlier than 60 days after the date of the order for relief in bankruptcy, unless the court determines that unusual circumstances justify an earlier meeting. Authorizes a creditor holding a consumer debt to participate in a meeting of creditors in a chapter 7 or 13 case, either alone or in conjunction with an attorney. Prescribes notice procedures for chapter 7 and chapter 13 creditors. (Sec. 207) Revises automatic stay guidelines to provide that in the case of an individual filing under chapters 7, 11, or 13, the automatic stay shall terminate 60 days after a request for its release by a party in interest, unless the court orders or the parties agree to a longer time. Terminates such stay if the debtor fails to complete an intended surrender of consumer debt collateral. (Sec. 210) Expands debtor's duties to require filing with the bankruptcy court: (1) Federal tax returns; (2) evidence of payments received; (3) monthly net income projections; and (4) anticipated debt or expenditure increases. Permits a chapter 7 or chapter 13 creditor to request the debtor's petition, schedules and statement of affairs, including the debt adjustment plan filed by the debtor. Mandates debtor compliance within ten days of such request. Mandates that, at the time of filing with the taxing authority, a chapter 7 or 13 debtor file with the bankruptcy court specified tax documentation pertaining to the period from the commencement of the case until case termination. Requires a chapter 13 debtor to file with the court a statement of income and expenditures in the preceding tax year, and monthly net income, showing how calculated. (Sec. 211) Provides for automatic dismissal if a chapter 7 debtor fails to furnish all mandatory information, or fails to timely file the requisite schedules. Requires the court to order dismissal within five days of a request by a party in interest for the debtor's failure to timely submit requisite documentation. (Sec. 212) Delineates a cash payment plan for chapter 13 debtors for payments to any lessor of personal property and to any creditor holding a claim secured by personal property to the extent such claim is attributable to the debtor's purchase of such property. (Sec. 213) Prohibits a Chapter 13 confirmation hearing from being held less than 20 days after the first meeting of creditors if there is an objection.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1997
Continued Dumping or Subsidy Offset Act of 1997 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to declare that, whenever continued dumping or subsidization is found to exist by the administering authority or by operation of law, any duties assessed shall be distributed as continued dumping or subsidy offsets to the affected domestic producers for qualifying expenditures on an annual basis. Limits qualifying expenditures to expenditures incurred since the issuance of the antidumping duty finding or order or countervailing duty order in any or all of the categories of plant, equipment, research and development, personnel training, acquisition of technology, employer-paid employee health care and pension benefits, and environmental equipment, training and-or technology. Directs the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service to prescribe offset disbursement procedures. Sets forth general procedures for notification of eligible parties. Requires the Commissioner to establish a special account in the Treasury to receive all antidumping or countervailing duties, including interest, for distribution according to this Act, within 14 days after an antidumping or countervailing duty order takes effect.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1997
Supports National Mammography Day and urges all American women to take an active role in the fight against breast cancer by all means available to them. Calls for recognition of the role played by community organizations and health care providers in promoting awareness of the importance of regular mammograms and in helping to expand the availability of low-cost mammograms.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 1997
Volunteers for Children Act - Amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to authorize youth-serving nonprofit organizations and institutions, in the absence of State procedures requiring qualified entities designated by the State to contact an authorized State agency to request a nationwide background check, to contact such agency to request such check, including a check of fingerprint records. Modifies fee provisions to limit fees collected by authorized State agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case of a background check requested by a qualified entity to the actual costs of the background check conducted with fingerprints. Authorizes (current law requires) the State to establish fee systems that insure that fees to nonprofit entities for background checks do not discourage volunteers from participating in child care programs. Reauthorizes funding for improvement of child abuse crime information through 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 1997
Mandates corrections to a specified Coastal Barrier Resources System map as necessary to ensure that depictions of areas on that map are consistent with the depictions of areas appearing on a specified map.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 1997
Makes veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart eligible for veterans' hospital care and medical services. Provides such veterans with a priority in the veterans' system of annual patient enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1997
Temporary Agricultural Worker Act of 1997 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a 24-month pilot program for the U.S. admission of temporary or seasonal agricultural workers based upon an employer labor condition attestation filed with the appropriate State agency. Sets forth program provisions. Establishes a trust fund in the Treasury to assure the return of such workers to their home countries.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1997
Interstate Compact - Apalachicola-Chattahoohee-Flint River Basin Compact - Grants the consent of Congress to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin Compact among Alabama, Florida, and Georgia to promote interstate comity, remove causes of controversies, apportion surface waters, engage in water planning, and develop and share common data bases. Conditions the consent of the Congress to, and participation of the United States in, the Compact on specified conditions and reservations regarding participation of Federal agencies during the development of the allocation formula used to determine an equitable apportionment of surface water among the three States. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1997
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations regarding the approval of radiopharmaceuticals designed for diagnosis and monitoring of diseases and conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1997
Immigration Technical Revisions Act of 1997 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (and the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996) to authorize the Attorney General to cancel the removal and adjust the status of certain Central American aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1997
Directs the President to withhold foreign assistance funds (other than humanitarian assistance) to any Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) country that uses its voice or vote in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) or the Central American Common Market (CACM) to support provisional or permanent membership for Cuba in CARICOM or CACM. Directs the President to deny temporary or permanent tariff treatment of products of a CBI country that is equivalent to treatment provided to products of a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) country if such CBI country: (1) uses its voice or vote to support provisional or permanent membership for Cuba in CARICOM or CACM; or (2) enters into negotiations for a free trade area agreement with Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1997
Authorizes use of the rotunda of the Capitol on October 21, 1997, for a ceremony to allow Members of Congress to greet and receive His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, the 270th Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1997
Expresses: (1) condolences for the loss of life and the serious injuries suffered in the terrorist bombing in the Jerusalem market on July 30, 1997; and (2) the solidarity of the American people with the people of Israel. Reaffirms: (1) the determination of the Congress to join with the Government of Israel in fighting against international terrorism; and (2) the commitment of the Congress to the peace process in the Middle East. Urges: (1) Yassir Arafat and officials of the Palestinian Authority to bring to justice leaders of terrorist organizations and extremist groups and to eliminate all weapons and explosives in their hands; (2) all parties to work together to bring lasting peace and security without violence and terrorism to the Middle East; and (3) the President and appropriate executive agencies to provide all appropriate assistance to the Government of Israel to provide medical and other assistance to the victims of this terrorist act, to bring to justice the terrorist leaders behind this and similar acts of violence, and to work to prevent such terrorist acts in the future.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1997
Amends the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 to direct the Secretary of State to report periodically to specified congressional committees on the exclusion from the United States of aliens who have confiscated property of U.S. nationals or trafficked in such property.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1997
Directs the President to withhold assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to any foreign government providing economic, development, or security assistance for, or engaging in nonmarket based trade with, the Government of Cuba, unless the President certifies to the Congress that such assistance is vital to the U.S. national interest.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1997
Authorizes the President to award the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously to Theodore Roosevelt for his actions in the attack of San Juan Heights, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War on July 1, 1898.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1997
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to modify the formula for determining the amount of reduced monthly OASDI benefits payable to a spouse, surviving spouse, or parent receiving monthly payments from a Federal or State pension plan.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 1997
Requires each State to establish an Advisory Board for Risk Assessment which shall comply with the requirements and guidelines regarding notification and release of sexually violent offenders established for a State board under the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act and under this Act. Directs: (1) the Chief Executive Officer of each State (CEO) to develop guidelines and procedures for use by the Board to assess the risk of a repeat offense by such an offender and the threat posed to the public safety; and (2) any State or local correctional facility, hospital, or institution to forward relevant information pertaining to a sex offender to be discharged, paroled, or released to the Board for review prior to the release (and provides for the confidentiality of records so provided, with exceptions). Requires the Board to use the guidelines established under this Act to recommend to the appropriate State court one of three levels of notification. Directs such court to: (1) make a determination regarding the level of notification after receiving a tier recommendation from the Board; and (2) upon the reversal of a conviction of a sexual offense, order the expungement of any records required to be kept pursuant to this Act. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) penalties for misuse of registration information; (2) juvenile offenders; (3) official immunity from liability; and (4) exclusion of the victim's identity from public access or dissemination. Requires: (1) each CEO to establish reasonable notification requirements and to appoint a voluntary advisory council to design a policy to assist communities in which a sex offender resides to plan and prepare for such a resident; and (2) the department required to coordinate the sex offender registration program to compile and update offender information.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1997
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike duplicate medals in bronze. Authorizes appropriations from the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund, where sales proceeds shall be deposited.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1997
Calls for: (1) the President to demand that the Government of Russia take actions to stop governmental and nongovernmental entities in the Russian Federation from providing missile technology and technical advice to Iran in violation of the Missile Technology Control Regime; (2) the United States, if Russia's response is inadequate, to impose sanctions on the responsible Russian entities in accordance with Executive Order 12938 on the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and to reassess cooperative activities with Russia; (3) raising the threshold under current law allowing for the waiver of the prohibition on the release of foreign assistance to Russia; and (4) encouragement of our European allies to take steps to stop such proliferation.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1997
Calls upon: (1) Chairman Yasir Arafat and other officials in the Palestinian authority to use their good offices with Syria, Lebanon, and the other governments in the region to secure the safe return of one American-Israeli soldier and three Israeli soldiers captured in Lebanon, consistent with Chairman Arafat's obligation as specified in the May 4, 1994, Gaza-Jericho agreement between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Israeli Government to cooperate with Israel in locating and working for the return of Israeli soldiers missing in action; and (2) the President, the Secretary of State, and other U.S. Government officials to pursue the resolution of these cases through all appropriate officials and channels. Urges: (1) the Government of Syria to use its good offices with the various paramilitary groups in Syria and in areas in which it has influence to bring about a resolution of this issue and secure the safe return of such soldiers; and (2) the President and the Secretary of State, as they formulate U.S. policy toward each government or authority in the Middle East, to take into consideration the level of assistance provided by that government or authority in resolving these cases.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 1997
Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to use amounts in the Coral Reef Conservation Fund to provide financial assistance grants for projects for the conservation of coral reefs. Allows any relevant natural resource management authority of a State or U.S. territory or other government jurisdiction with coral reefs whose activities affect coral reefs, or any nongovernmental organization or individual with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of coral reefs, to submit a specified project proposal under this Act. Sets forth: (1) provisions for the review and approval of each final project proposal; and (2) criteria for approval of a final project proposal. Authorizes the Secretary to approve a final project proposal if the project will enhance coral reef conservation programs. Requires the Secretary, in determining whether to approve project proposals, to give priority to: (1) projects which promote sustainable development and ensure long-term conservation of coral reefs; and (2) projects for which there exist matching funds of at least 50 percent of the total cost of each project. Establishes the Coral Reef Conservation Fund. Provides for deposits into the Fund of: (1) monetary donations; and (2) other amounts appropriated to the Fund. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Demand for Quality Child Care Subtitle A: Tax Benefits for Quality Child Care Subtitle B: Child Care Quality Improvement Incentive Program Subtitle C: Distribution of Information About Quality Child Care Subtitle D: Quality Child Care Through Federal Facilities and Programs Subtitle E: Miscellaneous Provisions Creating Improved Delivery of Child Care: Affordable, Reliable, and Educational Act - CIDCARE Act - Title I: Demand for Quality Child Care - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the amount of the dependent care tax credit. Defines "accredited child care center," "child care credentialing or accreditation entity," and "credentialed child care professional." Makes the credit refundable for taxpayers eligible for the earned income credit. Requires an employer to make advance payments (with wage withholding payments) of dependent care amounts. (Sec. 102) Increases the dollar limits on the exclusion from employee gross income of employer payments for dependent care assistance. Includes in the definition of "dependent care assistance" payments to the employee from amounts contributed to the employee's account during the pregnancy paid within one year after contribution and while the employee, the employee's spouse, or one of their parents stays at home to care for a qualifying individual. Requires the Office of Personnel Management to establish and maintain a dependent care assistance program for employees. (Sec. 103) Amends the Social Security Act to require States to have laws requiring that child support orders enforced under certain provisions include an amount for child care services. Title II: Supply of Quality Child Care - Subtitle A: Tax Benefits for Quality Child Care - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business credit for 50 percent (with a dollar limit) of qualified child care expenses, including the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, or expansion of property, operating costs, services contracts, and accreditation costs. Terminates the credit after 1999. (Sec. 202) Applies provisions relating to corporate charitable contributions of scientific property used for research to include contributions to: (1) accredited or certified child care centers or their support entities; (2) educational organizations; (3) certain governmental units; and (4) certain scientific research organizations. Allows the donor to repair and refurbish the property. (Sec. 203) Excludes the deduction for the accreditation and credentialing expenses for child care providers from the two-percent floor on miscellaneous itemized deductions. (Sec. 204) Allows for the care of a dependent in a home office without loss of the home office deduction. Subtitle B: Child Care Quality Improvement Incentive Program - Establishes a program of competitive grants to States to improve child care quality. Requires recipient States to: (1) establish a subsidy for certified child care providers; (2) establish a grant program to assist small businesses in operating child care programs; and (3) carry out one or more of seven specified activities. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Distribution of Information About Quality Child Care - Requires technical assistance and the collection and dissemination of information concerning the importance of high quality child care. Mandates competitive grants to certain child care credentialing or accreditation entities, with the grants used to refine and evaluate the entities' procedures. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 222) Mandates a grant to an eligible organization to develop and operate a technology-based child care training infrastructure in order to facilitate accreditation, credentialing, and information dissemination. Regulates grantee fund use. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 223) Requires that grantee to establish and operate a child care training revolving fund to make loans to enable the purchase of equipment used to disseminate training through the infrastructure. Subtitle D: Quality Child Care Through Federal Facilities and Programs - Mandates regulations: (1) requiring any child care center in an executive, legislative, or judicial facility to comply with State and local licensing requirements; and (2) specifying accreditation standards and requiring any such center to comply. Provides for enforcement. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 232) Requires the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor to ensure that any child care made available under any Federal financial assistance carried out by those agencies be provided by an accredited child care center or a credentialed child care professional. Amends title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act to impose similar requirements on child care services made available under certain provisions. (Sec. 233) Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to include the establishment of accredited child care centers in activities permitted to be assisted under community development provisions. Subtitle E: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow loan repayments or cancellation for individuals employed providing child care services who have a certificate or degree in early childhood education or development. (Sec. 242) Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require that each State case registry record include the custodial status of any child covered by the order involved. Requires that the Secretary of the Treasury have access to: (1) the National Directory of New Hires to verify information that is required on a tax return (currently, to verify a claim regarding employment in a tax return); and (2) the Federal Case Registry of Child Support Orders to administer Internal Revenue Code provisions granting tax benefits based on support and residence provided dependent children. Limits the minimum past due support to which offset procedures may be applied to not more than $150. Sets the withholding threshold at $150 (currently, $500).
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Soft Money and Contributions and Expenditures of Political Parties Title II: Indexing Contribution Limits Title III: Expanding Disclosure of Campaign Finance Information Title IV: Effective Date Bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act of 1997 - Title I: Soft Money and Contributions and Expenditures of Political Parties - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to ban the use of certain soft money by national political parties, specified entities, and Federal candidates. Prohibits transfers of non-Federal funds between State parties unless the funds are subject to the Act. (Sec. 102) Increases the aggregate annual limit on contributions made by individuals to political parties. (Sec. 103) Repeals the limitations on the amount of coordinated expenditures that may be made by political parties. Title II: Indexing Contribution Limits - Sets forth provisions for the indexing of contribution limits. Title III: Expanding Disclosure of Campaign Finance Information - Requires the disclosure of certain radio and television communications. (Sec. 302) Revises FECA filing requirements for reports to mandate: (1) the monthly filing of reports by principal campaign committees and other political committees (other than a candidate's authorized committees); and (2) electronic filing for certain reports. (Sec. 304) Waives the "best efforts" exception with respect to information regarding the occupation or the name of employers of certain individual contributors. Title IV: Effective Date - Sets forth the effective date.
![Official portrait of Rep. Deutsch, Peter [D-FL-20]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000275_200.jpg)