United States · United States Congress · 29 October 1987
Expresses the opposition of the House of Representatives to the continued control of the cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania, by the Soviet Union. Calls upon the President, the Secretary of State, and Members of Congress visiting the Soviet Union to raise the issue of the cathedral's return to the Roman Catholic Church in meetings with Soviet officials. Urges U.S. representatives to speak out forcefully for such a return at international human rights forums. Voices the House of Representatives' support to the Lithuanian people in their efforts to secure basic religious freedoms and the return of the cathedral. Urges the Soviet Government to allow Roman Catholics to worship at the cathedral and to return it to Roman Catholic Church control before the end of 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1987
Designates the week of May 2 through May 8, 1988, as National Drinking Water Week to enhance awareness of drinking water issues and recognition of the difference that drinking water makes to health, safety, and quality of life.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 1987
Recommends that the Government lend support to efforts to overturn United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 (XXX), which equates Zionism with racism.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 1987
Infectious Waste Regulation Act of 1987 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations for the management of infectious waste which: (1) define infectious waste; (2) establish handling, treatment, storage, and disposal requirements; and (3) include other necessary requirements to protect human health and the environment. Requires the Administrator to consult with the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control on matters relating to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) when promulgating such regulations. Authorizes exemptions for small quantities of such waste. Requires that facilities where such waste is handled be open for Federal inspection and that handlers of such waste provide information and samples as necessary.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 1987
Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the transportation of solid waste in excess of a specified amount across State lines unless the person transporting the waste has a written agreement that the owner or operator of the receiving facility is authorized and willing to accept such waste. Establishes civil penalties, including administrative orders, for violations. Requires that facility owners or operators make facilities, records, and samples available to representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency for inspection. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1989 through 1992 for solid waste management, planning, and program assistance for States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 1987
Designates March 18, 1988, as National Energy Education Day to promote and enhance energy education programs at all grade levels of public and private schools.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 1987
Veterans' Agent Orange Disabilities Act of 1987 - Creates a non-rebuttable presumption that, for the purposes of wartime disability compensation for Vietnam veterans, the following diseases shall be considered to have been incurred in, or aggravated by, active military, naval, or air service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era: (1) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; (2) lung cancer becoming manifest within 25 years of service; and (3) a disease that, in accordance with this Act, is determined to be reasonably associated with damage to or suppression of the immune system resulting from exposure to dioxin or any other toxic herbicide used in Vietnam and that is listed in regulations prescribed by the Administrator of Veterans Affairs. Requires the Administrator to enter into an agreement with an appropriate nonprofit private scientific organization to: (1) conduct a survey of all scientific studies of the effects of dioxin and other toxic herbicides used by the United States in Vietnam on humans or animals; and (2) determine what (if any) diseases are reasonably associated with damage to or suppression of the human immune system as a result of exposure to such herbicides. Designates the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) as the appropriate nonprofit organization, unless: (1) the NAS does not enter into such an agreement with the Administrator; (2) the Administrator has notified the veterans' committees of an alternative organization; and (3) 90 days have elapsed since such notification. Requires that the scientific organization report to the Administrator and the veterans' committees on the name of each disease determined to be reasonably associated with human immune system damage or suppression within one year after enactment of this Act. Directs that the Administrator prescribe regulations listing each such disease within 90 days of receipt of such report, unless a disease is specifically excluded by law. Directs the Administrator to periodically (but not less than annually) survey additional completed studies to determine whether any diseases should be added to the list. Requires that the Administrator: (1) compile and analyze, on a continuing basis, all clinical data obtained by the VA in connection with physical examinations and treatment furnished after November 3, 1981, to veterans who were exposed to dioxin or any other such toxic substance; and (2) submit to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs a semiannual report containing such compilation and analysis, along with a discussion of the disabilities identified or treated by the VA, the Administrator's explanation for the incidence of such disabilities, and other reasonable explanations for the incidence of such disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 1987
Calls upon the Government of the Soviet Union to: (1) grant to all those who wish to join spouses in the United States permission to emigrate with their family members to the United States; and (2) give special consideration to such cases that have remained unresolved for many years.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 1987
Department of Veterans Affairs Act - Redesignates the Veterans Administration (VA) as the Department of Veterans Affairs (the Department), an executive department within the executive branch of the Government. Provides that the Department shall be headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Designates as other principal officers of the Department the Deputy Secretary, the Chief Medical Director, and the Chief Benefits Director. Provides for the temporary continuation of service of the current Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief Medical Director, and Chief Benefits Director of Veterans Affairs. Establishes within the Department eight Assistant Secretaries, each of whom shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to perform such functions as the Secretary may prescribe. Directs the Secretary to assign to one such Assistant Secretary all functions regarding the National Cemetery System and the State cemetery grant program. Outlines functions which the Secretary shall assign to the Assistant Secretaries. Provides for the temporary continuation of the performance of such functions by present personnel until such functions are assigned to an individual appointed as Assistant Secretary under this Act. Redesignates the current VA's Department of Medicine and Surgery as the Veterans Health Services Administration of the Department. Redesignates the VA's current Department of Veterans Benefits as the Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department, whose primary function shall be to administer nonmedical programs which provide assistance to veterans, their dependents, and their survivors. Establishes within the Department the Office of the General Counsel. Redesignates the current Office of Inspector General of the VA as the Office of Inspector General of the Department. Provides that any references to departments or positions under the current VA system shall be considered to be references to such departments and positions of the Department as modified under this Act. Provides continuing effect of all legal documents, suits, actions, and property and resources of the current VA. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, after appropriate congressional consultation, to prepare and submit to the Congress proposed legislation containing technical and conforming amendments to reflect the changes made under this Act. Requires such legislation to be submitted no later than six months after the enactment of this Act. Provides that any spending authority of the Department is subject to available amounts as provided in appropriation Acts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 1987
Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1977 to prohibit the dumping of medical wastes into the ocean and navigable waters. Establishes a maximum fine for violations at least twice as high as that imposed for dumping other kinds of waste. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of medical waste as necessary to protect human health and the environment. Excludes waste already regulated as hazardous. Requires persons handling such waste to submit information and permit inspection of handling facilities, including providing samples. Establishes civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1987
Authorizes the Indian American Forum for Political Education to establish a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in the District of Columbia and its environs. Prohibits the United States from paying any expense of establishing the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 1987
Medicaid Home and Community Quality Services Act of 1987 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require States to provide Medicaid coverage of community and family support services for severely disabled individuals who became disabled before age 22 and are living in a family home, foster family home, or community living facility. Requires that such services be provided in accordance with a written habilitation plan developed by an interdisciplinary team on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the individual's strengths and the services and support necessary to: (1) enable such individual to attain or retain capabilities for independence or self-care; (2) promote interaction between disabled and nondisabled individuals within the community; and (3) enable disabled individuals who are over age 18 to engage in paid employment. Increases the age at which newly disabled individuals will be eligible for this Act's coverage so that eventually individuals who become disabled between age 22 and 50 will be covered. Lists the services which may comprise community and family support services, requiring that such services include at a minimum: (1) case management services; (2) individual and family support services; (3) specialized vocational services; and (4) protective intervention services. Excludes from such services: (1) room and board, other than room and board provided for less than six consecutive weeks and less than 12 weeks per year; (2) cash payments as a service; (3) aversive behavior intervention, management, or therapies; (4) services provided to a disabled individual living in a hospital, or skilled nursing or intermediate care facility; (5) educational services which the State makes generally available to its residents without cost and without regard to their income; and (6) services for which payment is made under title XVIII (Medicare), or part A (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) or B (Child Welfare Services) of title IV of the Act. Requires each State to make certain assurances regarding their provision of community and family support services and submit an implementation strategy to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires that such implementation strategies: (1) describe the extent and scope of community and family support services provided to the severely disabled and the extent and scope of services provided to the severely disabled who are institutionalized; (2) set forth the objectives and a five-year strategy for expanding community and family support services for the severely disabled; (3) include certain procedures for transferring severely disabled, institutionalized individuals to family homes, foster family homes, or community living facilities; (4) set forth standards for the provision of community and family support services and a program for licensing and certifying all facilities and programs providing such services; (5) provide for assessments of the provision and affect of community and family support services and the correction of service deficiencies; (6) provide the public with an adequate opportunity to comment on the strategies; (7) set forth methods ensuring that the personnel providing community and family support services receive adequate training and are competent to provide such services; (8) provide that the State has in effect a management information system capable of collecting, storing, and retrieving data on the severely disabled who receive community and family support services; (9) provide an opportunity for an appeal and hearing before a hearing officer to individuals who believe themselves to be inappropriately served or denied an appropriate service, or who are being scheduled for an involuntary transfer from one living arrangement to another; (10) describe the methods to be used in administering community and family support services; and (11) set forth procedures to protect the interests of public employees who will be affected by the transfer of the severely disabled from public institutions. Allows States to provide any new community and family support service for up to three years without meeting the Medicaid requirements that they provide a service on a statewide basis and that the service be comparable in all parts of the State. Requires that intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded include the ascertainment of the individual needs of each newly admitted individual by an interdisciplinary team within 30 days and the development of a written habilitation plan for each individual. Limits Medicaid payments to States for skilled nursing and intermediate care facility services furnished to individuals under age 65 who became disabled before age 22 to the amount payable for such services in the fiscal year ending after the enactment of this Act, increased if and by the extent to which the percentage increase in the consumer price index exceeds six percent. Makes such limitation inapplicable to facilities which have less than 16 beds or meet the size and location requirements for a community living facility. Requires States to have in effect a system to protect and advocate those rights of the severely disabled who are eligible for medical assistance which relate to the provision of such assistance. Provides Federal Medicaid matching funds for such system. Gives individuals who are adversely affected by a violation of this Act's requirements the right to bring an action to enjoin such violation. Allows States to set payment rates for community and family support services for the severely disabled. Authorizes States to treat severely disabled individuals under age 19 who are not in a medical institution as receiving benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Act for Medicaid eligibility purposes if they would be eligible for SSI benefits if institutionalized. Requires States to establish a uniform income standard for the severely disabled regardless of whether or not they are in a medical institution. Authorizes States to provide Medicaid coverage of disabled spouses and children who, except for the resources deemed to them, would be eligible for SSI benefits. Removes certain limitations on the Secretary's approval of reduction and correction plans for deficient intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. Makes individuals who are severely disabled and receiving or deemed to be receiving SSI benefits eligible for Medicaid as long as such qualifications continue to be satisfied. Directs the Secretary to establish, within the Health Care Financing Administration, a Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services responsible for administering Medicaid programs for the severely disabled. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop standards and a program for training Federal and State personnel who perform surveys of skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities to determine whether such facilities meet Medicaid participation requirements; and (2) periodically conduct studies of the reliability of such surveys and make the changes necessary to improve such reliability. Directs the Secretary to support the development of: (1) instruments to assess outcomes in the provision of this Act's services; and (2) competency-based personnel standards for agencies and organizations providing services to the severely disabled pursuant to this Act. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct an annual assessment of each State's compliance with this Act's requirements; and (2) issue final regulations regarding this Act's amendments prior to the first fiscal year beginning after this Act's enactment. Sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1987
Requires the manufacturers of toy firearms to distinctively mark such firearms as toys. Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate regulations prescribing the manner and form in which such firearms are to be marked. States that any firearm which is sold in interstate commerce and not marked as required by this Act shall be considered a misbranded hazardous substance sold in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1987
Irish Permanent Resident Adjustment Act of 1987 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the adjustment of status to permanent resident for certain Irish nationals or persons born in Northern Ireland who have continuously resided in the United States since September 1, 1987. Requires such aliens to apply for status adjustment within two years of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1987
Airline Safety Rating System Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation, within one year after enactment of this resolution, to develop a system of airline safety indicators in order to establish a means of measuring consistently over time information related to air carrier safety. Requires such indicators to include: (1) unsafe occurrences in aircraft operations; (2) air carrier compliance with safety regulations; (3) deferred maintenance; (4) mechanical problems; (5) maintenance quality and expenditures; (6) pilot training and experience; (7) overall management ability and operation philosophy; (8) labor-management problems; and (9) the financial condition of covered air carriers. Directs the Secretary, in developing such indicators, to: (1) examine the Department of Transportation's own data bases in light of the necessary requirements, making needed adjustments; (2) devise new data collection requirements; and (3) develop a means of standardizing the data so that meaningful comparisons can be made among different covered air carriers. Requires the Secretary to use developed indicators to compile data on the operations safety of covered air carriers and provide written information to the public semiannually which will allow passengers to make an informed choice about air travel based on safety factors.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 1987
Federal Employees' Political Activities Act of 1987- Prohibits an employee from using or attempting to use official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of any election. Prohibits an employee from using or attempting to use official authority to intimidate, threaten, coerce, command, or influence: (1) any individual for the purpose of interfering with the right of any individual to vote as the individual may choose, or of causing any individual to vote, or not to vote, for any candidate or measure in any election; (2) any person to give or withhold any political contribution; or (3) any person to engage, or not to engage, in any form of political activity. Prohibits an employee from using or attempting to use, or permitting the use of, any official information unless such information is available to the general public. Prohibits an employee from: (1) giving or offering to give a political contribution to any individual either to vote or refrain from voting, or to vote for or against any candidate or measure, in any election; (2) soliciting, accepting, or receiving a political contribution to vote or refrain from voting, or to vote for or against any candidate or measure, in any election; or (3) giving or handing over a political contribution to a superior of the employee. Prohibits an employee from soliciting, accepting, or receiving, or from being in any manner concerned with soliciting, accepting, or receiving, a political contribution: (1) from another employee (or a member of another employee's immediate family) with respect to whom the employee is a superior; or (2) in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by a Federal employee or official or an individual receiving salary or compensation from the Treasury. Prohibits an employee from soliciting, accepting, or receiving a political contribution from, or giving a political contribution to, any person who: (1) has, or is seeking to obtain, contractual or other business or financial relations with the employing agency; (2) conducts operations or activities which are regulated by that agency; or (3) has interests which may be substantially affected by the performance of the employees' official duties. Directs the Special Counsel of the Merit Systems Protection Board to prescribe regulations which exempt employees from such prohibitions. Prohibits an employee from engaging in political activity: (1) while on duty; (2) in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by a Federal employee or official; (3) while wearing a uniform or official insignia identifying the office or position of the employee; or (4) while using any vehicle owned or leased by the Government. Exempts certain high level political appointees from such prohibitions if the costs associated with the political activity are not paid for by money derived from the Treasury. Describes such a political appointee as one: (1) whose duties and responsibilities continue outside normal duty hours and while away from the normal duty post; (2) who is paid from an appropriation for the Executive Office of the President; (3) whose position is located within the United States; and (4) who determines policies to be pursued by the United States in its relations with foreign powers or in the nationwide administration of Federal laws. Authorizes leave without pay or accrued annual leave to an employee who is a candidate, upon request, to allow such employee to engage in activities relating to that candidacy. Declares that such request may be denied if the exigencies of the public business so require. Declares that such employee may be required to take leave without pay or accrued annual leave in order to be a candidate if activities relating to the candidacy interfere with the employee's performance of duties. Directs the Special Counsel to prescribe rules and regulations to implement this Act. Applies this Act to postal employees and employees of the Postal Rate Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 1987
Fairness for Adopting Families Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an individual income tax deduction for qualified adoption expenses. Includes as deductible all reasonable and necessary expenses that do not violate a Federal or State law and that are directly related to a legal adoption of any child if the adoption has been arranged by a State, local, or other nonprofit agency, or through a private placement. Limits the deduction to $5,000 per adopted child ($7,000 in the case of an international adoption). Reduces the amount of the deduction when the taxpayer's income exceeds $60,000. Disallows such a deduction for expenses in connection with: (1) the adoption of a stepchild; or (2) travel outside the United States unless the travel is required as a condition of the child's adoption, to assess the health and status of the child, or to escort the child back to the United States. Excludes such a deduction from the two percent floor on miscellaneous itemized deductions. Excludes from an employee's gross income any amounts paid on behalf of the employee by an employer pursuant to a qualified adoption assistance program. Limits the exclusion to $5,000 ($7,000 in the case of an international adoption). Reduces the amount excluded when the taxpayer's income exceeds $60,000. Permits an employer to treat an adoption assistance program as a statutory employee benefit plan, thus making the employer's contributions to such a program tax deductible as business expenses. Applies this Act retroactively to tax year 1986 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 1987
United States Coinage Reform Act of 1987 - Requires that one dollar coins be gold colored, be at least 90% copper, and be fabricated in the United States from natural deposits located in the United States. Redesigns the obverse side of the dollar coin to symbolize the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to place such coins into circulation within 18 months and to cease production of one dollar notes within 18 months after the first of such coins are placed in circulation. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study and report to the Congress on the advisability of phasing out production of the one-cent and 50-cent coins and of rounding cash sales to the nearest five cents.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1987
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 1987- Title I: Amendments to Acts - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission: (1) to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in cases where there is a significant risk of injury associated with a product and where a consumer product safety rule (rule) would reduce such risk; and (2) within a specified period, to publish a proposed rule or terminate the proceeding if it is not reasonably necessary to reduce risk or not in the public interest. Requires each manufacturer of a product subject to the rule to pay a specified amount to defray the cost of promulgating such rule. Permits the Commission to rely only upon voluntary consumer product safety standards which are in existence and issued after consideration of the views of interested parties, including consumers and consumer organizations. Requires the Commission to monitor compliance with such standards. Allows interested parties to petition the Commission to issue a rule or amendment to reduce the risk of injury associated with a product. Directs the Commission to grant or deny the petition within 120 days. Authorizes the petitioner to commence a civil action in U.S. district court to compel the Commission to initiate the rulemaking proceeding if the Commission denies the petition or fails to grant or deny such petition within 120 days. Directs the court to order the Commission to initiate the rulemaking if the petitioner shows, by a preponderance of evidence in a de novo proceeding, that the product presents an unreasonable risk of injury and that the Commission's failure to initiate a rulemaking proceeding unreasonably exposes consumers to a risk of injury by the product. Authorizes the court to award court costs in such an action. Provides that the Chairman of the Commission shall be selected by its members and shall serve a two-year term. Terminates the term of office of the current chairman 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act but allows such individual to continue to serve as a Commission member until the expiration of the member's term. Makes a Commission member whose term will expire before the expiration of the two-year term of the Chairman ineligible to be selected as Chairman. Requires the President to consider individuals with experience in the safety of consumer products or related fields in making Commission appointments. Provides that if the Commission consists of only three members, two members of the Commission will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Creates a new position of Director of Compliance, to be filled only by an attorney. Prohibits individuals from serving in specified directorships on an acting basis for a period longer than 90 days. Requires the Commission to employ on a permanent basis no fewer than the full-time equivalent of 525 officers and employees, subject to the availability of appropriations. Exempts from public disclosure restrictions information not developed by the Commission and on which the Commission has included a disclaimer regarding the accuracy of the information. Deletes provisions governing the bringing of a civil action by the manufacturer or private labeler who is notified that the Commission plans to disclose a document claimed by such party to be inaccurate. Authorizes any State attorney general and any other official charged with enforcing State consumer product safety laws to bring a civil action for violations of rules or orders issued under the Consumer Product Safety Act, to petition the Commission to hold public hearings or conduct investigations to determine whether a product presents a substantial hazard, and to appeal Commission decisions. Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to authorize any State attorney general and any other official charged with enforcing state consumer product safety laws to bring a civil action for violations of the Act. Authorizes such officials to petition the Commission to: (1) require notification of the public of banned hazardous substances; (2) order the manufacturer to repair or replace an article which constitutes a banned hazardous substance; and (3) require notification of the public of substances intended for use by children that are not banned but which contain a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children. Prohibits the Commission from comparing the costs and benefits of reducing or eliminating risks to the public in determining: (1) whether a substantial product hazard exists; (2) whether a toy or other article intended for use by children complies with the Act's labeling requirement; and (3) whether an action taken is in the public interest. Precludes the district court from making such a comparison in determining whether to declare a product to be imminently hazardous. Sets civil penalties for knowing violations of such Act. Provides for the setting of an agenda and priorities for Commission action each year, following a public hearing and a reasonable opportunity for the submission of comments. Authorizes appropriations Title II: Related Provisions - Requires the Commission to promulgate under the CPSA a rule for all terrain vehicles (ATVs) which: (1) requires the manufacturers of ATVs to offer free training in their operation, offer helmets and other protective equipment with the sale of such vehicles, and provide notice to purchasers of the risk of injury or death presented by such vehicles, especially to children; (2) requires each manufacturer and distributor to establish programs to ensure dealer compliance with the safety requirements of the rule; (3) requires the retail dealers of such vehicles to provide safety information regarding their operation to purchasers; (4) prescribes appropriate performance and design characteristics to improve safety; and (5) requires manufacturers of such vehicles to offer refunds or other appropriate means of remedying the imminently hazardous nature of the vehicle to those who, before the date of enactment of this Act, purchased three-wheel ATVs or adult size ATVs to be operated by children under age 16. Prohibits the sale within a State of three-wheel ATVs or ATVs specifically designed for use by individuals under age 16 unless the State has, within one year of the date of enactment of this Act, a statute in effect: (1) requiring the licensing of drivers of ATVs; (2) requiring safety training for operators of ATVs; (3) requiring the use of helmets by operators of ATVs; and (4) establishing a minimum age of 16 for drivers of ATVs. Makes an exception where the legislature of a State meets every two years and on the date of enactment of this Act there is less than one year left in the session of the legislature, in which case such prohibition will take effect upon the expiration of one year after the legislature of the State meets after the date of enactment of this Act. Directs the Commission to conduct a study under the Flammable Fabrics Act to determine if a special flammability standard is needed for adult sleepwear, and to report the results to the Congress within a year of the date of enactment of this Act. Requires the Commission to review the regulations which apply to lawn darts to determine if stricter requirements, including a ban, are needed for the protection of consumers, particularly children, and to report to the Congress within a year. Directs the Commission to begin proceedings to establish a safety standard for cigarette lighters. Requires the Commission to conduct a study to determine whether to set a minimum age for the operator of an amusement park ride to promote safety, and to report to the Congress within 18 months.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 1987
Crimes Against Older Americans Information and Coordination Act of 1987 - Directs the Attorney General to modify the uniform crime reporting program in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to include data on the age, sex, ethnicity, living arrangements, and other characteristics of the victim and the perpetrator, including any relationship between them, for crimes against the elderly. Directs the Attorney General to establish and maintain within the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs a National Reference Center on Crimes Against Older Americans which shall: (1) publish an annual report of research conducted on crimes against the elderly; (2) develop and maintain an information reference service on all private and public initiatives for the prevention and identification of such crimes; (3) study the national incidence of such crimes, comparing rural and urban areas; (4) serve as a liaison with the various Federal agencies that carry out programs for the elderly; and (5) provide technical assistance to individuals and to private and public organizations to reduce and prevent crimes against the elderly.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 1987
Amends Federal law regarding the exemption authority of the Interstate Commerce Commission with respect to rail carriers to prohibit the waiving of a rail carrier's obligation under the Railway Labor Act or collective bargaining agreements. Sets forth a separation allowance schedule for employees adversely affected by the disposition of certain rail carrier lines. Establishes a ceiling for such separation allowance of $30,000 (periodically adjusted for inflation). Entitles such employees to the right of first hire in seniority order to a substantially equivalent position by the rail carrier obtaining the rail lines from such employees' previous rail carrier employer. States that such separation allowance and right of first hire apply to: (1) certain financial assistance offers to avoid rail abandonment and discontinuance; and (2) specified actions for which the Commission grants an exemption.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 1987
Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity Act - Amends the Housing Act of 1959, the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, and the National Housing Act to provide assistance for the purchase and installation of elder cottage housing opportunity units.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1987
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to limit the rate of increase of the part B premium to the rate of increase of part B benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1987
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require legislative branch employees who are cleared for access to information with a security classification of secret or higher to file annual financial disclosure statements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1987
Handicapped Transportation Amendments of 1987 - Amends the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 to mandate the treatment of blind individuals and mentally impaired individuals as handicapped individuals under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 1987
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the corporate income tax exclusion of contributions to the capital of the taxpayer. Includes as a qualifying contribution any amount of money or property received by a regulated public utility (a utility required to provide electric energy, gas, water, or sewage disposal services) that: (1) is a contribution in aid of construction (as defined by regulations to be promulgated by the Secretary of the Treasury); (2) meets certain expenditure requirements; and (3) is not included in the taxpayer's rate base. Excludes amounts paid as customer connection fees.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1987
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Navy should expedite the implementation of an environmentally sound trash compacting or disposal procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 7 August 1987
Hate Crime Statistics Act - Directs the Attorney General to include within the Uniform Crime Reports for calendar years 1988 through 1992 the incidence of criminal acts that manifest prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 August 1987
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should request that West Germany and Japan enter into negotiations with the United States for the purpose of establishing a more equitable distribution of the defense burden in the Persian Gulf. Specifies that an equitable level of assistance for West Germany and Japan should be not less than: (1) a contribution to the total forces necessary to defend the interests of the Western Alliance in the Persian Gulf region of 30 percent and eight percent of such total for Japan and West Germany, respectively; or (2) a comparable level of monetary compensation to the United States for this Nation's additional costs of assuming an inequitably large share of the defense burden in the Persian Gulf.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Immigration Act of 1987 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise numerical limitations for immigrant admissions with respect to family reunification immigrants and independent immigrants. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretaries of State, Labor, and Health and Human Services, every five years, beginning two years after this Act becomes effective, to prepare jointly and to submit to the President and to specified congressional committees a report discussing the need to revise these numerical limitations. Lists factors to be considered in preparing the report. Requires the President within 60 days of receiving the report to transmit to the Congress a certification as to whether the numerical limitations should be changed and, if so, what they should be. Deems the numerical limitations certified by the President to be valid for the subsequent five fiscal years unless the Congress acts through a joint resolution to prohibit their effect. Prescribes the expedited parliamentary procedure to be followed in the House of Representatives and in the Senate in considering such a joint resolution. Revises the preference visa allocation system for immigrant admissions with respect to family reunification immigrants to: (1) increase the percentage of visas available to qualified spouses and unmarried minor children of permanent resident aliens; and (2) decrease the percentage available to qualified children and siblings of U.S. citizens. Revises the preference and nonpreference visa allocation system for independent immigrants to set fiscal year numerical limitations on visas available to aliens who are professionals holding doctoral degrees, aliens of exceptional ability, or skilled workers. Establishes a point system applicable to nonpreference aliens under which credit for visa qualification assessment is based on such eligibility criteria as: (1) country of origin (with preference for countries adversely affected by immigration reforms enacted in 1965); (2) work skills and employability; (3) education and literacy; and (4) age. Sets forth the formula for determining the appropriate allocation preference system to be applied to natives of any single foreign state with respect to which the maximum number of visas will be made available. Revises the labor certification procedure used with regard to excludable aliens and reduces the scope of its applicability to certain preference immigrants. Provides for judicial review in U.S. district court of the Secretary of Labor's decisions with respect to exclusions related to labor certification. Permits a waiver of the offer of employment requirement for immigrant admission purposes when the Attorney General deems the waiver to be in the national interest. Directs the Secretary of Labor to study and report to the Congress, within six months of this Act's enactment, on means for streamlining the labor certification process used in the immigration context. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Federal Pay Reform Act of 1987 - Title I: Alternative Compensation Programs - Establishes a Federal Compensation Board to design and implement Federal employee compensation programs utilizing the alternative systems set forth in this Act and to carry out oversight functions with respect to such programs. Describes the types of alternative systems as follows: (1) a system under which annual pay adjustments are made so that total pay and benefits are comparable to those of private enterprise for the same level of work; (2) a system under which annual pay adjustments are made so that rates of basic pay are consistent with those for the same level of work in private enterprise within the same geographic region; (3) a system under which conditions of employment shall be subject to collective bargaining; (4) a system which identifies separate career categories, adjusts pay based on specified factors, provides pay differentials, and authorizes special awards and performance recognition; and (5) any combination of the aforementioned. Establishes a Commission on Federal Pay Management to evaluate each alternative system as implemented, and to make similar evaluations with respect to the current system. Requires a report to the President and the Congress at the end of the five-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act. Terminates the Commission after submission of the report. Title II: Amendments Relating to Pay Comparability System - Requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the President's pay agent to use the 1985 methodology for the pay comparability adjustment for each year. Requires the enactment of a joint resolution of approval before any alternative pay plan becomes effective. Provides that if the resolution is not approved then the pay rates shall be adjusted in accordance with the recommendations of the pay agent. Requires that any alternative plan be at least equal to the Employment Cost Index (private industry wages and salaries for white-collar workers, excluding sales) as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the quarter ending June 30 of each year. Title III: Higher Minimum Rates of Pay, Miscellaneous Allowances and Other Matters - Grants to agency heads the authority to establish higher minimum rates of basic pay for certain occupations with recruitment problems. (Currently such authority is granted to the President.) Specifies the circumstances under which agency heads may exercise such authority to include: (1) pay rates for positions under a statutory pay system which are generally less than the rates payable for similar positions held by individuals outside the Federal Government; (2) the remoteness of the area or location involved; (3) undesirable working conditions, including exposure to toxic substances and other occupational hazards; and (4) any other circumstance identified by the agency head. Requires agency heads to notify the Office of Personnel Management before exercising such authority. Provides that any decision of the Office that such action is unwarranted shall be accompanied by a statement of the reasons for such decision. States that employees holding a position for which the rate of basic pay is increased may not be paid at a rate lower than the rate which would otherwise be payable if this Act had not been enacted. Declares that the expiration of any authority under this Act shall not result in a decrease in the rate of pay for any individual whose pay rate was established under such Act. Makes such employees eligible for comparability increases. Declares that increases in basic pay are not equivalent to step increases. Preserves step increases for employees whose service is interrupted by military duty or other public service. Provides, with respect to special pay employees, for bonus pay and advance pay. Eliminates the GS-11 grade requirement for paying new employees above the minimum rate of the appropriate grade (thus allowing agencies to hire employees for positions below GS-11 at a step higher than step one of the appropriate grade). Provides for agencies to determine the allowance paid to employees at remote worksites. Authorizes appropriations to each agency annually as necessary to cover the cost of uniforms. Declares that wage schedules and rates for prevailing rate employees may not be decreased as a result of any wage survey. Authorizes an agency to pay the travel and transportation expenses of any individual who: (1) is leaving a place to which such individual was transferred in the interest of the Government; (2) is separating from Government service; and (3) satisfies age and service requirements for retirement purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Defense Contractor Profits Review Act - States as a policy of the Congress that firms contracting with the Federal Government to provide goods and services for the national defense should receive a reasonable profit, and that such goods and services should be procured in an economical and effective manner. States as a purpose of this Act to provide the Federal Government with the information needed to determine the reasonableness of defense contractor profits. Amends Federal defense procurement provisions to outline action to be taken by the head of a defense agency if it is determined that a defense contractor has made excessive profits. Requires such agency head to first give such defense contractor 45 days to respond before making a determination that such contractor made excessive profits. Requires any defense contractor covered under this Act, no later than 120 days after the end of such contractor's annual financial reporting period, to provide the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) with a profits information report. Requires such profits information report to include specified information and also to distinguish between such contractor's business with the Federal Government and such contractor's other business. Requires the DCAA to review each such report in order to determine if any contractor has made excessive profits. States that the head of an agency and the DCAA shall have access to all information of a defense contractor that is required in order to make such determinations. Requires the confidentiality of any such information received. Authorizes review of such information by the Comptroller General, as well as access to any such information. Directs the head of an agency to require that compliance with such information disclosure provisions is a condition of each contract entered into between such agency and a defense contractor. Requires the head of the agency, at least once every three years, to conduct a study of profits made by defense contractors under contracts made with such agency, including a comparison of the profits made by such contractor from defense agencies as compared to profits made by such contractor from other businesses. Directs the head of the agency, no later than December 31 annually, to report to the President, the Congress, and the Comptroller General concerning any such profit studies. Directs the head of the agency to prescribe regulations to carry out this Act. Defines terms as used under this Act, and requires such regulations to be prescribed no later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions concerning the basic educational assistance program for active-duty and reserve members of the armed forces to require an individual to choose whether or not to participate in such program at the close of such individual's basic training period. (Currently, such decision is required to be made at the time the individual enters into active duty as a member of the active or reserve forces.) Revises provisions concerning the amount of monthly basic pay to be deducted from the pay of an individual who chooses to participate in the basic educational assistance program to allow deductions over a 24-month period. Authorizes a member of the armed forces who is entitled to such basic educational assistance to transfer to one or more of such member's dependents all or any part of such member's entitlement to such assistance. Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned and the Administrator to prescribe regulations concerning the transfer of such member's basic educational assistance entitlement. Provides such assistance to the person to whom such entitlement is transferred under the same terms and conditions as apply to the member, except that such assistance may only be provided: (1) while the member originally entitled to such assistance continues on active duty; or (2) upon the death, discharge, or completion of active duty by the member originally entitled to such assistance. Prohibits such assistance from being transferred to an individual other than a child, spouse, or surviving spouse of the member originally entitled to such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Comprehensive Alzheimer's Assistance, Research, and Education Act of 1987 (CARE) - Title I: Public Health Service Programs with Respect to Alzheimer's Disease - Repeals provisions of the Public Health Service Act relating to Alzheimer's disease (Alzheimer's) and creates, in title III (relating to the general powers and duties of the Public Health Service) of the Act a new part K on Alzheimer's. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants and enter into cooperative agreements to assist grantees in establishing and maintaining, with respect to Alzheimer's and related disorders, centers for: (1) conducting basic and clinical research, training, and dissemination of clinical information; (2) demonstrating advanced diagnostic, prevention, treatment, and management methods; (3) conducting programs of community education; and (4) maximizing research. Specifies purposes for which grant funds may and may not be used. Limits support for a center to five years, with extensions by the Secretary of up to five years if recommended by a technical and scientific peer review group. Directs the Secretary, in carrying out these provisions, to consult with the directors of specified National Institutes of Health. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to make grants and enter into contracts to enable grantees to conduct basic and clinical research regarding Alzheimer's and related disorders. Directs the Secretary, in carrying out these provisions, to consult with the directors of specified National Institutes of Health. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to make grants and enter into contracts to enable grantees to conduct research and demonstration projects with respect to teaching the families of individuals with Alzheimer's or related disorders methods for providing appropriate care and managing stress. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner on Aging, to make grants and enter into contracts to enable grantees to conduct demonstration projects with respect to teaching the families of individuals with Alzheimer's or related disorders methods for providing appropriate care and managing stress. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute on Aging, to make grants and enter into contracts to enable grantees to conduct long-term care research with respect to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and with respect to the coordination of long-term care services. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Center for Health Services Research, to make grants and enter into contracts to enable grantees to conduct research with respect to developing methods for improving the delivery of supportive services to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders and with respect to the coordination of long-term care services. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to develop a plan for a research program for the study of Alzheimer's and related disorders. Specifies elements for which the plan must provide. Requires research under the plan to be carried out through the National Institutes of Health. Directs the Secretary to submit the plan to the President and the Congress. Directs the Secretary to make grants to States to plan, establish, and operate programs to provide specified services regarding Alzheimer's or related disorders. Specifies purposes for which grant funds may not be used. Limits grants to three years, subject to annual evaluation by the Secretary. Limits the amount of a grant and its portion of the costs of the program for which it is made. Directs the Secretary to annually evaluate the grant programs. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with private entities to conduct the evaluation. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, to require, as a condition of receiving funds under provisions of part B (Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Mental Health Services Block Grant) of the Public Health Service Act, that a State must agree that activities carried out under a specified provision will include increased provision of mental health services related to Alzheimer's and related disorders. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute on Aging, to make grants to assist grantees in providing training programs and continuing education programs, regarding Alzheimer's or related disorders, to health care professionals, health care paraprofessionals, and family caregivers. Specifies eligible types of grant recipients. Directs the Secretary to ensure that grants are equitably geographically distributed. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute on Aging, to make grants to the Alzheimer's centers established by this Act to assist in developing curricula for such training programs and continuing education programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to initiate a study regarding specified health manpower needs related to Alzheimer's disease, related disorders, and other disorders requiring long-term care services. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Alzheimer's Disease Education Program for: (1) promoting the coordination of health care financing, service, research, education, and training programs; (2) collecting, through the Clearinghouse on Alzheimer's Disease, information on research and treatment programs; (3) making such information available to specified groups and to the general public; and (4) providing technical assistance to States and public and private organizations. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Title II: Improvement of Services Under Medicare and Medicaid Programs - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the levels of reimbursement provided under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for home health services, extended care services, and inpatient hospital services relating to an advanced stage of Alzheimer's or a related disorder and adjust the levels to accurately reflect the reasonable amount required to provide adequately for services furnished. Requires each State plan approved under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to report to the Secretary on how the levels of reimbursement under the plan for home health services, nursing facility services, inpatient hospital services, and community-based care take into account special needs regarding an advanced stage of Alzheimer's or a related disorder. Directs the Secretary to modify contracts with utilization and quality control peer review organizations under part B (Peer Review) of title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure that the organizations conduct adequate and representative quality of care reviews on patients who require intensive home health services or extended care services. Requires States, as a condition of approval of a State plan under Medicaid, to provide assurances that the State is providing for the conduct of adequate and representative quality of care reviews on patients who require intensive home health services, nursing facility services, or other long-term care services. Directs the Secretary to review and report to the Congress regarding whether specified types of facilities participating under the Medicare or Medicaid program limit or restrict the services they provide to individuals with Alzheimer's or a related disorder. Directs the Secretary to provide for research and demonstration projects concerning methods of improving the delivery of health care services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. Specifies projects to be included. Directs the Secretary to provide for an evaluation of the research and demonstration projects and submit a report to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Requires funds, to the extent that research and demonstration projects relate to Medicare beneficiaries, to be appropriated from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to waive compliance with the requirements of part B (Peer Review) of title XI, title XVIII (Medicare), and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act as necessary to conduct these research and demonstration projects.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Provides that no adjournment of either House of Congress, other than an adjournment sine die to end a Congress, prevents the return of a bill by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Ground Water Safety Act of 1987 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to require a pesticide registrant or reregistrant to submit information to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the pesticide's potential for groundwater leaching. Directs the Administrator, upon such registration, to determine a pesticide's leaching potential. Requires registrants, in the case of a positive leaching potential, to: (1) develop management practices to minimize such leaching; (2) disseminate such management information to applicators; and (3) conduct groundwater monitoring. Requires a registrant, upon detection of groundwater contamination, to notify EPA, the State, the owner of the property, and any other person(s) relying on the underground source for drinking water or household needs. States that if such contamination reaches or is likely to reach 25 percent of the EPA-established groundwater residue guidance level, the Administrator shall amend the registration to impose further restrictions on the pesticide's use. States that if contamination reaches 50 percent of the groundwater residue guidance level, the Administrator shall notify and provide relevant information to the affected State(s). Directs the Administrator, if an affected State fails to act, to prohibit the pesticide's use in the vicinity of the underground source of drinking water. Directs the Administrator to: (1) collect and make available to the public information on groundwater pesticide contamination; (2) provide technical assistance to States for groundwater protection programs; (3) conduct research activities to monitor the presence of pesticides in the unsaturated zone; and (4) enter into agreements with the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to develop information systems for State and local officials, farmers, and applicators regarding soil, climate, and hydrology at specific pesticide use sites. Authorizes FY 1988 through 1992 appropriations. Requires States to develop and submit for EPA approval pesticide water pollution prevention programs. Authorizes: (1) the Administrator to provide financial assistance; and (2) FY 1988 through 1992 appropriations. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Administrator to issue groundwater residue guidance levels for FIFRA-registered pesticides. Amends the Clean Water Act to authorize FY 1988 through 1992 appropriations for EPA research in developing management practices to control pesticide contamination of surface and groundwaters.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Amends the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 to direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations requiring that: (1) all passenger and freight trains operating after December 15, 1989, on the main line of the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston, Massachusetts, be equipped with automatic stopping systems; and (2) all locomotives in operation be equipped with an operable radio capable of train-to-train and train-to-fixed station communication. Increases from $2,500 to $25,000 the maximum civil penalty for violations of Federal railroad safety rules. Directs the Secretary to: (1) undertake a feasibility study regarding automatic train control systems on each rail corridor on which passengers are carried; and (2) report study results to the Congress within one year after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Amerasian Homecoming Act - Provides for the admission as an immigrant into the United States (for two years beginning 90 days after enactment of this Act) of an alien residing in Vietnam who: (1) was born in Vietnam after January 1, 1962, and before January 1, 1976, and whose father was a U.S. citizen; or (2) is the spouse, child, or mother, or has acted as the next of kin (with specified limitations) of such an alien. Requires on-site consular interviews in making such determinations. Provides for an eight-month period of visa validity. Provides, with regard to such aliens, for: (1) the waiver of specified exclusionary grounds under the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (2) specified (refugee) assistance under such Act. Directs the Attorney General, in cooperation with the Secretary of State, to submit program reports to the Congress annually for three years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Designates the period beginning September 15 and ending October 15 each year as National Hispanic Heritage Month. (Current law designates the week including September 15 and 16 each year as National Hispanic Heritage Week.)
![Official portrait of Rep. Dwyer, Bernard J. [D-NJ-6]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000586_200.jpg)