United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2000
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to phase-in an increase in the unified credit against estate and gift taxes to an exclusion amount of $10 million for calendar year 2003 and following years. Provides for an inflation adjustment to such exclusion.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
Farmland Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from a decedent's gross estate qualified farmland which is restricted in perpetuity to use as farmland under a qualified farmland conservation easement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
Savings for Working Families Act of 2000 - Title I: Individual Development Accounts For Low-Income Workers - Sets forth requirements for qualified individual development accounts (IDAs) for low-income workers, including: (1) the basic structure and administration of qualified IDA programs established by qualified financial institutions (QFIs) or qualified nonprofit organizations (QNOs); (2) procedures for opening an IDA with a QFI or a QNO and contributing money (of up to a certain amount, except in the case of qualified rollovers) in accordance with specified guidelines to qualify for matching funds from QFIs, QNOs, State, local, or private sources to be held in a parallel account; (3) QFI or QNO deposits of all matching funds (matched dollar-for-dollar for the first 500 contributed by an eligible individual to an IDA for any taxable year) for each IDA in a parallel, interest-bearing account at a QFI or QNO; (4) procedures for withdrawals from an IDA for qualified higher education expenses, first-time homebuyer costs, business capitalization costs, or rollovers to other IDAs of the individual or the individual's spouse or dependents; (5) certification to the Secretary of the Treasury or designated organization that qualified IDAs and other described accounts are operating pursuant to this Act, and termination of qualified IDA programs if the Secretary, or designated organization, determines that a QFI, or QNO, is not operating a qualified IDA program in accordance with this Act; and (6) reporting, monitoring, and evaluation requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 105) Allows for withdrawal from an IDA for non-qualified expenses, but with forfeiture of all corresponding matching funds and interest earned on them, unless the withdrawn funds are recontributed within one year. (Sec. 108) Disregards funds in parallel accounts of program participants for purposes of certain means-tested Federal programs. Title II: Qualified Individual Development Account Program Investment Credits - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for a qualified IDA program investment by an eligible taxpayer (a QFI or a non-QFI meeting specified criteria) during the taxable year. (Sec. 202) Declares that QFIs which establish qualified IDA programs shall not receive credit for funding, administration, and education expenses under any test contained in regulations for the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 for those activities and expenses related to such programs and accounted for in the tax credit above. (Sec. 203) Authorizes an individual to designate that a specified portion of any overpayment of tax for a taxable year attributable to the earned income credit shall be deposited by the Secretary into the individual's IDA.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
America's Better Classroom Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a limited credit for qualified public school modernization bonds (qualified school construction bonds and qualified zone academy bonds). Amends the General Education Provisions Act to provide for the application of certain labor standards to projects financed under this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish provisions concerning employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
Open Space Preservation Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income the gain from the sale or exchange of farmland if there is in effect a qualifying perpetual conservation easement prohibiting any use other than as farmland.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Stamp Out Breast Cancer Reauthorization Act - Amends the Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act to extend until July 29, 2002, or the end of the two-year period beginning on this Act's enactment, whichever is later, the authority under which postal patrons may contribute to funding for breast cancer research through the voluntary purchase of certain specially issued U.S. postage stamps. Requires the Comptroller General to make a report to Congress on the operation of this Act, in addition to a previous mandated report.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend from 26 additional weeks to 52 additional weeks the permissible additional period for payment of trade readjustment allowances to adversely affected workers enrolled in training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Child Support Fairness and Tax Refund Interception Act of 2000 - Amends title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of the Social Security Act to provide for the use of the tax refund intercept program to collect past-due child support on behalf of children who are not minors.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Deposit Insurance Fairness and Economic Opportunity Act - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to set forth a schedule under which the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation shall transfer annually to the Financing Corporation (FICO), for payment of FICO interest obligations, such amounts as exceed 1.40 percent of the total estimated deposits insured by the Bank Insurance Fund and the Savings Association Insurance Fund, respectively, when amounts in both Funds exceed that percentage.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to declare that a major objective of the foreign assistance program of the United States is to control tuberculosis and that consequently Congress expects the agency primarily responsible for the administration of tuberculosis control health programs to focus upon implementation of Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course (DOTS), or other internationally accepted primary tuberculosis control strategies developed in consultation with the World Health Organization and other designated organizations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Project Exile: The Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act of 2000 - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to direct the Attorney General to provide firearms sentencing incentive grants to eligible States that: (1) demonstrate that they have implemented firearms sentencing laws requiring that any person who uses or carries a firearm during and in relation to any violent crime or serious drug trafficking crime be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years (without the possibility of parole) in addition to the punishment provided for such crime, or requiring that any person who possesses a firearm, having at least one prior conviction for a violent crime, shall be sentenced to five years' imprisonment (without the possibility of parole); or (2) can demonstrate that they have in effect an equivalent Federal prosecution agreement; and (3) demonstrate that they have or will implement a public awareness and community support program that seeks to build support for, and warns potential violators of, such firearms sentencing laws; and (4) provide assurances that they will coordinate with Federal prosecutors and Federal law enforcement agencies to promote Federal involvement and cooperation in the enforcement of laws within that State and will allocate resources in a manner calculated to reduce crime in the high-crime areas of the State. Sets forth allowable uses for such grants, including to: (1) support law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, probation officers, correctional officers, the juvenile justice system, the improvement of criminal history records, or case management programs involving the sharing of information about serious offenders; (2) carry out such a public awareness and community support program; and (3) build or expand correctional facilities. Sets forth the allocation formula for grants, authorizes appropriations, and sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
IDEA Full Funding Act of 2000 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to authorize funding to reach the Federal Government's goal of providing 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure to assist States and local educational agencies with the excess costs of educating children with disabilities. Authorizes appropriations for IDEA part B programs of assistance for education of all children with disabilities, in specified amounts for FY 2001 through 2010, and as necessary thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Digital Divide Elimination Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide earned income-eligible taxpayers with a credit (50 percent of expenses up to $500 annually) for the purchase of qualifying Internet-accessible computers and equipment. Extends and expands the deduction for charitable computer contributions to elementary and secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from self-employment net income certain conservation reserve program payments. Amends the Social Security Act to exclude such payments from the definition of "net earnings from self-employment."
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Privacy Commission Act - Establishes the Commission for the Comprehensive Study of Privacy Protection to study and report to Congress and the President on issues relating to protection of individual privacy and the appropriate balance to be achieved between protecting such privacy and allowing appropriate uses of information. Requires the Commission to conduct at least four hearings in each of the five geographical regions of the United States. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Long-Term Care Security Act - Amends Federal civil service provisions to direct the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish and administer a program through which Federal employees and annuitants, current and retired members of the uniformed services, and their qualified relatives may obtain long-term care insurance through a qualified carrier (a company licensed to issue such insurance in all States). Directs OPM, without regard to statutes requiring competitive bidding, to contract with one or more qualified carriers to provide such insurance. Sets forth contract terms and conditions, including that the carrier participate in an administrative process to settle claim disputes. Provides for seven-year contracts. Requires OPM, after a certain period, to recommend to specified congressional committees whether the insurance program should be continued. Requires each master insurance contract to include full portability of benefits. Makes insured individuals responsible for 100 percent of the charges of coverage and allows individuals to have amounts withheld from pay for their coverage and coverage for qualified relatives. Requires each carrier to maintain a separate accounting of premium amounts received. Provides that contract terms for coverage or benefits under this Act shall preempt State and local law relating to long-term care insurance or contracts. Requires qualified carriers to furnish reasonable reports and permit audits. Requires two reports from the General Accounting Office to OPM and each House of Congress evaluating the insurance program. Provides jurisdiction for disputed claims through U.S. district courts after exhausting all available administrative remedies.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Two Strikes and You're Out Child Protection Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to provide for mandatory life imprisonment (unless a death sentence is imposed) of a person convicted of a Federal sex offense in which a minor is the victim if the person has a prior sex conviction in which a minor was the victim.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Fisheries Recovery Act of 2000 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act) regarding avoiding and minimizing bycatch and bycatch mortality. Modifies the definition of "essential fish habitat" to include nonmanaged fish. Requires a fishery management plan to close an area to a gear or practice that may affect such habitat unless the Regional Fishery Management Council determines that closure is not necessary and the Secretary of Commerce finds that the gear or practice will have a minimal adverse impact on habitat and minimal bycatch. Requires a Federal agency to which the Secretary has recommended habitat conservation measures to ensure that its action is not likely to adversely modify or impair habitat. Requires that conservation organization representatives be included on Councils. Removes references to international agreements from provisions relating to rebuilding overfished fisheries. Directs the Secretary, during preparation of a highly migratory species plan or amendment, to take into account (currently, to minimize, to the extent practicable) any disadvantage to U.S. fishermen in relation to foreign competitors. Amends the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 to modify the composition of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. (Sec. 7) Amends the Magnuson Act to mandate observers on commercial fishing vessels to collect data necessary for the conservation and management of the fishery. Requires a permit and fees regarding: (1) a vessel fishing in the exclusive economic zone or special areas or for anadromous species of Continental Shelf fishery resources; (2) the operator of such a vessel; or (3) the first U.S. processor to receive the fish. (Sec. 8) Modifies: (1) the definition of "overfishing" and "overfished" to include jeopardizing the ecological integrity and sustainability of marine ecosystems; (2) conservation and management measure requirements; and (3) fishery management plan requirements to add ecosystem considerations. Requires each: (1) fishery management plan to have a fishery impact statement; and (2) Council established under the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to prepare a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan for each major marine ecosystem in its jurisdiction. (Sec. 9) Modifies requirements regarding the contents of fishery management plans and rebuilding overfished fisheries. (Sec. 10) Defines "precautionary approach" as exercising additional caution in favor of conservation when information is absent, uncertain, unreliable, or inadequate. Applies that approach to conservation and management measures. (Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Magnuson Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Gift of Life Tax Credit Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a (refundable) $10,000 credit to individuals who donate their organs at death under an approved plan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2000
Apples for Three Million Teachers Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make the two percent floor on miscellaneous itemized deductions inapplicable to the qualified professional development expenses incurred by teachers; and (2) allow a credit to elementary and secondary school teachers who provide classroom materials.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2000
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the targeted area limitation on the expense deduction for environmental remediation costs and to extend the termination date of such deduction from December 31, 2001, to June 30, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2000
Directs the Secretary of State to initiate and report to Congress a U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland, and instruct the U.S. delegation to Geneva to implement such plan.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2000
Helping to Improve Technology Education and Achievement Act of 2000 - Title I: Provisions Relating to Employment-Based Immigration - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make employment-based visas available on a quarterly basis without regard to per-country limitations if unused visas are available. (Sec. 102) Directs the Secretary of Labor to take into account Internet recruiting in determining whether an employer has undertaken required efforts to recruit U.S. workers. (Sec. 103) Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to establish an Internet-based system that will permit tracking of benefit filings required under such Act. Directs the Attorney General to conduct an on-line filing feasibility study. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretaries of Labor and Commerce to jointly establish a related Technology Advisory Committee. Title II: Provisions Relating to H-1B Nonimmigrants - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase available nonimmigrant H-1B specialty occupation visas for FY 2001 through 2003, with specified visa reservations for: (1) aliens with master's or higher degrees; and (2) institutions of higher education and other research organizations. Makes additional visas available for FY 1999 under specified conditions. (Sec. 202) Requires employers to file W-2 forms for H-1B employees. (Sec. 203) Provides one-year extensions of authorized H-1B stay pending specified status adjudications. Title III: Collection and Use of H-1B Nonimmigrant Fees - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase H-1B petition fees. (Sec. 302) Obligates specified amounts from the H-1B Nonimmigrant Petitioner Account for: (1) student loan forgiveness; (2) upward bound; and (3) regional skills training alliances. Eliminates obligations for job training. Decreases obligations for low-income scholarships. Amends the Higher Education Act to establish an educational loan forgiveness program for mathematics and science teachers. Amends the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide matching grants to: (1) eligible entities for job skills training in specific industries; and (2) States for consortia planning assistance. (Sec. 306) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase certain H-1B administrative fees.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
Medicare Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant Direct Reimbursement Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of surgical first assisting services furnished by certified registered nurse first assistants. Provides for payment of such nurses on an assignment-related basis. Excludes services of such nurses from the definition of "covered skilled nursing facility services" for purposes of applying a prospective payment formula for such services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reduce the amount of Medicare payments otherwise made to hospitals to eliminate estimated duplicate payments for historical or current costs attributable to surgical first assisting services furnished by certified registered nurse first assistants. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on recommendations for adjustments to the payment amounts established under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of Medicare for surgical first assisting services furnished by such nurses to ensure that the payment amounts reflect the approximate costs of furnishing such services, taking into account the costs of compensation, overhead, and supervision attributable to such nurses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
Reserve Employer Tax Credit Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide: (1) employers a business tax credit for a portion of compensation that was not paid with respect to members of the military reserves who were absent from work on qualified reserve duty; (2) a comparable credit for participating self-employed individuals; and (3) for the deduction of certain expenses paid or incurred by members of a Reserve component of the armed forces.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2000
Life Insurance Tax Simplification Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal provisions: (1) providing for the reduction in certain deductions of mutual life insurance companies; and (2) relating to distributions to shareholders from pre-1984 policyholders surplus accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
State Bank Examination Fee Repeal Act - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Federal Reserve Act to repeal the authority of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, respectively, to assess against a State depository institution fees representing expenses incurred in conducting an examination of such institution by Federal examiners.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Declares that Congress: (1) acknowledges that there remain 605 prisoners of war imprisoned in Iraq; (2) condemns and denounces the Iraqi Government's refusal to comply with international human rights instruments to which it is a party; (3) urges Iraq to disclose the names and whereabouts of those prisoners of war who are still alive; and (4) insists that Iraq allow humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit living prisoners and to recover the remains of those who have died in captivity. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Government should: (1) work with the international community and the Government of Kuwait to secure the release of Kuwaiti and other prisoners of war who are still missing nine years after the end of the Gulf War; and (2) exert pressure, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, on Iraq to bring this issue to a close, release all remaining prisoners of the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, and rejoin the community of nations with a humane gesture of good will and decency.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000 - Amends the Small Business Act to authorize appropriations and provide funding levels for FY 2001 through 2003 for various programs under the Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, including general business loans for small businesses and grants or cooperative agreements for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) program. Amends the Act to: (1) increase the authorized annual amount for the small business development centers program; (2) adjust and extend through FY 2003 the authorization of appropriations for the drug-free workplace program; and (3) authorize appropriations for FY 2001 through 2003 for the HUBZone program. Amends the: (1) Women's Business Ownership Act to extend and increase the annual authorization of appropriations for women's business enterprise development programs; (2) Small Business Administration Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 1994 to extend through FY 2003 a pilot program to provide Federal contracting opportunities for very small businesses; and (3) Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 to extend through FY 2003 a program for the participation of socially and economically disadvantaged businesses in certain Federal procurement contracting goals.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Postmasters Fairness and Rights Act - Amends Federal law to prescribe guidelines within which the Postal Service shall propose changes in pay policies, schedules, and fringe benefit programs affecting postmasters which are to be in effect during the period covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Postal Service and certain recognized bargaining representatives. Grants certain qualified postmasters' organizations the right to participate in program planning and development pertaining to pay policies, schedules, and fringe benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Commends the Library of Congress and its employees, both past and present, on 200 years of service to Congress and the Nation. Encourages the American public to participate in activities to commemorate the Library's bicentennial.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2000
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the credit for expenditures to provide access to disabled individuals to include modifications enabling inter-city buses to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2000
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) music education enhances intellectual development and enriches the academic environment for children of all ages; and (2) music educators greatly contribute to the artistic, intellectual, and social development of children, and play a key role in helping children to succeed in school.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2000
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) upon approval of the accession of China to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United States representative to the WTO should request that the WTO General Council consider Taiwan's accession to the WTO as its next order of business; and (2) the United States should be prepared to counter any effort by any WTO member country, upon China's accession, to block Taiwan's.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2000
High-Speed Rail Investment Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited tax credit to holders of qualified intercity passenger rail carrier bonds. Sets forth definitions, State matching requirements, and other rules.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
2002 Winter Olympic Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue five dollar gold coins and one dollar silver coins emblematic of the participation of American athletes in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Mandates that coin design be selected by the Secretary after consultation with: (1) the Commission of Fine Arts; (2) the United States Olympic Committee; and (3) Olympic Properties of the United States-Salt Lake 2002 (created and owned by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee). States that all surcharges from the coin sales ($35 for a $5 coin and $10 for a $1 coin) shall be distributed by the Secretary to: (1) Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002; and (2) the United States Olympic Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000 - Designates the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument in southern California, to be managed jointly by the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture. Provides that nothing in the establishment of the Monument shall be construed as: (1) affecting Indian Reservations, individually held trust lands, Indian allotments, lands or interests in lands held by the State of California or its political subdivision, a special district, or the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority, or private property rights within the Monuments boundaries; nor (2) granting the Secretaries authority on or over non-Federal lands not already provided by law. Requires the Secretaries to prepare a management plan for the conservation and protection of the Monument. Provides for the continued use by the University of California of certain Federal lands within the Monument (including other specified existing and historical uses). Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, without further authorization by law, to exchange lands with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for purposes of this Act. Requires the Secretaries to jointly establish an advisory committee for the Monument to advise them with respect to the preparation and implementation of the management plan. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Amends provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act regarding the Great Lakes to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to States, Indian tribes, interstate agencies, and local governments for projects to improve water quality at areas of concern. Limits the Federal share of project costs to 60 percent. Authorizes appropriations. Permits the Administrator to undertake projects to improve degraded fresh water estuary habitat (with respect to bodies of water having unimpaired natural connections with a Great Lake and within which the water from the Great Lake is measurably diluted with water from land drainage) for purposes of attaining self-sustaining systems integrated into the surrounding landscape. Limits the Federal share of project costs to 65 percent. Reauthorizes the Great Lakes program for FY 2001 through 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Congressional Oversight and Audit of Agency Rulemaking Actions Act - Establishes a pilot project under which the Comptroller General may review a published economically significant proposed or interim rule at the request of a committee of either House of Congress with jurisdiction over the subject matter of the rule. Defines "economically significant rule" to mean any proposed, final, or interim rule: (1) that may have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments, small businesses, or communities; or (2) for which an agency has prepared an initial or final regulatory flexibility analysis. Requires that an independent audit and assessment of such a rule by the Comptroller General shall consist of: (1) an analysis of the agency's and the public's assessment of the potential benefits and costs of the rule and of alternative approaches that could achieve the agency's objectives in a more cost effective manner; (2) an analysis and assessment of any impact statement or report prepared by the agency as part of the rulemaking, including any assessment of impacts on State and local governments; and (3) a list of all analyses, groups, entities, and sources consulted in developing the analyses and assessments described above. Grants the Comptroller General discretion to develop procedures for determining the priority and number of requests for review. Requires each agency, upon request of the Comptroller General, to provide any available or existing records, information, or data upon which the agency relied in developing such a rule. Requires the Comptroller General to transmit an independent audit containing the prescribed assessments and analyses on a final rule, together with a summary of the differences between the proposed and final rule, within 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Authorizes appropriations. Provides for the pilot project established under this Act to continue for a five-year period if specified appropriations are provided. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on such project's effectiveness and on whether it should be authorized permanently.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2000
Commends the Holy See for its strong commitment to fundamental human rights during its 36 years as a Permanent Observer at the United Nations (UN). Declares that Congress: (1) strongly objects to any effort to expel the Holy See from the UN as a state participant by removing its status as a nonmember state Permanent Observer; and (2) believes that any degradation of the status accorded to the Holy See at the UN would seriously damage the credibility of the UN. Expresses concern that any such degradation of status would seriously damage relations between the UN and member states that find in the Holy See a moral and ethical presence with which they can work effectively in pursuing humanitarian approaches to international problems.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2000
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2000 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any physician from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, unless it is necessary to save the mother's life that is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury. Prescribes penalties. Defines a "partial birth abortion" as an abortion in which the person performing the abortion deliberately and intentionally: (1) vaginally delivers some portion of an intact living fetus until the fetus is partially outside the body of the mother, for the purpose of performing an overt act that the person knows will kill the fetus while the fetus is partially outside the mother's body; and (2) performs the overt act that kills the fetus while the intact living fetus is partially outside the mother's body. Authorizes the father, if married to the mother at the time of the abortion, and the maternal grandparents of the fetus, if the mother is under 18 years of age, to obtain specified relief in a civil action, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion. Authorizes a defendant accused of an offense under this Act to seek a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother. Prohibits the prosecution of a woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed for conspiracy to violate this Act or under provisions regarding punishment as a principal or an accessory or for concealment of a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2000
Ombudsman Reauthorization Act of 2000 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to extend the termination date for the Office of Ombudsman to the date ten years after this Act's enactment. (Current law provides for termination four years after November 8, 1984.) Requires the Ombudsman to report to Congress on the status of health and environmental concerns addressed by cases brought before the Ombudsman and recommend improvements to the hazardous waste programs for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are responsible. Directs the EPA Administrator to facilitate the structuring of the Office to conform to the structure reflected in the Model Ombudsman Statute of the American Bar Association.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2000
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the people of the Republic of Croatia are to be congratulated on successful parliamentary and presidential elections and the outgoing Government of Croatia is to be commended for the democratic standards with which it managed the elections; (2) the United States should support the efforts of the new Government of Croatia to increase its work on refugee return, privatization reform, media reform, and further cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ITCY); (3) Congress strongly supports Croatia's commitment to western democratic standards and will give its full support to the new Government to fully implement democratic reforms; (4) the United States continues to promote Croatian-American economic, political, and military relations and recognizes Croatia as a loyal partner in south central Europe; and (5) Congress recommends establishing a strategic partnership with the Republic of Croatia and supports its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace program and its accession into the World Trade Organization.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue five-dollar gold coins, one-dollar silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the inspirational life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mandates prompt payment of all surcharges received from the coin sales to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Legacy Fund of the Library of Congress for the purpose of securing the personal papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for the Library of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2000
Consumers' Home Improvement Protection Act - Amends the National Housing Act to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to take the following actions to prevent rehabilitation loan program fraud: (1) prohibit identity of interest of borrowers (including nonprofit organizations), lenders, consultants, real estate agents, inspectors, or appraisers; (2) establish nonprofit organization participation standards; (3) prohibit final loan disbursement until rehabilitation completion; and (4) require consultant certification and contractor qualification (for projects of $25,000 or more). Directs the Secretary report on nonprofit organization program participation.
![Official portrait of Rep. English, Phil [R-PA-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/e000187_200.jpg)