United States · United States Congress · 9 December 1987
Expresses the sense of the Congress that railroad retirement benefits are exempt from reduction under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) and that supplemental annuities payable under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 and sequestered under a specified presidential order should be restored.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 1987
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the targeted jobs income tax credit. Extends the credit to employees who begin work in 1989 through 1991. (Current law terminates the credit for employees who begin work after December 31, 1988.) Includes as a targeted group individuals aged 65 or older who are members of economically disadvantaged families. Revises the minimum employment period requirement for purposes of this credit.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 1987
Expresses the sense of the Congress that, in celebration of the millennium of the Christianization of Kievan-Rus', the Soviet Union should: (1) comply with its international obligations and allow Christians to practice their faith without harassment; (2) grant a general amnesty for all Christians who have been imprisoned because of their religious beliefs; (3) allow religious believers to practice their faith freely; (4) permit unlimited publication, distribution, and importation of religious materials; and (5) allow closed churches to reopen, new churches to be built, and theological seminaries to open or expand.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 1987
Act for Better Child Care Services of 1987 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 and such sums as necessary for FY 1989 through 1992 to carry out the purposes of this Act. Specifies the manner of making allotments for child care services. Requires the designation of a lead agency in each State which participates in the programs under this Act. Requires States to submit, in order to qualify for assistance under this Act, an application and plan to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires each plan to cover a five-year period and to meet specified requirements for providers of child care services. Authorizes the use of State allotments: (1) by contracts with or grants to eligible child care providers, or public or private nonprofit agencies, to enable such providers or agencies to operate programs directly or by subcontract; or (2) by distributing child care certificates that parents may use as payment for child care services. Requires that a percentage of funds be reserved to enable part-day programs to extend existing hours of operation and provide full-day child care services. Authorizes the Secretary to make planning grants to States which desire to participate under this Act but cannot fully satisfy the requirements of a State plan without financial assistance. Provides for a review of the operation of a State plan during the five-year period to determine its continued eligibility for funds. Requires the Governor of each participating State to establish: (1) a State interagency advisory committee on child care to assist the lead agency in carrying out its responsibilities; and (2) a State committee on licensing to review the licensing requirements, the law, and the policies regulating child care services and programs within the State. Requires each participating State to recognized private nonprofit community-based organizations, or public organizations, as resources and referral agencies for particular geographic areas. Requires each participating State to require that all employed or self-employed persons providing licensed or regulated child care complete at least 15 hours per year of inservice, continuing education, or other training as described in this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services an Administrator of Child Care to carry out the provisions of this Act. Establishes enforcement provisions for review of State plans and monitoring of State compliance. Declares the Federal share of child care programs to be 80 percent and requires the State to demonstrate that the remaining 20 percent will be provided from other sources. Requires the Secretary to establish a National Advisory Committee on Child Care Standards to: (1) review Federal policies on child care services and such other data as appropriate; (2) submit to the Secretary proposed minimum standards for child care programs; and (3) develop and make available to lead agencies model regulations for resources and referral agencies. Terminates the committee 90 days after the date of publication of final minimum child care standards. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act for: (1) sectarian purposes or activities; (2) capital improvements to sectarian institutions; and (3) tuition.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1987
Authorizes the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project, Inc., to establish a commemorative statue within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to recognize and honor the women of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam war. Expresses the sense of the Congress that after the addition of such statue, no further commemorative works should be added to the Memorial. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to select a site for the statue within the Memorial. Makes the design proposal subject to the approval of the Secretary and the National Capital Planning Commission. Prohibits the United States and the District of Columbia from paying any expense of establishing the statue.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1987
Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to prohibit the takeoffs and landings of subsonic aircraft exceeding certain noise levels at U.S. airports. States that this prohibition applies only to an airport during the three-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act if the number of individuals residing within five miles of it exceeds 100,000.
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 · 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
Decennial Census Improvement Act of 1987 - Requires the Secretary of Commerce to adjust the population data of the decennial census to correct for any undercounts or overcounts and to report to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than one year in advance of such census, on the proposed plan for making such adjustment.
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 · 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
Omnibus Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to prepare a statement setting forth in nontechnical terms: (1) the rights and obligations of a taxpayer and of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) during a tax audit; (2) the procedures by which a taxpayer may appeal adverse decisions, prosecute refund claims, and file complaints; and (3) the procedures that the IRS may use in enforcing revenue laws. Directs the Secretary to transmit drafts of such statement to specified congressional committees and to distribute the final statement to all taxpayers receiving annual tax filing forms from the IRS. Requires the IRS, upon taxpayer request, to conduct any interview regarding the determination or collection of any tax at a reasonable time and place convenient to the taxpayer and to the IRS, and to permit the taxpayer, at his or her own expense, to record the interview. Authorizes the IRS interviewer to record such interview if the taxpayer has been given prior notice and is provided, upon request and payment of reproduction costs, with a transcript of the recording. Requires the interviewer to explain to the taxpayer the audit process, including the taxpayer's rights with respect to the process. Requires the Secretary to abate any penalty or interest imposed on any deficiency attributable to erroneous advice in writing given to a taxpayer by an IRS officer or employee in response to such taxpayer's specific inquiry. Authorizes the IRS Ombudsman, upon application filed by a taxpayer, to issue a Taxpayer Assistance Order if, in the determination of the Ombudsman: (1) the taxpayer is suffering or is about to suffer from an unusual or irreparable loss as a result of the manner in which the internal revenue laws are being administered by the Secretary; and (2) the Secretary has failed to carry out any of his or her duties or has violated any provision of law. Allows the terms of a Taxpayer Assistance Order to require the Secretary to release property of the taxpayer levied upon or to cease or refrain from certain actions. Requires the Secretary to obey any Taxpayer Assistance Order issued by the Ombudsman. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days of this Act's enactment, to issue regulations with respect to Taxpayer Assistance Orders, including provisions to assure full, fair, and impartial due process for affected taxpayers. Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 and other Federal law to establish within the Department of the Treasury an Office of Inspector General. Transfers to such Office the existing audit and investigation units of the Department. Sets forth criteria with respect to: (1) the authority of the Inspector General to conduct an investigation; and (2) the authority of the Secretary in cases of audits or investigations requiring access to information of a sensitive or confidential nature. Allows the Secretary to prohibit investigations under specified circumstances. Restricts disclosure by the Inspector General of tax returns and return information. Prohibits records of tax enforcement results from being used to evaluate certain IRS personnel or to impose or suggest production quotas. Requires district directors to certify compliance with this mandate on a monthly basis. Requires the Secretary to certify that a rule proposed by the IRS is substantially the only alternative that meets the mandate of the relevant statute in order for the rule to be considered an interpretative rule (and thereby not subject to analyses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act). Amends the Regulatory Flexibility Act to require regulatory flexibility analyses to include consideration of both the direct and indirect beneficial and negative effects of a proposed or final rule. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to direct the Secretary, with limited exceptions, to send a preliminary letter of deficiency to a taxpayer prior to the mailing of a deficiency notice. Specifies required contents for tax due notices and deficiency notices, including the basis of the deficiency and a breakdown of the total amount into tax, interest, and penalty. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days of this Act's enactment, to issue regulations requiring all IRS personnel to explain and support their position in assessing any penalties or additions to tax. Requires the Comptroller General to study IRS procedures with respect to such assessments and to present findings to specified congressional committees no later than December 31, 1988. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a binding agreement with a taxpayer under which the taxpayer may pay tax liability in installments if the Secretary determines that such an agreement will facilitate collection of the liability. Permits the Secretary, after proper notice and a hearing, to modify or annul the agreement upon the finding that the financial condition of the affected taxpayer has significantly changed. Renders such an agreement nonbinding if the taxpayer fails to pay any installment or any other tax liability when due. Extends from ten to 30 days the period between the required notice to a person who neglects or refuses to pay tax liability and a levy on such person's salary, wages, or other property. Specifies information that must be incorporated in such notice, including possible alternative actions and the appropriate appeals procedures. Adds to the circumstances triggering termination of such a levy: (1) an agreement between the taxpayer and the Secretary for payment of the liability; and (2) the Secretary's determination that the taxpayer's financial condition precludes enforceability of the liability. Revises the list of property exempt from levy to: (1) increase the exempt amount permitted for certain personal effects, the property of a business, and wages; (2) add an exemption for certain deposits in qualified institutions; and (3) provide an express exemption, except under limited circumstances specified in this Act, for the taxpayer's principal residence, a motor vehicle used by the taxpayer as the primary means of transportation to work, and any tangible personal property essential to the operation of the taxpayer's business in cases when a levy would prevent the taxpayer from carrying on such business. Prohibits a levy on any property when levy and sales expenses would exceed either the liability for which the levy is made or the fair market value of the levied property. Permits the Secretary to demand surrender of bank accounts only after 21 days in escrow have passed since service of the notice of levy on the accounts. Sets forth situations in which the Secretary must release a levy. Applies to jeopardy levies the administrative and judicial review procedures currently applicable to jeopardy assessments. Permits a taxpayer to bring a civil action against the United States in the Tax Court for judicial review of jeopardy levies and assessments. (Under current law an action for judicial review of jeopardy assessments may be filed only in district court.) Increases the time during which a taxpayer may petition for such review. Describes the jurisdictional requirements to be applied to such actions. Allows an administrative appeal of tax liens. Grants to the Tax Court exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin premature assessments if the taxpayer has filed a timely petition for review. Provides for review of such injunctive orders by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Grants to the Tax Court jurisdiction to enforce payment by the Secretary of refunds of overpayment and interest to taxpayers. Places on the Secretary the burden of proof of justifying any failure to refund, credit, or offset relevant amounts with respect to a taxpayer. Entitles a prevailing taxpayer to: (1) an interest rate of 120 percent of the overpayment rate with respect to refunds; and (2) reasonable litigation costs. Grants to the Tax Court jurisdiction to: (1) review jeopardy assessment sales of assets; and (2) redetermine interest under certain circumstances when a taxpayer claims an overpayment of the interest. Vests in the Tax Court original jurisdiction over any civil action against the Secretary for the recovery of any tax, additions to tax, and penalties with respect to income, estate, gift, and certain excise taxes. Authorizes an award of reasonable litigation costs to the prevailing party in proceedings by taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Permits a taxpayer to bring a civil action in district court for actual damages resulting from the failure of any Federal officer or employee to release a tax lien on the taxpayer's property. Permits a civil cause of action in district court for damages resulting from the careless, reckless, or intentional disregard of internal revenue laws by any Federal officer or employee. Denies damage awards in cases of contributory negligence. Authorizes a damage award, to a $10,000 maximum, to the United States in cases of frivolous or groundless claims by a taxpayer. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe criminal penalties for: (1) any investigation or surveillance authorized or conducted by an officer or employee of the United States in connection with Federal tax laws that inquires into the beliefs, associations, or activities of any individual or organization; or (2) the maintenance of any records containing information derived from such an investigation. Establishes in the Internal Revenue Service the Office for Taxpayers Services, under the supervision of an Assistant Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Directs this Assistant Commissioner to: (1) be responsible for telephone, walk-in, and educational services, and for the design and production of tax and information forms; and (2) prepare annually, for presentation to specified congressional committees, a joint report (with the Chief Problem Resolution Officer for the IRS) on the quality of taxpayer services.
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 · 9 October 1987
Veterans' Employment and Training Act of 1987 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to require the administrative head of the employment service in each State to assign local veterans' employment representatives (LVERs) to the staffs of local employment service offices. Outlines various functions to be performed by such LVERs in service to veterans in such employment area, including: (1) maintaining ties with the local community in order to keep business leaders aware of the availability of qualified veterans for employment; (2) encouraging business owners and labor unions to hire qualified veterans; (3) promoting, facilitating, and monitoring the participation of veterans in Federal and federally-funded employment and training programs; (4) working closely with Veterans Administration (VA) personnel engaged in providing counseling and rehabilitative services to veterans in identifying qualified disabled veterans who need employment; (5) assisting in securing and maintaining current information regarding available employment and training opportunities; and (6) assisting Federal and State agencies to obtain prosthetic and sensory aids and devices which enhance the employability of disabled veterans. Requires each LVER to be administratively responsible to his or her local employment service manager and provide periodic reports to such manager and to the Director for Veterans' Employment and Training regarding compliance with Federal law and regulations in the provision of such services to veterans. Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training, to make available during each fiscal year for use in each State an amount sufficient to support a specified number of LVERs, depending upon the number of eligible veterans residing in such local employment area, and on the number of eligible veterans residing in such State at the end of the previous fiscal year. Outlines a method for determining the number of LVERs to be so supported in each State. Outlines requirements for the proper registration of an individual for assistance with a local employment office during a program year. Amends general veterans' administrative provisions to require the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary, to: (1) carry out all provisions under the Secretary's jurisdiction for the provision of employment and training services to eligible veterans; (2) encourage the entering into of cooperative agreements with private industry and business concerns in order to make maximum use of available resources; (3) ensure that maximum effectiveness and efficiency are achieved in the provision of services and assistance to eligible veterans; (4) ensure that job placement activities are carried out in coordination and cooperation with appropriate State public employment service officials; (5) monitor and supervise the distribution and use of funds provided for States for veterans' assistance purposes; (6) monitor the appointment of disabled veterans' outreach specialists and the assignment of LVERs in order to assure compliance with specified Federal provisions; and (7) promote, facilitate, and monitor participation of qualified veterans and eligible persons in employment and training opportunities under the Job Training Partnership Act and other Federal and federally-funded employment and training programs. Outlines administrative provisions concerning the distribution of funds and the terms and conditions of grants to States for the above purposes. Directs the Secretary to assign to each region for which the Secretary operates a regional office a representative of the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (who shall be an eligible veteran) to serve as the Regional Administrator for Veterans' Employment and Training in such region. Outlines responsibilities of such Regional Administrator relating to the employment of qualified veterans in such region. Establishes in the Department of Labor the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training within the Senior Executive Service. Requires such appointment no later than the beginning of program year 1989. Revises certain administrative provisions to provide for the budgeting of the National Veterans' Employment and Training Service Institute. Directs the Secretary, no later than December 1 annually, to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the provision of employment and training services to meet the needs of veterans. Specifies general contents of such report. Adds certain specified monitoring responsibilities to those required at the State level for the Directors for Veterans' Employment. Directs the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary, to establish and make available necessary funds to operate a National Veterans' Employment and Training Service Institute (the Institute) for the training of disabled veterans' outreach program specialists, LVERs, State Directors and Assistant State Directors for Veterans' Employment and Training, and other personnel involved in the provision of employment, job-training, counseling, placement, and related services to veterans. Adds representatives of the Secretary of Education, the Postmaster General, and the Director of the ACTION Agency to those required to be represented on the Secretary of Labor's Committee on Veterans' Employment. Authorizes the Secretary, in appointing a State Director or Assistant Director for Veterans' Employment and Training, to waive the required State residency requirement if the Secretary finds that there is no qualified veteran available who meets such requirement.
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 · 7 October 1987
Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to authorize the Administrator of Veterans Affairs (the Administrator) to establish, at any Veterans Administration (VA) medical center at which significant medical or scientific research is carried out, a nonprofit research corporation to carry out and administer funding for approved research at such center. Requires any such nonprofit research corporation (NRC) to comply only with those Federal laws, rules, and regulations that apply generally to private nonprofit corporations. Requires the Administrator to dissolve such corporation if, at the end of the three-year period following its establishment, it is not recognized as a non-taxable entity under Internal Revenue Code regulations. Outlines administrative provisions concerning such NRCs, including the creation of a board of directors, general powers, and State laws applicable to such NRCs. Empowers the Inspector General of the VA with the right to examine the records of each NRC. Requires each NRC to submit annual reports to the Administrator on its activities. Requires each NRC board member and each VA employee involved in NRC functions to submit to the Administrator an annual statement certifying awareness of Federal conflict of interest regulations. Prohibits any NRC from being established after September 30, 1990. Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to authorize the Administrator to enter into agreements for the recruitment and retention of registered nurses at those VA medical centers with a significant shortage of registered nurses. Provides that any such agreement entered into will require the registered nurse to agree to serve in the VA for a period of time of not less than two nor more than four years. Authorizes the Administrator to pay incentive pay at specified rates for nurses consenting to enter into such agreements. Requires repayment to the VA by any registered nurse receiving such incentive pay and failing to complete the agreed-upon period of service. Allows the Administrator to authorize the use of the official seal and other symbols of the VA by any person who makes a significant gift or contribution to the Administrator for the support of special recreational activities which further the rehabilitation of disabled veterans. Prohibits any appropriation for a major medical facility project unless both the Senate and the House Veterans' Affairs Committees have adopted a resolution approving such project and setting forth the estimated cost of such project. Authorizes the Chief Medical Director of the VA's Department of Medicine and Surgery to waive certain license requirements for the appointment of a practical or vocational nurse or physical therapist if: (1) such person is to be employed in a research position having no direct responsibility for patient-care services; or (2) such person is to be employed in a country other than the United States and the licensure or registration of such person is in the country in which the person is to serve. Authorizes the Director to waive a required internship for employment as a psychologist if the position is a research or academic position with no responsibility for direct patient-care services. Authorizes the Administrator to make additional personnel appointments of pharmacists and occupational therapists within the VA for the care and treatment of veterans. Authorizes special pay for such medical personnel who agree to serve for a specified period of time. Authorizes the Veterans' Canteen Service to operate child day care centers at VA medical facilities for the care of the children of VA employees. Authorizes the Service to establish reasonable charges for the provision of such care. Requires the Administrator to assign suitable employees to the operation of such day care centers. Requires the Administrator, when entering into a contract which would convert an activity formerly performed by Federal employees into an activity performed by a Government contractor, to receive responsible bids from at least two financially autonomous bidders before such a contract may be awarded. Establishes an income limit for determining a veteran's eligibility for VA domiciliary care.
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
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, to develop a curriculum for educating emergency response employees (EREs) with respect to the prevention of exposure to infectious diseases during the process of responding to emergencies. Directs the Secretary to establish a task force to assist in developing the curriculum, appointing to the task force representatives of the Centers for Disease Control, State governments, and EREs. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make grants to States to assist in purchasing educational materials and protective equipment recommended in the curriculum, with at least 75 percent of the grant spent for educational materials. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make grants to States to assist in conducting demonstration projects for programs of screening EREs for infectious diseases and immunizing them against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Prohibits the grants unless the applicant agrees that screenings and immunizations will be conducted only with the consent of the emergency response employee (ERE) involved. Exempts, from the screening and immunization provisions, infection with the etiologic agent for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (etiologic agent). Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to make grants to States to assist in the initial implementation of programs of testing notified EREs for infection with the etiologic agent. Prohibits grants unless the applicant agrees that the testing will be conducted only with the consent of the ERE. Requires the amount of the grant to be determined on the basis of the population of the geographic area relative to the U.S. population. Prohibits grants unless the applicant agrees to provide counseling before and, for both those testing negative and those testing positive, after testing. States that such agreements do not prohibit providing the counseling services to an ERE who will not undergo testing. Authorizes appropriations. Requires a medical facility to notify the employer of EREs if the facility determines that a victim the EREs transported to the facility has an infectious disease. Requires a medical facility, upon request of an employer of EREs, to notify the employer if the facility makes a determination that a victim transported by EREs has an infectious disease. Makes notification requirements apply to both the facility receiving the victim and, if the victim dies, to the facility ascertaining the cause of death. Requires such disclosure on request by any ERE employer. Sets forth notification procedures. Directs the public health officer of each State to designate one official of each employer of EREs to make requests and receive notifications. Prohibits other individuals from receiving notifications. Provides for notification of EREs and for requests from an ERE to an employer that the employer request notification from the medical facility. Prohibits: (1) persons providing testing or counseling services from disclosing the identity of any notified ERE; and (2) persons receiving a disclosure of protected information from disclosing the information. Provides for exceptions to the prohibitions. Prohibits a person from discriminating against an otherwise qualified notified ERE in employment, housing, public accommodations, governmental services, or the provision of benefits under any program receiving Federal financial assistance, solely because the ERE is, or is regarded as being, infected with the etiologic agent. Prohibits a person who obtains, as a result of notification provisions of this Act, information relating to the identity of a victim of an emergency who is infected with the etiologic agent, from disclosing such information. Provides, for violations of certain provisions of this Act, for civil monetary penalties, injunctive relief, civil causes of action, and criminal penalties.
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 · 29 September 1987
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Act - Amends title IV (National Research Institutes) of the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (Institute) as an agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Removes communicative disorders from the title and purpose of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. Requires the Director of the Institute, with the advice of the Institute's advisory council, to establish a National Deafness and Other Communications Disorders Program (Program). Requires the Director to prepare and transmit to the Director of NIH a plan to initiate, expand, intensify, and coordinate activities of the Institute respecting disorders of hearing, balance, voice, speech, taste, and smell. Requires activities under the Program to be coordinated with other national research institutes and describes the minimum activities of the Program. Requires the Director to establish a National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Data System for the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data and a National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse. Requires the Director, after consultation with the advisory council, to provide for the development, modernization, and operation of new and existing centers for studies of disorders of hearing and other communication processes. Sets forth requirements for the centers, including conducting research, training programs and information and continuing education programs for health professionals, and public information programs. Authorizes centers to provide stipends for health professionals in their training programs. Describes other programs the centers may undertake. Requires the Director to provide for an equitable geographical distribution of centers and to give appropriate consideration to the need for centers for the elderly and for children. Limits support of a center to seven years, with one or more additional periods of not more than five years, if recommended by a peer review group established by the Director, with the advice of the advisory council. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth transitional and savings provisions.
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
Nursing Shortage Relief Act of 1987 - Amends title VIII (Nurse Training) of the Public Health Service Act to add a new part on initiatives to reduce nursing shortages. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to establish a special advisory committee to develop a comprehensive plan regarding long-term solutions to problems in recruiting and retaining nurses. Requires nurses to be included on the committee. Directs the Secretary to determine whether a nonprofit private entity with a record in supporting innovative health initiatives has completed or is completing a project to demonstrate and evaluate innovative hospital nursing practice models. Requires models to include initiatives to: (1) restructure the role of the hospital nurse, through changes in the composition of hospital staff and through innovative approaches for interaction between hospital administration and nursing personnel; (2) test innovative wage structures for nurses; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of providing benefits such as pensions, sabbaticals, and payment of educational expenses for nurses. Directs the Secretary, if the Secretary so determines, to make a grant to the nonprofit private entity for dissemination of information describing the results of such project. Directs the Secretary, if no such project has been or is being completed, to make grants for carrying out such projects and disseminating the results. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to make grants to or enter into contracts with public and nonprofit private entities accredited for the training of nurses for projects to: (1) demonstrate and evaluate innovative nursing practice models regarding long-term health care services in the home or in long-term care facilities; and (2) develop collaborative clinical practice setting alternatives for nursing students. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with public and nonprofit private entities to develop, establish, and operate at least one and not more than five regional model professional nurse recruitment centers to recruit individuals to enter into programs to train nurses. Directs the Secretary, in making grants, to ensure inclusion of not less than one center in a rural area. Sets forth requirements for centers. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to make grants to develop and establish local educational outreach and nurse recruitment programs. Directs the Secretary, in making grants, to give priority to applicants carrying out associated degree programs in nursing education that train not more than 20 nursing students per year and have arrangements with baccalaureate degree nursing programs. Requires grant funds to be used for identifying a local area's long-term nursing needs, designing local recruitment programs, and providing for the modification and expansion of existing nursing programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990.
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 · 17 September 1987
Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Social Security Act to increase from $100 to $500 the payment that may be made in a calendar year to an election official or election worker for services before liability for the hospital insurance tax is incurred.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 1987
Amends the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act to include single pregnant women under provisions for the use of funds and the distribution of assistance under such Act.
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 · 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 · 7 August 1987
Designates January 14, 1988, the 60th anniversary of the release of the first sound cartoon, "Steamboat Willie," as "Steamboat Willie" Recognition Day.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 1987
Trauma Care and Emergency Medical Services Planning and Development Act of 1987 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the establishment and operation of a National Clearinghouse on Emergency Medical Services. Directs the Secretary to conduct and submit to the Congress a study regarding the use of fees or assessments collected by the Clearinghouse to cover operating costs. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the application procedure for Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grants to provide the State officer responsible for the administration of the State highway safety program an opportunity to participate in the development of any plan relating to emergency medical services. Amends the Public Health Service Act to limit the amount of certain grant allotments used for the purchase of communications equipment. Requires the Federal Communications Commission to: (1) study the availability of radio frequency channels for emergency medical services communications; (2) establish a plan to ensure that the needs of emergency medical services communications are provided for in the allocations of frequencies; (3) develop information regarding how States should carry out any responsibilities under such plan; (4) make such information available to State officials; and (5) submit a report to the Congress containing such study, plan, and information. Requires each State, beginning in FY 1989, to submit annual comprehensive emergency medical services and trauma care plans to the Secretary. Establishes a Trauma Care Block Grant program. Sets forth requirements for the distribution and use of allotments. Sets forth application requirements. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to study: (1) the financial impact of payments to trauma centers under the Medicare and Medicaid programs; and (2) the long-term economic effects of trauma.
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
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
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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Florio, James J. [D-NJ-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/dfda094a48c87dccd97fd47288d44ac3_200.jpg)