United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Provides for the establishment of categories of aliens who are subject to persecution in the Soviet Union or in Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos) and therefore admissible as refugees into the United States. Deems Jews and Evangelical Christians in the Soviet Union as such a category. Provides for the adjustment of status to refugee status for certain Soviet and Indochinese parolees residing in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Live Performing Arts Labor Relations Amendments - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to exclude specified types of employers and performers in the live performing arts from coverage under unfair labor practice provisions: (1) prohibiting specified contracts or agreements between employers and labor organizations; and (2) prohibiting specified actions of labor organizations to force or require cessation of dealings with others, joining of labor or employer organizations, or recognition of or negotiation with labor organizations not certified as representative. Permits such employers to: (1) agree with a labor organization to make membership in it a condition of performing arts employment; and (2) make agreements with a labor organization covering performing artists even if its majority status has not yet been established. Defines "employer" to include purchasers of live musical performance services. Defines "employee" to include independent contractors engaged to perform live musical services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Organ Transportation Good Samaritan Act - Limits to gross negligence the liability of persons who without compensation transport by air in interstate commerce human transplant organs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Save, America Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual up to $5,000 ($10,000 for joint returns) of interest earned on a passbook savings account in a federally insured bank, savings and loan or similar institution, or credit union.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Designates December 21, 1989, as a national day of mourning for the victims of the crash of Pan American Airways Flight 103. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should: (1) determine the cause of the crash; and (2) identify those responsible for the crash and bring them to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that, in seeking to reduce the Federal deficit, any proposal which would diminish, defer, or otherwise adversely affect periodic cost-of-living adjustments in Federal retirement benefits should be uniformly applied.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an individual taxpayer an income tax deduction for travel, food, lodging, and transportation expenses paid or incurred in connection with the taxpayer's performance of services as a member of the armed forces reserves or the National Guard. Excludes the taxpayer's meal and entertainment expenses from deductibility limitations in this context.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Authorizes the Raoul Wallenberg Tribute Committee to establish a work to honor Raoul Wallenberg on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs. Prohibits the United States from paying any expense of the establishment of the work.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should: (1) call for an immediate cease-fire among the parties in Lebanon, the removal of all foreign military forces, and the disbanding of all paramilitary forces there; (2) urge all parties in Lebanon to respond to the international call for an immediate cease-fire and to undertake immediate discussions regarding internal reconciliation; (3) support international efforts to implement a cease-fire and start a process of internal reconciliation; and (4) support actions to encourage the election of a new president in Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 1989
Community Housing Partnership Act - Title I: Housing Education and Organizational Support Grants for Community Based Housing Projects - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing education and organizational support grants directly to nonprofit organizations or indirectly to States and cities to assist such organizations. Authorizes permanent appropriations beginning with FY 1989. Title II: Community Housing and Partnership Grants - Authorizes the Secretary to provide community partnership grants directly to nonprofit organizations or indirectly to States and cities to assist such organizations. Divides appropriations among: (1) urban community housing partnership grants; (2) State community housing partnership grants; and (3) direct community housing partnership grants. Sets forth the following eligible activities: (1) technical assistance and site control loans; (2) seed-money loans; (3) matching grants or loans; and (4) technical and management assistance for nonprofit sponsors. Sets forth rental project and home ownership eligibility provisions, including: (1) occupancy by lower income families; (2) profit limitations; (3) funding coordination; (4) tax treatment; and (5) affirmative action requirements. Authorizes permanent appropriations beginning with FY 1989. Title III: General Provisions - Defines specified terms for purposes of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 1989
Coast Guard License Verification Act - Amends the National Driver Register Act of 1982 to authorize applicants for new and renewed merchant seamen licenses and certificates of registry to serve on or operate a commercial vessel to request the chief State driver licensing official to transmit to the Commandant of the Coast Guard information regarding such applicants' motor vehicle driving records. Prescribes the use of such information by the Commandant. Precludes access to information that was entered more than three years before the date of request unless it relates to revocations or suspensions which are still in effect on the date of request. Directs the Commandant to initiate a rulemaking to require each applicant to make available to the Commandant information regarding the motor vehicle driving record of the applicant.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Authorizes the President to present a gold medal, on behalf of the Congress, to each of the following individuals in recognition of their contributions to this Nation's cultural heritage: (1) Frank Capra; (2) James Stewart; and (3) Fred Zinnemann. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to design a different gold medal for each such individual. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such duplicates and the gold medals. Requires the appropriations to be reimbursed out of the sales proceeds. Designates all such medals as National Medals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
National Advanced Technician Training Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out an advanced technician training program, making matching grants to two-year community and technical colleges to provide training in technical competencies in strategic fields. Requires such program to emphasize on-the-job training and recruitment of the unemployed. Requires that an inventory of available programs be accessible. Requires the Director to appoint a National Advisory Council on Advanced Technician Training to review and report to the Director and to the Congress (directly, without review by NSF or the Office of Management and Budget) on the effectiveness of the program, with recommendations as needed. Requires the Director to designate ten centers of excellence among such colleges to serve as clearinghouses, half for advanced technician training and half for undergraduate education in mathematics and science. Requires the Director to make at least 20 grants annually. Requires that funds under this Act be used to strengthen programs in advanced-technology occupations, for faculty development in advanced-technology fields such as laser, robotic, and computer technology, and the development of cooperative training and information networks with other schools and the private sector. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 and 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Amends the Federal criminal code to prescribe penalties for the unauthorized use of the name Visiting Nurse Association or Visiting Nurse Service or of the name or insignia of the Visiting Nurse Association of America.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
United States-Mexico Border Regional Development Act of 1989 - Provides Federal assistance for economic and human resource development to the State and local governments in the U.S.-Mexico border region of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Defines such region as the area of the United States within 150 miles of the Mexican border, excluding any standard metropolitan statistical area with a population exceeding 1,000,000. Title I: The United States-Mexico Border Regional Commission - Establishes the United States-Mexico Border Regional Commission (the Commission). Sets forth provisions for Commission membership, voting, and duties. Directs the Commission to: (1) review and approve applications for assistance for development projects in the region; (2) develop comprehensive and coordinated regional development plans and programs and priorities for their implementation; (3) provide for research and assessments of regional development needs and resources; (4) provide for technical assistance, training programs, and development projects to foster regional (and special need area) productivity and growth; (5) provide for construction of necessary facilities; (6) review, study, and recommend appropriate modifications of public and private development plans for the region; (7) provide assistance for the State development planning process in the region and the coordination of such planning with other Federal and State laws; (8) formulate and recommend appropriate interstate compacts and cooperation; (9) work with State and local agencies in developing appropriate model legislation concerning the region; (10) encourage formation of and assist local development districts; (11) encourage private investment in industrial, commercial, and recreational projects in the region; (12) coordinate development projects in the region; and (13) provide a forum for consideration of regional problems and proposed solutions, establishing and using, as part of such forum, citizens and special advisory councils and public conferences. Authorizes the Commission, in carrying out such duties, to designate areas in the region as being in special need of development assistance, specifying the characteristics of each such area that led to such designation. Limits the amount of the Commission's administrative expense payment to a local development district to 75 percent of the district's administrative expenses for a fiscal year. Limits such payment period to three years in the case of a nonprofit agency or instrumentality of a State which is certified as a local development district, or any local development district succeeding such district. Sets forth provisions for public participation and Commission recordkeeping. Authorizes the Commission to make recommendations to the President, the Congress, State Governors, and local governments in the region regarding: (1) expenditure of public funds in fields related to the purposes of this Act, such as natural resources, agriculture, education, training, health and welfare, and housing; and (2) enactment of additional legislation, and issuance of rules, necessary to further the purpose of this Act. Directs the President to provide for liaison between the Commission and other Federal entities. Authorizes the Commission to provide for liaison between the Commission and the Government of the Republic of Mexico. Sets forth provisions for the administrative expenses of the Commission. Requires member States to contribute payments for part of such expenses. Provides for Federal payment of certain salaries. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the President to make grants to the Commission to: (1) undertake or support research and assessment, technical assistance, training, demonstration projects, and construction of necessary facilities; (2) provide funds to member States for up to two years to strengthen the State development planning process for the region and the coordination of such planning with requirements imposed by other Federal and State laws; and (3) pay administrative expenses of local development districts, including expenses for development of economic development plans and programs for the area served and for technical assistance for persons implementing such plans and programs. Sets forth annual reporting requirements for each recipient of Federal assistance under this Act and for the Commission. Title II: Development Programs for the Region - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants for planning, constructing, equipping, and operating demonstration health projects approved by the Commission, including projects for hospitals, regional diagnostic and treatment centers, community health centers, and other health facilities, and for provision of services, including nutrition and child care services, not readily available in the region. Prohibits taking such grants into account in computing any allotment or payment to a State under any other law. Sets forth provisions relating to the amounts, uses, and eligibility for construction and equipment grants, operating grants, and planning grants. Directs the Secretary of the Army to prepare a comprehensive plan for the development and efficient utilization of the water resources of the region for a variety of uses from hydroelectric power to recreation. Authorizes the Secretary to recommend to the Commission demonstration water projects to increase the supply of potable water for people in the region. Directs the Secretary to submit the plan for Commission review. Directs the Commission to submit the plan, with its recommendations, to the President, who shall transmit it with appropriate recommendations, to specified congressional officers. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts necessary to prepare the plan. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth provisions for assistance for community development and housing in the "colonias" for FY 1990 through 1992. Defines "colonia" as any identifiable community: (1) in a member State; (2) in the U.S.-Mexico border region; (3) designated as a colonia by the State or county; (4) determined to be a colonia on the basis of objective criteria, including the lack of potable water supply, adequate sewage systems, and decent, safe, sanitary housing; and (5) in existence and generally recognized as a colonia before enactment of this Act. Sets forth provisions for community development block grant assistance for colonias. Directs each member State to set aside specified funds for activities designed to meet the needs of residents of colonias in the State relating to water, sewage, and housing. Provides that such funds shall be reserved from each member State's Small Cities Community Development Block Grant allocation under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as follows: (1) ten percent of such allocation for FY 1990; and (2) an appropriate percentage, up to ten percent, for each of FY 1991 and 1992, as determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development after consultation with representatives of the interests of eligible residents of the colonias. Allows such assistance to be used for: (1) various specified planning activities related to community development and housing; and (2) the payment of assessments for public improvements levied against properties owned and occupied by persons of low and moderate income. Requires a distribution plan for such assistance to: (1) give priority to colonias with the greatest need; and (2) be developed by the Commission (or by the State, prior to the Commission's plan) in consultation with colonia residents and representatives of their interests. Sets forth provisions for rural housing assistance for colonias. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to give priority for assistance to colonias when in considering applications for Rural Housing Assistance under title V of the Housing Act of 1949 for any of FY 1990, 1991, or 1992. Makes the definition of rural areas under such Act inapplicable in the case of colonia assistance. Makes specified provisions of this Act relating to applications for assistance and labor standards inapplicable to community development or rural housing assistance to colonias. Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants for demonstration vocational education projects, approved by the Commission, to construct, equip, and operate new and other school facilities needed to provide vocational education in areas of the region where such facilities are not adequate. Directs the Secretary to make grants to public entities for planning, constructing, equipping, and operating approved demonstration education projects to improve education services and programs in the region. Directs the Commission to give priority to any such projects that include; (1) vocational and technical education; (2) career education; (3) adult education; (4) guidance and counseling; and (5) bilingual education. Sets forth limits for construction and equipment grants, operation grants, and planning grants. Prohibits taking such grants into account in computing allotments or payments to a State under any other law. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to assist projects approved by the Commission to construct sewage treatment works in the region. Prohibits taking such grants into account in computing allotments or payments to a State under any other law. Provides for supplements to certain Federal grants, to enable persons in the region, including local development districts, to receive Federal matching share grants for which they are ineligible solely because they cannot supply the required matching funds or for which insufficient funds are available. Authorizes the President to provide funds to the Commission chairperson to assist: (1) persons in the region to supply required matching funds (which will not be considered Federal funds); and (2) Federal officials to make matching share grants under Federal laws for which insufficient funds are available, for projects in the region. Requires States to maintain their current expenditures for the benefit of areas in the region, with specified exceptions. Declares that this Act does not require a State to participate in or carry out any project under this Act without its consent. Provides for the State developing planning process, including submission of State plans by certain Commission members and requirements for plan preparation and components. Sets forth requirements for entities which State Governors or their designees may certify to the Commission as local development districts. Provides for review and approval by the Commission of applications for assistance under this Act. Bars use of funds under this Act to: (1) assist a person to relocate a business establishment from one State to another; (2) finance the cost of creating industrial facilities, commercial facilities, equipment, or working capital; (3) enable subcontractors to undertake work previously performed in another State by other subcontractors or contractors; or (4) finance the cost of facilities for the generation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy. Prohibits funds under this Act from being expended to assist any scientific or technological research or development project unless such expenditure is conditioned upon provisions to ensure that all information, copyrights, uses, processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such project will be made freely available to the general public. Directs the Attorney General to enforce such requirement in the appropriate U.S. district court. Title III: Authorization of Appropriations and Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act not otherwise authorized. Sets aside 50 percent of such funds to carry out provisions for research and development projects, assistance to States, and administrative expenses of local development projects, and for supplements to certain Federal grants. Sets forth applicable labor standards. Requires that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in any construction, alteration, or repair (including painting and decorating) for which funds are provided under this Act shall be paid wages at the prevailing rate for similar work in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a three percent excise tax on wholesale sales of paper and paper products that do not contain the minimum amount of recycled materials in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Increases the tax rate by one percent each year to reach a maximum 12 percent rate for sales during 2000 and thereafter. Directs the EPA Administrator to issue guidelines for products not already designated by relevant guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Urges the Government of Iran to uphold the human rights of all its nationals, including members of the Baha'i faith, and to extend the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Calls upon the President to continue to: (1) emphasize human rights improvements as an important factor in the development of relations between the U.S. and Iranian Governments; (2) cooperate with other governments to initiate and support actions by the United Nations and its agencies to promote the protection of the religious rights of the Baha'is; and (3) provide, and urge others to provide, for refugee and humanitarian assistance for those Baha'is fleeing their homelands to escape religious repression.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Urges the President to encourage the major private creditors of Mexico to enter into and conclude negotiations with the Mexican Government to reduce Mexico's debt and debt-service costs before July 15, 1989.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) there should be a significant increase in Federal funding for programs authorized under the Education of the Handicapped Act; and (2) appropriations made by the 101st Congress to assist States and localities in providing education to children and youth with handicaps should equal at least 15 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1989
Employee Pension Protection Act of 1989 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to revise fiduciary standards applicable to pension plan assets to account for duties with respect to assets of terminated plans. Establishes fiduciary standards to apply to employer reversions upon plan termination, requiring an employer to establish and maintain a complete replacement plan or a substantial replacement plan in connection with the termination. Prescribes requirements to govern both types of plans. Links the establishment of either of these new plans to the amount of any employer reversion, requiring the new plans to have assets sufficient to pay all liabilities to participants and their beneficiaries. Considers any plan fiduciary or sponsor to be jointly and severally liable for violation of ERISA if requirements regarding complete replacement or substantial replacement plans upon plan termination are not met at any time during the five-year period beginning on the date of final distribution of assets from the terminated plan. Describes fiduciary duties to govern the distribution of plan assets to participants and beneficiaries upon plan termination in cases when the employer does not set up a replacement or substantial replacement plan. Institutes fiduciary duties with respect to distributions of plan assets upon termination in direct trustee-to-trustee transfers to individual retirement plans. Directs the Secretary of Labor to prescribe reporting requirements in connection with these transfers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1989
Native American Grave and Burial Protection Act - Prohibits the sale, use for profit, or interstate transport of Native American Indian skeletal remains without the written consent of the heirs of the deceased or the governing body of the Indian tribe culturally affiliated with such remains. Prescribes penalties for violations. Provides that any remains which have not been excavated or discovered by the date of this Act's enactment shall be disposed of according to the wishes of the heirs or the culturally affiliated tribe. Deems grave goods or sacred ceremonial objects found on public or tribal land to be owned by the tribe: (1) on whose reservation such items were discovered; (2) who aboriginally occupied the land on which the items were discovered; or (3) who can show a cultural affiliation with the items. Requires Federal agencies which possess or control any Native American skeletal remains or sacred objects to: (1) inventory such items and, to the extent possible, identify such items as to tribal origin; and (2) notify each tribe of the possession of such items. Directs tribes to decide which remains or objects they agree to accept and to notify the appropriate Federal agency. Requires Federal agencies and museums receiving Federal funds to return items to the tribe unless such items: (1) were acquired with the consent of the tribe or the legitimate Native American owners; or (2) are indispensable for the completion of a specific scientific study. Makes ineligible for further Federal funding museums not in compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1989
Used Oil Recycling Act of 1989 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from listing or identifying as a hazardous waste any: (1) recycled oil; (2) used oil transferred to a person who certifies that such oil will be rerefined, processed, or reclaimed for a beneficial purpose or stored less than 12 months prior to such transfer; and (3) used oil which has been removed from the engine of a light duty motor vehicle or household appliance by the owner, transferred to a service station dealer, and stored by the dealer for less than 12 months. Requires the Administrator to determine whether to list as a hazardous waste used oil which is a solid waste and does not satisfy the above-listed criteria. Directs the Administrator to establish management standards for the storage, testing, transportation, treatment, exportation and importation, and processing of used oil. Requires such standards to be designed to protect human health and the environment by encouraging and expanding reliance on recycling of used oil. Exempts generators of used oil from recordkeeping or reporting requirements if such generators: (1) enter into an agreement for delivery of such oil to a recycling facility whose owner or operator certifies compliance with such standards or recycles such oil; (2) do not mix the oil with any hazardous wastes; and (3) maintain necessary records relating to the oil. Prohibits mixing used oil with any hazardous waste identified under such Act except where: (1) such mixing involves an identified hazardous waste and the resulting mixture does not exhibit a characteristic identified in such Act; and (2) the used oil mixture is burned to recover useful energy such that protection of human health and the environment is assured. Deems owners or operators of facilities which process used oil for fuel to have permits for recycling activities if in compliance with management standards. Directs the Administrator to conduct inspections of such facilities to determine compliance with such standards. Requires the Administrator to implement educational programs to inform the public about the environmental and safety hazards associated with improper handling of used oil and the benefits of used oil recycling. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations concerning the procurement of used oil fuel by Federal agencies subject to the requirements of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1989
Amends the Education of the Handicapped Act to authorize the Secretary of Education to make a grant to each of ten eligible State and local educational agencies and private educational institutions for demonstration programs addressing the educational needs of elementary and secondary school students with dyslexia. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1989
Declares it to be the policy of the United States that Federal records, books, and publications of enduring value be produced on acid-free permanent papers. Makes recommendations relating to such papers to Federal agencies and to American publishers. Recommends that the Secretary of State make known such national policy to foreign governments and appropriate international agencies. Directs the Librarian of Congress, the Archivist of the United States, the Director of the National Library of Medicine, and the Administrator of the National Agricultural Library to monitor progress in implementing such policy.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1989
Designates the week beginning September 1, 1989, as World War II Remembrance Week in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of that War.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 1989
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the steps which the United States must take to ensure that all Americans have decent and affordable housing, including housing rehabilitation, strengthened loan insurance and secondary mortgage institutions, and homeownership programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1989
National African-American Heritage Memorial Museum Act - Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution the National African-American Heritage Memorial Museum to be operated as a center and location for education, research, events, and collection and display of items and materials relating to the historical, cultural, economic, political, and other aspects of the scope of experiences of African-Americans. Requires the Board of Trustees of the National African-American Heritage Memorial Museum to report to the Congress and the President annually on its activities and operations. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 1989
Hispanic-Serving Institutions of Higher Education Act of 1989 - Directs the Secretary of Education to provide financial and related assistance to Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education for the following types of programs for Hispanic students: (1) student financial aid; (2) recruitment and retention; (3) academic tutoring and counseling; (4) special educational initiatives, such as pre-freshman orientation in study skills and instruction in core curricula, and academic support for those in traditionally underrepresented fields such as mathematics, science, and engineering; and (5) collaboration with local educational agencies for dropout prevention and reentry. Defines Hispanic-serving institution of higher education as a public or private accredited institution with a four-year baccalaureate or a two-year associate degree program and with a student enrollment that is at least 25 percent Hispanic. Directs the Secretary to grant program awards for up to five years, subject to annual review. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1989
Title I: Statehood Centennial Coin - Statehood Centennial Commemorative Coin Act of 1989 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than a specified number of one-dollar silver coins and five-dollar palladium coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the statehood of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. Sets forth certain features of such coins and provides for their design, issuance, and sale. Requires the Secretary to provide a specified amount of all surcharges to the Documents West exhibition program with the remaining amount of surcharges to be deposited in the Treasury to be used to reduce the national debt. Requires the Secretary to obtain silver for the one-dollar coins only from stockpiles established under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act. Requires the Secretary to obtain palladium for the five-dollar coins by purchase of palladium mined and refined in the United States. Grants the Comptroller General the right to examine records and other data of the Idaho Centennial Commission. Title II: Silver Proof Sets - Silver Coin Proof Set Act - Authorizes the Secretary to mint and issue silver coin proof sets. Sets forth certain specified features of such coins and provides for their sale to the public. Requires the Secretary to obtain silver for such coins by purchase from stockpiles established under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act and from Treasury stocks on hand.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 1989
Anti-Terrorism Sanctions Act of 1989 - Requires the President to revoke the most-favored-nation trade status of certain foreign countries that repeatedly support international terrorism. Prohibits duty-free treatment for the products of such countries under the Trade Act of 1974 or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from consulting with the governments of such countries regarding international travel and tourism. Allows the President to waive any sanction under this Act with respect to any foreign country if such waiver would be in the best interests of the United States. Requires the President to give 30 days' notice to the Congress concerning any waiver.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1989
Africa Famine Recovery and Development Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to add a chapter dealing with Africa Famine Recovery and Development. Authorizes the President to provide project and program assistance for long-term development in sub-Saharan Africa. Requires the purpose of such assistance to be to help the poor majority of men and women in sub-Saharan Africa to participate in a process of long-term development through economic growth that is equitable, participatory, environmentally sustainable, and self-reliant. Provides that such assistance should also encourage private sector development and promote individual initiatives and help to reduce the role of central governments in areas more appropriate for the private sector. Declares that the general authorities and policies of the development assistance provisions of such Act apply to this Act. Requires the agency primarily responsible for administering development assistance programs (responsible agency) to: (1) take into account the local-level perspective of the rural and urban poor in sub-Saharan Africa during the planning and review of annual country planning documents for project assistance under this Act; (2) make available funds for a significant long-term expansion of development efforts by private and voluntary organizations which have demonstrated effectiveness in or commitment to the promotion of local grass-roots activities on behalf of long-term development in sub-Saharan Africa; and (3) consult with other organizations in order to identify relevant private and voluntary organizations. Encourages the responsible agency to review procedures for the development and evaluation of projects to be carried out by private and voluntary organizations and to simplify such procedures wherever appropriate. Requires the close consultation and involvement of local people in projects that have a local focus. Requires the responsible agency to ensure the participation and integration of African women in development projects assisted by this Act. Requires that the views of women as well as men be ascertained and factored into decisions relating to development activities which affect them. Requires the responsible agency to use the program assistance provided by this Act to: (1) meet the need for maintenance and rehabilitation within the critical sectoral priorities for long-term development; and (2) promote reform of national economic policies to support these priorities. Sets forth examples of national economic policy reforms which can be supported by assistance provided by this Act. Requires such reforms to include provisions to protect vulnerable groups, especially poor farmers and the urban poor, from possible negative consequences of such reforms. Requires assistance for such reforms to take account of the need for adjustments should recurrence of drought make it impossible to achieve the goals of the reforms. Designates as the critical sectoral priorities for long-term development: (1) increased agricultural production and the maintenance and restoration of renewable natural resources; (2) improved health conditions; (3) voluntary family planning services; (4) improved relevance and efficiency of education; and (5) development of income generating opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed. Imposes minimum levels of assistance for certain critical sectors. Directs the responsible agency to provide support for strengthening and developing selected African higher education institutions in order to address the problems of food production and distribution. Prohibits the responsible agency from using less than specified amounts for in-country natural resources and environmental training in sub-Saharan Africa. Requires the responsible agency to formulate coherent country development assistance strategies. Sets forth information such strategies must analyze and address. Requires the assistance provided under this Act to be concentrated in countries that will make the most effective use of such assistance. Specifies uses for local currencies generated by assistance provided under this Act and other Acts. Provides that funds made available under this Act may be used to assist the countries in sub-Saharan Africa to increase their capacity to participate in donor coordination mechanisms at the country, regional, and sector levels. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994 for long-term development assistance for sub-Saharan Africa and for funding activities of certain international organizations. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the authorization should be extended whenever appropriate. Limits transfers between accounts funded by this Act. Requires the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID) to develop a plan for organizational changes within AID in order to carry out the long-term development assistance program for sub-Saharan Africa with maximum effectiveness. Sets forth changes the Administrator shall consider. Requires the Administrator to consult with specified congressional committees about such changes. Authorizes the Administrator to transfer certain funds in order to increase the AID resources for development assistance activities for sub-Saharan Africa. Requires the Administrator to develop a plan for evaluating AID's progress in achieving the purposes of this Act. Requires the plan to provide for: (1) interim evaluations; (2) the establishment of specific criteria for measuring the performance of U.S. development assistance for the poor majority of men and women in sub-Saharan Africa; (3) the collection and monitoring of base-line data for future measurement of the effectiveness of such assistance; and (4) the measures by which the evaluations will be used to institutionalize learning within AID. Requires the plan to be developed in consultation with specified congressional committees. Expresses the sense of the Congress that there should be independent evaluations of AID's performance in providing development assistance to the poor majority of men and women in sub-Saharan Africa. Requires that assistance from other assistance and development programs be used to provide assistance to the poor majority in sub-Saharan Africa. Authorizes the President to make available such amounts from the funds made available by this Act as the President deems appropriate to support long-term development assistance for activities of international organizations which are consistent with the purpose of providing assistance for the poor majority in sub-Saharan Africa and which are undertaken in coordination with AID. Encourages the President to use the authorities provided in this Act in coordination with activities of the multilateral development banks in sub-Saharan Africa. Urges the President to provide debt rescheduling to a country in sub-Saharan Africa if: (1) that country had an average per capita income in 1984 of less that $550; and (2) at any time between October 1, 1989, and September 30, 1994, an International Monetary Fund standby agreement is in effect with respect to that country, a structural adjustment program of the International Development Association of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is in effect with respect to that country, or the President makes a specified finding regarding economic policy reforms in such country. Provides that the debt rescheduling is the granting of a five-year grace period on all payments to the United States on specified types of loans. Requires the President to notify specified congressional committees of any debt rescheduling granted under this Act. Requires that it be the policy of the United States that the funds made available by this Act are not to be used by a country to repay loans, with exceptions. Requires the annual report by the President to the Congress on foreign assistance programs to include a report on the progress made in carrying out this Act. Provides that reprogramming notification requirements do not apply to funds used to carry out this Act. Makes conforming amendments to various Acts. Declares that, where appropriate, African famine relief activities should serve as the foundation for long-term development activities undertaken pursuant to this Act. Provides for the transfer of certain funds so that they may be used for management support activities associated with long-term development assistance. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the purposes of the African Development Foundation are consistent with the purposes of this Act. Amends the African Development Foundation Act to authorize appropriations for the African Development Foundation for FY 1990 and 1991. Expresses the sense of the Congress that special efforts should be undertaken to reduce trade barriers and promote economic interchange between the United States and developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 1989
Urges the British Government to ensure direct elections in 1991 and 1994 to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Calls upon the President to communicate to the People's Republic of China and the British Government the importance the United States attaches to the democratic and human rights of Hong Kong's citizens and the retention of Hong Kong's capitalist system.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1989
National Global Warming Policy Act - Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) reduce the generation of greenhouse gases in the United States, with an initial goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from 1988 levels by 20 percent by the end of the year 2000; (2) host, in 1989, an international summit meeting on global warming and environmental concerns; (3) encourage, and develop multilateral agreements with, other nations to reduce the generation of such gases; (4) assist in the worldwide protection of tropical rainforests; (5) require Federal agencies to determine the impacts of global warming on their activities and propose greenhouse gas reduction policies; and (6) develop technologies that will provide reliable energy and services while reducing the generation of such gases.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the States should ratify the 1789 proposed amendment to the Constitution which provides that no law varying the compensation for the services of Members of Congress shall take effect until an election of Representatives has intervened.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Waste Reduction Act - Makes it the national policy to reduce or prevent pollution at its source whenever feasible. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an office within the EPA which will be independent of the EPA's single-medium program offices and have the authority to review and advise such offices on their activities to promote a multi-media approach to source reduction. Directs the Administrator to develop and implement a strategy to promote source reduction. Identifies several review, coordination, outreach, and organizational actions that the Administrator must take as part of such strategy. Requires the Administrator to: (1) make matching grants to States for programs promoting the use of source reduction techniques by businesses; and (2) establish a Source Reduction Clearinghouse to compile information generated by States receiving grants on management, technical, and operational approaches to source reduction. Requires that such information be made available to the public. Requires filings of annual toxic chemical release forms required under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to include toxic chemical source reduction and recycling reports for toxic chemicals which are the subject of such filings. Includes in such reports information, on a facility-by-facility basis, as to: (1) the amounts and disposition of each toxic chemical; (2) the source reduction practices used with respect to such chemicals; (3) measurements of changes from past to anticipated levels of chemical reduction and recycling; and (4) the techniques used to identify source reduction opportunities. Makes such information available to the public. Directs the Administrator to report to the Congress within one year of this Act's enactment and biennially thereafter on the results of actions taken to implement source reduction strategies. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Student Athlete Right-to-Know Act - Requires institutions of higher education receiving Federal assistance to provide certain information with respect to the graduation rates of student-athletes. (Includes information on fields of study, race, and sex under such requirement.) Requires such institutions to report such information annually to the Secretary of Education and to include it in their letters of intent to prospective students who are candidates for athletic scholarships. Directs the Secretary to compile and publish a report containing such information and to make copies available upon request to individuals and secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Age Discrimination in Employment Waiver Protection Act of 1989 - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (the Act) to prohibit an individual from waiving any right under the Act without the supervision of a court, except in settlement of a bona fide claim alleging a certain kind of prohibited age discrimination. Allows a settlement of a bona fide claim to occur only if the settlement is knowing and voluntary and only if certain criteria are met, including filing notice with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Defines "bona fide claim," for such purposes, as: (1) a charge of age discrimination filed with the EEOC; (2) an action alleging age discrimination filed in court by the individual or the individual's representative; or (3) a specific allegation of age discrimination communicated in writing by the individual or the individual's representative directly to the employer, employment agency, or labor organization or their representatives, and without the assistance or instigation of any such entity against which the allegation is made. Limits EEOC authority to issue rules or regulations which would permit waivers, without EEOC or court supervision, of rights or claims which are not waived in accordance with this Act. Provides that, effective upon the enactment of this Act, a specified rule on waivers issued by the EEOC shall have no force and effect.