United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
George Thomas "Mickey" Leland Hunger Relief Stamp Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for emergency food relief within the United States. Requires 50 percent of collected amounts to be paid to the: (1) Department of Agriculture, for purposes of the Emergency Food Assistance Program; and (2) Agency for International Development, for purposes of the Africa Food Security Initiative. Expresses the sense of the Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by the Department of Agriculture, the Agency for International Development, or any other Federal agency below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates. Requires special postage stamps to be made available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Food Stamp Program Title II: Food Stamp Information Through Tanf Program and Tax Credit Food Stamp Outreach and Research for Kids Act of 1999 - Title I: Food Stamp Program - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to (temporarily) carry out mandatory annual onsite inspections of State food stamp program agencies. (Sec. 103) Authorizes appropriations for a caseworker training demonstration program. (Sec. 104) Authorizes appropriations for Food and Nutrition Service studies to measure food stamp program impacts on nutrition policy formulation. (Sec. 105) Directs the Secretary to establish a program of grants to qualifying organizations for community partnerships and innovative outreach programs. (Sec. 106) Authorizes appropriations for the Secretary to conduct online and telephone program participation demonstration programs. (Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary to facilitate partnerships with State, local, private, and public entities to provide information on nutrition programs; and maintain a toll-free information number. Makes an entity maintaining a toll-free number eligible for a specified Internal Revenue Code business tax credit. (Sec. 108) Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study of State outreach programs Title II: Food Stamp Information Through TANF Program and Tax Credit - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a model application for receiving benefits under a State TANF program (Social Security Act block grants to States for temporary assistance to needy families). Requires the application to provide food stamp program eligibility information, for which the Secretary shall develop a model notice. Declares that State use of the application and notice shall be voluntary unless the Secretary determines that a State is not adequately providing food stamp information. (Sec. 202) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a business credit for establishment of the toll-free number under title I of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide that capitalization grants to States for the establishment of water pollution control revolving funds ( revolving funds) shall be for providing assistance to accomplish the purposes of such Act. (Currently, such grants are provided for assistance for specific purposes.) Removes certain requirements for States with respect to construction of treatment works under capitalization grant agreements. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to assist states in establishing simplified procedures for small water systems to obtain assistance under the Act. Requires amounts available to revolving funds to be used only for providing assistance to activities which have as a principal benefit the improvement or protection of water quality of navigable waters. Adds activities to the list of those which may be assisted. Provides for a repayment period of the lesser of 40 years or the expected life of the project to be financed with loan proceeds with respect to loans made to disadvantaged communities from revolving funds. Requires loans made from such funds to be fully amortized upon the expiration of the loan term (currently, no later than 20 years after project completion). Requires such funds to provide: (1) loan guarantees for developing and implementing innovative technologies; and (2) technical, planning, and other specified assistance to small systems. Treats a treatment works as a publicly owned treatment works, for purposes of eligibility for construction assistance from a revolving fund, if the treatment works, without regard to ownership, would be considered a publicly owned treatment works and is principally treating municipal waste water or domestic sewage. Provides for negative interest rates of up to two percent to reduce the unpaid principal on loans from revolving funds made to disadvantaged communities. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2004 for the revolving fund program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
New Markets Tax Credit Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited credit to a taxpayer making a qualified low-income community investment (as defined).
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) all Americans, and above all women, should take an active role in the fight against breast cancer by using all the means available to them; (2) the role played by national and community organizations and health care providers in promoting awareness of the importance of regular clinical and self-examinations, regular mammograms, and biopsies (when appropriate), and in providing information, support, and access to services, should be recognized and applauded; and (3) the Federal Government has a responsibility, among other things, to continue to fund research so that the causes of, and improved treatment for, breast cancer may be discovered.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp in honor of George Thomas "Mickey" Leland.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
National Law Enforcement Museum Act - Authorizes the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to construct a National Law Enforcement Museum in the District of Columbia. Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from permitting construction of the Museum unless sufficient amounts are available to complete construction. Provides that the United States shall pay no expense incurred in the establishment or construction of the Museum. Terminates construction authority seven years after this Act's enactment date unless construction begins before such date.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
Persian Gulf War Syndrome Compensation Act of 1999 - Considers the following chronic symptoms from which a Persian Gulf War veteran with Persian Gulf War Syndrome is suffering to be service-connected, and therefore compensable under veterans' disability provisions, notwithstanding that there is no record of evidence of such symptoms during the period of such service: (1) joint pain; (2) muscle pain; (3) fatigue; (4) severe headache; (5) memory loss; (6) respiratory disorder; (7) sleep disturbances; (8) skin rash; and (9) circulatory disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
Family Building Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan to require health plans to provide benefits for treatment of infertility in accord with specified standards.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1999
Medicare Puerto Rico Hospital Payment Parity Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the formula for determining the amount of Medicare payment with respect to the operating costs of inpatient hospital services of certain Puerto Rico hospitals, gradually increasing the national payment rate to 100 percent by FY 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1999
Bringing Resources from Academia to the Industry of Our Nation Act or the BRAIN Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a pilot program under which certain aliens completing a postsecondary degree in mathematics, science, engineering, or computer science may have their nonimmigrant status adjusted to permit U.S. employment for up to five years in such fields. Sets forth related employer filing and enforcement provisions. Establishes in the Treasury the High-Tech Education Fund Account.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1999
21st Century Urban Teachers Recruitment and Retention Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide grants to eligible urban local educational agencies that demonstrate a need to recruit and retain additional qualified teachers for elementary and secondary schools. Requires each such grant award to be of sufficient size for the grantee to develop incentive programs, which may include: (1) salary increases; (2) reimbursement for teacher certification expenses; (3) assistance to pay college tuition expenses; (4) assistance to pay graduate school tuition and training expenses; and (5) reimbursement for relocation expenses. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1999
Teacher Next Door Act - Amends the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to sell Department of Housing and Urban Development-owned single family properties at a discount to eligible elementary and secondary school teachers for use as their residences. Provides for: (1) mortgage downpayment assistance; (2) direct and indirect sales; and (3) an information outreach program.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1999
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize spouses of intracompany transferee aliens to work in the United States if their country extends reciprocal treatment to U.S. citizens and nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 1999
Urges the President to focus appropriate attention on the issue of neighborhood crime prevention, community policing, and reduction of school crime by delivering speeches, convening meetings, and directing his Administration to make reducing crime an important priority.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1999
Federal Employee Retirement Contributions Act of 1999 - Amends Federal retirement provisions to reduce to seven percent after December 31, 1999, the required retirement contribution by Federal employees participating under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) (such contribution currently is scheduled to be 7.4 percent for calendar year 2000, and 7.5 percent for 2001). Reduces similarly the required percentage contribution under CSRS for Members of Congress and congressional employees, law enforcement or firefighting personnel, certain judges and magistrates, and nuclear material couriers. Makes similar reductions for participants in the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Makes conforming reductions with respect to military and volunteer service under FERS. Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to make similar employee retirement contribution reductions under the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System, and the Foreign Service Pension System.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Family Planning and Choice Protection Act of 1999 - Title I: Prevention - Subtitle A: Family Planning - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to authorize appropriations for voluntary family planning projects. (Sec. 102) Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any authority of the United States, in or through any health care services or information program or activity administered or assisted by that authority, from limiting any person's right to provide or receive nonfraudulent information regarding reproductive health care services. Subtitle B: Prescription Equity and Contraceptive Coverage - Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 1999 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the PHSA to prohibit a group health plan, and an insurer providing coverage in connection with a group plan, from restricting benefits for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, or outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or services. Prohibits related denial of eligibility or enrollment, monetary payments or rebates to covered individuals, and penalties or incentives to health care professionals. Amends the PHSA to apply these prohibitions to insurers in the individual market. Declares that this paragraph does not preempt State law providing greater enrollee protections. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for a contract that includes prescription drug coverage unless the contract includes a provision for contraceptive coverage, except for plans that object to such coverage for religious reasons. Prohibits a plan from discriminating against an individual because the individual refuses, for religious reasons, to prescribe contraceptives. Subtitle C: Emergency Contraceptives - Mandates development and dissemination to the public and health care providers of information on drugs or devices designed to be used after sexual relations to prevent pregnancy. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Choice Protection - Amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting the expenditure of any funds appropriated by that Act and the expenditure of any funds in any trust fund to which funds are appropriated under that Act for any abortion or for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Sec. 202) Makes congressional findings that: (1) Federal resources are necessary to ensure safety for women and health professionals regarding reproductive health facilities and services; (2) it is necessary and appropriate to use Federal resources to combat the nationwide campaign of violence and harassment against reproductive health centers; and (3) Congress should support increasing Federal resources to fully ensure the safety of health professionals, center staff, and all women using reproductive health center services and the family members of such persons. Establishes in the Department of Justice the Task Force on Violence Against Health Care Providers to: (1) coordinate investigative, prosecutorial, and enforcement efforts of Federal, State, and local governments regarding violence at reproductive health care facilities and violence against health care providers; (2) conduct security assessments for such facilities; and (3) provide related training for local law enforcement and provide methodologies for assessing risks and promoting facility security. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Department of Justice to make grants to such facilities to enhance security and to purchase and install security devices. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) ensure that a Food and Drug Administration decision to approve the drug called Mifepristone or RU-486 is made only on the basis provided in law; and (2) assess initiatives to promote the testing, licensing, and manufacturing in the United States of the drug or other antiprogestins. (Sec. 204) Prohibits a State from restricting a woman's freedom to choose pregnancy termination before fetal viability. Allows a State to: (1) restrict that freedom after viability unless termination is necessary to preserve the woman's life or health; and (2) impose requirements on abortions if the requirements are medically necessary to protect the woman's health. (Sec. 205) Prohibits, notwithstanding any other provision of law, construing any Federal law to prohibit a health plan from offering coverage for the full range of reproductive health care services, including abortion services. (Sec. 206) Amends Federal law to allow funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) to be used for abortions when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest or when the abortion is medically necessary or appropriate. Replaces provisions prohibiting (with exceptions) the use of DOD facilities to perform abortions with provisions declaring that certain provisions do not limit performing abortions in a uniformed services facility outside the 48 contiguous States if the cost is fully paid by non-DOD funds, abortions are not prohibited by the facility's jurisdiction, and the abortion would otherwise be permitted under laws regarding health care for uniformed services members and former members and their dependents in that facility. (Sec. 207) Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) of the Social Security Act to remove provisions prohibiting using funds under the title for abortions or for health insurance that includes coverage of abortions. Includes (currently, includes only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest) abortion services in the definition of "child health assistance." (Sec. 208) Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting using any funds appropriated in that Act to the Department of Justice from being used to pay for an abortion or to require any person to perform, or facilitate the performance of, an abortion. (Sec. 209) Amends the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting using funds appropriated by that Act for abortions. (Sec. 210) Amends the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting using any funds appropriated in that Act to pay for an abortion or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employees health benefit program that covers abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Help Equip Local Police Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to expand current Department of Defense procedures for the procurement by State and local law enforcement agencies of law enforcement equipment suitable for counter-drug activities to include equipment that is not suitable or intended for counter-drug activities, but excluding any equipment that the Department does not procure for its own purposes. Terminates such expanded authority two years after the enactment of this Act, but allows the Secretary to continue to process requests received before such date.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Medicare Home Health Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to eliminate the 15 percent automatic reduction in payment amounts to home health agencies furnishing home health services under the Medicare program. Allows home health agencies to elect to repay certain overpayments made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services over a 36-month no-interest grace period. Makes such an election effective as if included in BBA '97.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Medicare Glaucoma Detection Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of glaucoma detection tests for certain eligible individuals under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
Older American's Protection From Violence Act of 1999 - Title I: Violence Against Women Act of 1994 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to direct the Attorney General to: (1) make grants to law school clinical programs to fund inclusion of cases addressing issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals; and (2) develop curricula and training programs to assist prosecutors and Federal and State law enforcement personnel (including local courts) in recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such abuse. (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Family Violence Prevention and Services Act - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include, within grants for State domestic violence coalitions, funds to develop outreach, support groups, and counseling targeted towards victims of elder domestic abuse. (Sec. 204) Expands the eligibility criteria for community initiative demonstration grants to include adult protective services entities. Title III: Older Americans Act of 1965 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary for Aging to consider the importance of research about the sexual assault of women who are older or disabled individuals when establishing research priorities. (Sec. 304) Expands the scope of eligible demonstration projects to include domestic violence shelters and programs for elder and disabled individuals. (Sec. 305) Authorizes appropriations without fiscal year limitation to implement the ombudsman program and the elder abuse prevention program. (Sec. 306) Directs the Secretary to: (1) make grants to nonprofit private organizations to support local community initiatives to coordinate activities concerning intervention and prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals; (2) develop and implement outreach programs for assisting older or disabled victims of such abuse; and (3) implement continuing education training programs for adult protective service workers, persons carrying out a State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, health care providers, and community-based social service providers to improve recognition and treatment of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals. Title IV: Public Health Service Act - Elder Abuse Identification and Referral Act of 1998 (sic) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary, in awarding grants or contracts to health professions entities under such Act, to give preference to an entity that has in effect a requirement that each student receiving a degree or certificate from such entity has had significant training as a provider of health care in the identification and referral of victims of elder abuse and neglect. Title V: Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 - Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to ensure that nothing in title XI of the Act shall preclude a financial institution, officer, employee, or agent from reporting suspected financial exploitation of an older or disabled individual to State, Federal, or local law enforcement authorities, or to government-regulated adult protective services entities. Protects such individuals from liability for such disclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
Veterans Burial Plot Allowance Improvement Act of 1999 - Increases from $150 to $300 the veterans' burial plot allowance (a benefit provided to the survivors of veterans to cover burial and funeral costs).
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
National Mental Health Parity Act of 1999 - Title I: Parity for Treatment of Mental Illness - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on the applicable issuer a tax equal to 25 percent of a health plan's premiums received during the calendar year if the plan imposes additional applications, preadmission screenings, or other procedural restrictions for services, or imposes treatment limitations or financial requirements on the coverage of benefits provided with respect to any of specified psychiatric disorders (described in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), while similar limitations or requirements are not imposed on coverage of benefits with respect to other conditions. Provides similar obligations and sanctions with respect to group health plan parity for treatment of mental illness. Title II: Medicare Mental Health Improvement - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to restructure the mental health benefit, including: (1) coverage under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) of inpatient hospital services furnished primarily for the diagnosis or treatment of mental illness or substance abuse for up to 60 days during a year, as well as coverage of intensive residential services furnished to an individual for up to 120 days during a year; (2) lower co-payments for certain outpatient mental health and substance abuse services; (3) waiver of co-payment for case management services furnished to a seriously mentally ill adult, a seriously emotionally disturbed child, or an adult or child with serious substance abuse disorder; (4) case management services for an unlimited duration for such individuals; and (5) provision of items and services furnished under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances according to standards established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make certain employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, their State and local counterparts, and State and local employees of civil defense agencies eligible for public safety officers' death benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
America's Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or through agreements with other public or nonprofit entities, for 25 programs that involve: (1) continuing judicial supervision, including periodic review at least every 45 days, over preliminarily qualified offenders with mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders who are charged with non-violent misdemeanors, for a period not to exceed one year; and (2) the integrated administration of services, which includes specialized training of law enforcement and judicial personnel to identify and address the unique needs of a mentally ill or mentally retarded offender, voluntary diversion into outpatient or inpatient mental health treatment that carries with it the possibility of prosecution of the original criminal charge if the mentally ill or mentally retarded defendant is noncompliant with program requirements, centralized case management involving the consolidation of all of a mentally ill or mentally retarded defendant's misdemeanor cases (including violations of misdemeanor probation) and the coordination of all treatment plans of mental health and social service providers, and life skills training. Defines "preliminarily qualified offender with mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders" to mean a person who: (1) previously or currently has been diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional as having a mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders or who manifests obvious signs of mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders during arrest or confinement or before any court; and (2) is deemed eligible for diversion by designated judges. Directs the Attorney General to issue regulations and guidelines necessary to carry out this Act, including the methodologies and outcome measures proposed for evaluating each applicant program. Sets forth provisions regarding application requirements, the Federal cost share (75 percent), geographic distribution of grants, reporting requirements, and technical assistance, training, and evaluation. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
Recognizes the moral right of Dina Babbitt to obtain the artwork she created and recognizes her courage in the face of the evils perpetrated by the Nazi command of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, including the atrocities committed by Dr. Josef Mengele. Urges: (1) the President to make all efforts necessary to retrieve and return to her the seven watercolor portraits she painted while suffering a year and a half long internment at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp; (2) the State Department to make diplomatic efforts to facilitate the transfer of such watercolors from the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum to her; (3) the Government of Poland to facilitate the return of such artwork from the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum to her; and (4) the officials of the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum to transfer those paintings to her expeditiously.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1999
Apollo Exploration Award Act of 1999 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the American people should provide a fitting and tangible tribute to each of the astronauts of the Apollo program to recognize and commemorate their bravery, substantial scientific and technical accomplishments, and unique contributions to American and world history. Requires the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to design and present an Apollo Exploration Award, commemorating the accomplishments of the astronauts who flew in the Apollo program. Requires the award to make a lunar rock sample its central feature. Specifies award recipients. Prohibits: (1) the use of the award for monetary gain or profit; or (2) its transfer other than to a family member of the original recipient or by inheritance. Provides for: (1) recall of a lunar sample contained in the award if the Administrator determines that such sample is required for scientific purposes; (2) prompt return of the sample to its owner when it is no longer required; and (3) replacement of the sample with a substantially equivalent one if the Administrator determines that it will not be promptly returned in its entirety and without substantial degradation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1999
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a program to assist States and local educational agencies (LEAs) to recruit, train, and hire 141,000 additional school-based mental health personnel, including 100,000 additional counselors, 21,000 additional school psychologists, and 20,000 additional school social workers over a five-year period, in order to reduce the student-to-counselor ratios nationally, in elementary and secondary schools, to an average of one school counselor for every 250 students, one school psychologist for every 1,000 students, and one social worker for every 800 students, as recommended in a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences relating to schools and health. Directs the Secretary of Education, after reserving certain funds for schools in outlying areas and schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to make program allotments to States according to a specified formula. Requires States to allocate Federal and State shares of program costs to LEAs according to specified formulas. Sets forth requirements for State and LEA applications and LEA use of funds. Requires Federal, State, and local shares of program costs to each equal one-third, but allows State and local shares to be in cash or in kind. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1999
Prison Industries Reform Act of 1999 - Rewrites general provisions under the Federal criminal code relating to the structure and mission of Federal Prison Industries (FPI). Directs the Attorney General (currently, FPI) to determine in what manner and to what extent industrial operations shall be carried on in Federal correctional institutions. Requires that such operations be conducted so as to: (1) provide employment for the greatest number of those inmates in U.S. correctional institutions who are eligible to work as is reasonably possible; (2) generate sufficient revenues to fund industrial operations; (3) generate revenue, to be returned to the Treasury of the United States, to defray a portion of the cost of confining inmates in U.S. correctional institutions; and (4) minimize any adverse impact on domestic companies or workers to the greatest extent possible consistent with its mission. Requires: (1) the FPI to be governed by a 12-member Board of Directors appointed by the Attorney General (currently, a six-member board appointed by the President); (2) the Attorney General, in making appointments to the Board, to appoint one person recommended by each of the Speaker of the House Of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, majority leader of the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate; (3) Board members to serve for four years (and allows them to be reappointed) and to serve without compensation; and (4) the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to serve as Chief Executive Officer. Directs FPI to endeavor to: (1) produce products that otherwise would be produced by foreign workers outside the United States; and (2) enter into contracts with private companies for the purpose of inducing such companies to employ inmates in an FPI shop to produce products. Directs the Attorney General to appoint an Independent Review Panel to advise the Board regarding the type and quantity of products to be produced by FPI for sale in interstate commerce. (Sec. 3) Requires the Attorney General to endeavor to make available to inmates who have been committed to the custody of the Bureau opportunities to work in an FPI shop. Allows the Attorney General to set standards regarding education and conduct for those inmates who work in a FPI shop. Authorizes FPI to sell its products generally on the open market to the public, to U.S. departments and agencies, to a State or municipality, and to foreign governments. Authorizes FPI, and directs that it make it a priority, to enter into contracts with one or more companies through which such private company may produce products at an FPI shop for sale. Requires that such contract provide: (1) for the amount to be paid to FPI by the private company; (2) that if the private company employs any non-inmate workers, on or after 60 days prior to the execution of the contract, who reside within the United States, that the private company agrees to continue to employ non-inmate workers who reside within the United States in at least the same number for a period of at least 18 months after the date of the contract or the date the private company begins to produce products at an FPI shop, whichever is later (non- inmate worker requirement); and (3) that the Attorney General make available to such private company such number of inmates who have been selected to work in a prison industry carried on by FPI as shall be specified in the contract. Requires FPI to pay wages to all inmates who work in a prison industry carried on by FPI at a rate not less than the Federal minimum wage. Authorizes the Attorney General to deduct from inmate wages amounts, not exceeding 90 percent of such wages, for: (1) fines, special assessments, and restitution owed by the prisoner pursuant to court order; (2) allocations for support of the inmate's family pursuant to statute, court order, or agreement by the inmate; (3) reasonable charges for room and board, but not less than 50 percent of the total amounts deducted under this paragraph; (4) amounts to be held on account and paid to the inmate upon release; and (5) contributions to any fund established by law to compensate the victims of crime. Relieves FPI from such payment if the Panel determines that the products are: (1) foreign-made products; or (2) certain agricultural commodities or parts for the repair of farm machinery, or commodities manufactured in a Federal, District of Columbia, or State institution for use by the Federal, District, or any State or local government or by not-for-profit organizations. Directs that inmates producing such products instead be paid wages not less than would be paid by FPI on the date of this Act's enactment. Authorizes the Attorney General to deduct from inmate wages amounts, not exceeding in their aggregate 50 percent of the amount paid to an inmate, for specified purposes. Allows more than one FPI shop to be located at a Federal correctional facility, or outside a correctional facility if all of the inmates working at that shop are classified as minimum security inmates. Authorizes the Attorney General to waive the non-inmate worker requirement if the Attorney General determines that exigent circumstances exist and the private company has taken all reasonable steps to continue to employ its non-inmate workers who reside within the United States. Requires the Attorney General to submit to Congress a plan for the elimination of the use by FPI of the mandatory source preference requirement, subject to specified requirements. Prohibits FPI from undertaking the production of any new product or significantly expanding the production rate of a product for sale to any Federal entity unless the procurement requirement for that product has been eliminated in accordance with the plan. Allows Federal agencies to purchase directly from FPI those products for which the procurement requirement has been eliminated in accordance with the plan in such quantities and by such method as they deem appropriate. Exempts FPI, for purchases from the private sector in support of its operations, from the provisions of the Competition in Contracting Act and the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (Sec. 4) Directs the Attorney General: (1) three years and five years after the date of this Act's enactment, to determine what percentage of the total eligible inmates are employed by FPI; and (2) upon determining that less than 25 percent of the total number of eligible inmates are employed by FPI, to notify Congress after which the amendments made by this Act shall cease to have any further effect. Defines "eligible inmate" as a person committed to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, who is designated to a low, medium, or high security facility operated by the Bureau, who is physically and mentally able to work. (Sec. 5) Makes provisions regarding the transportation or importation of prison-made goods inapplicable to goods produced by prisoners if: (1) such prisoners receive wages at a rate equal to the Federal minimum wage or such goods would otherwise be produced by foreign workers outside the United States; and (2) on or before any such sales commence, the State adopts a plan to eliminate within seven years any requirement that departments or agencies of that State purchase the goods manufactured by convicts incarcerated in that State.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1999
NIH Office of Autoimmune Diseases Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the Office of Autoimmune Diseases (Office). Requires the Director of such Office to: (1) recommend an agenda for conducting and supporting research on autoimmune diseases through the national research institutes; (2) promote the sufficient allocation of NIH resources for such research; (3) prepare a biennial report on such research activities; (4) serve as principal advisor on autoimmune diseases to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Director of NIH; and (5) provide advice to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and other relevant agencies. Instructs the Director of NIH to ensure that: (1) an Autoimmune Disease Coordinating Committee is in operation to assist the Director of the Office; and (2) the Committee includes liaison members from other Federal health agencies. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1999
Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1999 - Directs the Attorney General to provide funds to the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement if the Center's Executive Director certifies in writing that the Center: (1) is incorporated in accordance with applicable State laws; (2) is in compliance with its by-laws; (3) shall use amounts made available in accordance with requirements of this Act; and (4) shall not support any political party or candidate for elected or appointed office. Requires the Center to use such funds to develop an educational program for employees of law enforcement agencies serving rural areas for specified purposes, including: (1) the development and delivery of management education and training for employees of law enforcement agencies serving rural areas; and (2) the delivery of assistance (in a consulting capacity) to criminal justice agencies in the development and coordination of programs, training, and research relating to crime in rural areas. Permits the Center to use such funds to enhance that educational program through specified means, including: (1) educational opportunities for rural law enforcement agencies; and (2) coordination with institutions of higher education to encourage programs of study for law enforcement in rural areas at such institutions. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Child Care Safety Act of 1999 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) provide to each eligible child care provider receiving funds under such Act a copy of the Consumer Product Safety Commission child care center safety standards, which such providers shall post in their child care facilities where they can be easily read; and (2) report to Congress with recommendations for encouraging compliance by such providers with such standards.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal criminal code to replace provisions regarding the purchase of prison-made products by Federal departments with provisions establishing a Government-wide procurement policy relating to purchases from Federal Prison Industries (FPI). Provides that: (1) when a procurement activity of a Federal department or agency has a requirement for a specific product or service (product) that is authorized to be offered for sale by FPI and is listed in a catalog of FPI products, such activity shall solicit an offer from FPI if the purchase is expected to be in excess of the micro-purchase threshold; and (2) a contract award for such product or service shall be made using competitive procedures, except where FPI cannot expect to receive the contract award on a competitive basis and that award is necessary to maintain work opportunities to prevent circumstances expected to significantly endanger penal or correctional facility administration. Requires a contract to be awarded to FPI if the contracting officer determines that: (1) the prison-made product will meet the requirements of the procurement activity; (2) timely performance can be reasonably expected; and (3) the contract price does not exceed a current market price. Sets forth provisions regarding determinations by the Attorney General, competitive offers from FPI, performance by FPI, finality of the contracting officer's decision, reporting of purchases, and publication, maintenance, and revision of the catalog. (Sec. 3) Modifies provisions regarding: (1) FPI administration to require that a decision to authorize FPI to offer a new specific product or to expand the production of an existing product be made by its board of directors, in conformance with specified requirements; and (2) an analysis of the probable impact of a proposed expansion of inmate-work activities by FPI on private sector firms and their non-inmate workers whenever FPI proposes to authorize the sale of a new specific product or service or to expand production of a current product or service. Requires such analysis to identify and consider specified factors, such as whether: (1) the specific product is an import-sensitive product; and (2) authorizing the production of the new product or performance of a new service will provide inmates with the maximum opportunity to acquire knowledge and skill in trades and occupations that will provide them with a means of earning a livelihood upon release. Prohibits the board of directors from approving a proposal for inmates to provide a service in which an inmate worker has access to: (1) personal or financial information about individual private citizens, including information relating to such person's real property, however described, without giving prior notice to such persons; or (2) data that is classified, or that will become classified after being merged with other data. Sets forth public comment requirements. Requires that the board of directors: (1) solicit comments on the required analysis from trade associations representing vendors and labor unions representing private sector workers who could reasonably be expected to be affected by approval of the proposal; and (2) be provided copies of all comments received on the expansion proposal. Authorizes the Chief Operating Officer of FPI, based on the comments received on the initial expansion proposal, to provide the board a revised expansion proposal. Makes such revised proposal subject to public comment requirements of this Act if it provides for expansion of inmate work opportunities in an industry different from that initially proposed. (Sec. 4) Prohibits FPI from offering products or services as a subcontractor or supplier to a private for-profit business concern, notwithstanding that the product or service being furnished by such concern will ultimately be supplied to the U.S. Government, the government of the District of Columbia, an agency of a State government or any political subdivision thereof, or an eligible not-for-profit organization. (Sec. 5) Amends the Federal criminal code to require that wages earned by an inmate worker of FPI be paid in the name of such worker, and that deductions aggregating to not more than 80 percent of gross wages be taken from the wages due for: (1) applicable taxes; (2) payment of fines and restitution pursuant to court order; (3) payment of additional restitution for victims of the inmate's crimes (at a rate not less than ten percent of gross wages); (4) allocations for support of the inmate's family pursuant to statute, court order, or agreement with the inmate; (5) allocations to a fund in the inmate's name to facilitate such inmate's assimilation into society, payable at the conclusion of incarceration; and (6) such other deductions as may be specified by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons. (Sec. 6) Amends the code to require that not less than 20 percent of the gross profits of the corporation at the end of each fiscal year be allocated to fund vocational training for inmates without regard to the type of work activities to which they are assigned. (Sec. 7) Revises requirements for reporting by the board to Congress to: (1) include additional information within its annual reports, such as certain analyses of sales and purchases and of the inmate workforce, and data concerning employment obtained by released inmates; and (2) require that copies of such reports be made available to the public at a price not exceeding the cost of printing. (Sec. 9) Sets forth provisions regarding revisions to the Government-wide Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement this Act, including requirements of public participation.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Department of Defense Anthrax Vaccination Moratorium Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a single protection measure such as the mandatory anthrax vaccine immunization program should not be implemented by the Department of Defense (DOD) without regard to its effect on morale, retention, recruiting, and budget; and (2) an insufficiently proven vaccine should not be advocated as a substitute for research, development, and production of truly effective vaccines and antibiotics, adequate protective equipment, and nonproliferation measures. Directs the Secretary of Defense to suspend implementation of the DOD anthrax vaccination program. Requires: (1) an independent study of the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine used; and (2) a report from the Director of the National Institutes of Health to specified congressional committees on study results. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study and comment to Congress on the vaccine program and the effect of the use of contractor-operated facilities for such program. Requires expedited consideration by the respective Boards for Correction of Military Records for current or former military personnel for remedies for adverse personnel actions that were the result of the vaccine program. States that if the Director determines that the vaccine used in the DOD program meets specified criteria, the Secretary may resume such program. Provides that if such program is resumed, the Secretary may use only newly produced vaccine for vaccinations after such resumption.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Family Investment Retirement Savings Tax (FIRST) Credit Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Act to allow an individual an annual credit ($1,000 maximum) for 50 percent of his or her deductible IRA contribution and the amount of specified retirement plan employer contributions not included in the individual's gross income. Limits such credit based upon adjusted gross income. Provides a five-year increased penalty period, with specified exceptions, for early distributions from such plans and increases the penalty tax to 60 percent (currently, ten percent).
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1999
Resolves that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns the senseless violence that occurred in Illinois and Indiana over the Fourth of July weekend; (2) conveys its deepest sympathy to the victims and their families; (3) condemns the culture of hate and the hate groups that foster such violent acts; (4) commends the communities of Illinois and Indiana for uniting to condemn these acts of hate in their neighborhoods; (5) commends the efforts of Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials; and (6) reaffirms its commitment to a society that fully respects and protects all people, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 1999
American Military Health Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to make the anthrax vaccination immunization program voluntary for all members of the armed forces until the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new anthrax vaccine for humans or a new, reduced course of shots for such vaccine.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 1999
Preserve Access to Care in the Home (PATCH) Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to eliminate the scheduled automatic 15 percent reduction in payment amounts to home health agencies furnishing home health services under the Medicare program. Amends SSA title XVIII to: (1) create outlier provisions for home health services; (2) revise the definition of homebound; and (3) restructure the review process for claims submitted by home health agencies. Amends BBA '97 for the stated purpose of restoring periodic interim payments for home health agencies. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should: (1) ensure that the prospective payment system (PPS) for home health services provides for appropriate payment of services provided to beneficiaries at rates that include incentives to provide services efficiently to all beneficiaries and do not create unintentional incentives to discriminate against beneficiaries with complex medical conditions; (2) ensure that the establishment of the case mix adjustment for such services does not penalize agencies that serve such beneficiaries, provides some predictive value, and accounts for appropriate variables, such as age and health status; (3) establish a nationally uniform process to ensure that fiscal intermediaries have the training and ability to provide timely and accurate coverage and payment information to Medicare home health agencies; (4) assess home health agency regulatory costs associated with the PPS for home health services and consider the cost impact on the agency's ability to provide such services; and (5) provide periodic updates to Congress and home health agencies on the Secretary's progress in implementing such PPS.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1999
Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to carry out a program, directly or through grants or contracts, for professional and public education and training, research, and epidemiological activities regarding folic acid and birth defects. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1999
Science and Educational Networking Act - Amends the High- Performance Computing Act of 1991 to require the Director of the National Science Foundation to submit to Congress a report that: (1) identifies the most appropriate, effective, and economical means of providing all public elementary and secondary schools and libraries in the United States with high-speed, large bandwidth capacity access to the Internet, the ability to transmit and receive data, voice, and other types of communication media, and distance learning; (2) identifies how such Internet access can be available at individual workstations within each school and library; (3) considers the effect that specific or regional circumstances may have on the appropriateness of using different methods and technologies to achieve such goals for different schools or libraries; and (4) includes options and recommendations for achieving such goals and a plan for implementing such recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1999
Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to increase the maximum amount of marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments that an agricultural producer may receive for crop year 1999.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Prohibits the United States from operating a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem unless it is under the supervision of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Requires any official government document which lists countries and their capital cities to identify Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Declares that, for purposes of registration of birth, certification of nationality, or issuance of a passport of a U.S. citizen born in the city of Jerusalem, the Secretary of State shall, upon the citizen's request, record the place of birth as Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Educating America's Girls Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to: (1) ensure education technology and teacher training programs are targeted in a manner that addresses the unique needs and different learning styles of all students, including girls; (2) provide schools with resources for programs to prevent sexual harassment and abuse; (3) provide for collection of data on high school athletic participation by girls; (4) establish dropout prevention programs to keep pregnant and parenting teens in school; and (5) reauthorize the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA). (Sec. 2) Requires that attention be given to the incorporation and use of technology to enhance teaching and learning, under specified ESEA requirements relating to school improvement, professional development, teacher training, and educational innovation. Requires schools to give attention to professional development that incorporates technology used to improve teaching and learning. Requires professional development activities to include instruction in the use of technology. Adds technology to the list of core subject areas for the National Teacher Training Project grants program. Requires authorized professional development activities to incorporate effective technology for meeting the educational needs of diverse groups of students. Includes technological innovation as a higher education activity to improve teacher education programs. Directs the Secretary of Education to take into special consideration the different learning needs for and exposures to technology for all students, including girls and students who have economic and educational disadvantages, in carrying out ESEA titles I (Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards), II (Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program), and III (Technology for Education). Requires the Secretary, as well as applicants and grantees, to provide for such special consideration to be given under specified programs, including: (1) such Technology for Education programs as national challenge grants, regional technical support and professional development, educational technology product development, and Star Schools grants; and (2) the Fund for the Improvement of Education (part A of ESEA title X Programs of National Significance). (Sec. 3) Authorizes the Secretary, through the Office of Educational Technology, to award matching grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible consortia to develop or redesign programs to prepare prospective elementary and secondary school teachers to use technology effectively in their classrooms. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 4) Getting Our Girls Ready for the 21st Century Act (Go Girl Act) - Amends ESEA to authorize the Secretary to make grants to, and contracts and cooperative agreements with, local educational agencies to provide subgrants to elementary and secondary schools for services that: (1) encourage the ongoing interest of girls in science, mathematics, and technology; and (2) prepare girls to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees and careers in those fields. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Grants Act - Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to State and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) or other public or private entities to train teachers and administrators in identifying and preventing sexual harassment. Authorizes appropriations. Amends ESEA title IV (the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994) to include high rates of reported incidences of sexual harassment and abuse on the list of examples of objective data which an SEA is required to consider in determining which LEAs have the greatest need for additional funds. Includes, under authorized uses of grants and contracts under Governors' programs, developing and implementing strategies and programs to greatly reduce the incidence of sexual harassment and abuse and to encourage positive and respectful interactions between girls and boys. Requires LEA drug and violence prevention programs to be designed, for all students and employees, to greatly reduce the incidence of sexual harassment and abuse. Includes sexual harassment and abuse among the types of school violence for which the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is required to collect data to determine frequency, seriousness, and incidence. (Sec. 6) Amends the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 to require NCES to collect and disseminate statistics on the participation, by gender, of secondary school students in elective physical education and athletic programs. (Sec. 7) Amends ESEA title V part C (the School Dropout Assistance Act) to direct the Secretary to give additional special consideration to grant applications that include provisions that emphasize mentoring and other support services for pregnant and parenting teenagers. Revises implementation or expansion plans for ESEA title XI coordinated services projects to include: (1) an assessment of the needs of children requiring specialized comprehensive services such as students who are pregnant or parenting; and (2) strategies to ensure addressing the health and welfare needs of families with pregnant or parenting children in school. (Sec. 8) Women's Educational Equity Act of 1999 - Renames, reauthorizes, and revises ESEA title V part B (currently the Women's Educational Equity Act of 1994) (WEEA). Directs the Secretary to report: (1) to the President and Congress on the status of educational equity for girls and women in the Nation; and (2) to Congress on evaluation, materials, and programs under WEEA. Extends the authorization of appropriations for WEEA programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Congratulates Ehud Barak on his election as Prime Minister of Israel. Declares that Congress recognizes that the only way peace can be established between Israel and its neighbors is if the security of Israeli citizens is guaranteed. Encourages: (1) Israel, along with Syria and Lebanon, to establish negotiations to ensure a long-term peace in the region which respects the security of both the State of Israel and the Israeli people; and (2) the Secretary of State to work with Israel, Lebanon, and Syria to develop a long-term and lasting peace for the Middle East.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1999
Medicare Home Health Payment Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to eliminate the scheduled 15 percent reduction in payment amounts to home health agencies furnishing home health services under the Medicare program. Allows home health agencies to elect to repay certain overpayments made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services over a 60-month no- interest grace period. Makes such an election effective as if included in BBA '97. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress and the Comptroller General (CG) on the costs incurred by Medicare home health agencies in complying with the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) patient data collection requirement. Requires the CG to conduct an independent audit of such costs for a report to Congress. Amends SSA title XVIII to eliminate the incremental billing requirement with respect to home health service visits under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) prescription drug accessibility is crucial to the well-being of senior citizens; (2) prescription drug costs should not prohibit seniors from taking the vital steps necessary to maintain their health; (3) extending prescription drug benefits to seniors should not require the creation of extensive new bureaucracies, regulations, or price controls; and (4) Congress should pursue legislative measures to address this matter as soon as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1999
Public Health Osteoporosis Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) make osteoporosis screening a required primary health service for Federal health centers; and (2) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States and local governments for the establishment and operation of programs for screenings, referrals, and education regarding osteoporosis. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to General Wesley Clark in recognition of his exemplary performance as a military leader in coordinating the planning, strategy, and execution of the United States and NATO combat action and his invaluable contributions to the United States and to the successful return to peace in the Balkans as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and Commander-in-Chief, United States European Command. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act of 1999 - Title I: Prohibition of Health Insurance Discrimination on the Basis of Predictive Genetic Information - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (regarding a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group insurance through a group plan), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) (regarding such a plan or issuer, and with regard to an issuer offering health insurance in the individual market), the Internal Revenue code (IRC) (regarding a group health plan), and title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) (regarding Medicare supplemental policies) to prohibit, with respect to genetic information: (1) discriminating in individual enrollment; (2) discriminating in group eligibility or group premium or contribution rates; (3) requesting or requiring test performance; and (4) requesting, requiring, collecting, purchasing, or disclosing information, unless authorized by the individual. Allows a plan or issuer: (1) regarding payment for genetic services, to request evidence that the services were performed; and (2) regarding payment for other benefits, to request predictive genetic information in certain circumstances. Allows a court, for violations, to award any appropriate legal or equitable relief, attorney's fees and costs, and expert witness costs. Allows civil monetary penalties. Applies the requirements of this paragraph to plans that have fewer than two participants who are current employees. Amends ERISA and the PHSA to: (1) declare that the provisions of paragraph above do not preempt any provision of State law that protects genetic information confidentiality or privacy, or prohibits genetic discrimination, more completely than ERISA's and the PHSA's group health plan provisions; and (2) apply the requirements of the paragraph above to Medicare supplemental health insurance and similar supplemental coverage, if provided under a separate policy, certificate, or contract of insurance. Amends the IRC to apply the requirements of this title to apply the requirements of this title to any governmental plan. Title II: Prohibition of Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Predictive Genetic Information - Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate because of predictive genetic information, including making it unlawful to request, require, collect, or purchase such information. Allows an employer to request, require, collect, or purchase such information: (1) where used for genetic monitoring of biological effects of workplace toxic substances; or (2) with consent of the employee, if results are received only by the employee (or the employee's family). (Sec. 206) Requires employers possessing such information to treat and maintain the information as part of the employee's confidential medical records. Prohibits disclosure, subject to exception. (Sec. 207) Empowers one or more employees, labor organization members, or training participants to bring an action in Federal or State court for violations. Applies to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), for enforcement of this title, the powers, remedies, and procedures under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Allows a court to award any appropriate legal or equitable relief, attorney's fees and costs, and costs of experts. (Sec. 209) Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title.
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