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 · 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.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect and report, on a monthly basis, data concerning the number of jobless workers, categorized according to national, State, and metropolitan statistical area rates.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Degradable Plastics Act of 1989 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to issue rules, within two years of this Act's enactment, requiring that plastic articles which are produced, distributed, or sold in the United States be made of naturally degradable material which will begin reduction to environmentally benign subunits within a specified period of time after being discarded that is not to exceed 180 days and complete such reduction within a specified period of time that is not to exceed two years. Provides that this Act does not preclude States or localities from adopting more stringent rules. Imposes civil and criminal penalties against persons who violate such rules. Requires producers of plastic articles to make records regarding the development and production of such articles available to the Administrator for inspection and copying. Makes the rules issued pursuant to this Act inapplicable to any plastic article produced before the end of the five-year period beginning after the issuance of such rules.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Requires the President to suspend assistance for the Nicaraguan Resistance and makes it out of order for the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any legislation authorizing assistance to the Resistance until the Congress enacts a joint resolution declaring that the Resistance has satisfactorily accounted for assistance previously provided.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1989
Research and Experimental Credit Extension and Reform Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the income tax credit for qualified research expenditures by repealing the provisions that would terminate the credit for expenses incurred or paid after 1989. Revises the method for computing: (1) base period research expenses, adding a factor reflecting the gross national product growth rate; and (2) the tax credit, adding an alternative computation component. Applies the credit to in-house research expenses that the taxpayer pays or incurs for the principal purpose of using the research results in the active conduct of a future trade or business.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1989
Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday Commission Extension Act - Makes permanent the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission. (Current law terminates the Commission on April 20, 1989.) Makes the term of Commission members one year, except for Coretta Scott King (life term) and members of the family surviving Martin Luther King, Jr. (at the discretion of the family). Amends existing requirements to make the Commission's report on its activities reflect the most recent observance of the holiday. Replaces provisions requiring all expenditures of the Commission to be from donated funds with provisions authorizing appropriations for each fiscal year. Makes payment of expenses for Commission members and staff salary subject to the availability of funds.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1989
Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice for an employer to hire, or threaten to hire, permanent replacement workers during the first ten weeks of any strike (or to enter into agreements for such purposes).
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1989
Quality of Life Action Act - Declares that every adult American: (1) able and willing to earn a living has a right to a choice among opportunities for paid employment at decent wages or for self-employment; and (2) unable to work for pay has the right to an adequate standard of living that rises with increases in the health and productivity of the society. Directs all Federal agencies to plan and carry out their policies and programs so all adult Americans may exercise these rights. Prohibits the Federal Reserve System or any other Federal agency from promoting recession, stagnation, or unemployment as a means of reducing wages and salaries or inflation. Directs the President, in each annual budget and economic report submitted after the date of enactment of this Act, to transmit to the Congress a staged program: (1) to help establish and maintain conditions under which the rights set forth in this Act may be enjoyed; and (2) to implement the Government's economic and social obligations under the Employment Act of 1946, the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Charter of the Organization of American States. Sets forth program objectives, which include: (1) providing incentives for enlarging employment opportunities; (2) increasing the opportunities for part-time employment; (3) preventing or controlling inflationary tendencies; (4) providing improved Federal incentives for investment, expansion, and increased employment; and (5) promoting conditions for more self-empowerment by those victimized by discrimination. Requires such program to include policies and projects to: (1) achieve American leadership in goods production; and (2) develop American leadership in services. Requires such policies and projects to include Federal grants and other incentives for short-term and long-term public works planning. Sets forth eligibility requirements for such grants and incentives. Requires the Government to cooperate with the United Nations and foreign governments in developing an international community based on rising living standards. Directs the President and the Congress to review laws, regulations, and procedures which may interfere with this Act and propose necessary changes. Requires the Government to make financial support for the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development conditional upon the development and implementation of policies and procedures which will: (1) raise the standard of living in countries receiving assistance; and (2) contribute to the economic viability, credit worthiness, and ability to import goods and services to the United States. Requires the President to propose and promote international and regional conferences on unemployment and underemployment. Directs the President, in the first annual message at the beginning of the first session of the Congress after the enactment of this Act, to include specific proposals for a Conversion Planning Fund, to be administered by agencies determined by the President. Provides that such Fund shall promote short- and long-term plans for coping with declines in civilian or military activities by developing specific policies, programs, and projects (including feasibility studies, education, on-the-job training, and inducements for necessary and desirable labor mobility) for the expansion of economic activities in sectors where additional or improved goods or services are needed. Requires, in addition to such other funds as may be authorized, that such Fund include no less than one percent of the amount appropriated for military purposes during each subsequent year. Directs the President, as part of such annual program, to transmit to the Congress a short- and long-range schedule for implementing the purposes of this Act. Requires such schedule to include recommendations for restructuring Federal budget priorities to provide for: (1) reducing wasteful or unnecessary military expenditures; (2) increasing Federal revenues; (3) reducing the interest on the Federal debt; (4) using public and private pension funds to help attain the goals of this Act; and (5) promoting or creating development banks in areas of high joblessness and poverty. Requires the President to include recommendations for promoting education activities within each State. Requires the Joint Economic Committee to monitor actions proposed or taken under this Act. Requires that budgetary data for specific programs include evaluations and quantitative estimates of impacts on: (1) gross and net outlays computed in terms of estimates of the effects of paid employment on reducing outlays and increasing tax receipts; and (2) benefits and costs to society. Requires that each overall budget message from the President to the Congress be based on policies and programs to reduce unemployment.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1989
Foreign Agents Compulsory Ethics in Trade Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the President, the Vice President, certain high-level Federal officials and employees, certain high-ranking active-duty members of the uniformed services, and Members of Congress from representing or advising foreign principals on matters of direct and substantial U.S. interest during the four-year period after cessation of Federal employment. Requires the Attorney General to grant a waiver to such prohibition unless the proposed conduct could harm the national interests or create an undue appearance of conflict of interest. Authorizes the Attorney General, upon reason to believe that a person is engaging in conduct in violation of this Act, to petition the appropriate U.S. district court for an order prohibiting such conduct. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1989
Eliminates post-1968 service in the National Guard as a prerequisite to civil service retirement credit for former National Guard technicians. Amends the National Guard Technicians Act of 1968 to eliminate post-1968 service as a prerequisite for National Guard technicians for receipt of credit in the determination of length of Federal civil service for purposes of leave, Federal employees' death and disability compensation, group life and health insurance, severance pay, tenure, and status. Sets forth rules for applying provisions of this Act to affected individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1989
Cable Rate Disclosure Act of 1989 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require each cable television operator to submit to the Federal Communications Commission a report describing its services and rates. Requires subsequent reports, to be made available for public inspection, whenever the operator implements a change in rates or services. Directs the FCC to use these reports to publish a monthly statistical summary that includes national, regional, and State average rates for various services.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 1989
Kangaroo Protection Act - Provides that any administrative exception made under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 permitting the importation of kangaroos, their parts, and products shall not apply to kangaroos removed from the wild in accordance with an Australian management plan.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 1989
Expresses disapproval of the refusal of the U.S.S.R. to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic Republics. Designates June 14, 1989, as Baltic Freedom Day. Authorizes and requests the President to call upon the Soviet Union, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Democratic Republic of Germany to renounce the acquisition or absorption of the Baltic Republics by the Soviet Union as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1989
General Aviation Standards Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (with respect to aviation accident investigations) to apply such Act, with specified exceptions, to any action for damages for harm arising out of a general aviation accident brought against a manufacturer, owner, or operator of a general aviation aircraft, or a person who supports or maintains such aircraft or any other person or governmental entity. Establishes guidelines for uniform standards of liability of general aviation manufacturers for such accidents. States that all actions for harm arising out of a general aviation accident shall be governed by the principles of comparative responsibility. Establishes, with specified exceptions, a limitation of actions period of 12 years from delivery of aircraft or harm-causing part to the purchaser for general aviation civil liability brought against a general aviation manufacturer. Declares admissible as evidence certain income tax and payroll tax liability for purposes of establishing financial harm arising out of a general aviation accident. Permits the award of punitive damages if a claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the harm suffered was the direct result of conduct manifesting conscious, flagrant indifference to safety. Establishes a two-year limitation of actions period for actions arising out of such an accident. Confers original jurisdiction upon the Federal district courts, concurrently with State courts, for all civil actions for harm arising out of a general aviation accident. Provides procedures for removal from State to Federal district courts of such actions. Declares that this Act supersedes any State law regarding recovery of damages for harm arising out of a general aviation accident. Declares the intent of the Congress that sanctions be strictly enforced for violations of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, including orders to pay to the other party the reasonable costs of legal fees. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to the Congress, within one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the results of a study determining whether persons awarded damages for general aviation accidents under this Act are unable to collect such damages, and the amount of any uncollectible damages.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1989
Nuclear Decommissioning Reserve Fund Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) decrease from 34 percent to 15 percent the rate of the tax imposed on the income of any Nuclear Decommissioning Reserve Fund; and (2) remove restrictions on permitted investments of Fund monies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1989
Palau Compact of Free Association Implementation Act - Authorizes the entry into force of the Compact of Free Association between the United States and Palau (the Compact), subject to its approval by referendum. Directs the President to negotiate: (1) an agreement with the Government of Palau to provide assistance for maintaining offices of public auditor and special prosecutor; (2) an agreement regarding responses to an audit by the Comptroller General of the United States or the Secretary of the Interior; and (3) an agreement providing for the Palau Government to provide current information regarding its national development plan under the Compact. Directs the National Drug Policy Board to develop a plan for an anti-drug program in Palau. Requires the President to negotiate an agreement with Palau to implement such plan. Prohibits using funds appropriated for assistance to Palau to satisfy any obligation or expense incurred by Palau prior to November 14, 1986, with respect to contracts or debts related to electrical generating plants or related facilities which have not been specifically authorized by the Congress in advance, with exceptions. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide assistance for the development and promulgation of regulations regarding expenditures, upon Palau's request; (2) provide such sums as may be necessary for a further referendum on the Compact or other costs of approval; and (3) submit a report on the range and cost of options for upgrading the Koror hospital. States that the United States will consider requests for additional financial assistance for medical facility construction based on such report. Directs the chief officer of any agency conducting annual audits of assistance provided to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands to certify such audits. Declares that the Compact does not restrict the President from requesting additional funding or consenting to an extension concerning the use by the United States of privately owned lands in Palau as defense sites. Directs the Secretary to submit a report on the condition of the Palau prison. States that the United States will consider requests for additional financial assistance to meet the need for prison construction based on such report. Directs the Secretary to station at least one professional staff person in each of the offices of the U.S. in Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands to provide Federal program coordination and assistance. Authorizes appropriations. Approves specified agreements between the United States and the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau. Provides for continuing availability of unobligated balances of funds provided to Palau. Authorizes the President to negotiate an agreement with the Government of Palau which shall provide the following: (1) $28,000,000 shall be provided to Palau in FY 1989; (2) Palau shall pay to the United States, on or before the 15th anniversary of the effective date of the Compact, the net economic costs of providing such funds; and (3) automatic payment to the United States if Palau has not paid such amount by the 15th anniversary of the effective date of the Compact. Amends the Act approving the Compact to provide that the authorizations for transition purposes shall decline over the first through third fiscal years after the Compact's effective date (under current law, FY 1987 through 1989).
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1989
Designates September 15, 1989, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Recognizes the National League of Families POW/MIA flag as the official symbol of the United States' commitment to resolving the fates of Americans still prisoner or missing in action in Southeast Asia.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 1989
Declares that the Congress urges: (1) the President to work with the Congress on a comprehensive oceans and Great Lakes policy; (2) Federal, State, and local governments, industry, organizations, and the public to share their expertise to preserve and responsibly utilize the oceans and the Great Lakes; and (3) the President to dedicate appropriate funding to implement the policy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1989
Immigration Exclusion and Deportation Amendments of 1989 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make only the following classes of aliens ineligible to receive visas for admission into the United States: (1) any alien with a communicable disease of public health significance; (2) any alien with a record of recent physical or mental disorder that poses a threat to property or safety; (3) any alien with a drug addiction; (4) any alien convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, with specified exceptions; (5) any alien convicted of specified drug violations or involved in drug trafficking; (6) any alien who has engaged in prostitution, or procurement of prostitutes, within ten years of the date of application for U.S. entry; (7) any alien likely to be a security risk; (8) any alien who has engaged in terrorist activity or likely to engage in such activity; (9) any alien whose entry would endanger the lives or property of U.S. citizens living abroad; (10) any alien whose entry would convey the impression of U.S. support for a government or group that the United States does not recognize or support, or whose entry would have a serious negative effect on U.S. diplomatic relations; (11) any alien who participated in Nazi persecutions; (12) any alien who is likely to become a public charge, with admission on bond at the discretion of the Attorney General; (13) any alien seeking to enter the United States for the purpose of performing skilled or unskilled labor, with specified exceptions (teaching, postgraduate research, and science or arts), or in situations of insufficient U.S. workers; (14) any alien who is a graduate of a medical school not accredited by a body approved for such purpose by the Secretary of Education, with certain exceptions; (15) any excluded or deported alien who seeks readmission within five years of the event, unless such readmission is consented to by the Attorney General; (16) any alien seeking to enter the United States by fraud or the willful misrepresentation of a material fact; (17) any stowaway alien; (18) any alien who aids any other alien in illegal entry; (19) any immigrant not in possession of a valid immigrant visa and passport at the time of admission; (20) any nonimmigrant without a valid passport authorizing the alien to return to the country from which he or she came or without a valid nonimmigrant visa or border crossing card (provides for a Guam visa waiver for up to 15-day pleasure or business entries); and (21) any alien ineligible for U.S. citizenship, including a person who left or remained outside the United States to avoid U.S. military service in time of war or national emergency. Repeals the ideological grounds for exclusion. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of State to jointly develop guidelines for the review of exclusion lists and other mechanisms used to screen alien visa applicants. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary to report jointly to the appropriate committees regarding the development of such guidelines (within one year) and the results of the review of such alien lists (within two years). Makes deportable by the Attorney General only those aliens within one of the following classes: (1) any alien who at the time of entry was within one or more of the classes of aliens excludable by then existing law; (2) any alien entering the United States without inspection or at a time and place other than as designated by the Attorney General; (3) any alien admitted as a nonimmigrant who has failed to maintain such status; (4) any alien admitted as a temporary agricultural worker (H-2A visa) whose status has been terminated (with family hardship exceptions); (5) any alien who within five years of entry knowingly and for gain has aided another alien to illegally enter the United States; (6) any alien admitted as an additional special agricultural worker who fails to show the necessary number of seasonal work days; (7) any alien who gained U.S. entry through marriage fraud; (8) any alien convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed within five years from the date of entry and who is either sentenced or confined for a term of one year or longer; (9) any alien who at any time after entry is convicted of two or more crimes involving moral turpitude; (10) any alien who at any time after entry is convicted of a violation of certain drug laws; (11) any alien who is a drug abuser or addict; (12) any alien who at any time after entry is convicted under weapons-possession laws; (13) any alien who at any time is convicted on any of various specified loyalty laws (e.g. sabotage, treason and sedition, selective service, etc.); (14) any alien who fails to comply with alien registration laws or foreign agent registration laws; (15) any alien convicted of fraud or misuse of visas or other entry documents; (16) any alien engaging in activity which endangers the public safety or national security, including terrorist activity; (17) any alien who within five years after entry has become a public charge; (18) any alien who participated in Nazi persecutions; (19) any alien whose presence could endanger the lives or property of U.S. citizens living abroad; or (20) any alien whose presence could convey the impression of U.S. support for a government or group that the United States does not recognize or support, or whose presence could have a serious negative effect on U.S. diplomatic relations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1989
Designates April 16, 1989, the 87th birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, as Education Day, U.S.A. Calls on heads of state of the world to join the President of the United States in this tribute by signing scrolls of honor commemorating the 40th anniversary of Schneerson's leadership of the Lubavitch movement. Welcomes the cooperation of the Department of State in extending the good office of the U.S. missions to the Lubavitcher emissaries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 1989
National Biological Diversity Conservation and Environmental Research Act - States that the conservation of biological diversity is a national priority. Requires Federal actions to be consistent with such goal. Amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to require that environmental impact statements on proposed Federal actions include any impacts on biological diversity. Requires Federal agencies to conduct annual reviews of their programs for consistency with the conservation of biological diversity pursuant to this Act and to report the results of such reviews to the President, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the Congress. Sets forth requirements for programs found to be inconsistent with this Act. Directs the President's Council on Environmental Quality to: (1) establish guidelines for consideration of biological diversity in the preparation of environmental impact statements; and (2) identify those biotic communities, species, and populations that appear to be in decline, in imminent danger of loss of viability, or otherwise of special concern. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to review and comment on the adequacy of each environmental impact statement prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 in assessing biological diversity impacts. Establishes a National Center for Biological Diversity and Conservation Research (Center) responsible for: (1) coordinating the collection of data pertaining to the national biota and supplementing and disseminating such information; (2) arranging and conducting surveys and supplementary research of the national biota; and (3) enhancing the application of biological data to the conservation of biological diversity. Establishes an Interagency Working Committee on Biological Diversity responsible for preparing a coordinated Federal strategy (Strategy) for conservation of biological diversity. Dissolves the Committee two years after this Act's enactment. Sets forth the required contents of such strategy and reporting requirements. Authorizes each agency represented on the Interagency Committee to provide grants to public agencies, private individuals, and organizations for projects to maintain or restore biological diversity. Requires that such grants be matched on at least an equal basis by the grantee, except when the grantee is a State or where the grant is provided for research. Directs each agency represented on the Interagency Committee to: (1) give high priority to research and personnel training directed towards implementation of the Strategy; and (2) assess the adequacy of its environmental research and training programs. Establishes, on a permanent basis, a National Scientific Advisory Committee on Biological Diversity which shall: (1) oversee the implementation of the Strategy; (2) advise the Interagency Committee and Federal agencies in the preparation and implementation of the Strategy; (3) assist in the coordination of interaction between Interagency Committee agencies and the Center; (4) assist in the evaluation of the impacts of proposed Federal activities on biological diversity; (5) assist in the review of Federal programs for consistency with the conservation of biological diversity and the adequacy of such programs in environmental research and training; and (6) serve as a general reference and advisory resource for the Nation in matters relating to conservation of biological diversity. Authorizes appropriations for the activities of the Center and the grant program for FY 1990 through 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 1989
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Expansion Act of 1989 - Amends the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (the Act) to repeal the termination date for duty-free treatment of beneficiary countries. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to grant duty-free treatment to articles (not over $600 in value) acquired in a beneficiary country. Increases from $800 to $1200 the personal exemption from customs duties of articles acquired in the U.S. insular possessions and from other countries. Amends the Act to require the United States Trade Representative (USTR), upon request of a beneficiary country, to enter into a bilateral agreement with that country establishing guaranteed access levels for textile products assembled in such country from qualifying fabrics (fabrics formed and cut in the United States and certain fabrics of foreign manufacture which are cut in the United States). Makes such products eligible for duty-free treatment. Provides that textile products that are assembled in a beneficiary country from qualifying fabric and incorporate findings and trimmings of foreign origin are eligible for guaranteed access and duty-free treatment if such findings and trimmings do not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled product. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish an advisory committee to provide to the Secretary descriptions of those fabrics that the committee recommends to be included on the list of fabrics likely to be utilized in the manufacture of textile products in beneficiary countries which: (1) are not formed in the United States; or (2) are formed in the United States but are in critical shortage. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the USTR, when negotiating bilateral textile agreements, should seek to obtain greater fairness, transparency, and stability in the administration by foreign countries of their obligations under such agreements, especially in the allocation of export certifications between U.S. and foreign firms. Sets forth provisions concerning "general duty-free quotas" and "national duty-free quotas" with respect to specified articles imported from beneficiary countries. Provides that duty-free treatment provided under the Act shall not apply to: (1) textile and apparel articles; (2) certain leather articles; (3) canned tuna; (4) petroleum and petroleum products; and (5) watches and watch parts. Requires the President to submit a specified report to the Congress every three years. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States with respect to the allocation of quotas on sugars imported from beneficiary countries. Prohibits the USTR, in allocating any limitation on such imports, from: (1) reducing the percentage allocation made to the Philippines; (2) making an allocation to the Republic of South Africa; and (3) allowing the aggregate of the amounts of the base quota allocations to Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) countries for any quota year beginning after December 31, 1988, to be less than 371,449 metric tons, raw value. Requires any allocation for any quota of imported sugar from specified foreign countries for any year to be reallocated on a pro-rata basis among the CBI countries receiving allocations for that year if such allocation is suspended or terminated due to a threat to U.S. national security or foreign policy. Authorizes the President to enter into trade agreements with foreign governments for the purpose of granting compensation if the United States takes specified action inconsistent with its international obligations (including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the International Trade Commission, when making determinations as to material injury with respect to antidumping and countervailing duty cases, to assess cumulatively the volume and effect of imports from a country designated as a beneficiary country under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act with respect to imports of like products from beneficiary countries. Directs the Commissioner of Customs to implement a pilot preclearance program during FY 1990 and 1991 to assess the extent to which the availability of preclearance operations can assist in the development of tourism in the Caribbean Basin. Prohibits the commencement of such operations unless the Commissioner of Customs and the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization make a specified joint certification. Requires the Commissioner to submit to the Congress a report regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 1989
Subjects exports of cigarettes and advertising of cigarettes abroad to the same restrictions on labeling and advertising of cigarettes as apply to the sale, distribution, and advertising of cigarettes in the United States. Provides for fines and for injunctions of violations. Repeals the exemption of cigarettes for export from coverage under the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act. Prohibits the executive branch from seeking through any means the removal or reduction of foreign restrictions on cigarettes or similar tobacco products, whether or not those restrictions constitute an unfair trade practice. Directs the President to issue necessary regulations within 90 days.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 1989
Caribbean Regional Development Act of 1989 - Declares it to be the policy of the United States in providing development and other economic assistance to the Caribbean to: (1) help the poor to participate in the development of their societies; (2) support development that is environmentally sustainable; (3) promote Caribbean self-reliance; (4) increase food security; (5) promote the diversification of industrial and agricultural production; (6) advance the process of regional economic integration; (7) support national programs of economic adjustment that promote the policies of this Act; (8) support employment generation while avoiding the displacement of traditional lines of small-scale production; (9) preserve and reinforce traditional Caribbean culture and social values; (10) consult with the intended beneficiaries of U.S. economic assistance; and (11) sustain the policies set forth in this Act, with adequate funding, for a minimum of ten years. Requires that priority in providing development assistance to the Caribbean shall be given to supporting indigenous Caribbean institutions (including farmers' unions, cooperatives, trade unions and other labor organizations, women's groups, and community organizations) that represent, work with, and benefit the poor. States that for purposes of determining the eligibility of any Caribbean country for development assistance, the per capita income of that country shall be deemed to be no greater than the per capita income for the Caribbean as a whole. Specifies that Economic Support Fund assistance (ESF) shall be used for assistance for those nations in the Caribbean that are experiencing a scarcity of foreign exchange. Provides that to the extent that such assistance is used to finance commodity imports, priority in the use of such assistance shall be given to the purchase of: (1) critical commodity imports by small- and medium-sized industries, farms, and cooperatives that have limited access to foreign exchange; and (2) key consumer goods in critically short supply. Provides that preference in the purchase of commodity imports purchased with ESF funds or with local currencies shall be given to commodities within the Caribbean region. Specifies that in providing assistance to the Caribbean area priority in the allocation of funds provided for development assistance and through the ESF and in the allocation of local currencies shall be given to: (1) food self-sufficiency; (2) integrated rural development; (3) community-based agro-industries; (4) financial resources for small- and medium-sized farm and manufacturing enterprises; (5) expansion of tourism; (6) regional integration; (7) upgrading technical and managerial skills; (8) enhancing the natural resource base; and (9) private sector development. Prohibits the provision of any assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (except for international narcotics control assistance) for: (1) any government of any country in the Caribbean that does not enforce internationally recognized worker rights; and (2) a Caribbean country if the provision of that assistance would be inconsistent with promoting respect for international recognized worker rights. Authorizes such assistance if that government is taking steps to implement laws that demonstrate significant advancement in providing internationally recognized worker rights throughout the country. Authorizes any person to file a petition with the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs requesting that such assistance be terminated. Sets forth procedures for the Assistant Secretary to follow in making a determination of such request. Prohibits the Agency for International Development (AID) from providing any assistance, directly or indirectly, for the use of any chemical or other substance in the Caribbean if such use; (1) is not permitted under the public health laws of that nation; or (2) would not be permitted in the United States under U.S. public health laws. Specifies that in the provision of development assistance to the Caribbean, AID shall place emphasis on ensuring the active participation of Caribbean women in the development process. Requires AID to: (1) consult with Caribbean organizations that work with the poor in all stages of the design and implementation of assistance policies; and (2) monitor socioeconomic conditions in the Caribbean and the effect of economic assistance programs and policies on those conditions. Requires the Office of Technology Assessment to conduct an evaluation of and report to the Congress on the performance of AID in carrying out this Act. Requires the Administrator of AID to report annually to the Congress concerning AID's efforts to implement the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 1989
Prohibits: (1) the relocation of Navajo and Hopi Indians for an 18-month period; (2) the expenditure of Federal funds during such period with respect to certain lands held in trust for the Navajo and Hopi Tribes; and (3) construction on such lands during such period, except such construction necessary for individuals already relocated to such lands. Establishes the Navajo and Hopi Relocation Advisory Commission to study: (1) the problems resulting from the implementation of the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974; and (2) alternatives to relocations required under such Act that meet the needs of traditional members of both the Hopi and Navajo traditional governments. Directs the Commission to hold public hearings regarding the lands involved in the relocation. Requires the Commission, within one year after enactment of this Act, to submit to the President and to the Congress a report on the study, including recommendations for solutions to the implementation problems and viable alternatives to the relocations. Provides for the termination of the Commission 30 days after it submits its report. Provides for the payment of funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act out of amounts appropriated to the Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1989
Federal Council on Women Act - Establishes a Federal Council on Women to: (1) collect and evaluate information with respect to any problems that are particular to women in the United States; (2) review and evaluate Federal policy related to any such problems; (3) coordinate the activities of the Council with similar activities conducted by States, local governments, and concerned organizations; and (4) make recommendations. Directs the Council to report its findings and recommendations to the Congress. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1989
Semiautomatic Assault Weapons Act of 1989 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the transfer or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or ammunition feeding device, unless such weapon or device was lawfully possessed before the date this Act takes effect. Defines "semiautomatic assault weapon" to include: (1) any Kalashnikov, Uzi, or Colt AR-15 type semiautomatic firearm; (2) any semiautomatic weapon fed by an ammunition belt or feed strip; (3) any semiautomatic shotgun with a magazine, cylinder, or drum capacity exceeding six rounds of ammunition; and (4) any weapon designated as such by the Secretary of the Treasury. Specifies weapons not falling within such definition. Defines "ammunition feeding device" to include a detachable device which has a capacity of, or can be converted to accept, more than ten rounds of ammunition and which meets certain specifications. Requires the Secretary: (1) to compile and publish a list of weapons designated by the Secretary as SAWs; and (2) to periodically modify such list. Establishes guidelines in determining whether to designate a weapon as a SAW. Provides: (1) that the Secretary shall not be required to authorize the importation of SAWs; and (2) for enhanced penalties for possession or use of a SAW during a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to apply firearms taxes and registration requirements to SAWs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1989
Amends Federal law to prohibit any State from imposing an income tax on the pension income of any individual who is not a resident or domiciliary of that State.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1989
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 1992 the period during which qualified mortgage bonds and mortgage credit certificates may be issued. (Under current law, authority for these programs is due to expire as of 1990.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1989
Amends the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 to authorize appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994 for the Appalachian development highway system. Directs the Appalachian Regional Commission to allocate funds appropriated under this Act among the States within the Appalachian region according to a specified formula.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1989
Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to require that cigarettes and cigarette advertising bear a label stating the addictive quality of nicotine.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1989
War Powers Amendments of 1989 - Amends the War Powers Resolution to permit the introduction of U.S. armed forces to: (1) forestall a direct and imminent threat of an armed attack on the United States or the armed forces; and (2) protect U.S. citizens during their evacuation from any situation on the high seas or any country in which such citizens are subject to a direct and imminent threat to their lives, either by a government or beyond the power of the appropriate government to control. Directs the President to make every effort to terminate such threat without the use of the armed forces and, when possible, to obtain consent of the government of the country involved before using U.S. armed forces to protect endangered U.S. citizens. Limits the emergency use of U.S. armed forces to such use as is essential for the protection of threatened U.S. citizens. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for any introduction of U.S. armed forces into hostilities which is not authorized under such Resolution. Outlines the specific consultation required between the President and the Congress before the introduction of U.S. armed forces into hostilities or situations in which the imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated. Requires the President to ask designated members of the Congress for their advice and opinions and, in appropriate circumstances, their approval of the action contemplated. Declares that the consultation requirement is not met merely by the Congress being informed about the situation. Directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities within 60 days after the armed forces are introduced, unless the Congress has taken certain action effectively extending such use of the armed forces. Prohibits funds from being used to extend the use of such armed forces unless the Congress has taken such extending action. Sets forth congressional priority procedures for joint resolutions specifically authorizing the use of U.S. armed forces in hostilities or situations where imminent involvement is indicated by the circumstances. Provides that any Member of Congress has standing to bring an action alleging that the President or the armed forces have not complied with any provision of such Resolution. Prohibits the court hearing such an action from declining to determine such case on the ground that the issue is a political question or otherwise nonjusticiable. Provides for priority consideration of such cases. Sets forth a judicial remedy in cases where the President has failed to submit a required report. Requires the court, in cases where certain provisions of the Resolution have been violated, to order the removal of the armed forces from hostilities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1989
Commends the Board of Immigration Appeals for its decision to allow Joseph Patrick Doherty to apply for U.S. asylum. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Attorney General should approve Joseph Patrick Doherty's asylum application and release him on bond pending the application's review.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 1989
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the spending priorities in the Federal budget should be changed to decrease allocations for military programs and increase those for environmental and human services programs; and (2) the President should incorporate these changes in the budget submitted to the Congress for FY 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 1989
Ozone Protection and CFC Reduction Act of 1989 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on: (1) any ozone-depleting chemical sold or used by its manufacturer, producer, or importer; and (2) any substance sold or used by its importer if its manufacture or production included the use of any ozone-depleting chemical. Fixes a tax rate equal to a base amount, adjusted annually for inflation, times the ozone-depletion factor for the pertinent chemical, as determined in accordance with this Act. Describes the criteria to be used for determining which substances will be considered as ozone-depleting chemicals for purposes of this tax. Presents an initial list of such chemicals. Exempts from the tax: (1) certain products containing a de minimis amount of ozone-depleting chemicals; and (2) chemicals diverted or recovered in the United States as part of a recycling process.