United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1997
Provides that amounts recovered or collected with respect to the cost of furnishing care or services at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center shall be credited to amounts currently available for the furnishing of care and services at that center.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1997
Historic Homeownership Assistance Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 20 percent of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures made by a taxpayer with respect to a certified historic home which has been substantially rehabilitated and which is owned by the taxpayer and used as his or her principal residence. Allows the credit for such expenditures to be taken by a purchaser of the rehabilitated home. Permits, in lieu of the credit, a historic rehabilitation mortgage credit certificate, which shall be transferred to a lender in exchange for a reduction in the rate of interest on the loan secured by the building.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1997
Merchant Mariners Fairness Act of 1997 - Provides that certain qualified service of a member of the U.S. merchant marine, including a vessel crewmember of the U.S. Army or Naval Transport Service, during World War II constituted active military service for purposes of eligibility for various veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge under such Act to each merchant marine member whose qualified service warrants such a discharge. Prohibits the payment of any retroactive benefits under this Act. Mandates a processing fee for any benefit application of a member possessing such qualified service.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1997
Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits insurers and health carriers from engaging in specified acts (such as denying, terminating, or limiting coverage) on the basis that the applicant or insured (or any person with whom the applicant or insured is associated) is, has been, or may be the subject of abuse involving a current or former household or family member, intimate partner, or caretaker. Prohibits insurers from using, disclosing, or transferring information about an applicant's or insured's abuse status or abuse-related medical condition for any purpose unrelated to the direct provision of health care unless required by an order of an insurance regulatory entity or a court order. Prohibits disclosure or transfer of an applicant's or insured's location or telephone number. Requires insurers to develop and follow written procedures to protect the safety and privacy of an abuse subject. Requires an insurer that takes any adverse action regarding an abuse subject to advise the individual of the specific reasons for the action. Prohibits subrogation of claims resulting from abuse without the consent of the abuse subject. Empowers the Federal Trade Commission to examine and investigate any insurer regarding compliance with this Act. Provides for a private cause of action against an insurer in Federal or State court by an abuse subject applicant or insured claiming to be adversely affected by an act or practice of the insurer.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1997
Medicare Telemedicine and Medical Informatics Demonstration Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, to make a grant to a consortium meeting specified criteria to provide for a project for the development and operation of telemedicine and medical informatics systems to demonstrate the application of high-capacity computing and advanced networks to the provision of health care to residents of medically underserved rural and inner-city areas. Requires the project to focus on Medicare beneficiaries and on improvements in primary care (and prevention of complications) for residents with diabetes. Lists project objectives, which include improving patient access to and compliance with appropriate care guidelines for chronic diseases through direct telecommunications link with information networks in order to improve patient quality-of-life and reduce overall health care costs. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1997
Just Say No Act - Prohibits the advertisement of distilled spirits on any medium of electronic communication subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1997
National Center for Integral Medicine Establishment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal provisions regarding the: (1) Associate Director for Prevention; (2) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research; and (3) Office of Alternative Medicine. Establishes the National Center for Integral Medicine in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) conduct and support basic and applied research (including clinical research), training, the dissemination of health information, and other programs, including prevention programs with respect to identifying and evaluating alternative medical treatment and diagnostic systems and disciplines and the modalities of such treatment and diagnostic systems and disciplines; and (2) carry out functions relating to disease prevention, behavioral and social sciences research, and dietary supplements. Requires the Director of the Center (Director) to report directly to the Director of NIH. Establishes a related Advisory Council for the Center. Sets forth provisions concerning the duties of the Director. Requires the Director to establish: (1) a data system for the collection, analysis, and retrieval of data relating to alternative medical treatment and diagnostic systems and disciplines; and (2) an information clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance, through the effective dissemination of information, knowledge and understanding of alternative medical treatment and diagnostic systems and disciplines. Authorizes the Director, after consultation with the advisory council, to support the operation of centers to conduct research and support other activities described with respect to alternative medical treatment and diagnostic systems and disciplines. Sets forth requirements for each center assisted. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes within the Center the: (1) Office of Disease Prevention; (2) Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research; and (3) Office of Dietary Supplements. Sets forth the particular duties of each office. Transfers all officers and employees in the Office of Alternative Medicine on the day before enactment to the National Center for Integral Medicine, including the members and staff of the advisory council.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1997
Fast-Track Fairness and Accountability Act - Authorizes the President to enter into a trade agreement eligible for fast-track consideration only if it requires each country party to the agreement to: (1) adopt laws that afford internationally recognized worker rights to workers and that promote internationally recognized environmental standards in that country; and (2) treat as an actionable unfair trade practice the denial of such rights and standards as a means for such country to gain a competitive trade advantage.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
A Living Wage, Jobs for All Act - Declares that the Congress affirms the basic economic rights and responsibilities under the 1944 "Economic Bill of Rights," while updating and extending it to include certain rights to: (1) decent jobs; (2) income security for individuals unable to work for pay; (3) a decent living for farm families; (4) freedom from monopolies; (5) decent housing; (6) adequate health services; (7) social security in old age, sickness, accidental injury, and unemployment; (8) education and work training; and (7) certain other rights relating to collective bargaining, a safe working environment, information on trends in pollution sources and products and processes that affect the well-being of workers throughout the world, voting and campaigning, and personal security. Recognizes specified personal responsibilities of persons benefitting from such rights. (Sec. 3) Sets forth requirements relating to corporate responsibility. Requires each corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to include in its annual reports to the SEC a full and fair disclosure of the impact of its activities in the United States and other countries on environmental quality and on the rights of other stakeholders, including employees, consumers, and communities. Requires each State, in order to be entitled to receive any Federal grants or enter into any Federal contracts, to have initiated a time-phased program to require that all State-chartered corporations submit annual reports including such disclosures of information. Requires the Secretary of Labor and the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) identify corporations that have gone the furthest in managing their enterprises with responsible action toward environmental quality and the rights of other stakeholders, including employees, consumers, and communities; and (2) recommend to the President a special annual award to those chief executives and boards of directors that have made the greatest progress in this direction. Directs the Attorney General, with the assistance of business leaders and organizations, to establish an ongoing computerized registration program of all corporations found guilty of violating a Federal or State law. Authorizes the President, in the absence of clear and convincing evidence of rehabilitation, to deny Federal contracts, loans, or loan guarantees to non-compliant corporations. Makes it the responsibility of each Federal agency and commission, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, to perform so as to help establish and maintain conditions under which all adult Americans may freely exercise the economic rights specified in 1944 and in this Act. Prohibits Federal agencies or commissions from directly or indirectly promoting recession, stagnation, or unemployment as a means of reducing wages and salaries or inflation. (Sec. 4) Directs the President to establish a framework for the annual budget submitted to the Congress that meets specified goals with respect to: (1) quality of life and environment; (2) responsible and sustainable growth; (3) reduction of officially measured unemployment; and (4) support for international human rights declarations. Requires such framework also to include specific legislative proposals, budgets, and executive policies and initiatives such as: (1) conversion from military to civilian economy; (2) truth in budgets; (3) improved indicators of progress and regress; (4) anti-inflation policies; (5) lower real interest rates; (6) public works and services; (7) international economic policy; (8) international conferences on reducing unemployment and underemployment; (9) reductions in work hours; (10) part-time employment with social benefits; (11) insurance protection for pension fund investments; and (12) other specified matters. (Sec. 5) Mandates Joint Economic Committee oversight of actions taken or proposed to be taken under this Act. Requires the Joint Economic Committee to submit an annual Concurrent Resolution on Economic Policy setting forth both in aggregate terms and in detail its proposed goals for employment by type of employment, with special attention to hours, wages, and social benefits, and for reducing unemployment, underemployment, and poverty in urban, suburban and rural areas. Requires these goals to serve as the framework for any concurrent resolutions on the Federal budget. (Sec. 6) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Late Term Abortion Restriction Act - Makes it unlawful, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, to knowingly perform an abortion after the fetus has become viable, unless, in the medical judgment of the attending physician, it is necessary to preserve the life of the woman or to avert serious adverse health consequences to her. Subjects a physician who violates this Act to a civil penalty of up to $10,000.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 1997 - Provides for coverage of acupuncturist services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Bureau of Labor Statistics alone should make any adjustments to the methodology used to determine the Consumer Price Index.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Requires the Capitol Police Board to: (1) designate or establish a flag pole upon which the U.S. flag shall be flown at half-staff for one day whenever a Federal, State, local, or territorial law enforcement officer is slain in the line of duty; (2) post, in close proximity to the flag, public notice of the name, tenure of service, and jurisdiction of the officer being honored; and (3) present such flag to the officer's family.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Hemophilia Relief Fund Title II: Treatment of Certain Private Settlement Payments in Hemophilia-Clotting-Factor Suit under the Medicaid and SSI Programs Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1997 - Title I: Hemophilia Relief Fund - Establishes in the Treasury the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 103) Specifies that any individual who has a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection shall receive $125,000 from amounts available in the Fund if the individual meets one of the following conditions: (1) has a blood-clotting disorder and was treated with blood-clotting agents between July 1, 1982, and December 31, 1987; (2) is the lawful spouse of such individual or the former lawful spouse and was the lawful spouse of the individual at any time after a date within such period on which the individual was treated; or (3) acquired the HIV infection through perinatal transmission from a parent who is such an individual. Requires that the following conditions be met with respect to such individual: (1) the individual submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services written medical documentation that the individual has an HIV infection; (2) a petition for payment be filed with the Secretary by or on behalf of such individual; and (3) that the Secretary determine that the claim meets the requirements of this Act. (Sec. 105) Specifies that any right under this Act shall not be assignable or transferable. Sets limits regarding the number of claims per victim. (Sec. 106) Prohibits the Secretary from making any payment with respect to any petition filed under this Act unless the petition is filed within three years after the enactment of this Act. Title II: Treatment of Certain Private Settlement Payments in Hemophilia-Clotting-Factor Suit under the Medicaid and SSI Programs - Prohibits a settlement payment from being considered income or resources in determining a class member's eligibility for, or the amount of: (1) medical assistance under the Medicaid program; or (2) benefits under the Supplemental Security Income program. Defines the terms: (1) "class member"; and (2) "settlement payment."
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
Brooke Amendment Restoration Act - Amends the following Acts with respect to certain housing program rental contributions: (1) the United States Housing Act of 1937; (2) the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act; (3) the Housing Act of 1959; (4) the National Housing Act; (5) the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983; (6) the Stewart B. Mckinney Homeless Assistance Act; and (7) the Housing Act of 1949.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
Amateur Radio Volunteer Services Act of 1997 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide that an individual licensee in the amateur radio service who provides volunteer services to the Federal Communications Commission shall be deemed to be a Federal employee only for purposes of Federal tort claims procedure (the adjudication of claims against Federal employees for damages or injuries caused by the employee while acting within the scope of employment).
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Act of 1997 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of certain self-administered beta interferons and other drugs and biologicals approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of multiple sclerosis for patients with that disease.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Termination of Provisions of Public Law 104-193 Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits for Legal Immigrants Title II: Tax Provisions Immigrant Fairness Act of 1997 - Title I: Termination of Provisions of Public Law 104-193 Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits For Legal Immigrants - Repeals title IV (Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits for Aliens) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Title II: Tax Provisions - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to: (1) tax provisions on expatriation, including coordination with estate and gift tax and health insurance portability rules; (2) basis of assets of nonresidents who become U.S. citizens or residents; (3) foreign income exclusions; (4) treatment of domestic corporation stock dispositions by certain foreign shareholders as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and related withholding requirements; and (5) imposition of an alternative minimum tax on corporations importing products into the United States at artificially inflated prices.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1997
Declares that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States and the United Nations, through the International Coral Reef Initiative, should: (1) work with organizations, governments, and the private sector to identify, and eliminate or modify, unsustainable fisheries or other practices that are harmful to coral reefs and human health; and (2) promote the sustainable use of coral reef resources worldwide, consistent with Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries adopted in October 1995, and the International Coral Reef Initiative Call to Action and Framework for Action.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Directs the President to appoint an additional judgeship for the Northern District of Alabama. Provides for the conversion of specified temporary district judgeships into permanent judgeships. Amends the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 to establish the commencement dates for specified temporary judgeships.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Civil Rights Procedures Protection Act of 1996 - Amends specified Federal civil rights statutes (including title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the equal pay requirement under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993) to prevent the involuntary application of arbitration to claims that arise from unlawful employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Northern Forest Stewardship Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to: (1) provide technical assistance for sustainable forest management; (2) assist in coordinating ecological and economic research and implementation of interstate and Northern Forest Lands Council policies; (3) provide technical and financial assistance for State conservation land planning and acquisition (authorizes appropriations), and rural community assistance. Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding: (1) the need to address certain tax policies that work against Northern Forest conservation; (2) liability exemption for private landowners who permit public use of their land; and (3) nongame conservation funding. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to provide technical and financial assistance for Northern Forest water quality assessment. Authorizes specified appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Child Care Availability Incentive Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit (as part of the general business credit) for employers who provide qualified day care centers for the use of their employees.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the post-1987 reduction in the State ceiling on private activity bonds. Provides, beginning in 1999, for cost-of-living adjustments in the State ceiling on such bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
NAFTA Accountability Act - Requires assessment of the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), renegotiation of certain NAFTA provisions, and withdrawal from NAFTA unless specified conditions are met and certified to. Sets forth conditions for continuing U.S. participation in NAFTA, which must be met before the end of 1998. Requires certifications by certain U.S. officials with respect to NAFTA, relating to: (1) overall trade balance between each NAFTA Party (United States, Canada, and Mexico) (by the Secretary of Commerce); (2) currency values (by the Secretary of the Treasury); (3) gains in U.S. jobs and living standards (by the Secretary of Labor); (4) health and environmental standards, with respect to food imports and to U.S.-Mexico border areas (by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency); (5) flow of illegal drugs from Mexico and Canada (by the Attorney General); (6) NAFTA Party democracy and human freedoms (by the President); (7) U.S. agriculture (by the Secretary of Agriculture); and (8) compliance with U.S. transportation safety standards by Mexican commercial trucks or buses coming into the United States (by the Secretary of Transportation). Requires the President to renegotiate, in specified ways, the terms of NAFTA to: (1) correct trade deficits, currency distortions, loss of U.S. jobs, and agricultural tariff and quota provisions; and (2) ensure the safety of the public health and the environment, provide effective drug interdiction, and ensure compliance with certain U.S. transportation standards. Directs the President to consult regularly with the Congress regarding such renegotiations and certifications. Directs the U.S. Trade Representative to consult with appropriate congressional committees in developing technical and conforming amendments that may be required to carry out this Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that until the conditions set by this Act are met: (1) the President should not engage in negotiations to expand NAFTA to include other countries; and (2) fast-track authority should not be renewed with respect to the approval of any such NAFTA expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Department of Commerce Grants Title II: Public Works and Job Restoration Subtitle A: Jobs 2000 Subtitle B: Employment in Support of Community Renewal Subtitle C: Employment Activities; Repair and Renovation of Educational Facilities Title III: General Provisions Job Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act of 1997 - Title I: Department of Commerce Grants - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to any State or local government for construction, renovation, repair, restoration, or other improvement of local public works projects, including those for which Federal financial assistance is authorized under other titles or Acts. Limits the Federal share to not more than 90 percent of project cost. Prohibits any new grants after the expiration of any three-month period during which the national unemployment rate remains below five percent for each such month, or after September 30, 2001, whichever occurs first. (Sec. 103) Provides for allocation of funds and for preferences. Gives priority to State or local governments with unemployment rates higher than the national average. Requires State and local prioritization of applications. Allows localization of unemployment determinations. (Sec. 105) Sets forth general limitations, including Buy American and minority participation requirements and applicability of laws regarding individuals with disabilities. Requires public authorities, as part of the process of competitive bidding for contract awards under this Act, to: (1) seek to obtain Project Agreements with Building Trades Councils, including the establishment of Project Committees; and (2) assign to each project an enforcement official to enforce standards under this Act and Project Committee orders. (Sec. 106) Authorizes appropriations and deems them to be emergency spending. Title II: Public Works and Job Restoration - Subtitle A: Jobs 2000 - Jobs 2000 Act of 1997 - Provides for jobs for the unemployed and underemployed, especially youth, through payments for labor and related costs for: (1) construction, repair, or rehabilitation of community and educational facilities; (2) reclamation and conservation of public lands; and (3) creation, repair, rehabilitation, and restoration of public safety, public transportation, health, social services, and recreation facilities and other activities necessary to the public welfare. (Sec. 203) Sets forth participant eligibility and certification requirements, duration and extent of subsidized employment, participation priorities, special considerations for welfare recipients and veterans, and equal employment opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. (Sec. 204) Requires that at least 75 percent of funds made available to any recipient under subtitles B and C be used for wages and related employment benefits for work which the recipient certifies has been performed in authorized activities. Sets forth other limitations on use of funds, except training costs in specified circumstances. Subtitle B: Employment in Support of Community Renewal - Part A: Community Improvement Projects - Requires participants to be employed in community improvement projects in various specified activities under the categories of: (1) repair, rehabilitation, or improvement of public facilities; (2) conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, or improvement of public lands; and (3) public safety, health, social service, and other activities necessary to public welfare. (Sec. 210) Provides for joint programs, public lands projects limitations, eligibility and qualification of administrative entities, allotment of funds, requirements for receipt of funds, reports, and project design priorities and coordination. Requires, in the case of projects or activities that involve construction, reconstruction, repair, or renovation of physical structures, that: (1) each project for which a grant is made under this title be performed by contract on the basis of competitive bidding, unless the Secretary finds that an alternative method is in the public interest under circumstances related to the project; and (2) public authorities awarding such contracts seek Project Agreements with Building Trades Councils, including establishing Project Committees, and assign project enforcement officers. Part B: Community Improvement and Renewal Activities for Youth Trainees - Authorizes use of funds for wages and benefits for eligible youth for part-time employment up to 32 hours per week in authorized youth trainee activities at a work site of a public or private nonprofit or for-profit employer, in a manner which requires and is consistent with enrollment in high school, an equivalency program, or a program of basic skills, skills training, or employability development for at least eight hours per week. (Sec. 221) Provides for joint programs, youth eligibility requirements, exemption from unemployment duration requirements, priority for the economically disadvantaged, and equitable service for school dropouts. Part C: State Job Programs - Reserves five percent of State allotments for: (1) authorized State-administered programs and activities; (2) special assistance for areas with sudden or severe economic dislocations; (3) State-directed emergency aid to cope with natural disasters; and (4) special assistance to seasonal farmworkers and small farmers in areas with severe economic disruption. (Sec. 231) Sets forth requirements for program and activity selection and design. Subtitle C: Employment Activities; Repair and Renovation of Educational Facilities - Part A: Elementary and Secondary School Facility Improvement Jobs - Requires making funds under this part available to any eligible local education agency in an eligible jurisdiction to provide employment to eligible participants in repair, renovation, restoration, or rehabilitation of public school facilities. (Sec. 241) Provides for use of quick-start projects, permitted uses of funds, tribal school projects, allotment of funds, and receipt requirements. Part B: Higher Education Facility Improvement Projects - Requires funds under this part to be made available to higher education institutions in eligible jurisdictions to provide employment to eligible participants in work on repair, restoration, renovation, or rehabilitation of academic facilities. (Sec. 251) Provides for use of quick-start projects, permitted uses of funds, selection of projects, allotment of funds, and receipt requirements. Part C: Special Definitions for Subtitle C - Sets forth special definitions for subtitle C. Part D: Authorization of Appropriations - Authorizes appropriations. Title III: General Provisions - Sets forth general requirements, including wage rates, labor standards, fiscal controls and sanctions, and judicial review procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
Theodore Roosevelt Wildlife Legacy Act of 1997 - Declares the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System to be to preserve a network of lands and waters for the conservation and management of U.S. fish, wildlife, and plants for present and future generations. Establishes as the System's priority public uses: (1) wildlife observation and photography; (2) hunting; (3) fishing; and (4) environmental education and interpretation. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in administering the System, to: (1) resolve any conflict between the primary purpose of a National Wildlife Refuge and any purpose of the System in a manner that first fulfills the primary purpose of the refuge; (2) plan, propose, and direct System expansion to accomplish the mission and purposes of the System and of each refuge and to contribute to the conservation of U.S. ecosystems; and (3) inventory and monitor the status and trends of fish, wildlife, and plants in each refuge. Prohibits the Secretary, effective three years after enactment of this Act, from initiating or permitting a new use of a refuge or an expansion of an existing allowed use unless such use is compatible with the primary purposes of the refuge and the mission and purposes of the System. Directs the Secretary to: (1) propose within 15 years and revise every 15 years comprehensive conservation plans for each refuge in the System, except refuges in Alaska; (2) develop and implement a process to ensure an opportunity for active public involvement in the preparation and revision of such plans; (3) manage each refuge in a manner consistent with its conservation plan; and (4) prepare a conservation plan for a refuge established after enactment of this Act not later than two years after the Secretary determines that sufficient land has been acquired to warrant comprehensive planning.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
Ovarian Cancer Research and Information Amendments of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for research on ovarian cancer. Specifies material to be included in ovarian cancer information and education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Aviation Safety Protection Act of 1997 - Amends Federal transportation law to establish a whistleblower protection program for airline employees providing air safety information. Prohibits air carriers, contractors, and subcontractors from discharging or otherwise discriminating against an employee as to pay, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because the employee: (1) is about to provide or has provided to the Federal Government information relating to air safety; or (2) is about to file or has filed a proceeding, or testified, or otherwise participated in a proceeding relating to air safety. Sets forth a Department of Labor complaint procedure for persons who believe they have been discharged or discriminated against in violation of this Act. Provides for award of attorney's fees of up to $5,000 to a prevailing employer for any such complaint found frivolous or brought in bad faith. Specifies civil penalties for violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Women's Health Office Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish an Office of (or on) Women's Health and a related coordinating committee in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, the Health Care Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements, contracts, and interagency agreements with public and nonprofit private entities, agencies, and organizations. Requires that the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall directly or through contracts with public and private entities, agencies, and organization, provide for evaluations of projects carried out with financial assistance provided under the grants and for the dissemination of information developed as a result of such projects. Transfers to such Office all functions exercised by the Office on Women's Health of the Public Health Service prior to the enactment of this Act, including all personnel and compensation authority, all delegation and assignment authority, and all remaining appropriations. Authorizes appropriations of such sums as may be necessary for FY 1998 through 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: General Provisions Title II: Revenue from Mining Claims Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources Title IV: National Park Concessions Public Resources Deficit Reduction Act of 1997 - Title I: General Provisions - Prohibits the disposal of federally-owned natural resources at less than fair market value (including forage, timber, minerals, water and hydroelectric energy generated at a Federal facility). Authorizes a presidential waiver of this proscription whenever the President determines it is in the national interest. (Sec. 102) Authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to impose user fees upon program beneficiaries. (Sec. 103) Requires the President's budget message to include a separate statement, asset by asset and aggregated by major functional category, identifying: (1) projected revenues from the anticipated sale, lease, or transfer of any physical asset; and (2) the estimated price at which it would be sold in an arms length transaction in the private sector. Title II: Revenue from Mining Claims - Requires the payment of a royalty to the Federal government of five percent of the net smelter return from the production of locatable minerals or mineral concentrates produced from any mining claim located under the general mining laws. Establishes the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund, into which all such royalty receipts shall be deposited for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past minerals activities (other than coal and fluid minerals activities). Identifies the kinds of land and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Authorizes appropriations for the Fund. Restricts the issuance of any patents for mining or mill site claims to those for which applications were filed, and certain statutory requirements governing vein or lode claims, placer claims, and mill site claims were complied with, before September 30, 1994. Sets forth annual claim maintenance fee requirements (which shall not apply to oil shale claims subject to claim maintenance fees under the Energy Policy Act of 1992). Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources - Amends the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest lands in the 16 contiguous Western States, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public domain lands, where domestic livestock grazing is permitted under applicable law, to establish and implement an annual domestic livestock grazing fee equal to fair market value, based on a specified formula. Abolishes grazing advisory boards. Dedicates the U.S. share of grazing fee receipts to: (1) fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement; (2) restoration and improved management of riparian areas; and (3) enforcement of applicable land management plans, allotment plans, and regulations. (Sec. 302) Amends the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to prohibit below-cost timber sales from National Forest System Lands. Requires sale revenues to exceed costs. (Sec. 303) Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to require the Secretary of Agriculture in revising land management plans to take into account the economic suitability of lands for timber production. (Sec. 304) Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to require that irrigation water from the Bureau of Reclamation used to produce crops on production flexibility contract acreage be paid for at the full cost for delivery. (Sec. 305) Amends the Food Security Act of 1995 and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to provide for the reduction of payment limitations for persons who receive Federal irrigation water for agricultural purposes. (Sec. 308) Amends the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 to repeal the livestock feed assistance program. (Sec. 309) Requires that right-of-way permits for the use and occupation of public lands or National Forests be established at fair market value. (Sec. 310) Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require that oil and gas rental prices for leases on public lands be established at fair market value. (Sec. 311) Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act of 1996 to identify circumstances under which the Secretary of the Interior may make an assessment of 20 percent of the amount of underreported royalties from any lease for any production month. Title IV: National Park Concessions - Repeals the Concessions Policy Act of 1965. (Sec. 404) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award concession contracts that authorize private persons, corporations, or other entities to provide services to park visitors and to utilize facilities if it is determined that such award is appropriate. (Sec. 405) Requires a concession contract to be awarded to the person submitting the best proposal through a competitive selection process to be established by the Secretary. Allows noncompetitive award of a temporary contract to avoid interruption of services. Requires the Secretary to publish a notice of availability for a prospectus soliciting proposals for contracts for concessions at a Park specifying minimum contract requirements and contract terms and conditions. Requires congressional notification for any proposed contract with anticipated gross receipts exceeding $1 million or of a duration of over ten years. Prohibits the Secretary from granting a preferential right to a concessioner to renew concession contracts under this Act, except for certain outfitting and guide contracts and certain contracts with annual gross receipts of under $500,000. (Sec. 406) Sets forth criteria for determining franchise fees, including fees for multiple franchise contracts within a park. (Sec. 407) Requires all fees to be: (1) covered into a special Treasury account established for reallocation to NPS units for resource management and protection, maintenance activities, interpretation, and research; or (2) deposited into a Park Improvement Fund established by the concessioner (as directed by the Secretary) from which expenditures shall be made for park activities and projects. Requires: (1) an annual statement from the concessioner to the Secretary reflecting total activity in the Fund for the preceding fiscal year; and (2) an annual report from the Secretary to specified congressional committees concerning Fund expenditures. (Sec. 408) Establishes a maximum: (1) ten-year duration for a concessions contract, provided that the Secretary may award a contract for up to 20 years if determined necessary; and (2) two-year duration for a temporary contract. (Sec. 409) Requires the approval of the Secretary and congressional notification before a concession contract can be transferred, assigned, sold, or conveyed. Sets forth conditions that preclude such approval. (Sec. 410) Grants possessory interest to: (1) concessioners who have commenced acquisition or construction of any structure on Federal land within a park before the enactment of this Act; and (2) concessioners who construct or acquire an improvement on U.S. land within a Park after enactment of this Act. (Sec. 411) Places limitations on a concessioner's rates and charges to the public. (Sec. 412) Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate periodically the performance of each concessioner under contract; (2) terminate a contract if a concessioner fails, within the prescribed time, to meet minimum requirements identified in a notice of unsatisfactory performance; and (3) notify specified congressional committees of each unsatisfactory rating and each contract terminated. (Sec. 413) Grants the Comptroller General of the United States access to and the right to examine any pertinent books, documents, papers, and records of the concessioner related to the contracts. (Sec. 414) Exempts contracts awarded by the Secretary under this Act from certain provisions of Federal law with respect to the leasing of U.S. buildings and properties. (Sec. 416) Requires the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior to submit biannual reports to specified congressional committees on the implementation of this Act and its effect on facilities operated pursuant to concession contracts and on visitor services. (Sec. 417) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Children's Protection from Violent Programming Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make it unlawful for any person to distribute to the public any violent video programming not blockable by electronic means specifically on the basis of its violent content during hours when children are reasonably likely to comprise a substantial portion of the audience. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate regulations to implement this Act. Authorizes the FCC, as part of its rulemaking proceeding, to exempt programming (including news programs and sporting events) whose distribution does not conflict with the objective of protecting children from the negative influences of violent video programming. Exempts premium and pay-per-view cable programming. Requires the FCC to immediately revoke the license of any person who repeatedly violates this Act and to consider, in its review of an application for a renewal of a license, whether the licensee has complied with this Act. Directs the FCC to: (1) assess the effectiveness of measures taken by this Act; and (2) report assessment findings to specified congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the transport of nuclear waste to and its storage on any U.S. territory or possession, including Wake Island and Palmyra Atoll, should continue to be prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Working Families Child Care Act of 1997 - Amends the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for grants to States for child care for: (1) low-income working families; and (2) areas with child care shortages. Requires States to use certain of such funds to provide child care services for: (1) families who have left the State program of assistance under title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)) of the Social Security Act because of employment; (2) families that are at risk of becoming dependent on such assistance program; and (3) low-income working families meeting specified criteria. Requires States to use certain of such funds for child care activities in areas of the State that have child care supply shortages. Includes among such child care activities programs for: (1) infant care; (2) before- and after-school; (3) resources and referrals; (4) nontraditional work hours; (5) extending the hours of pre-kindergarten programs to provide full-day services; and (6) any other program the Secretary deems appropriate. Requires State reports to include information on access to child care by low-income working families. Requires reports of the Secretary to place particular emphasis on such access.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Morris K. Udall Wilderness Act of 1997 - Designates specified lands in Alaska as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act - Declares it is the policy of the Congress that: (1) English shall be the common language of mutual understanding in the United States, and this policy shall apply in all of the States freely admitted to the Union; and (2) if the referenda under this Act result in approval of sovereignty leading to Statehood for Puerto Rico, it is anticipated that English would become the official language of the Federal Government in Puerto Rico. Declares that Congress has the authority to expand existing English language requirements in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Requires a referendum to be held by December 31, 1998, on Puerto Rico's political status, for either: (1) retention of its present Commonwealth status; (2) full self-government through separate sovereignty leading to independence or free association; or (3) full self-government through U.S. sovereignty leading to statehood. Requires the President to develop and submit to the Congress for approval legislation for: (1) a transition plan of at least ten years which leads to full self-government for Puerto Rico; and (2) a recommendation for the implementation of such self-government consistent with Puerto Rico's approval. Requires the transition plan, if the vote favors statehood, to include proposals and incentives to increase the opportunities of the people of Puerto Rico to learn English, including the teaching of English in public schools, fellowships, and scholarships. Requires another referendum within four years, and every four years thereafter (but not in a general election year), if the referendum conducted under this Act, and any subsequent referendum, does not result in a majority vote for separate sovereignty or statehood. Sets forth specified requirements with respect to the referendum and congressional procedures for consideration of legislation. Makes funds available for the referendum, including those derived from the Federal excise tax on foreign rum. Requires the Government of Puerto Rico to make grants to the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico for referenda held under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Increases the salaries of the Chief Justice and associate Supreme Court justices of the United States and the judges of the United States courts of appeals, the United States district courts, and the United States Court of International Trade by 9.6 percent. Requires future adjustments in judicial salaries to equal the percentage by which General Schedule pay rates are adjusted (currently, the percentage change in the Employment Cost Index).
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Authorizes the Ralph David Abernathy Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor Dr. Ralph David Abernathy and the Poor People's Campaign. Exempts the memorial from provisions of the Commemorative Works Act which: (1) prohibit commemorative works honoring a nonmilitary event, individual, or group of individuals from being authorized until after the 25th anniversary of the event or death of the individual(s); and (2) require the offset of Federal funds used to pay maintenance and preservation expenses of the memorial and its infrastructure (but requires excess construction funds received by the Foundation to be deposited in a Treasury account for such expenses).
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Recognizes the importance of African-American music to global culture. Calls on the people of the United States to study, reflect on, and celebrate African-American music.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1997
Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1995 (sic) - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to include certain service in the organized military forces of the Philippines and service as Philippine Scouts within the definition of active U.S. military service for purposes of eligibility for various veterans' benefits for former active-duty military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1997
Battered Women's Employment Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to unemployment tax to require appropriate State laws to provide for unemployment compensation for an individual separated from employment due to circumstances directly resulting from the individual's experience of domestic violence. Amends the Social Security Act to require State laws approved under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act to provide for training for claims reviewers and hearing personnel in the nature of domestic violence, and in methods of ascertaining its existence, so that employment separations stemming from domestic violence are reliably screened, identified, and adjudicated. (Sec. 4) Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act to entitle an employee to such leave: (1) in order to care for the employee's child or parent, if such child or parent is addressing domestic violence and its effects; or (2) because the employee is addressing domestic violence and its effects, the employee is unable to perform any of the functions of the employee's position. Allows leave, in such cases, to be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule. Allows the employee to elect, or the employer to require, substitution of accrued paid leave for such leave. Sets forth provisions Provides for certification and confidentiality of domestic violence information involved in such cases. (Sec. 5) Amends specified Federal law to provide for entitlement to leave for Federal employees in such domestic violence situations. (Sec. 6) Allows unemployment compensation or leave benefits under other laws, collective bargaining agreements, or employment benefit programs greater then those provided by this Act; but prohibits diminishment of the rights and benefits established by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt specified entertainment industry pension plan recipients from certain reductions in unemployment compensation payable which would otherwise be applicable because of the receipt of pension benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1997
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 1997 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Public Health Service Act to require any group health plan which provides emergency health services to cover emergency services furnished to a plan participant: (1) without need for any prior authorization; (2) subject to stated exceptions, whether or not the physician or provider is plan participant; and (3) subject to stated exceptions, without regard to any other term or condition of the plan. Defines "emergency medical services" and related terms. Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to provide for the provision of the same benefits to Medicare and Medicaid plan participants. Provides for the establishment of guidelines by the appropriate Secretaries in order carry out the provisions of this Act. Directs the Secretaries to jointly establish an advisory panel to assist in the development of such guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Deauthorizes the Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico (a participating project under the Colorado River Storage Project Act and the Colorado River Basin Project Act). Requires the Secretary of the Interior to promptly seek to enter into negotiations with the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to satisfy the water rights interests of those tribes that were intended to be satisfied with water supplied from such Project.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Access to Medical Treatment Act - Permits any individual to be treated by a health care practitioner with any medical treatment that the individual desires (including a treatment that is not approved, certified, or licensed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) if: (1) the practitioner agrees to treat the individual; and (2) the administration of such treatment does not violate licensing laws. Authorizes health care practitioners to provide any method of treatment to such an individual if certain requirements are met. Requires a practitioner to report: (1) administering such treatment and discovering it to be a danger to an individual; and (2) the positive effects of an unconventional medical treatment for a life-threatening medical condition.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Electronic Fund Transfer Fees Act of 1997 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to prohibit the operator of the electronic terminal at which an electronic fund transfer is initiated from imposing a fee upon any such electronic fund transfer which: (1) is initiated by a consumer from an electronic terminal operated by a person other than the financial institution holding such consumer's account; and (2) utilizes a national or regional communication network to execute the transaction between such person and the financial institution holding such consumer's account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
National African American Museum Act - Establishes within the Smithsonian Institution the National African American Museum, to be operated as a center for scholarship and a location for museum training, public education, exhibits, and collection and study of items and materials relating to the life, art, history, and culture of African Americans. Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to plan, design, reconstruct, and renovate the Arts and Industries Building to house the Museum. Establishes a Board of Trustees of the Museum in the Smithsonian Institution. Directs the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to appoint a Director to manage the Museum. Authorizes appropriations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h000627_200.jpg)