United States · United States Congress · 13 September 1988
Omnibus National Parks and Public Lands Act of 1988 - Title I: Public Lands - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to take necessary actions to exchange specified lands with Phillips County, Montana, if the Secretary determines such exchange to be in the public interest. Disclaims any intent to enlarge or diminish the responsibility of any party under State or Federal law for proper management of such lands or for management or actions related to hazardous substances or materials located on such lands. Requires the Secretary to advise appropriate Federal, State, and county officials, prior to consummating the exchange, of any information the Secretary has concerning hazardous substances or materials located on such lands. Directs the Secretary to: (1) resurvey and prepare a new plat for the townsite of Veteran, Wyoming, to take into account the actual use of streets and alleys on such lands for designation as public reservations; and (2) patent such reservation lands to Goshen County. Provides for an exchange of forest lands between Farmington City, Utah, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Directs the the Secretary of Agriculture, within three years of the date of enactment of this Act, to identify city or State lands which are suitable for transfer to the United States for national forest purposes. Specifies that any such lands exchanged shall be of equal value (as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture) or equalized by payment to or by the Secretary of Agriculture, as long as the payment does not exceed 25 percent of the total value of the lands transferred out of Federal ownership. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in lieu of such an exchange, to transfer by sale for fair market value such Federal lands to the city or State of Utah, as appropriate. Withdraws all public lands within Kanab City, Utah, from all forms of entry and appropriation under the public lands laws, including the mining laws, and from operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws. Terminates such withdrawal five years after the date of the enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine which public lands withdrawn meet the disposal criteria specified in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and to notify Kanab City concerning such determination. Grants Kanab City, for the four-year period beginning on the date of enactment, the exclusive right to purchase any such withdrawn lands that the Secretary has determined to be suitable for disposal. Provides for the public sale of such lands after the expiration of such period, but gives Kanab City the opportunity to meet the high bid offered by any other party. Specifies that all such sales of public lands shall be for fair market value and subject to valid existing rights, as well as subject to any conditions to (or any patent issued in consequence of) such sale as the Secretary determines necessary or appropriate. Authorizes the Secretary to release and quitclaim to the city of Riverdale, Utah, for fair market value all right, title, and interest of the United States in specified property, provided that the city requests such action within one year after the enactment of this Act. Provides that all funds received by the United States shall be credited to the Land and Water Conservation Fund of the Treasury and shall be available for expenditure under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study to determine the feasibility and desirability of protecting and preserving lands and resources associated with the western terminus of the Oregon Trail in Oregon City, Oregon; (2) consult with interested Federal agencies and State and local bodies; (3) coordinate the study with applicable outdoor recreation plans and related plans for the preservation of historic and natural resources in the area; and (4) report his or her findings and recommendations to specified congressional committees. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to convey specified lands to the Catholic Diocese of Reno/Las Vegas, Nevada, for administrative cost. Reserves a right-of-way and construction easement to the United States. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study to determine the feasibility of protecting and preserving certain cultural, historic, and natural resources associated with the coal mining heritage of southern West Virginia; (2) consult with interested Federal agencies, State and local government authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and (3) report to specified congressional committees. Specifies the area to be studied. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to permit entry on desert lands which are part of scenic easement areas of the Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, to certain applicants who convey certain scenic easements to the United States. Michigan Public Lands Improvement Act of 1988 - Grants to the State of Michigan the right, title, and interest of the United States in and to certain public uplands and islands in Michigan waters which were not subject to any claim on January 1, 1988. Allows the Secretary of the Interior to sell certain other lands which were subject to a claim identified on the records of the Bureau of Land Management as of that date to the claimants following resolution on conflicting claims. Deems title to public lands which, on the date of enactment of this Act, was subject to leases issued to the State of Michigan under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act to have vested in the State and to be exempt from Department of the Interior regulations governing leases under such Act. Allows the State to receive, under this Act, lands previously patented to the State under such Act by notifying the Secretary that it intends to relinquish such lands to the United States. Requires the Secretary to transfer such lands back to the State subject to the provisions of this Act, effective simultaneously with the States relinquishment of such lands. Authorizes the Secretary to sell and issue a patent to a tract of public land located in Michigan where the Secretary determines that: (1) such tract does not exceed 1,500 acres and is difficult and uneconomic to manage as part of the public lands and is not suitable for management by another Federal department or agency; and (2) such sale would not be inconsistent with land use plans developed in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Allows the Secretary, following adjudication of any claims, to convey such land at fair market value, less equities presented by an applicant for such conveyance (such as the amount paid for the land, longevity of the applicant's claim, and taxes paid on the land) and less the value of any improvements. Provides for the description of tracts of such land conveyed on the approved Federal plat of survey. Authorizes the Secretary to either: (1) convey title to a qualified trustee, where a tract does not conform to an existing survey plat, in order to conform the legal description to such plat; or (2) require the applicant to reimburse the United States for the cost of preparing a plat of survey. Prohibits the sale of such lands unless the Secretary, before 30 days prior to such sale, publishes notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the tract is located. Reserves to the United States all mineral rights in the lands transferred under this Act. Prohibits the conveyance or transfer of such lands by Michigan to any person or entity other than a political subdivision of the State. Authorizes the use of such lands only for purposes of public recreation or protection of fish, wildlife, plants, or other natural resources and values. Directs the Secretary to take steps to notify Michigan residents of the uplands and islands to be granted or otherwise transferred to the State. Requires Michigan to notify the Secretary with regard to any grant or transfer or conveyance of such lands by the State to a political subdivision. Requires the State to submit to the Secretary a report within five years of enactment of this Act, and every five years thereafter, as to the present ownership, management, and use of the lands granted or otherwise transferred. Sets forth enforcement procedures. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the jurisdiction or responsibilities of the State with respect to fish and wildlife in any lands granted to or transferred to the State under this Act. Makes a private land survey conducted in 1955 the legal boundary survey for specified lands in Riverside, County, California. Provides for the reinstatement of the canceled entry of William A. Wright to certain lands in Lamar County, Alabama. Waives the 160-acre limitation on conveyances under the Color-of-Title Act for any claim for a patent that may be filed under such Act for a specified parcel of land in Sumter County, Alabama. Declares that the Southern Pacific Transportation Company has abandoned certain real property situated in Alameda County, California, forming a part of the right-of-way granted by the United States to the Central Pacific Railway Company. Retains all Federal right, title, and interest in such property for management by the Secretary of the Interior as a public recreational trail, and for other recreational purposes compatible with trail use. Exempts specified property embraced within a certain public highway from such Federal interest. Reserves to the United States all oil, coal, or other minerals in such property, including prospecting, mining, and removal rights. Restricts to public highway and related uses under California law that portion of the property embraced within a certain public highway. States that all rights and interests revert back to the United States if: (1) any portion of such property is used for purposes unauthorized by this Act; or (2) if an attempt is made to transfer ownership of such property to any party other than the State of California. Mandates that lands within the Toiyabe National Forest (California) which have been used for purposes of the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center be retained as part of such National Forest. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to continue to make such lands available to the Marine Corps for such training center. Directs that such lands be open to public recreation and other uses consistent with the primary purpose of the Mountain Warfare Training Center. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, subject to valid existing rights, to transfer specified lands to Clark County, Nevada, for use as a mobile home park for low-income senior citizens. Reserves mineral rights and the right of reversion to the United States. Directs the Secretary to take such actions as appropriate to: (1) reserve rights-of-way and easements for road, public utility, and flood control purposes; and (2) protect the public interest. Transfers specified public lands in Nevada to the Secretary of Agriculture for inclusion in the Toiyabe or the Inyo National Forest. Transfers specified national forest lands to the Secretary of the Interior. Requires lands designed for inclusion in such Forests to be managed so as not to impair their suitability for wilderness designation. Excludes such additional national forest lands from calculations for interstate (California and Nevada) but not intrastate (Nevada) distribution of the Twenty-Five Percent Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to transfer land known as Wilbur Square to Boulder City, Nevada. Amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow the temporary use for specified military purposes of certain public lands in Alaska for up to three years. Limits the use of public lands to areas where such use would not be inconsistent with the plans prepared pursuant to the FLPMA. Makes the using department responsible for any necessary cleanup and decontamination of the lands used and for any other terms and conditions which the Secretary may impose to minimize adverse impacts on the resources and values of such lands. Provides for notification of the public where public safety may require closure to public use of any portion of such lands. Recreation and Public Purposes Amendment Act of 1988 - Allows the Secretary of the Interior to convey lands which may be used by the applicant for the disposal of solid wastes or hazardous substances only if: (1) the Secretary determines that no hazardous substance is present on such land; (2) the applicant furnishes evidence that a copy of the application and information concerning the proposed use of such land has been provided to the Environmental Protection Agency and certain other State and Federal agencies; (3) the applicant gives a warranty that use of such land will be consistent with applicable State and Federal laws and that the applicant will hold the United States harmless from any liability; and (4) the applicant demonstrates that the land meets applicable State and local requirements and needs for solid waste or hazardous substance disposal. Provides for a limited reverter which shall become permanent unless the lands have been used for the purposes specified in the application within five years after the date of conveyance. Requires any party who has transferred ownership of any conveyed lands not used for such specified purposes to pay to the Secretary fair market value for such lands. Provides that no lands covered by an issued patent shall revert to the United States if such lands have been used for the disposal of solid waste or hazardous substances. Authorizes the Secretary, with respect to lands conveyed prior to enactment of this Act, to renounce the United States' reversionary interests in such lands upon finding that lands have been used for the disposal of solid waste or hazardous substances. Authorizes the Secretary, with respect to lands leased prior to enactment of this Act, to convey in fee such leased lands without any provision for reversion to the United States upon finding that such lands have been used for the disposal of solid waste or hazardous substances. Establishes the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Arizona. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop, within two years, a comprehensive management plan for such area to protect the natural riparian, wildlife, cultural, and recreational resources. Prohibits the issuing of new grazing permits for such area for 15 years. Directs the Secretary to establish a San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area Advisory Committee. Permits the Secretary to acquire land interests within the Area. Requires the Secretary to report within five years, and every ten years thereafter, to the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on the implementation of this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Rivers and Trails - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate Wildcat River, New Hampshire, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Wildcat River Advisory Commission to assist in implementing this Act. Terminates such commission ten years after enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to permit access across the Buffalo National Park, Arkansas, to certain owners of privately owned lands (as of September 1, 1987) outside the park on an annual basis. Amends the National Trails System Act to provide for a study of the Coronado Trail, the route taken by the Spanish explorer through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, for inclusion in such System. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a comprehensive river conservation study for a specified segment of the Columbia River, Washington. Requires the study to identify and evaluate the outstanding features of the river segment, including fish and wildlife, scenic, recreational, natural, historical, and cultural values, and examine alternatives for their preservation. Requires the Secretary to consult with State, local, and tribal governments with respect to the study and to provide for public comment. Prohibits any Federal agency, for a period of eight years after enactment of this Act, from constructing any dam, channel, or related navigation project on the river segment. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: National Park System - Designates certain lands within the Congaree Swamp National Monument, South Carolina, as the Congaree Swamp National Monument Wilderness. Designates certain other lands within the Monument as potential wilderness additions. Increases the acreage of the Monument to include an area known as the "Citizens Boundary Proposal for Congaree Swamp National Monument." Provides additional funds for the acquisition of additional lands for such Monument. Authorizes appropriations for construction and development within the Monument. Establishes the Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park in New Mexico. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept a leasehold interest in trust lands of the Zuni Indian Reservation which are necessary for the establishment of such park. Provides for the management of the park by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to accept concurrent jurisdiction from the Zuni Tribe with respect to law enforcement within the park. Exempts all enrolled members of the Tribe from the payment of park admission fees. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with the Tribe for the purpose of providing training to Zuni members in the management and preservation of historical properties and needed public services on the Reservation. Directs the Secretary to give employment preference to tribal members with respect to park management. Sets forth requirements with respect to Federal agency activities affecting the park. Establishes the Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park Advisory Commission within the Department of the Interior. Provides that such Commission shall advise the Director of the National Park Service in the planning, management, and administration of the park. Authorizes the Commission to employ an administrative director. Directs the Secretary to develop and transmit a park management plan to the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. Authorizes the Secretary to close the park to the public when tribal religious activities are scheduled. Includes the Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park as an area to be accessed by the Masau Trail. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area along the Mississippi River in the St. Paul-Minneapolis Metropolitan Area, Minnesota. Establishes the Mississippi River Coordinating Commission to assist Government authorities in developing and implementing a management plan for such lands and waters. Requires the Commission to submit a plan, within three years, to the Governor of Minnesota and the Secretary of the Interior for review and approval. Requires the Secretary to monitor such Area in the interim. Terminates the Commission after ten years. Authorizes the State, following the termination, to establish a State Commission to take over such Commission's functions. Transfers Federal property within the Area to the Secretary, except for Army Engineer facilities for navigation and other buildings or structures currently in use. Requires Federal entities to notify and receive the approval of the Secretary before engaging in any activities in or affecting such Area. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land and interests in such Area, as specified. Requires the Secretary to review local plans and ordinances and their enforcement to assure conformance to the plan. Permits the Secretary to acquire lands without the owner's consent after appropriate notice and opportunity to cure a nonconforming plan or ordinance. Permits owners of acquired improved residential property to retain the right to residential use for 25 years or the owner's death. Sets forth other terms and conditions for such use. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for land acquisition and to provide technical assistance for programs. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior to appoint representatives to a Tri-Rivers Management Board to coordinate development of the Mississippi, St.-Croix, and Minnesota Rivers within the St. Paul-Minneapolis Metropolitan Area, Minnesota. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes the Natchez National Historical Park in Mississippi. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land for such park by donations or exchange. Requires the Secretary to transmit to the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources a study of historic properties in the city of Natchez. Directs the Secretary, following completion of such study, but not later than one year after enactment of this Act, to establish historic districts in the city of Natchez. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with owners of properties located within such historic districts. Requires the Secretary, within three complete fiscal years after enactment of this Act, to submit to such congressional committees a general management plan for the park. Requires the Secretary to study the feasibility of extending the Natchez Trace within the city of Natchez, including acceptance of donations of rights-of-way. Requires the Secretary, within one year after enactment of this Act, to transmit such study to such congressional committees. Establishes the Natchez National Historical Park Advisory Commission to consult with the Secretary on the management and development of the park. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire two parcels of land in Florida under authority of the Act to establish the Canaveral National Seashore. Directs the Secretary to manage such parcels for: (1) the protection and interpretation of Seminole Indian archaeological and historic resources; and (2) the establishment of an administrative headquarters and visitor center for the Seashore. Increases appropriations authorized for the development of public facilities for the Seashore. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act. Removes the restriction which prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from acquiring in fee by purchase or condemnation more than 600 acres of Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland. Amends the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 to remove additional restrictions which authorized only certain scenic easement acquisitions. Establishes the Hamilton Grange National Memorial in the State of New York. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) acquire land, interests therein, and improvements thereon within the boundaries of the memorial by donation; (2) reimburse the owner of such property a specified amount for administrative costs for the transfer; and (3) acquire associated personal property. Directs the Secretary to: (1) administer the memorial as a unit of the National Park System; and (2) submit a general management plan to specified congressional committees within three complete fiscal years after enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Establishes the Poverty Point National Monument in Louisiana. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, within two years after enactment of this Act, to develop and implement a management plan for such monument. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with institutions of higher education and professional societies to conduct further research on Poverty Point, its people, and their culture. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands for the establishment of such monument. Establishes the Poverty Point National Monument Advisory Commission. Authorizes appropriations. Prohibits the use of Federal lands to expand any reservoir within Yosemite National Park without specific congressional authorization. Establishes the Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Establishes the Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission to assist appropriate Federal, State, and local authorities in the development and implementation of an integrated resource management plan for the Corridor. Directs the Commission, within one year after it conducts its first meeting, to submit to the Secretary of the Interior a Cultural Heritage and Corridor Management Plan which: (1) provides an inventory of Corridor property to be preserved and restored because of its national historic or cultural significance; (2) develops a historic interpretive plan; and (3) recommends policies for resource management of the Corridor. Terminates the Commission in five years, with a possible five-year extension. Requires the Secretary to approve or disapprove the Commission's Plan within 60 days after its receipt. Directs the Secretary, following plan approval, to assist the Commission in producing interpretive materials. Requires any Federal entity conducting activities affecting Canal flows or Corridor natural resources to consult and cooperate with the Secretary and the Commission. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to designate the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Route, a vehicular tour route along existing public roads linking natural and cultural sites in New Jersey. Directs the Secretary to complete and report to the appropriate congressional committees within one year a comprehensive inventory of route sites and a general plan. Requires intergovernmental consultation and public participation in the preparation of such inventory and plan. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance in the development of interpretive materials and conservation methods. Requires that the route be marked with appropriate markers for the public. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the National Park of American Samoa. Provides for the management of such park. Directs the Secretary to establish an Advisory Board to provide advice on such management. Requires the Secretary and the Governor of American Samoa to review, at least once every ten years, the operation and management of the park. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study and recommend appropriate initiatives to provide an educational and interpretative program for the Pinelands National Reserve, New Jersey. Requires the Secretary to study New Jersey's Pinelands Development Credit Bank, Pinelands Development Credit System, and Pinelands Municipal Council and submit to the Congress any recommendations for the improvement of their operations. Provides Federal lands for 50 percent of the cost for land acquisition within the Reserve. Establishes in the Department of the Interior the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission to make loans or grants to preserve and protect sites which are related to the industrial development of southwestern Pennsylvania. Requires the Commission to coordinate government activities and develop project guidelines and standards consistent with standards established by the National Park Service for the preservation of historic properties. Requires the Commission to report annually to the Secretary of the Interior on loans, grants, expenses, and income. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the Congress on loans, grants, and other technical assistance provided under this Act. Directs the Commission to require and submit to appropriate congressional committees detailed cost estimates for projects to be funded. Terminates the Commission in ten years. Authorizes appropriations. Makes such funds available only to the extent they are matched by equivalent funds from non-Federal sources. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate a vehicular tour route in southwestern Pennsylvania, to be known as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Heritage Route, linking sites of historic, cultural, natural, and recreational interest. Authorizes the Secretary to erect informational markers, to accept donations of informational devices, and to provide technical assistance in the development of interpretive devices and materials. Authorizes appropriations. Prohibits using such funds for the maintenance of roads or related structures. Includes specified lands within the boundary of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas. Authorizes appropriations for the construction of a fence to protect the natural and cultural resources of such lands. Redesignates the Salinas National Monument, New Mexico, as the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain lands within the John Muir National Historic Site, California, to be administered as part of the Site. Directs the Secretary to acquire only such interests in the John Muir grave Site as may be necessary to preserve the Site in its present undeveloped condition and to provide maintenance of the Site. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to enter into a cooperative agreement with the East Bay Regional Park District of Oakland, California, for the operation and maintenance by such District of trails on lands within such historical site. Increases the authorization of appropriations for the acquisition of land for the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls and Waterloo, New York. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. Specifies lands to be donated by the State of Montana for the establishment of such center. Provides that such lands shall revert to the State of Montana if the Secretary uses such lands for any purpose other than those authorized under this Act. Requires the Secretary to administer the Center in a manner that will best provide for the interpretation of the accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark Expedition along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Montana. Directs the Secretary, within two years after the establishment of the Center, to submit to specified House and Senate committees a plan for development and interpretation of the Center. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into: (1) cooperative agreements with the State of Montana for rescue, firefighting, and law enforcement services with respect to the Center; and (2) cooperative agreements with Federal, State, or local public agencies for the development and operation of facilities and services in furtherance of this Act. Encourages the Secretary, with Montana, to develop a cooperative management plan for the entire Giant Springs Park. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Portage Route chapter of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation or a similarly affiliated organization to provide educational materials to the public that highlight the travels of Lewis and Clark or other historical features of the area. Authorizes appropriations, including specified sums for the construction of the Center. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to act through the Bureau of Land Management (the National Park Service under current law) to construct and operate a visitor facility in or near Fort Benton under the Missouri River area management plan. Amends the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (the Act) to revise the definition of "archaeological resource" to eliminate the condition that an item be "of archaeological interest." Prohibits attempts at (as well as acts of) excavation, removal, damage, or other alteration or defacement of any archaeological resource located on public or Indian lands, without a permit. Lowers to $500 (currently $5,000) the threshold commercial or archaeological value of an archaeological resource (including cost of restoration or repair) above which, for certain violations of the Act, specified criminal penalties are mandated. Directs each Federal land manager to: (1) establish a program to increase public awareness of the significance of, and the need to protect, archaeological resources located on public lands and Indian lands; and (2) report annually to specified congressional committees on actions taken under such program. Designates specified lands in the Olympic National Park, Washington, as the Olympic Wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to maintain and replace, as appropriate, the Wolf Creek underground powerline to Hurricane Ridge. Authorizes funds to the Secretary to make payment to the Clallam County Historical Society and Museum of Port Angeles, Washington, as compensation for: (1) its interest in the National Park Service visitor center, Pioneer Memorial Museum, and Olympic National Park, Washington; and (2) its participation in the construction of the Pioneer Memorial Museum. Revises provisions relating to the forfeiture of property used in connection with killing, trapping, capturing, or damaging animals or plants in the Park. Directs the Secretary to complete a study for the location of a year-round visitor center in the Kalaloch area of the Olympic National Park. Designates specified lands in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, Washington, as the Stephen Mather Wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Provides that no law shall affect the jurisdiction of the Federal Power Commission to proceed with specified hydroelectric projects within the Park. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands outside of the Park for the construction of a back country information center and a headquarters site for such park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Authorizes appropriations. Revises provisions relating to mineral resources and renewable natural resource use within the recreation areas of the Park. Designates specified lands in the Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, as the Mount Rainier Wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sets forth provisions relating to the administration of the wilderness areas and Park lands. Authorizes the Secretary to maintain and replace as necessary the powerline from Longmire to Paradise. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to set forth provisions regarding the boundaries of the Klickitat River, Washington. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate, to take such actions as are necessary to protect cave resources on Federal lands, including: (1) restricting the use of such resources; (2) entering into volunteer management agreements with the caving community; and (3) appointing advisory committees. Requires that such resources be considered in subsequent land management plans. Authorizes the Secretary to disturb such resources and to exempt certain caves on Federal or Indian lands from the protections of this Act if deemed appropriate. Restricts the release of information concerning the nature or location of any Federal cave. Requires the Secretary to provide such information to the Governor of a State in which a cave resource is located and permits such release to a bona fide research institution if requested in writing along with a commitment to protect the confidentiality of such information. Establishes a permit program for the collection or removal of natural resources from caves on Federal or Indian lands. Requires a permittee to post a bond or cash deposit to offset potential damage and to ensure compliance with this Act. Revokes permits for violations of this Act or permit conditions. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to delegate permit authority to an Indian tribe for caves on Indian lands at a tribe's request. Requires a tribe's permission before the removal of any cave resource on such tribe's land. Entitles a tribe to notice before the issuance of a permit if the Secretary determines that possible harm or destruction of a religious or cultural site may occur. Excludes Federal cave resources within the National Park or Wildlife Refuge Systems from this program. Imposes criminal penalties for the alteration of a cave or interference with cave resources, including the sale or exchange of cave resources removed without permission. Establishes civil penalties for violations of this Act or permit conditions. Authorizes appropriations. Places permit fees and fines in a special fund in the Treasury for cave resource management. Requires each Secretary to issue regulations implementing the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1988
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 there.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 1988
Commodity Exchange Option Reform Amendments of 1988 - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to state that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission shall have exclusive jurisdiction to designate a board of trade for any put, call, or option. Repeals the provision regarding Commission submission of certain contract market designation applications for Securities and Exchange Commission review.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should: (1) rededicate itself to attaining leadership in space activities; (2) increase budget resources for the space program; (3) pursue a strong program of both manned and unmanned space activities, including development of a permanently manned space station; and (4) seek opportunities for international cooperation in space.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1988
Egg Producers' Financial Protection Act of 1988 - Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to establish a statutory trust for the benefit of unpaid egg producers or egg handlers from the inventories of, and proceeds from, such eggs or egg products held by egg purchasers with an average annual value of eggs (by purchase or production arrangement) greater than $50,000. States that a dishonored payment instrument shall not be considered as payment. Provides that an unpaid producer or handler shall lose such trust benefit if he or she fails to give written notice of nonpayment or dishonored payment to the purchaser within specified time periods and by filing such notice with the Secretary of Agriculture. Includes egg purchase and production activities under the enforcement provisions of such Act. Includes egg purchasers under the recordkeeping provisions of such Act. States that the Secretary may only exercise jurisdiction over egg producers in prompt payment or unreasonable or discriminatory practices proceedings in order to avoid impairment of the Secretary's jurisdiction. Authorizes the Secretary to seek injunctive relief in egg payment disputes. Provides administrative enforcement authority for egg trust and prompt payment provisions under such Act. Requires a purchaser to pay a producer or handler in full within 14 days of the transfer of possession of such eggs. States that a payment delay or attempted delay shall be considered an "unfair practice" violation under such Act. States that the amendments made by this Act shall not be construed to: (1) affect the Secretary's authority with respect to live poultry or poultry products; or (2) affect the Federal Trade Commission's authority to prevent unfair competition or practices in commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1988
Drought Assistance Act of 1988 - Title I: Emergency Livestock Assistance - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to add a new title VI which may be cited as the "Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988." Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency feed assistance in any State, county, or area of a State where disease or other natural disaster has created a livestock emergency. States that the Governor of a State or a county committee may request the Secretary to make a livestock emergency determination and to provide assistance. Authorizes the Secretary to make such determination on his own initiative. Requires the Secretary to make such determination within 30 days of request and to notify the requesting party of any proposed action. States that producers in counties eligible for the emergency feed or emergency feed assistance programs in 1988 shall maintain such eligibility and be eligible for assistance under this title. Directs the Secretary to determine such counties' eligibility for assistance under this title. States that an eligible producer may receive assistance as follows: (1) assistance to offset inadequate feed stocks resulting from on-farm losses; and (2) assistance to maintain foundation herds if the producer does not have, and is unable to obtain through normal channels without undue cost, necessary feed stocks. Sets forth the following assistance programs available under this title: (1) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) feed donations and reduced price sales; (2) partial reimbursement of feed purchase expenses; and (3) partial reimbursement of transportation and handling costs for such CCC feed, for hay, and for transporting livestock to and from available grazing areas (not to exceed $24 a head). Permits the Secretary to: (1) make in-kind payments; and (2) provide assistance through feed dealers or manufacturers. Authorizes the Secretary to provide the following additional assistance if necessary: (1) CCC feed donations for stranded and unidentified livestock, including transportation costs; (2) water assistance; and (3) CCC catalog commodities in lots appropriate to family farmers. Limits total assistance under this title for each livestock disaster to any one person to $50,000. Subjects each person (including individual members of a cooperative producer association) to the overall payment limitation ($100,000) under this Act. Prohibits a person from receiving assistance under this title for lost feed production due to the 1988 drought to the extent that such person receives production disaster payments under this Act. Subjects persons who misuse such assistance to a civil penalty equal to the market value of the involved fee, and a fine of up to $1000 or imprisonment for up to one year, or both. Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to repeal the Secretary's authority to reduce 1989 milk price supports (50-cents per hundredweight). Title II: Disaster Payment - Provides that, for producers of the 1988 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, or rice who participated in the production adjustment program under the Agricultural Act of 1949, the Secretary shall make disaster payments to those producers who have suffered at least 35 percent production losses due to the 1988 drought or related condition. States that such payments shall be made at a rate equal to 65 percent of the established price for deficiencies below 65 percent. Exempts such producers from advance deficiency repayments for up to 35 percent of crop losses. Permits eligible producers who had elected not to receive such payments prior to enactment of this Act to change their decision. Provides similar disaster payments to producers who did not participate in such production adjustment program. Bases payments on the basic county loan rate (or comparable price). Provides similar disaster payments to producers of the 1988 crops of peanuts, tobacco, sugar beets, and sugarcane. Bases payments for peanuts and tobacco on the basic county loan rate (or comparable price), and for sugar beets and sugarcane on 1988 price support levels. Provides for prevented planting credit. Sets forth special payment provisions for peanuts, including deficiency payments based on quota and additional peanuts. Provides similar disaster payments to producers of the 1988 soybean and nonprogram crops. Bases payments on a specified percentage of the average market price received in three of the last five years (excluding high and low years). Provides for prevented planting credit. Reduces payments to producers with Federal crop insurance under a specified crop-type determination. Authorizes the Secretary to transfer CCC funds during FY 1988 to the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service to carry out the provisions of this title. Directs the Secretary, within 15 days after enactment of this Act, to announce the terms by which producers may prove their yield on crops harvested for silage or other forage uses. Directs the Secretary to make disaster payments under this title in the form of cash, commodities, or commodity certificates. Limits individuals to $100,000 in disaster payments. Limits a person to $100,000 of combined assistance for crop disaster assistance and livestock disaster assistance. Permits a person to elect which form of assistance to receive. Prohibits a person from receiving disaster payments attributable to 1988 drought-caused crop losses to the extent that such person receives livestock emergency benefits for such lost production under the Agricultural Act of 1949. Title III: General Provisions - Subtitle A: Commodity Stock Adjustment - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to authorize the Secretary, if an acreage limitation program is in effect for 1989 and 1990, to permit producers to plant soybeans or sunflowers on between ten percent and 35 percent of permitted crop acreage. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary should provide export assistance for cottonseeds and sunflower seeds if such crop prices are adversely affected by soybean and sunflower plantings under this title. Directs the Secretary to permit producers to designate any portion of their 1989 or 1990 farm acreage base for oats if the feed grain acreage base for such years is less than 12.5 percent. Expresses the sense of the Congress that, with respect to the 1989 and 1990 feed grain crops, if such crops' acreage limitation percentage exceeds 12.5 percent the Secretary should establish the lowest possible oats acreage limitation if market imbalances for barley and oats exist. Provides that, effective for the 1988 marketing year for wheat and feed grains, producers may repay specified commodity loans without additional interest or other specified charges if the producer reserve program trigger level has been met. Provides that, if during the 1988 marketing year the Secretary permits producers to place wheat and feed grains into the producer reserve, no storage payments nor interest forgiveness shall be permitted on such stored commodities during the marketing year. Subtitle B: Disaster Credit and Forbearance - Directs the Secretary to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that Farmers Home Administration direct operating loans for 1989 crop production are made available to producers suffering major losses resulting from the 1988 drought or related condition. Directs the Secretary to make available in FY 1989 specified operating loan guarantees, in addition to existing purposes for such guarantees, to refinance and reamortize 1988 operating debt resulting from major farming or ranching losses resulting from the drought or related condition. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary should exercise forbearance in debt collection and encourage similar actions by commercial lenders and expedited loan restructuring with respect to producers suffering major drought losses. Subtitle C: Conservation and Water Assistance - Provides that with respect to a producer who harvested hay during the 1988 crop year on conservation reserve program acreage, such producer's rental payments shall not be reduced to the extent that he or she shares the cost of carrying out practices designed to enhance soil, water, and wildlife conservation on such land (or in the vicinity of such land) in accordance with a Soil Conservation Service approved plan. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) undertake water-problem related projects, including research, grants, technical assistance, loans, and extension services; (2) cooperate with other Federal agencies, State or local units, or public or private entities; and (3) accept funds from non-Federal sources to carry out such activities. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle D: Rural Businesses - Directs the Secretary to make rural industrialization loans or loan guarantees during FY 1989 to assist rural businesses (including cooperatives) adversely affected by the 1988 drought or related condition. Requires any such loan to meet applicable Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act eligibility requirements. Directs the Secretary, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, to conduct a survey of agriculture-related rural businesses to determine the adverse effects of the 1988 drought and report to the appropriate congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Government of Nicaragua should: (1) fulfill its pledge in the Esquipulas II agreement to grant a general amnesty to all political prisoners; (2) cease inhumane torture and holding prisoners incommunicado; (3) end random arrests for purposes of political intimidation; (4) allow human rights observers in all parts of prison facilities; (5) compensate former political prisoners; and (6) cease human rights violations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1988
Department of Defense Acquisition Reorganization Act of 1988 - Establishes within the Department of Defense a Defense Acquisition Agency. Provides that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition shall be the head of such Agency. Specifies that the Agency shall be responsible for all functions of the Department of Defense (including the military departments) relating to acquisition of property and services (including construction). Terminates the procurement authority of the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force. Establishes in the Department of Defense a Defense Acquisition Corps (DAC) to be headed by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. Requires the Secretary to make appointments to the DAC from the best-qualified civilian applicants and military personnel. Directs the Secretary to establish by regulation a personnel system for civilian personnel within the DAC. Outlines information to be included in such regulations. Allows the Secretary to exempt civilian personnel of the DAC from any otherwise applicable competitive service requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to establish by regulation a merit pay system for such members of the DAC as the Secretary deems appropriate. Provides for the assignment of members of the DAC. Requires the Secretary, not later than one year after the enactment of this Act, to: (1) review existing acquisition-related positions in the military departments to determine which positions should be included in the DAC; and (2) make appointments to such positions. Directs the Secretary of Defense to review each major defense acquisition program before such program proceeds into the stages of: (1) initial research and development; (2) full-scale development; and (3) production. Sets forth evaluations to be included in each review. Prohibits the Secretary or the Secretary of a military department from obligating or expending funds with respect to a stage of a major defense acquisition program unless the Secretary of Defense approves such program at the beginning of such stage. Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish and operate a Defense Acquisition University which includes all existing acquisition-related defense schools.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1988
Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to require manufacturers and importers of cigarettes to place warnings on packages and in advertisements that the nicotine in cigarettes is an addictive drug.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1988
Upland Cotton Optional Acreage Diversion Act of 1988 - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to provide that producers of the 1988 through 1990 upland cotton crops who devote all or a part of their permitted upland cotton acreage to conservation or other authorized uses shall receive deficiency payments on the acreage considered to be planted to such crops (0/92 option) at not less than the projected deficiency rate for such crop. (Current law requires at least 50 percent planted cotton acreage in order to be eligible for such payments.) Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to minimize adverse program effects on agribusiness and other agriculturally related economic interests within any county, State, or region. Authorizes the Secretary to restrict the total amount of upland cotton that may be taken out of production under this Act, except in counties eligible for emergency disaster loans. Requires the Secretary, in issuing implementing regulations under this Act, to ensure to the maximum extent possible that the program will not adversely affect landlord-tenant crop acreage base relations. Provides for the protection of crop acreage bases and program yields.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1988
Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Amendments Act of 1988 - Amends the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to transfer permanently to the Secretary of Energy public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management in the vicinity of certain processing sites. Prohibits such transfer until the Secretary of Energy complies with certain National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 requirements regarding site selection for the permanent disposition and stabilization of residual radioactive materials. Requires the Secretary of Energy to obtain the appropriate State's consent before acquiring lands upon which there is no: (1) designated processing site; or (2) active uranium mill operation. Terminates the Secretary of Energy's authority to perform remedial action on September 30, 1994. Provides that the Secretary's authority to perform groundwater restoration activities shall not expire.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1988
Declares that the Congress recognizes the heroic acts of civilian construction workers who participated in the defense of Wake Island during its invasion by Japan between December 8 and December 23, 1941.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1988
Expresses U.S. policy that Nicaragua should undertake specified reforms, such as reinstating due process and fair trials, ending torture, conducting free elections, allowing an uncensored free press, ensuring the right to strike and to publish for unions, allowing the Catholic Church to reopen its offices, and ending the forced relocation of Indians and Creoles. Urges all countries in Central America to continue to work toward achieving the democratic principles and processes specified in the August 7, 1987, Central American peace accord.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States Trade Representative (USTR) should continue to pursue the U.S. complaint against Japan's obstructive citrus and beef import practices with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Council seeking a decision that Japan is in violation of the GATT; (2) the USTR is urged to initiate an investigation of the enforcement of U.S. trade rights or unfair trade practices in response to the petition filed by the Florida Citrus Mutual and others; (3) the USTR should pursue such investigation of the alleged unfair trade practices; (4) the President should use his authority under the Trade Act of 1974 to restore trade benefits due the U.S. citrus industry which arise from Japan's imposition of quantitative restrictions on U.S. oranges and orange juice; and (5) the President should take action to obtain the recommendation of the GATT Contracting Parties that Japan eliminate or bring into conformity with GATT its citrus and beef import practices with respect to U.S. imports.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1988
Designates specified land as the Manassas National Battlefield Addition. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land within the boundaries of the Addition and to administer such lands as part of the Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1988
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to determine the payments to be made to hospitals under Medicare's prospective payment system on the basis of a blend of hospital-specific rates and a national rate, depending on the degree to which costs vary within specific diagnosis-related groups. Eliminates the urban or rural classification of an area as a consideration in hospital payment determinations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) identify relevant labor markets for hospitals; (2) establish a methodology to determine the proportion of hospital costs which are wage-related and compare the hospital wage level in each labor market with the national average hospital wage level; and (3) take into account differences among hospitals in part and full-time employment patterns.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1988
Defense Savings Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to: (1) close or realign military installations as recommended by the Commission on Base Realignment and Closure in the report transmitted to the Secretary pursuant to the charter establishing such Commission; and (2) initiate all such closures and realignments no later than September 30, 1991, and complete all such closures and realignments no later than September 30, 1995. Outlines certain conditions to such closures or realignments, including timely notice to the Congress of the Secretary's decision to accept and implement all of the closures and realignments recommended by the Commission. Terminates the authority of the Secretary to carry out any closure or realignment as of October 1, 1995. Directs the Commission, no later than December 31, 1988, to transmit its report to the Secretary and to the appropriate congressional committees with a certification that it has identified all the military installations to be closed or realigned by reviewing all military installations inside the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) carry out appropriate action to implement any such closure or realignment; (2) provide appropriate economic adjustment and community planning assistance to communities affected by any such closure or realignment; (3) carry out appropriate activities for the purpose of environmental restoration; (4) sell or exchange any real property under the control of the Department of Defense and located at such an installation; and (5) deposit funds received from any such sale or exchange into the Department of Defense Base Closure Account. Outlines administrative procedures in connection with the sale or transfer of property in connection with a closure or realignment to a Federal, State, or local government entity. Requires the Secretary to include specified information concerning such closures or realignments as part of each annual request to the Congress for authorization of appropriations. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study of actions planned with respect to military installations outside the United States which may affect the recommendations of the Commission and to report the findings and conclusions to the Commission and to the appropriate committees of the Congress no later than September 15, 1988. Requires the Secretary to notify the Congress in writing when a decision is made to carry out a construction project to facilitate a closure or realignment and the amount required for such project is greater than the maximum amount for a minor construction project. Establishes in the Treasury the Department of Defense Base Closure Account and authorizes appropriations to be transferred to such Account. Requires the Secretary, no later than 60 days after the end of each fiscal year in which the Secretary carries out activities under this Act, to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the amount and nature of deposits into, and expenditures from, the Account during such fiscal year. Requires another report from the Secretary, no later than 60 days after the termination of the authority of the Secretary to carry out an alignment or closure under this Act, concerning funds used and remaining in such Account.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1988
Uranium Revitalization, Tailings Reclamation and Enrichment Act of 1988 - Title I: Uranium Revitalization - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to extend from 1983 to the year 2000 the period during which the Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) is required to monitor the viability of the domestic uranium mining and milling industry. Sets forth a formula for the calculation of user charges to be paid by civilian nuclear power reactor licensees with fuel assemblies containing foreign uranium between January 1, 1988, to January 1, 2001. Prohibits Federal bodies from entering into foreign uranium purchase contracts. Restricts the use of federally-owned natural uranium stockpiles to: (1) military purposes; (2) Federal research; and (3) production activities by the United States Enrichment Corporation. Exempts the Tennessee Valley Authority from the foreign purchase prohibition. Title II: Tailings Reclamation - Provides that remedial action with respect to uranium shall be performed according to statutory guidelines by the site owner or licensee at the active site. Requires that such owners' reclamation expenses be reimbursed from the Uranium Mill Tailings Fund (established by this Act). Identifies the active sites that qualify for such reimbursement. Establishes the Uranium Mill Tailings Fund, which shall consist of contributions from: (1) States in which active sites are located; (2) site owners or licensees; (3) the Federal Government; and (4) user fees. Prescribes guidelines for: (1) Fund administration; (2) contributions; (3) participation; and (4) reimbursement for expenditures for remedial actions (including at thorium sites). States that the sole liability and financial obligation udner Federal law for remedial action at active uranium and thorium sites shall consist of the contributions, fines, and work performed by: (1) active site owner licensees; or (2) persons using source or special nuclear material for a civilian nuclear power reactor to generate electrical energy. Title III: United States Enrichment Corporation - Establishes the United States Enrichment Corporation as a wholly-owned Government corporation to acquire, operate, and market uranium enrichment activities on a commercial, profitable basis. Mandates that its corporate structure be self-financing in order to obviate the need for Federal financing. States that the Corporation Administrator shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Establishes an Advisory Board to review Corporation policies and performance. Transfers certain Department of Energy property to the Corporation. Requires the Corporation to establish charges to its customers that will recover costs of decommissioning and decontamination of Corporation property. Requires the Corporation to report annually regarding its activities to the President, the Secretary, and certain congressional committees. Prescribes licensing and taxation guidelines for the Corporation. Sets guidelines for payments in lieu of taxes by the corporation to States and local governments. Requires the Administrator to make recommendations to the President and the Congress by December 31, 1998, regarding the transfer of the Corporation's functions and assets to private ownership. Establishes the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund to cover the Corporation's decommissioning and decontamination expenses. Directs the Secretary to indemnify Corporation contractors for nuclear hazards incidents as if such contractors were contractors of the Secretary. Eliminates the treatment of uranium enrichment facilities as production facilities under the Atomic Energy Act with respect to the importation of such facilities into the United States (thus subjecting them to less stringent licensing requirements). Prohibits the Corporation's total FY 1989 expenditures from exceeding its total FY 1989 receipts.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 1988
Calls upon the President to initiate negotiations with the Republic of Panama to nullify the 1977 Panama Canal Treaties and produce a new treaty which would: (1) maintain U.S. control and operation of the canal operating area; and (2) permanently extend U.S. military base rights in Panama. Expresses the intention of the Congress to withhold funding for the Panama Canal Commission or take other appropriate action if the President does not enter into such negotiations within 90 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution by the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 1988
Lower Mississippi Delta Development Act - Establishes the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission to study and make recommendations concerning the economic needs and economic development of the Lower Mississippi Delta, defined to include areas in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Directs the Commission, among other things, to: (1) study the projected ten-year economic needs of the region; (2) review existing Federal, State, local, and private programs for business development and financing; (3) develop inventories of the region's business resources and natural resources; (4) study the role of small business in creating jobs in the region; and (5) make recommendations to the Congress regarding tax policies, business development programs, investment incentives, infrastructure development, and a number of other economic development issues. Requires the Commission, no later than one year after its first meeting, to present its required findings and recommendations to specified congressional leadership and committees, the President, and the Governors of the affected States. Requires termination of the Commission within one year after submission of its report. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 1988
Expresses the concern of the House of Representatives regarding the future security of the Panama Canal. Calls on the President to renegotiate the Panama Canal Treaties to permit: (1) the permanent stationing of U.S. forces in Panama; and (2) the United States to act independently to maintain the security of the Canal and to guarantee its regular operation.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 1988
Amends the Revenue Act of 1987 to delay until October 1, 1988, the imposition of excise tax on wholesale sales of diesel and aviation fuels. (Under current law the tax applies to sales after March 31, 1988.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the excise tax on diesel and aviation fuels. Prohibits imposition of the tax on the sale of these fuels by a producer or importer for use by the purchaser in a nontaxable use (defined to include, among other uses, any off-highway business use, use as supplies for vessels or aircraft, State or local governmental use, and use by a nonprofit educational organization). Permits the exemption only if both the seller and purchaser have registered with the Secretary of the Treasury. Requires producers, importers, and purchasers taking part in reduced-tax sales to file with the Secretary information returns containing specified data. Requires producers and importers, in addition, to furnish corresponding statements to their purchasers. Establishes penalties for failure to file required returns.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Postal Reorganization Act of 1988 - Declares that the receipts and disbursements of the Postal Service Fund: (1) shall not be included in the totals of the Federal budget or the congressional budget; (2) shall be exempt from Federal budget limitations on expenditures and net lending; and (3) shall not be counted for purposes of calculating the Federal deficit. Repeals certain limitations on postal borrowing authority. Increases the limitations on postal borrowing authority.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1988
Nuclear Standardization and Safety Reform Act of 1988 - Title I: Establishment of Agency - Establishes the Nuclear Safety Agency as an independent regulatory agency to succeed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Sets forth the Agency's officers and administration (including a Director and Deputy Director to be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate). Abolishes the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Transfers Commission functions, assets, and staff to the Nuclear Safety Agency. Sets forth transition procedures. Title II: Standardization and Licensing - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the Agency to establish procedures for the preapproval of a limited number of standardized facility designs for production or utilization facilities for a ten-year period. Authorizes the Agency to consider design approval requests for any major subsystem that represents discrete elements of a production or utilization facility. Requires the Agency to specify by regulation the criteria and requirements for any subsystem approval. States that a design approval shall be considered to be a license. Sets forth guidelines for the issuance of a design approval, including ten-year renewal terms. Authorizes the Director to issue a site approval permit for a ten-year period even if an application for a construction permit or operating license has not been filed. Outlines the site approval procedure and the procedures for facility construction permits and operating licenses. Title III: Conforming Amendments - Sets forth conforming amendments. Title IV: Effective Date - Sets forth the effective date of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 1988
American Heritage Trust Act of 1988 - Title I: American Heritage Trust - Establishes the American Heritage Trust, comprised of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Historic Preservation Fund, to provide funding for the preservation of America's natural, historical, cultural, and outdoor recreational areas. Title II: Land and Water Conservation Fund - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to invest a portion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in public debt securities. Requires that the interest from such investments be used to provide for the preservation of the Nation's recreational areas. Sets forth a formula for the allocation of such interest income to the Federal Government and the States. Sets forth specified requirements with respect to the apportionment of such income to local and State governments. Repeals a specified section concerning publicity and signing provisions. Title III: Historic Preservation Fund - Amends the National Historic Preservation Act to extend the Historic Preservation Fund through 2015. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to invest a portion of such Fund in public debt securities. Requires that the interest from such investments be used for the preservation of historic sites. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Requires the owner of any site that benefits from moneys derived from the American Heritage Trust to install a sign indicating that fact.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 1988
Supports U.S. assistance to the Afghan resistance. Declares that any settlement in Afghanistan must: (1) provide for Afghan self-determination; (2) outline a definite timetable of less than ten months for the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops; and (3) provide for the safe return of refugees. Supports Pakistan's efforts to achieve a settlement agreement in current negotiations in Geneva with Pakistan. Urges the President to support a solution acceptable to the Afghan resistance, insist on the withdrawal of Soviet advisers with the troops, require the Soviets to terminate all forms of military assistance to the Kabul regime, and ensure continued international assistance to the Afghan refugees until all Soviet bloc forces have been withdrawn. Expresses the House of Representatives': (1) support for increased U.S. humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people during and following a Soviet withdrawal; (2) support for an international observer force to monitor Soviet compliance with a withdrawal agreement; (3) belief that the U.S. Government should not restrict assistance to the Afghan resistance until the President has determined that the Soviets have ended their occupation and that the mujahadeen can maintain its integrity during the transition period leading to new elections; and (4) sense that U.S. obligations are contingent on Soviet compliance with any withdrawal agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1988
Designates the week of June 26 through July 2, 1988, as National Safety Belt Use Week. Authorizes and requests the President to: (1) urge the people to wear safety belts and use child safety seats; and (2) encourage State and local governments and concerned organizations and officials to promote greater use of these safety devices.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 1988
Community Revitalization Tax Act of 1988 - Amends Internal Revenue Code income tax accounting rules limiting passive activity losses and credits to eliminate the disallowance of credits in this context. Revises the limitation on the general business credit to allow a maximum annual credit equal to the first $20,000 of an individual taxpayer's income tax liability plus 20 percent of any excess liability. Amends provisions that reduce the investment credit base by nonqualified nonrecourse financing amounts to apply them to certain qualified rehabilitation property as if the property were subject to the at-risk rules associated with the low-income housing credit. Permits a tax-exempt organization to offset the amount of any general business credit against its unrelated business income tax liability. Revises the definition of "qualifying distribution" for purposes of the tax on a private foundation's failure to distribute income. Includes as qualifying any amount of interest foregone on a below-market loan made to a tax-exempt organization to operate a qualified low-income building. Includes as a qualified rehabilitation expenditure for tax credit purposes any expenditure in connection with the rehabilitation of a low-income building leased to a tax-exempt entity. Permits a pooled income fund having substantially all of its assets invested exclusively in qualified low-income buildings to have one or more corporations as income beneficiaries, each with a 20-year life.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1988
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to set 1988 through 1990 soybean support prices at $5.02 per bushel. (Currently such levels are a minimum of $4.50 per bushel for 1988 through 1990.) Requires (current law authorizes) soybean loan repayment at the lesser of prevailing world prices or the crop loan level. States that if producers of any crop are permitted to repay loans at less than the crop's loan level, cottonseed and sunflower seed prices shall be supported at traditional soybean-based levels.