United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2000
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) each year should begin with a day of peace and sharing during which people around the world should gather with family, friends, neighbors, their faith community, or people of another culture to pledge nonviolence in the new year and to share in a celebratory new year meal; and (2) Americans who are able should match or multiply the cost of their new year meal with a timely gift to the hungry.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2000
Community Economic Adjustment Act of 2000 - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to establish in the Economic Development Administration (EDA) an Office of Community Economic Adjustment to coordinate the Federal Government's response to communities experiencing sudden economic distress caused by a loss of jobs due to plant closures, significant layoffs, or significant relocation of jobs to other communities for any reason, including shifting patterns in international trade, natural disasters, or other problems, by: (1) identifying relevant programs and resources to ensure that communities are aware of all available Federal resources that complement or support state and local resources and programs; (2) working with specified departments and agencies to ensure that communities receive Federal assistance in a targeted, integrated manner; and (3) assigning a project manager to work with an affected community. Directs such Office to: (1) provide technical assistance, planning grants, and other assistance to help communities organize themselves, develop, and carry out economic adjustment strategies for replacing industry and jobs that have been lost or are threatened by the economic downturn; and (2) help eligible applicants in completing applications for other assistance that may be useful in alleviating the economic distress in such communities. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2005 for community adjustment assistance under the economic adjustment program of the EDA, including specified amounts for such Office and for communities successfully completing planning grants to implement their approved plans.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2000
Declares that Congress: (1) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies; (2) apologizes to African-Americans; (3) condemns and repudiates the gross and wanton excesses perpetrated against African-Americans during slavery; (4) recognizes the Nation's need to redress these events; (5) commends reconciliation efforts and calls for a national racial reconciliation initiative; and (6) commits to rectifying misdeeds during slavery and to discouraging future human rights violations. Declares that Congress supports establishment of: (1) a commission to examine the institution of slavery and subsequent racial and economic discrimination against African- Americans, including the impact of that discrimination on living African-Americans, issue a standardized historical public school curriculum on slavery, and explore the possibility of establishing a scholarship and research fund; and (2) a national museum and memorial regarding slavery and other significant African-American history.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2000
Responsible Fatherhood Act of 2000 - Title I: Public Awareness and Community Involvement in Fatherhood Issues - Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to: (1) develop and carry out media campaigns promoting the formation and maintenance of married two-parent families, strengthen fragile families, and promote responsible fatherhood; and (2) obtain donations of media access necessary for such campaigns. Requires the Secretary to contract with a fatherhood promotion organization (meeting certain requirements) to: (1) develop and distribute a media campaign to interested States, local governments, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations; and (2) develop a national clearinghouse to assist States and communities to promote and support responsible fatherhood by making available to other States information regarding media campaigns and programs instituted by States using grant funds under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Amends SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to mandate block grants to States to provide support to responsible fatherhood efforts of local governments, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Removal of Burdensome Federal Restrictions - Amends SSA title IV part A with regard to TANF grant recipient requirements, custodial and non-custodial parent requirements, in-kind donations, additional use of TANF funds, and a TANF bonus to reward a State's effort to encourage the formulation and maintenance of two-parent families. Amends SSA title IV part D to give States various specified options to: (1) pass through directly to the family a portion of child support collected, including amounts collected pursuant to a continued assignment; (2) disregard child support received in determining a family's eligibility for, or amount of, TANF assistance; and (3) use amounts collected by a State as child support, and otherwise payable to the Federal Government, to provide fatherhood services (especially to low income non-custodial fathers) encouraging the appropriate involvement of both parents in the life of any of their children.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2000
Provides for: (1) the identification and discipline (which may include civil money penalties and loss of annuity or retirement pay in addition to current removal authority) of members and employees of county and area agricultural committees who discriminate against other persons in administering agricultural programs; and (2) due process requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2000
USDA Accountability and Equity Act of 2000 - Title I: Improved Accountability of County and Area Committees and Their Employees - Amends the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act to increase the size of the county committees by two members who shall be: (1) appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) demographically representative of local producers. (Sec. 102) Directs the Secretary to prescribe uniform guidelines for conducting county and area committee elections. (Sec. 103) Provides for the conversion of permanent and temporary county committee employees to Federal civil service status. Title II: Improved Program Equity - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 respecting the environmental quality incentives program to: (1) increase program funding; (2) reduce the livestock set-aside; and (3) give priority to, establish set-asides, and waive cost-share requirements for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. (Sec. 202) Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to make permanent appropriations for 1890 land grant college grants. (Sec. 203) Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to make permanent appropriations for: (1) outreach and technical assistance programs for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and (2) Indian reservation extension education programs. (Sec. 205) Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to make permanent appropriations for farm operating and ownership loans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2000
Recognizes that the Birmingham Pledge has made a significant contribution in fostering racial harmony and reconciliation in the United States and around the world. Commends the people involved with the Pledge's creation and signatories to it for the steps they are taking to make the Nation and the world a better place for all people. Expresses the sense of Congress that a National Birmingham Pledge Week should be established.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2000
Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) conduct a comprehensive fraud audit of the Department of Defense; and (2) report on the results to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2000
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require certification of a group of workers (including agricultural firm or subdivision workers) as eligible to apply for trade adjustment assistance under such Act if the Secretary of Labor determines that a significant number or proportion of them in the workers' firm (or subdivision) have become totally or partially separated (or threatened with total or partial separation), and either: (1) that the firm's (or subdivision's) sales or production, or both, have decreased absolutely, imports from the People's Republic of China of like or directly competitive articles have increased by reason of the extension of normal trade relations treatment, and such increase in imports contributed importantly to such workers' separation (or threat thereof) and to the decline in the firm's (or subdivision's) sales or production; or (2) that there has been a shift in production by the workers' firm (or subdivision) to the People's Republic of China of articles like or directly competitive with the firm's (or subdivision's) articles by reason of such extension of normal trade relations treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2000
National Employment Dispute Resolution Act of 2000 (NEDRA) - Amends title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to require the pertinent agency or entity to: (1) provide counseling services regarding, and endeavor to address and resolve, claims of unlawful discrimination using certified contract mediators; and (2) disseminate information regarding such services to employees and members. Mandates that any Federal agency or court (or business enterprise receiving $20,000 or more in Federal funds, or having 20 or more employees): (1) establish an internal dispute resolution mechanism that provides, as a voluntary option, employee-disputant access to external third-party certified mediators; and (2) participate in mediation in specified circumstances. Prescribes mediation guidelines. States that attorneys and consultants are legally obligated to advise their clients of the mediation alternative and their obligations to participate in "good faith".
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2000
Corporate Code of Conduct Act - Requires any national of the United States that employs more than 20 persons in a foreign country, either directly or through subsidiaries, subcontractors, affiliates, joint ventures, partners, or licensees (including any security forces), to take the necessary steps to implement the Corporate Code of Conduct specified by this Act with respect to the employment of those persons. (Sec. 3) States that such Corporate Code of Conduct requires that a U.S. national: (1) provide a safe and healthy workplace; (2) ensure fair employment, including prohibition of the use of child and forced labor, prohibition of discrimination based upon race, gender, national origin, or religious beliefs, respect for freedom of association and the right to organize independently and bargain collectively, and the payment of a living wage to all workers; (3) prohibit mandatory overtime work by employees under age 18; (4) prohibit the practice of pregnancy testing of employees, including forced usage of birth control, and the dismissal or discrimination of employees based on pregnancy; (5) prohibit retaliation against any employee who conveys information relating to a violation or alleged violation of any fair employment requirement of this Code; (6) promote specified good governance and good business practices; (7) maintain a corporate culture that respects free expression consistent with legitimate business concerns, does not condone political coercion in the workplace, encourages good corporate citizenship, makes a positive contribution to the communities in which the U.S. national operates, and promotes ethical conduct by all employees; (8) comply with internationally recognized worker rights and core labor standards; (9) uphold responsible environmental protection and environmental practices; (10) comply with minimum international human rights standards; (11) require partners, suppliers, and subcontractors of the U.S. national (including any security forces) to adopt and adhere to these principles; (12) require full public disclosure of specified information; and (13) implement and monitor compliance with these principles through a self-financing program internal to the business that meets certain requirements. (Sec. 4) Requires: (1) Federal agency heads to give preference in the award of contracts to entities adopting and enforcing such Code; (2) the Secretary of Commerce to give preference to such entities that are also U.S. exporters with introduction to contacts in foreign countries, and in coordinating trade missions; (3) the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Trade and Development Agency to give such entities preference in providing financing and issuing investment insurance, reinsurance, and guaranties under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; and (4) the Export-Import Bank to give such entities preference in providing guarantees, insurance, and credit, and in participating in extensions of credit. (Sec. 5) Establishes a private right of action to petition the appropriate Federal official to investigate alleged Code compliance violations. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of State, or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, upon a determination of Code noncompliance, to terminate a contract entered into with the noncomplying entity, and withdraw, suspend, or limit the entity's preference under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2000
Declares that Congress: (1) needs to pass legislation that amends the Federal criminal code to set penalties for persons who commit acts of violence against other persons because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of any person; (2) condemns the culture of hate and the hate groups that foster such violent acts; (3) commends the communities throughout our Nation that are united in condemning such acts of hate in their neighborhoods, and the efforts of Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials; (4) reaffirms its commitment to a society that fully respects and protects all people.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2000
Recognizes that individuals who abuse animals are more likely to commit more serious violent crimes against humans. Urges: (1) social workers, teachers, mental health professionals, and others to be aware of the connection between animal cruelty and human violence and to evaluate carefully and monitor closely individuals who have a history of abusing animals; (2) appropriate Federal agencies to encourage and support research to increase the understanding of the connection between cruelty to animals and violence against humans; (3) Federal agencies which are undertaking research on violent crime and its causes to incorporate examination of the link between violence against animals and violence against humans; and (4) local law enforcement officials to treat cases of animal cruelty seriously. Commends the work of local animal control officials and humane investigators who enforce laws against animal abuse. Urges them to work more closely with local law enforcement personnel to identify and prevent potential violence against humans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2000
Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting, directly or indirectly, travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of specified transactions incident to such travel. Declares that: (1) this prohibition does not authorize the importation into the United States of any goods for personal consumption acquired in Cuba; and (2) the restrictions on authority contained in this Act do not apply in a case in which the United States is at war with Cuba, armed hostilities between the two countries are in progress, or there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2000
Federal Living Wage Responsibility Act - Requires any employer under a Federal contract or subcontract exceeding $10,000 to pay each employee working on or hired in conjunction with such contract or subcontract the greater of: (1) $8.20 an hour; or (2) an hourly wage necessary for such employee to earn, while working 40 hours a week on a full-time basis, the amount of the Federal poverty level for a family of four. Exempts employers that are: (1) small business concerns; or (2) nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, if the ratio of the total compensation of the chief executive officer to that of the full-time equivalent of their lowest-paid employee is not greater than 25 to 1. Makes ineligible for such required living wage level any employee participating in: (1) an apprenticeship program; or (2) any other training program, which is not longer than six months and is offered to an employee while employed in productive work, that provides training, technical and other related skills, and personal skills essential to full and adequate job performance. Prohibits employers from avoiding paying the required living wage by laying off or otherwise terminating an employee with the intention of replacing that employee with one not eligible for such wage because of participation in an apprenticeship or training program. Requires all Federal contracts and subcontracts to require such living wage payment. Requires Federal contract and subcontract suspension and a five-year ineligibility period for employers who violate such requirement. Makes such employers liable for unpaid wages and an equal amount of liquidated damages. Directs the Secretary of Labor to pay the employees who were not paid such living wage the amount recovered from their employers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2000
National Institutes of Health EPSCoR Program Act of 2000 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the program for enhancing the competitiveness of entities conducting biomedical and behavioral research in obtaining funds from the National Research Institutes. Establishes a new experimental program to stimulate competitive research (EPSCoR) to enhance the research competitiveness of a non-Federal entity located in an EPSCoR State (as defined in this Act). Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2000
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of Congress, to former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter a gold medal in recognition of their service to the Nation. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
National Museum of the American Indian Commemorative Coin Act of 2000, or American Buffalo Coin Commemorative Coin Act of 2000 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue a maximum of 500,000 $1 dollar coins in commemoration of the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Mint Facility in Denver, Colorado, should strike such coins unless the Secretary determines that it would be technically or cost-prohibitive. Mandates that the proceeds from sales surcharges be paid promptly to the National Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonian Institution to: (1) commemorate the opening of the Museum; and (2)supplement the Museum's endowment and educational outreach funds. Subjects the Museum to certain Federal audit requirements. Instructs the Secretary to take actions to ensure that coin minting and issuance will not result in any net cost to the Government.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
Commends the African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Native Alaskan, and other minority veterans of the armed forces who served during World War II, especially those who gave their lives in such service. Expresses support for the goals and ideas of Day of Honor 2000 to celebrate and recognize such service. Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to honor such veterans with appropriate programs and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2000
Condemns violations of human rights by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime in the Republic of Belarus, especially the conviction and sentencing of Andrei Klimov, Vasiliy Leonov, and Vladimir Koudinov on politically motivated charges. Urges their release. Expresses grave concern about the disappearances of Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, and Yuri Zakharenka. Calls on the Lukashenka regime to ensure a full and timely investigation of these cases. Calls for immediate dialogue between the Lukashenka regime and the opposition and the restoration of a democratically elected government in Belarus. Urges the Lukashenka regime to: (1) respect and ensure the human rights of all Belarusian citizens, including members of the opposition currently being illegally detained in violation of their constitutional rights; (2) respect the rule of law and an independent judiciary; and (3) hold legitimate, free and fair parliamentary elections. Supports the appeal by the Consultative Council of Belarusian opposition parties to the Government of the Russian Federation, the State Duma, and the Federation Council calling for a cessation of support for the Lukashenka regime. Calls on the international community to support the opposition in Belarus by continuing to meet with the legitimately elected parliament. Supports Belarus's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its market democratic transformation and integration among the broader trans-Atlantic community of nations. Calls on the President of the United States to: (1) ensure assistance to and cooperation with Belarusian opposition figures; (2) ensure that adequate resources are made available on an urgent basis to support those programs aimed at strengthening independent media, human rights, civil society, independent trade unions, and the democratic opposition in Belarus; (3) support the free flow of information into Belarus; (4) raise the issue of financial support provided by the Russian Federation to the Lukashenka regime at the highest levels of the Russian Federation Government; and (5) urge the Government of the Russian Federation, in accordance with its international commitments, to fully respect the sovereignty of Belarus, particularly in light of the illegitimate nature of the Lukashenka regime. Calls on the President to report to Congress on: (1) the human rights situation, democratic process, elections, independence of the media, and the Lukashenka regime's control of the economy in Belarus; (2) steps undertaken to persuade the Russian Federation Government to end support to the Lukashenka regime; and (3) the status of Russian Federation-Belarus military integration.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2000
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States should show leadership by enacting, in concert with the international community, transaction taxes on short-term, cross- border foreign exchange transactions to deter speculation and that the adoption of such Tobin- style taxes should be done in coordination with a large number of nations, in a fully transparent and accountable manner, with the revenue dedicated to urgent global needs; (2) the United States should build support for and advocate this position at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as within other regional and international organizations; and (3) this should not be done in isolation of other initiatives for reform of global finance and the United States should continue to explore other options with the international community.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2000
Early Learning and Opportunity State Grants Act of 2000 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make competitive grants to eligible States to improve the quality and increase the availability of child care services, and of family support services, for families with children under three years of age. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a voluntary model training program for employees of child care providers; (2) make available to Head Start agencies and child care providers the code developed for such model training program; and (3) provide technical assistance to such agencies and providers to implement it. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2000
American Worker Information Technology Skills Improvement Act of 2000 (AWITSIA) - Title I: Provisions Relating to H-1B Nonimmigrants - Subtitle A: Provisions Relating to Numerical Limitations - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the number of authorized annual H-1B specialty occupation (nonimmigrant) visas, with reductions in periods of specified unemployment. Allocates specified H-1B visas for aliens with master's or PhD degrees. Subtitle B: Provisions Relating to H1-B (sic) Nonimmigrant Petitioner Fees - Amends the Act to revise collection and use of H-1B employer fee provisions. Exempts certain academic and research institutions from such fees. Obligates specified amounts for the Information Technology Training Initiative (established by this Act). Amends the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 to expand low-income scholarship program eligibility. Amends the Act to obligate specified funds for the Kids 2000 and Net Prep Gyrls programs. Subtitle C: Information Technology Training - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish in the Department of Labor the Information Technology Training Initiative to provide U.S. workers with information technology skills through grants to local workforce investment boards. Targets specified under-represented populations for program inclusion. Subtitle D: Obligations of Petitioning Employers - Sets forth employer attestation provisions. Title II: Provisions Relating to Employment-Based Immigration - Amends the Act to make employment-based immigrant visas available on a quarterly basis without regard to per-country limitations if unused visas are available. Authorizes a U.S.-residency extension for a nonimmigrant alien for whom an employment-based immigrant petition has been filed but who is subject to the per-country limit until resolution of such alien's application for status adjustment. Title III: Kids 2000 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for after-school technology programs, such as PowerUp. Title IV: Legal Amnesty Restoration Act of 2000 - Amends the Act to permit the Attorney General to create a record of lawful admission for permanent residence for certain aliens who entered the United States prior to 1986 (currently 1972). Title V: Central American and Haitian Adjustment Act - Amends the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act to: (1) extend permanent resident status adjustment provisions to qualifying Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Haitian nationals; and (2) extend the application filing deadline. Permits certain pending applications filed by Salvadoran, Guatemalan, or Haitian (under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998) nationals to be converted to status adjustment applications. Amends such Acts to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility; and (2) provide for issuance of immigrant visas to certain spouses and children. Provides for the limited reopening of certain orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal by certain Haitian, Cuban, or Nicaraguan nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2000
Provides that the House of Representatives does not support, condone, or encourage the use or display of the first, second, or third official Confederate flag, the Confederate Navy Jack, or the Confederate battle flag (more commonly known as the Southern Cross) for any reason other than as a historic reminder of the secession of the Confederate States.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2000
Declares that: (1) the immediate and unconditional release from prison in Turkey of the Kurdish Democracy Party parliamentarians Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan, and Selim Sadak is a vital step in upholding due process in Turkey and facilitating Turkey's integration into the European Union; and (2) the prompt recognition by the Government of the Republic of Turkey of full cultural and language rights for the Kurdish people within its borders, including the right of education and broadcasting in Kurdish, is a vital step in promoting tolerance and cultural diversity in a manner consistent with Turkey's commitment as a participating state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Legal Amnesty Restoration Act of 2000 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit the Attorney General to create a record of lawful admission for permanent residence for certain aliens who entered the United States prior to 1986 (currently 1972).
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Innocence Protection Act of 2000 - Title I: Exonerating the Innocent through DNA Testing - Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a court established by an Act of Congress, at any time after conviction, to apply to the court that entered the judgment for forensic DNA testing of any biological material that: (1) is related to the investigation or prosecution that resulted in the judgment; (2) is in the actual or constructive possession of the Government; and (3) was not previously subjected to DNA testing, or can be subjected to retesting with new DNA techniques that provide a reasonable likelihood of more accurate and probative results. Sets forth procedures regarding notice to the Government and preservation of remaining biological material. Directs the court to order DNA testing pursuant to such application upon a determination that testing may produce non-cumulative, exculpatory evidence relevant to an applicant's claim that the applicant was wrongfully convicted or sentenced. Specifies that the cost of DNA testing shall be borne by the Government or the applicant, as the court may order in the interests of justice, if it is shown that the applicant is not indigent and possesses the means to pay. Authorizes the court at any time to appoint counsel for an indigent applicant. Establishes post-testing procedures, including ordering a hearing and entering any order that serves the interests of justice, including an order setting aside the judgment or granting a new trial or re-sentencing if the results of the DNA testing are favorable to the applicant. Requires the Government to preserve any biological material secured in connection with a criminal case for such period as any person remains incarcerated in connection with that case, with exceptions. (Sec. 103) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act) to include among the requirements for DNA identification grants, and for drug control and system improvement (Byrne) grants, that the State will: (1) preserve all biological material secured in connection with a State criminal case for not less than the period of time that biological material is required to be preserved under this Act in the case of a person incarcerated in connection with a Federal criminal case (biological material preservation requirements); and (2) make DNA testing available to any person convicted in State court to the same extent, and under the same conditions, that DNA testing is available under this Act to any person convicted in a court established by an Act of Congress. Makes DNA samples obtained by, and DNA analyses performed at, a forensic laboratory accessible for criminal defense purposes to a defendant, who shall have access to samples and analyses performed in connection with the case in which such defendant was charged or convicted. Requires applications for public safety and community policing grants, if any part of funds received from such a grant is to be used to develop or improve a DNA analysis capability in a forensic laboratory, or to obtain or analyze DNA samples for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System, to make specified certifications including that: (1) DNA analyses performed at such laboratory will satisfy or exceed the current standards for a quality assurance program for DNA analysis issued by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the DNA Identification Act of 1994; (2) DNA samples and analyses obtained and performed by such laboratory will be accessible only consistent with specified requirements; (3) the laboratory and each analyst performing DNA analyses at the laboratory will undergo, at regular intervals not exceeding 180 days, external proficiency testing by a DNA proficiency testing program that meets certain standards; and (4) the State will meet biological material preservation requirements. (Sec. 104) Prohibits a State from denying a request, made by a person in custody resulting from a State court judgment, for DNA testing of biological material that: (1) is related to the investigation or prosecution that resulted in the conviction of the person or the sentence imposed on the person; (2) is in the actual or constructive possession of the State; and (3) was not previously subjected to DNA testing, or can be subjected to retesting with new DNA techniques that provide a reasonable likelihood of more accurate and probative results. Makes an exception upon a judicial determination that testing could not produce non-cumulative evidence establishing a reasonable probability that the person was wrongfully convicted or sentenced. Bars a State from relying upon a time limit or procedural default rule to deny a person an opportunity to present non-cumulative, exculpatory DNA results in court, or in an executive or administrative forum in which a decision is made in accordance with procedural due process. Authorizes a person to enforce this section in a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief, filed either in a State court of general jurisdiction or in U.S. district court. Specifies that no State or State executive or judicial officer shall have immunity from such actions. Title II: Ensuring Competent Legal Services in Capital Cases - Amends the Safe Streets Act (regarding Byrne grant programs) to require that State applications include, if the State prescribes, authorizes, or permits the death penalty for any offense, a certification that the State has established and maintains an effective system for providing competent legal services to indigents at every phase of a State criminal prosecution in which a death sentence is sought or has been imposed, up to and including direct appellate review and post-conviction review in State court. Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to promulgate regulations specifying the elements of an "effective system" including: (1) a centralized and independent appointing authority which shall have authority and responsibility to undertake specified activities, such as to recruit attorneys who are qualified to represent indigents in capital proceedings, draft and annually publish a roster of such attorneys, draft and annually publish qualifications and performance standards for such attorneys, and periodically review the roster, monitor attorney performance, provide a mechanism by which members of the Bar may comment on the performance of their peers, and delete the name of any attorney who fails to meet specified requirements; and (2) specified compensation and reimbursement requirements of private attorneys and public defender organizations. Requires applications for discretionary (justice system improvement) grants to include satisfying such certification requirement. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to include in a report to Congress on such grants to each State a description and a comparative analysis of the systems established by each State in order to satisfy the certification requirement, including qualifications and performance standards, rates of compensation, and rates of reimbursement. (Sec. 202) Amends the judicial code to direct the court, in a proceeding instituted by an indigent applicant under sentence of death, to neither presume a finding of fact made by a State court to be correct nor decline to consider a claim on the ground that the applicant failed to raise such claim in State court at the time and in the manner prescribed by State law, unless: (1) the State provided the applicant with legal services at the stage of the State proceedings at which the State court made the finding of fact or the applicant failed to raise the claim; and (2) the legal services the State provided satisfied the regulations promulgated by the Director of the Administrative Office pursuant to the Safe Streets Act. (Sec. 203) Amends the Federal criminal code to require the Director of the Administrative Office to: (1) award grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit organizations for the purpose of providing defense services in capital cases; and (2) develop guidelines to ensure that defense services provided by recipients of such grants and contracts are consistent with applicable legal and ethical proscriptions governing the duties of counsel in capital cases. Title III: Compensating the Unjustly Condemned - Rewrites judicial code provisions regarding compensation for unjust imprisonment. Limits the amount of damages awarded to $50,000 for each 12-month period of incarceration, except that a plaintiff who was unjustly sentenced to death may be awarded not more than $100,000 for each 12-month period of incarceration. Directs the court, in assessing damages, to consider: (1) the circumstances surrounding the unjust conviction, including any misconduct by Federal officers or employees; (2) the length and conditions of the unjust incarceration; and (3) family circumstances, loss of wages, and pain and suffering of the plaintiff. (Sec. 302) Amends the Safe Streets Act to require applicants for criminal justice facility construction grants to provide reasonable assurance that the applicant, or the State in which it is located, does not prescribe, authorize, or permit the death penalty for any offense, or: (1) has established and maintains an effective procedure by which any person unjustly convicted of an offense against the State and sentenced to death may be awarded reasonable damages upon substantial proof that the person did not commit any of the acts with which the person was charged; and (2) the conviction of that person was reversed or set aside on the ground that the person was not guilty of the offense or offenses of which the person was convicted, the person was found not guilty of such offenses on new trial or rehearing, or the person was pardoned upon the stated ground of innocence and unjust conviction. Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the criminal code to prohibit the Government from seeking the death penalty in any case initially brought before a U.S. district court that sits in a State that does not prescribe, authorize, or permit the imposition of such penalty for the alleged conduct, except upon written certification of the Attorney General (or designee) that: (1) the State does not have jurisdiction or refuses to assume jurisdiction over the defendant with respect to the alleged conduct; (2) the State has requested that the Government assume jurisdiction; or (3) the offense charged is one of certain listed offenses, including destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, assassination, kidnapping, and assault of specified Government officials. (Sec. 402) Rewrites Controlled Substances Act provisions regarding continuing criminal enterprises to direct the court, upon a recommendation that the defendant should be sentenced to death or life imprisonment without possibility of release, to sentence the defendant accordingly (otherwise, the court shall impose any lesser sentence that is authorized by law). (Sec. 403) Rewrites provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 regarding Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-In-Sentencing Incentive Grants to require State applicants to provide assurances to the Attorney General that: (1) the State has implemented policies that provide for the recognition of the rights and needs of crime victims; and (2) in any capital case in which the jury has a role in determining the sentence imposed on the defendant, the court, at the defendant's request, shall inform the jury of all statutorily authorized sentencing options in the particular case, including applicable parole eligibility rules and terms. (Sec. 404) Requires the Attorney General, within two years and annually thereafter, to prepare and transmit to Congress a report concerning the administration of capital punishment laws by the Government and the States. Directs the Attorney General or the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, as appropriate, to ensure that the reports are: (1) distributed to national print and broadcast media; and (2) posted on an Internet website maintained by the Department of Justice. (Sec. 405) Amends the judicial code to provide that, regarding exhaustion of remedies available in State courts, if the highest court of a State has discretion to decline appellate review of a case or a claim, a petition asking that court to entertain a case or a claim is not an available State court procedure. (Sec. 406) Expresses the sense of the Senate that the death penalty is disproportionate and offends contemporary standards of decency when applied to a person who is mentally retarded or who had not attained age 18 at the time of the offense.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Right to Organize Act of 2000 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to revise requirements relating to employer and labor organization (union) presentations to employees on issues relating to union representation. (Sec. 2) Requires that, if an employer (or employer representative) addresses employees on the employer's premises or during work hours on such issues, the employees be assured, without loss of time or pay, an equal opportunity to obtain, in an equivalent manner, information concerning issues from a union. Requires that unions, subject to reasonable regulation by the National Labor Relations Board, have: (1) access to areas in which employees work; (2) the right to use the employer's bulletin boards, mailboxes, and other communication media; and (3) the right to use the employer's facilities for the purpose of meetings with respect to the exercise of the rights guaranteed by NLRA. (Sec. 3) Requires the Board to: (1) award back pay equal to three times the employee's wages upon finding that an employee was discharged as a result of an unfair labor practice; and (2) notify the employee of the right to sue for punitive damages and (compensatory) damages with respect to wrongful discharge under the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947 (LMRA). Amends LMRA to: (1) prohibit employers from discharging employees for exercising rights protected under NLRA; and (2) allow employees to file civil actions in U.S. district courts to recover punitive damages when they have been discharged as a result of an unfair labor practice, or if actionable, in any State court to recover damages based on wrongful discharge. (Sec. 4) Amends NLRA to establish mediation and arbitration procedures for initial contract collective bargaining agreements. Requires mediation if the employer and union cannot reach agreement on their own within 60 days after certification of a new union. Allows either party to transfer matters remaining in controversy to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for binding arbitration if the parties have not reached agreement 30 days after a mediator is selected.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2000
Underground Campaign Disclosure Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require a political organization to file statements of organization and contributions and disbursements, which shall be available to the public for a three-year period. Establishes penalties for failure to file such statements or to provide public inspection.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2000
Collegiate Athletics Due Process Act of 2000 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to oblige institutions of higher education, under student aid program participation agreements, to ensure that student-athletes' due process rights are respected if they are accused of violations or infractions of amateur sports rules, including rules and legislation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Requires the institution to provide any such accused student- athlete with separate independent legal counsel at the institution's expense immediately upon any investigation or alleged violation or infraction, and through the entire investigation, until all matters and facts of the pending case (and any other investigations that may arise out of the initial investigation) have concluded to the satisfaction of all parties involved. Requires the accused student-athlete to be given: (1) notice and opportunity to be heard before an arbitrator, neutral party, or tribunal not associated with the NCAA or a member institution, before any enforcement actions are administered by the institution; and (2) at all hearings, the opportunity to be heard and the right of controverting every material fact bearing on individual or private rights involved. Requires any enforcement action taken by the institution in compliance with rules or legislation of the NCAA for amateur sports violations to be clearly established on the basis of specific standards and guidelines for all possible infractions, including punishment or restitution. Makes this Act inapplicable to disciplinary actions taken by a coach or college administrator for violations of the institution's policy or conduct rules that apply to the entire student body of the institution.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2000
America's Better Classroom Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a limited credit for qualified public school modernization bonds (qualified school construction bonds and qualified zone academy bonds). Amends the General Education Provisions Act to provide for the application of certain labor standards to projects financed under this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish provisions concerning employment and training activities related to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2000
Limpopo River Debt Relief and Reconstruction Act of 2000 - Title I: Debt Relief - Directs the President, subject to authorization of appropriations, to cancel all amounts owed to the United States by eligible countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) as a result of concessional and nonconcessional loans made, guarantees or insurance issued, or credits extended under any provision of law. (Sec. 101) Provides that cancellation of debt shall not be considered to be assistance for purposes of any law limiting assistance to a country. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 102) Urges the President to use U.S. influence within the Paris Club of Official Creditors to urge each nation that is a member to the Club to cancel all debt owed to the nation by an eligible country. (Sec. 103) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors at specified international financial institutions to use the U.S. vote to urge such institutions to cancel all debt owed to it by any eligible country. Title II: Reconstruction Aid - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide grant assistance for relief, reconstruction, and related recovery activities in southern Africa, in particular the eligible countries, as a result of the severe flooding that began on February 9, 2000. (Sec. 201) Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 202) Urges the President to use U.S. influence within the Paris Club of Official Creditors to urge each country that is a member of the Club to provide grants to each eligible country for the repair and reconstruction of the infrastructure of the country that has been damaged or destroyed by the flooding in southern Africa that began on February 9, 2000. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors at specified international financial institutions to use the U.S. vote to urge such institutions to provide grants to each eligible country for the repair and reconstruction of the infrastructure of the country that has been damaged or destroyed by the flooding in southern Africa that began on February 9, 2000. Title III: Eligible Countries - Defines "eligible country" to mean Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2000
Act for Effective National Firearms Objectives for Responsible, Common-sense Enforcement of 2000 (ENFORCE Act) - Title I: The Criminal Gun Trafficker Apprehension Act of 2000 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the Act) to provide that it shall be presumed that the intent underlying the sale or disposition of a firearm is predominantly one of obtaining livelihood and pecuniary gain if a person transfers more than 50 firearms in any period of 12 consecutive months, or more than 30 firearms in any period of 30 consecutive days excluding any infrequent transfer of a firearm by gift, bequest, intestate succession, or other means by an individual to a parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild. (Sec. 102) Requires that a firearms licensee, as a condition of obtaining a license to deal in firearms or ammunition (license), operate from a fixed premises primarily devoted to the sale of firearms and conspicuously designated to the public as such, other than a private residence. (Sec. 103) Prohibits a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer from storing firearms on the premises in a manner not in conformity with regulations issued by the Secretary of the Treasury. Directs the Secretary, in issuing such regulations, to take into consideration the type and quantity of the firearms to be stored, as well as the standards of safety and security recognized in the firearms industry. Authorizes the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for hearing, to suspend or revoke a license or to subject the licensee to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for knowingly violating this prohibition. Limits review of the Secretary's actions. Requires that the firearms inventory of the business be stored in compliance with this Act and regulations issued thereunder within 30 days after the application is approved. (Sec. 104) Prohibits a common or contract carrier from failing to report the theft or loss of a firearm within 48 hours after discovery. Requires that such theft or loss be reported to the Secretary and to the appropriate local authorities. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a civil fine of up to $10,000 for knowingly violating this prohibition. Title II: The Criminal Gun Dealer Detection Act of 2000 - Amends the Act to authorize the Secretary to inspect or examine the records of a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer without reasonable cause or warrant for ensuring compliance with record-keeping requirements not more than four times (currently, once) during any 12-month period, or as otherwise specified in the Act. (Sec. 202) Provides that a personal collection of firearms of a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer shall be considered part of the business inventory of the licensee (thus making disposal of such collection subject to regulation), with an exception for the infrequent transfer of a firearm by gift, bequest, intestate succession, or other means from the personal collection of firearms of a licensee to a parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild. (Sec. 203) Revises penalty provisions under the Federal criminal code (the code) to authorize the Secretary to: (1) suspend a license or subject a licensee to a civil penalty of $10,000 per violation (currently, the Secretary's options are limited to license revocation) for violations; and (2) compromise, mitigate, or remit at any time the liability with respect to any willful violation. Title III: The Violent Felon Gun Ban Enforcement Act of 2000 -Denies natural persons the opportunity to seek administrative relief from prohibitions against possessing, shipping, transporting, or receiving firearms or ammunition and requires publication of additional information about such administrative relief granted to any person. (Sec. 302) Prohibits the possession of, or transactions in, firearms by any natural person convicted of a serious drug offense or violent felony, regardless of expungement of the conviction or restoration of other civil rights, subject to specified limitations. Title IV: The Intensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategy and Project Exile Implementation Act of 2000 - Subtitle A: Funding Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for the improvement of the national instant criminal background check system, including improvements to criminal justice records as specified in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and to records required by the Attorney General under the Brady Act for the purpose of implementing that Act. (Sec. 402) Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to State or local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of improving the organization of criminal records, especially records relating to convictions for crimes of domestic violence and to restraining orders relating to domestic violence, and the reporting of such records to the national instant criminal background check system. Sets forth provisions regarding permissible uses of grant funds, application and matching requirements, grant awards, and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 403) Authorizes appropriations for the hiring of 600 agents and inspectors for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. (Sec. 404) Amends the VCCLEA to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to State, Indian tribal, or local prosecutors for the purpose of supporting the creation or expansion of community-based justice programs for the prosecution of gun-related crimes. Sets forth provisions regarding permissible uses of grant funds, application and matching requirements, grant awards, and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 405) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) hire 114 additional Federal prosecutors to prosecute violations of Federal firearms laws; and (2) establish in each of the jurisdictions not more than 20 areas designated by the Attorney General as having high rates of firearm-related crime a gun enforcement team. (Sec. 406) Directs the Secretary to expand: (1) to 50 the number of city and county law enforcement agencies that, through the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YGCII), submit to the Secretary identifying information relating to the types and origins of all firearms recovered during law enforcement investigations, including from individuals under 25; and (2) the resources devoted to law enforcement investigations of illegal youth possessors and users and of illegal firearms traffickers identified through YGCII. Directs the Secretary to: (1) select cities and counties for participation in the program; and (2) establish a system through which State and local law enforcement agencies, through on-line computer technology, can promptly provide firearms-related information to the Secretary and access information derived through YGCII as soon as such capability is available. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 407) Amends the VCCLEA to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to public or private nonprofit entities for the purpose of supporting the creation or expansion of local anti-gun violence media campaigns. Sets forth provisions regarding permissible uses of funds, and application and matching requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 408) Directs the Attorney General to carry out a program for the research and development of smart gun technology. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Ballistics Testing - Prohibits a licensed manufacturer or importer from transferring a firearm to any person before: (1) test firing the firearm; (2) preparing forensic ballistics records of the fired bullet and cartridge casings; and (3) making the records available to the Secretary for entry in a computerized database. Authorizes the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for hearing, for each violation by a licensed manufacturer or importer, to suspend the license for up to one year or revoke the license, impose on the licensee a civil fine of not more than $10,000, or both. Limits review of the Secretary's action. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to assist firearm manufacturers and importers in complying with this section through: (1) the acquisition, disposition, and upgrades of computerized forensic ballistics equipment and bullet recovery equipment to be placed at the sites of licensed manufacturers and importers or at regional firearm centers established by the Secretary; and (2) the hiring or designation of personnel necessary to develop and maintain a database of forensic ballistics records, research, and evaluation. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary to establish a system through which State and local law enforcement agencies, through online computer technology, can promptly access forensic ballistics records, as soon as the capability to do so is available. Sets forth reporting requirements. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary to work cooperatively with representatives of the firearm industry to: (1) provide education about the role of forensic ballistics as part of a comprehensive firearm crime reduction strategy; and (2) provide for coordination among Federal, State, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies and the firearm industry to curb firearm-related crime and illegal firearm trafficking. Sets forth provisions regarding areas of concentrated efforts and annual reports and evaluation. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to conduct mandatory forensic ballistics testing of all firearms that are or have been taken into the custody of, or procured or utilized by, their respective agencies. Authorizes appropriations. Sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
AIDS Orphans Relief Act of 2000 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations for the purpose of assisting microcredit programs that serve the very poor, especially women, in communities heavily affected by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Sets forth certain program requirements. Amends the Agricultural Trade and Development Assistance Act of 1954 to authorize the President to provide food assistance to developing countries in order to assist them in mitigating the effects of AIDS. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2000
Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention Act of 2000 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to recognize: (1) the international dilemma of children with the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) and the merits of intervention programs aimed at this problem; and (2) the fact that mother-to-child transmission prevention strategies can serve as a major force for change in developing regions, and it is, therefore, a major objective of the foreign assistance program to control the AIDS epidemic. Mandates that the primary administering agency: (1) coordinate with UNAIDS, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, local governments, and other organizations to develop and implement effective strategies to prevent vertical transmission of HIV; and (2) coordinate with those organizations to increase in scale intervention programs and introduce voluntary counseling and testing, antiretroviral drugs, replacement feeding, and other strategies. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2000
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000 - Amends the matching grant program for law enforcement armor vests under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct that the matching portion equal 50 percent if: (1) such grant is to a unit of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents; (2) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance determines that the quantity of vests to be purchased with such grant is reasonable; and (3) such portion does not cause such grant to violate certain maximum amount requirements. Directs that: (1) funds available be awarded, without regard to specified "preferential consideration" provisions, to each qualifying unit of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents; and (2) any remaining funds available be awarded to other qualifying applicants. Provides that if an application is submitted in conjunction with a transaction for the purchase of armor vests, grant amounts may not be used to fund any portion of that purchase unless, before the application is submitted, the applicant: (1) receives clear and conspicuous notice that receipt of the grant amounts requested in the application is uncertain; and (2) expressly assumes the obligation to carry out the transaction regardless of whether such amounts are received. Redefines "armor vest" to include body armor which has been tested through a specified voluntary compliance testing program, and found to meet or exceed the requirements of NIJ Standard 0115.00, or any subsequent revision of such standard. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2000
Federal Reserve Labor-Management Relations Accountability Act - Amends Federal labor-management relations law to extend its coverage to the Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2000
Civil Rights for International Travelers Act - Prohibits U.S. Customs Service inspectors or other officials from subjecting travelers to detentions and searches based on race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation of the traveler, except when acting upon specific information that a particular traveler suspected of engaging in specific illegal activity is described by one or more of such characteristics. Requires all Customs Service inspectors and other similar officials to undergo periodic training on the procedures for detention and searches of travelers, with particular emphasis on the prohibition against profiling of travelers based on such characteristics. Directs the Commissioner of the Customs Service to study and report annually to Congress on detentions and searches of travelers by the Service during the previous year, including the number of searches of travelers, their race, gender, and national origin, the type of searches conducted (including but not limited to pat down searches and intrusive nonroutine searches), and their results. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 4601 South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the Henry W. McGee Post Office Building.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2000
Protection of Women in Prisons Act of 1999 - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to set forth requirements for a State to receive a Violent Offender Incarceration or Truth-In-Sentencing Incentive Grant. Requires that a State provide assurances to the Attorney General that it has in effect in jails and correctional facilities policies that: (1) are monitored and enforced; (2) restrict the role of male employees with women inmates; (3) prohibit male employees from supervising women inmates during showering and undressing or from conducting body searches, "thorough" part searches, and frisks on women inmates except in case of emergency or in the presence of a female employee; (4) address the health needs of women inmates; (5) prohibit the use of shackles or other restraints on pregnant women unless absolutely necessary; provide additional protections to women inmates who report violations from retaliatory acts; (6) impose disciplinary action against a jail or correctional facility employee who violates this Act; and (7) require that a male employee who is found to have committed physical or sexual misconduct against a woman inmate is terminated. Requires a State to provide documentation that jails and correctional facilities have: (1) instituted programs to address prior victimization, drug and alcohol abuse, and high-risk drug and sexual behaviors of women inmates; (2) contracted with an outside correctional health care organization to regularly assess the status of women's health in correctional settings; (3) complied with national correctional health care standards for screening, classifying, and housing that ensure continuity of care for women inmates; (4) implemented programs for crisis intervention, suicide precaution, case management, and discharge planning for women inmates; and (5) made a concerted effort to meet nationally established standards that ensure the basic level of health care services for women offenders. Requires a State to provide documentation that the State corrections department has conducted a needs assessment of minority health needs in correctional settings and analyzed its health services to women inmates and classified the health and security risk of each woman inmate.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2000 - Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1977 to: (1) mandate itemization and disclosure of the annual percentage rate of mortgage loans and home improvement loans originated by the lending institution grouped according to census tract, income level, racial characteristics, and gender; and (2) proscribe regulatory exemptions of depository institutions from reporting requirements. (Sec. 2) Makes any existing exemption from Federal reporting requirements relating to banks and banking cease to be effective. (Sec. 3) Amends the Truth in Lending Act to: (1) set forth the annual percentage rates that define a high-cost mortgage and the attendant rule relating to discount points on such high-cost mortgage; (2) redefine "points and fees" and cite specific exclusions; and (3) include certain mortgage broker intermediaries within the statutory definition of "creditor". Amends the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 to list proscribed practices for a high-cost mortgage, including: (1) debt acceleration solely at the creditor's discretion; (2) mortgage modification or deferral fees; (3) high-cost mortgage lending in the absence of certification that the borrower has received federally approved counseling on the loan; and (4) mandatory arbitration clause. (Sec. 4) Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit: (1) prepayment penalties upon a conforming home loan; (2) negative amortization upon such loan; (3) extension of credit without regard to the customer's payment ability; (4) flipping of home loans; (5) encouragement of debtor's default; (6) payments to appraisers by creditors; and (7) financing of credit insurance by creditors. Declares unenforceable under both Federal and State law any blank items in a conforming home loan document to be filled in after the contract is signed. Mandates that prior to closing all requisite disclosures be furnished by the creditor in the same language in which negotiations were conducted. Sets forth penalties for noncompliance with conforming home loan requirements. Excludes from participation in mortgage-backed security pools high-cost or conforming home loans that are in violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2000
Organ Donation and Transplantation Improvements Act of 2000 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to modify: (1) the requirements organ procurement organizations must meet to be eligible for certain existing grants, including organization certification requirements; and (2) requirements and limitations regarding the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, including regarding organ allocation. Requires that the scientific registry of organ transplant recipients also include information respecting donors and patients in transplants involving living donors. Authorizes grants and contracts for travel and subsistence expenses of living donors. Mandates a public education program regarding organ donation (either directly by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or through grants or contracts). Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants for studies and demonstration projects regarding increasing donation rates; and (2) make grants to States for public education and programs to increase the number of donors. Provides for a bronze medal for donors (or, if the donor is deceased, the donor's family).
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2000
Commends: (1) the Government of the Republic of South Africa for its quick response and assistance to the Mozambican people; (2) the Government of the United Kingdom for announcing debt cancellation for Mozambique so that financial resources may be dedicated to the national relief and recovery effort; and (3) the Administration for its growing involvement and leadership in coordinating America's disaster assistance package to Mozambique. Urges the U.S. Government to take the lead in coordinating international efforts to help Mozambique salvage what remains of this year's food crops and to provide seeds for rural agricultural growers. Calls for the international community to: (1) continue to provide emergency relief, airlift capacity, and other disaster assistance to Mozambique for the next 90 days;(2) take all necessary steps to locate and demarcate areas that may now harbor semi-boyant plastic land mines transported to new locations by the flooding in Mozambique; (3) develop a coordinated response to the Government of Mozambique's request for recovery and reconstruction assistance for buildings and transportation infrastructure; and (4) assist the nations of southern Africa to increase their capacity to respond to national emergencies and natural disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2000
Vaccines for the New Millennium Act of 2000 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to restate as the goal for the protection of children from immunizable diseases the universal protection of all children from such diseases by December 31, 2009. (Sec. 4) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 and 2002 for U.S. contributions to: (1) the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations; and (2) the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. Requires the President to include in a required report for such fiscal years information on the effectiveness of the above Global Alliance in meeting its immunization and research and development goals. (Sec. 5) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a business tax credit of 30 percent of qualified vaccine research expenses for a taxable year. Includes as appropriate vaccine research research with respect to malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, or any infectious disease which causes over one million deaths annually. Prohibits such credit from being taken into account when determining the current credit allowed for increasing research expenditures. Prohibits the credit for any research conducted outside the United States. Expresses the sense of Congress that if such credit is allowed, then the corporation receiving such credit should certify to the Secretary of the Treasury that, within one year after that vaccine is licensed, such corporation will develop a good faith plan to maximize international access to high quality and affordable vaccines. Directs the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study of the effectiveness of such credit in stimulating vaccine research, and to report study results to Congress. (Sec. 6) Provides a lifesaving vaccine sale credit equal to the amount of qualified vaccine sales for a taxable year. Defines a lifesaving vaccine as one which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and used for malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, or any infectious disease which causes over one million deaths annually. Provides total credit limits for 2002 through 2010 (zero credit after 2011). Provides credit limit allocation and authorized carryover. (Sec. 7) Establishes in the Treasury the Lifesaving Vaccine Purchase Fund for purchases of eligible vaccines defined earlier under this Act for distribution to developing countries. Limits to $100 million Fund expenditures in a fiscal year. Appropriates funds for the Fund. (Sec. 8) States that the President should enter into negotiations with officials of foreign governments and other interested parties for the establishment of an international vaccine purchase fund that would: (1) accept contributions from governments of developed countries; (2) use such contributions to purchase and distribute eligible vaccines in developing countries; and (3) be a significant market incentive for private sector vaccine research. Requires an annual report from the President to Congress. (Sec. 9) Establishes the Lifesaving Vaccine Advisory Commission to: (1) review the progress of national and international efforts to develop eligible vaccines; (2) examine the merits of innovative vaccine research financing that combines public subsidies with private sector research and development efforts; and (3) develop consensus among industry and public health advocates on policy recommendations for ways in which the Federal Government can further advance public-private partnerships in vaccine research and development. Requires a final report from the Commission to the President and Congress. (Sec. 10) Expresses the sense of Congress that flexible or differential pricing for vaccines which provide lower prices for the poorest countries is one of several valid strategies to accelerate the introduction of vaccines in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2000
Secure Online Communication Enforcement Act of 2000 - Amends the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 to authorize a governmental entity to require a provider of remote computing service (RCS) to disclose the contents of an electronic communication pursuant to: (1) a warrant issued under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure or equivalent State warrant, a copy of which shall be served on the subscriber or customer of such service before or at the same time the warrant is served on the provider; or (2) a Federal or State grand jury or trial subpoena, a copy of which shall be served on the subscriber or customer of such service under circumstances allowing the subscriber or customer a meaningful opportunity to challenge the subpoena. (Sec. 3) Includes an operator of an Internet web site (including an agent of such operator) or other third party within the scope of limitations on disclosure of records currently applicable to electronic communication service (ECS), and remote computing service (RCS), providers. Limits any such disclosure to non-government entities except: (1) as necessary to initiate, provide, bill, or collect for such service or for access to or use of such Internet web site, or to protect the rights or property of the provider; (2) as made at the request of the subscriber or customer, or with the affirmative consent of the subscriber or customer given at the time the disclosure is sought; or (3) as required by law. Includes within the scope of such restrictions on disclosure information generated in the process of accessing or otherwise using the Internet. Authorizes a provider of ECS or RCS, operator of an Internet web site, or third party to use, disclose, or permit access to aggregate customer or subscriber information from which individual customer or subscriber information and characteristics have been removed. Prohibits a provider of ECS, RCS, or an operator of an Internet web site from terminating the provision of such service or access to, or use of, such web site to an individual who refuses to consent to the disclosure of records or other information under this Act as a result of such refusal. Preempts any State or local law regarding the disclosure by providers of ECS, RCS, and operators of Internet web sites of records or other information covered by this Act.
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