United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2001
Preparedness Against Domestic Terrorism Act of 2001 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Act) to include snow droughts, acts of terrorism or other catastrophic events within its definition of "major disaster" for purposes of authorized disaster relief. Requires the President (current law authorizes the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA Director)) to be responsible for carrying out Federal emergency preparedness plans and programs. Includes as a covered hazard a domestic terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction. Requires the President to ensure that Federal response plans and programs are adequate to respond to the consequences of terrorism directed against a target in the United States. Includes the development of equipment, clothing, and facilities within authorized preparedness measures. Repeals provisions of the Act which: (1) allow State preparedness funds to be used to prepare for hazards and for providing emergency assistance in response to hazards; and (2) require the FEMA Director to establish emergency preparedness security regulations. Establishes the President's Council on Domestic Preparedness. Requires the Council to: (1) publish a Domestic Terrorism Preparedness Plan and an annual implementation strategy; (2) designate an entity to assess the risk of terrorist attacks against transportation, energy, and other infrastructure facilities; and (3) establish voluntary minimum guidelines for preparedness programs. Authorizes the Council to attend meetings of the National Security Council pertaining to domestic terrorist attack preparedness matters, subject to the direction of the President.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2001
Military Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2001 - Adjusts the basic Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity amount for surviving spouses, age 62 or over, of former military personnel to: (1) 35 percent of the retired pay of the decedent (current law), for months beginning on or before the enactment of this Act; (2) 40 percent of such pay, for months beginning after enactment of this Act until October 2004; (3) 45 percent of such pay for months beginning after September 2004 and before October 2011; and (4) 55 percent of such pay for months after September 2011. Adjusts similarly the percentage amounts of SBP supplemental annuity authorized to be provided for such surviving spouses. Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure appropriate adjustments in the computation of retired pay reductions for such supplemental annuities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2001
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt certain State and local political committees from specified notification and reporting requirements applicable to political organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2001
Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box Act of 2001 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to provide a point of order against consideration of any: (1) budget resolution that sets forth a surplus for any fiscal year that is less than the surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for such year; or (2) legislation that would cause any surplus to be less than the Fund surplus for the covered fiscal year. Makes the point of order described in (2) above inapplicable to social security or Medicare reform legislation. Requires any Federal budget submitted by the President that recommends an on-budget surplus for any fiscal year that is less than the surplus of the Fund for such year to include a proposal for social security or Medicare reform legislation. Makes this Act inapplicable upon the enactment of social security and Medicare reform legislation. Defines "social security reform legislation" and "Medicare reform legislation" as a bill or joint resolution to save social security or Medicare, respectively, that specifies that it constitutes reform legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2001
Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2001 - Provides that: (1) whoever engages in conduct that violates specified provisions of the Federal criminal code, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, or specified articles the Uniform Code of Military Justice (conduct constituting certain Federal violent crimes) and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury to, a child who is in utero, shall be guilty of a separate offense; and (2) the punishment for that separate offense shall be the same as that provided under Federal law for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother. Specifies that a violation of such provisions does not require proof that: (1) the person engaging in the conduct had knowledge or should have had knowledge that the victim of the underlying offense was pregnant; or (2) the defendant (or accused) intended to cause the death of, or bodily injury to, the unborn child. Directs that if the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall be punished as provided under the Federal criminal code for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being. Prohibits imposition of the death penalty for an offense under this Act. Bars prosecution under this Act: (1) of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman, or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf, has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law; (2) for conduct relating to any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her unborn child; or (3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2001
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) purchase the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Complex in Dixon, Illinois, and related personal property; (2) designate the Complex as the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site; (3) enter into a cooperative agreement with the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Foundation for the management, operation, and use of the Site; and (4) complete a general management plan for the Site.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2001
Tax Relief and Marriage Penalty Elimination Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the marriage penalty for couples filing a single return jointly with respect to both tax rates and the standard deduction; and (2) after 2004, reduce individual tax rates.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2001
No Frills Prison Act of 2001 - Amends Federal criminal code provisions concerning the expenses of prisoners to prohibit the use of money from the Treasury to purchase cable television services or to rent or purchase videocassettes, videocassette recorders, or other audiovisual or electronic equipment used primarily for recreational purposes, with an exception for equipment for inmate training or educational programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2001
Amends Federal aviation law to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, solely by reason of a person's age if under 65, from: (1) refusing to issue to, or renew for, such person an airman certificate for the operation of a commercial aircraft; or (2) requiring an air carrier to terminate the employment of, or refuse to employ, such person as a pilot on such aircraft.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2001
Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) conduct a fraud audit of selected accounts at the Department of Education that the Comptroller General determines to be particularly susceptible to waste, fraud, and abuse; and (2) report audit results to specified congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2001
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2001 - Permits retired members of the armed forces with service-connected disabilities to be paid both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Repeals a special compensation program for certain severely disabled military retirees.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2001
Family Values Tax Relief Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the: (1) overall limitation on itemized deductions; (2) phaseout of personal exemptions; and (3) adjusted gross income limitation on the child tax credit; and (4) alternative minimum tax on individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2001
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify any natural gas gathering line as seven-year property for purposes of depreciation. Defines natural gas gathering line.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2001
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal Subchapter B (Communications) of Chapter 33 (Facilities and Services) of Subtitle D (Miscellaneous Excise Taxes).
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2001
Enumerated Powers Act - Requires each Act of Congress to contain a concise and definite statement of the constitutional authority relied upon for the enactment of each portion of that Act. Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either House of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2001
Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the 85 percent (second tier) taxation of Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits. Appropriates, from the general fund, to the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund amounts equal to the reduction in revenue lost because of the repeal. Requires an annual report concerning the funds transferred from the general fund to the Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2000
All American Voting Rights Resolution - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Federal, State, and local governments must make every effort to count the votes of members of the uniformed services and their dependents who have submitted ballots legally and in good faith; (2) the Attorney General should fully investigate all allegations of abuses against such voting rights in Florida; and (3) the failure of the Attorney General to take action would violate fundamental principles on which American democracy is founded.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2000
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include wireless telecommunications equipment in the definition of qualified technological equipment for purposes of determining the depreciation treatment of such equipment under the accelerated cost recovery system.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2000
Amends provisions of the Internal Revenue Code concerning the confidentiality of return information to include within the definition of return information any closing agreement and any background information related to such an agreement or request for such an agreement. Prohibits the disclosure of tax convention information.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2000
Fair Tax Treatment for Insurance Agents' Termination Payments Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to consider a qualified termination payment received from an insurance company by a former insurance salesman for such company as a sale or exchange of a capital asset held for more than 12 months.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2000
RU-486 Patient Health and Safety Protection Act - Restricts the prescribing of the drug mifepristone (commonly referred to as RU-486, to be marketed as Mifeprex) to physicians who meet specified requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2000
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Amber Plan (a partnership between law enforcement agencies and media officials which assists law enforcement, parents, and local communities to respond immediately to the most serious child abduction cases) is a powerful tool in fighting child abductions and should be used across the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2000
Scouts Honor Act - Prohibits the use of Federal funds: (1) to discriminate against, investigate, or deny or withdraw access to public property for, the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of beliefs promoted by that organization or that organization's constitutionally protected expression of beliefs or exercise of associational rights; or (2) to compel the Boy Scouts of America to employ, enroll, or accept as a member or volunteer an individual whose sexual orientation, sexual behavior, religious beliefs, or absence of religious beliefs is determined by the Boy Scouts of America to be inconsistent with the organization's policies, programs, morals, or mission.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2000
Lance Armstrong Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present a congressional gold medal to Lance Armstrong, in recognition of his outstanding performance as two-time winner of the Tour de France and his courageous spirit in overcoming cancer. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Requires deposit of sale proceeds in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2000
Veterans' Oral History Project Act - Requires the Director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish an oral history program to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2000
Debt Relief Lock-box Reconciliation Act for Fiscal Year 2001 - Title I: Debt Reduction Lock-Box - Amends Federal public finance provisions to establish the Public Debt Reduction Payment Account in the Treasury. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to use amounts in the Account to pay at maturity, or redeem or buy before maturity, any Government obligation held by the public and included in the public debt. Provides that any obligation which is paid, redeemed, or bought with amounts from the Account shall be canceled and retired and prohibits its reissuance. Appropriates funds for the Account. Prohibits such appropriation from being considered as direct spending for purposes of pay-as-you-go provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). (Sec. 102) Reduces the public debt limit by the amount appropriated into the Account. (Sec. 103) Bars Account receipts and disbursements from being counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of : (1) the Federal Government budget as submitted by the President; (2) the congressional budget; or (3) the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act. (Sec. 105) Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on the Account. Title II: Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box - Amends H. Con. Res. 290 (106th Congress) to replace a point of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate against consideration of any revision of such resolution or any concurrent budget resolution for FY 2002 that sets forth a deficit for any fiscal year with one that provides a point of order against consideration of any budget resolution that sets forth a surplus for any fiscal year that is less than the surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for such year. Makes it out of order in the House or the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report if the enactment of the reported bill or resolution, the adoption and enactment of an amendment, or the enactment of a bill or resolution in the form recommended in the conference report would cause the on-budget surplus for any fiscal year to be less than the projected surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for such year or increase the amount by which the on-budget surplus for any fiscal year would be less than such trust fund surplus for that year. Makes such point of order inapplicable to social security or Medicare reform legislation. Requires any Federal budget submitted by the President that recommends an on-budget surplus for any fiscal year that is less than the surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for such year to include proposed legislative language for social security or Medicare reform legislation. Makes the lock-box requirements of H. Con. Res. 290 (106th Congress) and the preceding paragraph inapplicable upon the enactment of social security and Medicare reform legislation. Defines "social security reform legislation" and "Medicare reform legislation" as a bill or joint resolution to save social security or Medicare, respectively, that specifies that it constitutes reform legislation for purposes of such resolution. (Sec. 202) Requires any official Federal Government statement of the Federal or congressional budget surplus or deficit totals to exclude the outlays and receipts of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Program under the Social Security Act. Requires such outlays and receipts to be submitted in separate social security budget documents.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2000
Congratulates and honors home educators and home schooled students for their contributions to educational quality. Supports the goals of National Home Education Week.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2000
Medicare Renal Dialysis Payment Fairness Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for an update in the renal dialysis composite rate.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2000
Missing Children Tax Fairness Act of 2000 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat a child who was kidnapped by a nonfamily member as a dependent for purposes of the deduction for personal exemptions, the child credit, and the earned income credit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2000
Amends provisions of the Internal Revenue Code concerning the confidentiality of return information to include within the definition of return information: (1) any closing agreement and any background file document related to such agreement; and (2) any agreement relating to a named taxpayer entered into by the Secretary of the Treasury with the competent authority of a foreign government pursuant to specified conventions and agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2000
Straight Talk on Social Security Act - Amends the Social Security Act to require social security account statements to contain: (1) a comparison of the annual social security tax inflows to the amount paid in benefits annually and a statement of whether the ratio will result in a cash flow deficit and what year such deficit will commence as well as the first year in which funds in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust Funds will cease to be sufficient to cover the deficit and the percentage of benefits due at that time that could be paid from annual tax inflows; and (2) an explanation of the average rate of return that a taxpayer can expect to receive on old-age insurance benefits as compared to the total amount of social security taxes a taxpayer expects to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2000
Electric Power Industry Tax Modernization Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a governmental unit to make an irrevocable election to terminate certain tax-exempt financing for electric output facilities. Sets forth provisions concerning independent transmission companies. Provides for the exclusion from gross income as contributions to capital of certain amounts received by electric utilities. Revises the special rules concerning the tax treatment of nuclear decommissioning costs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2000
Debt Relief Reconciliation Act for Fiscal Year 2001 - Amends Federal public finance provisions to establish the Public Debt Reduction Payment Account in the Treasury. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to use amounts in the Account to pay at maturity, or redeem or buy before maturity, any Government obligation held by the public and included in the public debt. Provides that any obligation which is paid, redeemed, or bought with amounts from the Account shall be canceled and retired and prohibits its reissuance. Appropriates funds for the Account. Prohibits such appropriation from being considered as direct spending for purposes of pay-as-you-go provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Reduces the public debt limit by the amount appropriated into the Account. Bars Account receipts and disbursements from being counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of : (1) the Federal Government budget as submitted by the President; (2) the congressional budget; or (3) the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act. Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees on the Account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2000
Privacy and Identity Protection Act of 2000 - Title I: Provisions Relating to the Social Security Account Number - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with regard to: (1) governmental use and treatment of social security account numbers, including restrictions on the sale of such account numbers by governmental agencies; and (2) prohibitions against public access to such account numbers in governmental agency possession, and against use of such account numbers on checks issued for payment by such agencies. (Sec. 101) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to the Congress on: (1) the current usage by governmental agencies of the Social Security account numbers of individuals, and derivatives of such numbers, for identification purposes; and (2) the most effective means by which any such usage extending beyond the original purposes of the Social Security account number may be minimized. Amends SSA title II to provide for independent verification of birth records provided in support of applications for Social Security account numbers. Directs the Commissioner of Social Security and the Attorney General to report jointly to Congress on the progress of the Social Security Administration and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in implementing a process for enumeration at entry for aliens entering the United States. Amends SSA title II to prohibit: (1) the appearance of Social Security account numbers on driver's licenses or motor vehicle registrations; and (2) the display of such account numbers, or any derivative, on any card or tag provided by governmental agencies to their employees for identification purposes. (Sec. 102) Provides for the regulation and restriction of the sale and purchase of the Social Security account number in the private sector. (Sec. 103) Amends SSA title II to subject criminal penalties the sale and purchase of Social Security account numbers. (Sec. 104) Amends SSA title XI with regard to civil monetary penalty authority concerning treatment of withholding of material facts, and application of civil money penalties to elements of criminal violations. (Sec. 105) Amends SSA titles II and XVI (Supplementary Security Income) (SSI) to provide authority for judicial orders of restitution in cases of Social Security payments obtained by fraud. Amends SSA title VII (Administration) to provide for the establishment of a special fund in the Treasury for receipt of restitution payments. (Sec. 106) Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide for confidential treatment of credit report header information including the Social Security account number of the consumer or any derivative thereof. (Sec. 107) Amends SSA title VII to provide for law enforcement authority by special agents of the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration. Title II: Provisions Relating to Representative Payees - Amends SSA titles II and XVI to authorize reissue to beneficiaries or alternative representative payees of OASDI and SSI benefits misused by organizational representative payees. (Sec. 202) Amends SSA titles II and XVI to provide for: (1) oversight of nongovernmental organizational representative payees and disqualification from service as a representative payee upon a felony conviction; (2) fee forfeiture in case of benefit misuse by such a representative payees; (3) liability of representative payees for misused benefits; and (4) extension of civil monetary penalty authority with respect to representative payees.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2000
Fuel Excise Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to suspend motor fuel taxes until March 31, 2001. Repeal the 4.3 cent per gallon tax increase (enacted in 1993) for fuel used for trains, planes, and barges.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2000
Combined Fund Stability and Fairness Act - Amends chapter 99 (Coal Industry Health Benefits) of the Internal Revenue Code and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to redefine the term "coal wage agreement" to include only the 1988 agreement which became effective on February 1, 1988, and any predecessor to the 1988 agreement. Redefines the term "signatory operator" in a similar manner (as a 1988 operator). Provides for a reduction in health benefit premiums to coal miners if there is a surplus in the Combined Benefit Fund. Provides for a refund of premiums paid to the Fund for certain small entities which are not 1988 agreement operators. Provides for the transfer of certain amounts of interest from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to the Combined Fund. Reduces Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund fees. Extends the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fee program for an additional six years. Authorizes appropriations for the transfer of $38 million from the 1950 United Mine Workers of America Pension Plan annually to the Combined Fund to cover any shortfall in the premium account of the Combined Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2000
Commends Ambassador Stephen S.F. Chen for his distinguished service to the Republic of China on Taiwan. Expresses appreciation to the Ambassador for his friendship with the people of the United States. Extends best wishes of Congress to him and his family on the occasion of his retirement.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2000
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 with respect to: (1) the drawback of unused merchandise; (2) refunds, waivers, or reductions under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act; (3) substitution of finished petroleum derivatives; (4) alternative methods for determining same kind and quality and commercial interchangeability of imported and other merchandise; and (5) the drawback of imported merchandise when commercially interchangeable merchandise was exported without preference under NAFTA.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2000
Debt Reduction Reconciliation Act of 2000 - Amends Federal public finance provisions to establish the Public Debt Reduction Payment Account in the Treasury. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to use amounts in the Account to pay at maturity, or redeem or buy before maturity, any Government obligation held by the public and included in the public debt. Provides that any obligation which is paid, redeemed, or bought with amounts from the Account shall be canceled and retired and prohibits its reissuance. Provides that if the Congressional Budget Office estimates an on-budget surplus for FY 2000 in a report submitted to the congressional budget committees pursuant to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that exceeds the amount of the surplus for such fiscal year set forth in the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 2001 (H. Con. Res. 290, 106th Congress), then an amount equal to that excess is appropriated into the Account for FY 2000. Prohibits such appropriation from being considered as direct spending for purposes of pay-as-you-go provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Reduces the public debt limit by the amount appropriated into the Account. Bars Account receipts and disbursements from being counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of : (1) the Federal Government budget as submitted by the President; (2) the congressional budget; or (3) the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the Account.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2000
Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions concerning designated settlement funds to exempt from tax any designated settlement fund established for the principal purpose of resolving and satisfying present and future claims relating to asbestos. Sets forth special rules concerning asbestos liability losses.