United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1988
Wildfire Protection Assistance Act of 1988 - Authorizes agency heads to enter into reciprocal agreements with foreign fire organizations to provide wildfire protection for lands, resources, and other properties for which the agency normally provides such protection. Requires that such agreements allow for termination of the agreement by any party thereto after reasonable notice. Authorizes each agency head, in the absence of such agreement, to furnish emergency wildfire protection resources to any foreign nation and to accept such assistance from any any foreign fire organization when to do so is in the best interest of the United States. Requires an agency head to determine that no U.S. fire organization is reasonably available to provide such protection before spending funds for foreign wildfire protection.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1988
Title I: Municipal Incinerator Emissions - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate performance standards to control emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium, dioxins, dibenzofurans, hydrogen chloride, and mercury from municipal waste incineration units. Requires that such standards reflect the greatest degree of emission limitation achievable through application of the best available control technologies and practices. Deems specified practices and control technologies to be available. Requires that such standards be promulgated within one year of this Act's enactment, take effect within 18 months of enactment, and be reviewed and, if necessary, revised within three years of promulgation and every five years thereafter. Sets forth emission control standards which will be applicable should the EPA fail to promulgate standards. Requires the EPA to promulgate a timetable, within one year of this Act's enactment, for existing municipal waste incineration units to comply with emission control standards, taking into account the remaining useful life of the unit and the threat the unit poses to human health and the environment. Sets forth the maximum number of years which such timetable may allow for the compliance, providing more time as a unit's additional pollution control equipment costs represent a larger proportion of its capital costs. Requires owners or operators of municipal waste incineration units to monitor emissions at the point such emissions move into ambient air and at such other points as necessary to protect human health and the environment and to report the results of such monitoring. Sets monitoring standards, including ones for continuous and periodic monitoring. Sets a 20-year limit on unit permits. Provides for the termination of such a permit if: (1) the unit is not in compliance with permit terms and conditions; (2) compliance with additional conditions is necessary to protect human health and the environment, or will impose minimal costs on the unit owner or operator and reduce air emissions below levels specified in the permit; or (3) enforceable contracts for the treatment or disposal of the unit's ash for the succeeding five years do not exist. Requires that a permit be reviewed at least once every five years. Authorizes concurrent State enforcement of unit emission standards, provided such enforcement is equivalent to Federal enforcement under this Act. Requires that civil penalties imposed against municipalities pursuant to this Act be applied in support of public programs and activities that enhance the protection of the health and environment of their residents. Directs the EPA to establish a model State program, within 18 months of this Act's enactment, for the training and certification of municipal waste incinerator personnel. Requires that incinerator personnel be certified pursuant to a State or EPA training and certification program which is consistent with such program. Subjects any person engaged in the manufacture or sale of municipal waste incineration units or components who misrepresents the performance characteristics of incinerator technology or equipment to a civil monetary penalty plus costs and damages caused by such misrepresentation. Includes as major emitting facilities under the Clean Air Act municipal incinerators capable of charging more than 50 tons of refuse per day. (Currently, only incinerators charging more than 250 tons per day are included.) Title II: Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendment - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the EPA to promulgate regulations, within one year of this Act's enactment, for the safe management of municipal incinerator ash. Requires that landfills into which such ashes are disposed be monofills with groundwater monitoring, two synthetic liners, an additional lower liner, a leachate collection system above all liners, and a leak detection system between the two synthetic liners. Authorizes the disposal of ash in a landfill other than a monofill if requirements more stringent than those imposed on monofills apply. Authorizes the EPA to waive the applicability of this Act's landfill design requirements to solid waste management units receiving incinerator ash if an alternative design will provide at least as effective protection of human health and the environment as such requirements. Prohibits a State from issuing a permit to any new or modified municipal waste incineration unit after 18 months after this Act's enactment unless the State prepares a solid waste management plan which provides cost-effective maximization of resource conservation and the protection of human health and the environment through solid waste reduction, source separation or control, recycling, and other measures. Prohibits the issuance of a permit to a unit unless an ash management plan demonstrating compliance with this Act's requirements has been submitted for the ash from such unit. Requires that before a new or modified unit begins operations it have sufficient capacity to treat or dispose of its ash for the succeeding five years. Directs the EPA, in developing regulations for the management of municipal incinerator ash, to issue criteria and testing procedures for identifying the characteristics of such ash which may pose a hazard to human health or the environment. Authorizes the EPA to require the owner or operator of a municipal incinerator or any facility involved in ash management to test the ash in accordance with such criteria and testing procedures. Requires that any ash which is identified as posing a hazard to human health or the environment be: (1) disposed of pursuant to this Act's requirements; or (2) treated, in accordance with regulations to be promulgated by the EPA, so as to remove the hazards associated with such ash, including the migration of hazardous constituents. Subjects facilities receiving municipal incinerator ash to a permit or other prior approval program and conditions in accordance with a State's solid waste management program. Provides public notice and the opportunity or an informal public hearing prior to the issuance of a permit to an ash management facility. Authorizes the EPA to issue a corrective action order or commence a civil action against the offending facility when there has been a release of a hazardous ash constituent. Directs the EPA to publish guidelines, within one year of this Act's enactment, identifying items or materials that should be removed from municipal waste prior to incineration in order to reduce air emissions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1988
Independent Defense Inspector General Act - Establishes the Office of the Defense Inspector General (Office) as an independent establishment within the executive branch. Provides that such office shall be headed by an Inspector General appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Specifies that the Inspector General shall not report to, or be subject to supervision by, the Secretary of Defense. Provides that the Inspector General shall appoint an Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and an Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. Specifies the various duties and responsibilities of the Inspector General, including: (1) providing policy direction for, and conducting and supervising audits and investigations relating to, the programs and operations of the Department of Defense; and (2) being the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense for matters relating to the prevention and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse in the programs and operations of the Department of Defense. Requires the Inspector General, in carrying out the duties and responsibilities established under this Act, to: (1) give regard to the activities of the Comptroller General with a view toward avoiding duplication and insuring coordination and cooperation; (2) report to the Attorney General whenever reasonable grounds exist to believe there has been a violation of criminal law; and (3) carry out such duties and responsibilities in a manner that avoids compromising or endangering the national security. Requires the Inspector General to prepare semiannual reports concerning the activities of the Office and to furnish such reports to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Sets forth administrative provisions concerning: (1) the authorities of the Inspector General to have access to records and documents of the Department of Defense; (2) the obtaining of information and assistance from other Federal agencies; and (3) office space and equipment. Requires the Inspector General to report to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Armed Services Committees whenever any requested information or assistance is unreasonably refused. Authorizes the Inspector General to receive and investigate complaints or information from employees of the Department of Defense concerning violations of law, waste, mismanagement, or dangers to public health or safety. Prohibits the Inspector General from disclosing the identity of such an employee without the consent of the employee, unless the Inspector General determines such disclosure is unavoidable during the course of an investigation. Prohibits taking or threatening to take any action against any such employee as a reprisal for making a complaint or disclosing information to the Inspector General. Prohibits any person from serving as Inspector General if he or she has served as an officer of the armed forces or has been employed by a defense contractor during the five-year period prior to nomination. Prohibits any person who has served as Inspector General from accepting compensation from a defense contractor for a period of five years after leaving office. Sets forth similar rules for employees of the Office for periods of three years before and after employment with the Office. Terminates the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense. Transfers all personnel, records, property and assets of such office to the Office established by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1988
Authorizes the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project, Inc., to construct a commemorative statue within the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to recognize and honor the women of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam war. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to select a site for the statue within the Memorial. Makes the design proposal subject to the approval of the Secretary, the National Planning Commission, and the Commission of Fine Arts. Prohibits the United States and the District of Columbia from paying any expense of constructing the statue. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) it is fitting and appropriate that such a statue be constructed at the site of the Vietnam Memorial; (2) the Secretary and each of the Commissions should give consideration to the sense of Congress that such a statue should be constructed at that site; and (3) after the addition of such statue no further commemorative works should be added to the Memorial. Requires the Secretary and Administrator of General Services to prepare, transmit to the Congress, and update periodically a list and a description of those commemorative works which have been completed and are located in the District of Columbia and its environs. Prohibits any significant modification to any commemorative work located in the District of Columbia and its environs unless specifically authorized by the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of the Treasury should not regulate the donation of articles intended to relieve human suffering in Nicaragua, except as authorized for the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1988
Cable Rate Information Act of 1988 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require each cable television operator to submit to the Federal Communications Commission a report describing its services and rates. Requires subsequent reports, to be made available for public inspection, whenever the operator implements a change in rates or services. Directs the FCC to use these reports to publish a monthly statistical summary that includes national, regional, and State average rates for various services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer a nonrefundable 50 percent income tax credit, to a limit of $250, for costs of television subtitle equipment for use by a hearing-impaired dependent.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1988
Designates the Labor Day Weekend beginning on September 3, 1988, as National Drive for Life Weekend. Calls on people to observe that weekend with a pledge to not drink and drive.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 1988
Condemns the use of chemical weapons by Iraq and calls upon Iraq to halt the use of such weapons. Commends the President for his prompt condemnation of Iraq's recent chemical weapons attack on civilians. Urges the President to: (1) seek allied cooperation to tighten controls on the export of chemical compounds to countries seeking to develop a chemical weapons capability; (2) make appropriate diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing or using chemical weapons; and (3) intensify American efforts at the Geneva Conference on Disarmament and in bilateral discussions with the Soviet Union to achieve an arms control agreement banning the production, use, and transfer of chemical weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress urging Government agencies to avoid actions that would reduce amateur radio frequency allocations used for emergency communications and encouraging support for the Amateur Radio Service in its emergency communications efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1988
Student Default Initiative Act of 1988 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (the Act) to lower the maximum amount of a Pell Grant for academic years 1989-1990, 1990-1991, and 1991-1992. Eliminates provisions authorizing adjustments in Pell Grant payments when appropriations are insufficient. Authorizes the Secretary of Education (the Secretary), when appropriations are insufficient, to draw funds from subsequent year appropriations for Pell Grants. Revises provisions relating to the period of eligibility for Pell Grants to limit such period to the full-time equivalent of: (1) the number of academic years that the undergraduate degree normally requires, plus one academic year; or (2) six academic years in the case of a degree or certificate program normally requiring more than four academic years. Requires that insurance program agreements to qualify loans for Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) interest subsidies provide that the lender must promptly notify the borrower (and the last institution the student attended before the beginning of repayment) of: (1) any sale or other transfer of the loan to another holder; and (2) such holder's address and phone number. Requires such agreements to require the guaranty agency to provide preclaims assistance for default prevention. Revises provisions under the Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS) program. Revises the conditions of SLS eligibility of undergraduate dependent students. Requires "exceptional" (rather than "extenuating") circumstances to preclude such a student's parents from borrowing under the parent loan (PLUS loan) program. Requires appropriate documentation that such circumstances exist to be maintained in the institution's records to support such determination. Reduces the amount of an individual's SLS loan eligibility by the amount of such individual's GSL loan eligibility (added to other financial aid). Sets forth additional requirements with respect to disbursement of student loans. Requires multiple disbursement of student loans under part B of title IV of the Act. Requires that any such loan for $1,000 or more for an enrollment period ending more than 180 days or six months after the disbursement date, be disbursed in two or more installments, none of which exceeds one-half of the loan. Requires a minimum interval between the first and second installments. Requires such interval to be at least one-half of the enrollment period, except as necessary to permit disbursement of the second installment at the beginning of the second semester, quarter, or similar division of such enrollment period. Sets forth requirements for the initial disbursement. Prohibits disbursement of the first installment to a new student borrower entering the first undergraduate year until: (1) 30 days after the beginning of the enrollment period; and (2) the institution certifies to the lender that the student continues to be enrolled in good standing at the institution and has received specified loan counseling. Prohibits disbursement of loans to any other student more than 30 days before the beginning of the enrollment period. Sets forth requirements for methods of multiple disbursement. Requires the lender or escrow agent to withhold a second or succeeding installment if the borrower has ceased to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis, unless notified by the institution that the disbursement is necessary to cover costs already earned by the institution. Requires the institution to withhold and return to the lender or escrow agent any portion of an installment which exceeds the amount for which the student is eligible. Provides that all loans issued for the same enrollment period shall be considered a single loan for specified purposes. Excludes from such additional disbursement requirements parent (PLUS) loans, consolidation loans, and loans to cover study at an institution outside the United States. Provides for transmittal of institutional disbursement schedules to lenders. Applies such additional disbursement requirements to the GSL, SLS, and federally insured student loan (FISL) programs. Directs the Secretary, guaranty agency, eligible lender, or subsequent holder to disclose to credit bureau organizations any information concerning the date a delinquency began and the repayment status of any loan that has been delinquent for 90 days. Requires that the borrower be informed that such organizations will be notified of such delinquency. Sets forth requirements for default reduction agreements. Directs the Secretary, by September 30, 1990, and annually thereafter, to send the Congress an annual default report, including: (1) the annual default rate for each guaranty agency, eligible lender, and higher education institution participating in the part B, title IV program; and (2) the annual dollars in default for each such institution. Directs the Secretary or a designated guaranty agency, within 90 days of the publication of each such report, to initiate program reviews at those institutions that fall in the top five percent of: (1) all institutions ranked by annual default rates; or (2) all institutions ranked by annual dollars in default. Sets forth the required contents of program reviews. Directs the Secretary or the designated State guaranty agency, within 30 days of completion of the program review, to enter into a negotiated default reduction agreement with the institution, based on review findings. Sets forth conditions which the default reduction agreement may include. Allows waivers of the required program review or default reduction agreement for an institution if the Secretary determines that compliance with such requirement will not lead to a significant reduction of the institution's annual default rate or annual dollars in default. Limits the duration of such an agreement to three years and requires at least one program review by the Department of Education or the designated State guaranty agency during such time. Provides for termination of the agreement if, during an interim review, it is determined that the institution no longer would be subject to program review. Directs the Secretary or the designated guaranty agency to assess the institution's compliance with the agreement upon its expiration. Provides for an exemption from the requirement of subsequent agreements for up to three years if an institution has fully complied with its most recent agreement and remains in the top five percent of all institutions in annual default rates or annual dollars in default. Directs the Secretary to initiate a limitation, suspension, or termination proceeding with respect to an institution's eligibility to participate in title IV (Student Assistance) programs if it refuses to enter into, or fails substantially to comply with, a default reduction agreement. Prohibits the Secretary from initiating any such proceeding solely on the basis of the default rate of the borrowers at such institution. Directs the Secretary, if the Secretary designates a State guaranty agency to carry out such review and agreement requirements, to enter into a contract and pay such agency reasonable compensation. Excludes institutions engaged in a default reduction agreement from the ranking of institutions by default rates or dollars in default. Directs the Secretary to annually expend specified amounts from the student loan insurance fund for default reduction management activities (in addition to other appropriations made for such purposes). Sets forth activities for which such funds may be used. Directs the Secretary: (1) to submit a plan, to accompany the President's budget for each fiscal year, detailing fund expenditures; and (2) at the conclusion of each fiscal year, to report findings and activities relating to such expenditure of funds to specified congressional committees. Makes eligible institutions (in addition to lenders and guaranty agencies) liable under certain civil penalty provisions of part B of title IV of the Act. Applies such penalties also to repeated violations of such part or regulations prescribed under it. Provides that a lender or guaranty agency shall not be relieved of civil liability because of its cure of the violation, correction of a failure, or its notification of a person who received a substantial misrepresentation of the actual nature of the financial charges involved, if the remedy is made after the Department of Education discovers such violation, failure, or misrepresentation. Repeals: (1) limitations on such civil penalties; and (2) consideration of several violations arising from a specified practice as a single violation. Prohibits an institution from being certified or recertified as eligible for the student loan insurance or other title IV (Student Assistance) programs if it: (1) has had its accreditation withdrawn, revoked, or otherwise terminated for cause during the preceding 24 months; or (2) has withdrawn from accreditation voluntarily under a show cause or suspension order during such period. Sets forth a definition of academic year (current law requires that such term be defined by the Secretary by regulation). Sets forth circumstances under which such term can be defined on a credit hour or clock hour basis. Provides that SLS and GSL loan recipients must have: (1) received a determination of eligibility or ineligibility for a Pell Grant for the relevant period of enrollment; and (2) filed an application for such a grant, if determined to be eligible. Requires, for eligibility for an SLS loan for any period of enrollment, that a student who is not a graduate or professional student must have: (1) received a determination of need for a GSL loan; and (2) applied for such a loan, if determined to have need for it. Revises provisions for admission of students on the basis of their ability to benefit from education or training. Presumes an institution to have established acceptable criteria for such admissions if it annually certifies to the Secretary that its admissions procedures for such students include counseling and a validated test of aptitude to complete the program successfully. Requires an institution to maintain complete records of the admissions criteria used for all students admitted on the basis of ability to benefit. Prohibits the Secretary from promulgating regulations defining such examination or other criteria used by an institution for such purposes. Deems tuition and fees "unearned," for refund policy purposes, in proportion to the fraction of the enrollment period remaining at the time the student withdraws. Provides that the institution shall be treated as earning initial administrative expenses at the beginning of such enrollment period, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary. Requires institutions, under student aid program participating agreements, to withhold academic transcripts of student borrowers in default on any title IV loan unless this: (1) will prevent the borrower from obtaining employment and repaying the loan; or (2) would be unjust or improper due to extraordinary circumstances. Prohibits institutions, under student aid program participation agreements, from: (1) using any contractor or anyone other than a salaried employee to conduct any activities related to recruiting and admission of students; or (2) paying any commission, bonus, or other incentive to any person engaged in any such activity. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations for the limitation, suspension, or termination of eligibility of an individual or organization to administer any aspect of an institution's student assistance program. Limits such suspensions to 60 days, unless the organization and the Secretary agree to an extension, or unless limitation or termination proceedings are initiated.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 1988
Designates August 1, 1988, as Helsinki Human Rights Day. Requests the President to: (1) reassert American commitment to the Helsinki Accords; (2) raise the issue of noncompliance with such Accords with the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania; (3) convey to all signatories of such Accords that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is vital to progress in the ongoing Helsinki process; (4) convey to U.S. allies the importance of unity regarding such Accords; (5) continue his efforts to achieve, before the end of the Vienna meeting, the release of all political prisoners of the Soviet Union, an increase in Soviet emigration, resolution of all family reunification cases, cessation of all radio transmission jamming, and the repeal of laws and practices which undermine human rights; (6) seek the inclusion, in any concluding document agreed to in Vienna, of a mechanism to sustain human rights progress after the Vienna meeting; and (7) convey to signatory states the insistence of the United States for a result at Vienna that will not favor military security at the expense of human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1988
EPA Law Enforcement Powers Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal criminal code to authorize law enforcement officers with responsibility for the investigation of criminal violations of a law administered by the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) carry firearms; (2) execute and serve warrants; and (3) make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in such officer's presence or any felony offense against the United States if such officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony offense.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1988
Targeted Relief Disclosure Resolution of 1988 - Amends rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require each report accompanying each bill or joint resolution of a public character reported by the Committee on Ways and Means to identify: (1) each provision which is intended to provide special benefits with respect to five or fewer taxpayers, transactions, events, items of property, projects, or issuances of bonds; (2) each beneficiary of such provision; (3) the Member of Congress who sponsored the inclusion of each such beneficiary; and (4) an estimate by the Joint Committee on Taxation of the loss in revenues resulting from such provision with respect to each such beneficiary for the fiscal year for which such loss in revenues first occurs and each of the five fiscal years thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 1988
Veterans' Compensation Amendments of 1988 - Increases the rates of compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, and the clothing allowance payable to veterans with service-connected disabilities and their survivors. Authorizes the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to administratively adjust the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who are not in receipt of compensation for service-connected disability or death. Provides for the payment of benefits to the surviving spouse and to the children of a veteran who dies from causes other than the veteran's own willful misconduct, and who was in receipt of, entitled to receive, or but for the receipt of retired or retirement pay would have been entitled to receive, compensation at the time of death for a service-connected disability that was continuously rated totally disabling for: (1) ten years or more immediately preceding death; or (2) not less than five years from the date of such veteran's discharge or other release from active duty. Prohibits the payment of benefits to a surviving spouse under this Act unless: (1) the marriage to the veteran occurred before the expiration of 15 years after the veteran's discharge or other release from active duty; (2) the surviving spouse was married to the veteran for one year or more; or (3) a child was born of the marriage or was born to them before the marriage. Provides for a reduction of benefits to a surviving spouse or child receiving money or property pursuant to an award in a judicial proceeding based upon, or a settlement or compromise of, any cause of action for damages for the death of such veteran. Revises provisions providing for vocational rehabilitation for pension recipients to qualify for an eligibility evaluation any veteran who was awarded a pension before the beginning of the program period, and to remove the limitation on the number of veterans who may be given evaluations each year. Extends the program period through January 31, 1992. Provides for the continued operation of the Veterans Administration's regional office in the Philippines through September 30, 1991.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 1988
National Gleaning Clearinghouse Act of 1988 - Establishes in the Extension Service of the Department of Agriculture a National Gleaning Clearinghouse to promote the collection and distribution of gleaned agricultural products and crops to assist persons in need.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1988
Forest Wildfire Emergency Pay Equity Act of 1988 - Allows Federal forest firefighters to be paid overtime without limitation while serving during forest wildfire emergencies.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude deductions for business expenses, interest on indebtedness, and taxes from calculations to determine the passive loss limitation in connection with rental real estate activity in which a noncorporate taxpayer actively or materially participates.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1988
Manassas National Battlefield Park Amendments of 1988 - Provides for the acquisition of additional lands for the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the Commonwealth of Virginia to promote the scenic preservation of views from within the park. Authorizes appropriations for the construction of a highway in the vicinity of the park. Limits to 50 percent the Federal share of the cost of construction of such highway.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the low-income housing credit through 1990. (Under current law the credit is due to expire on December 31, 1989.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1988
Agricultural Research Commercialization Act of 1988 - Establishes the Agricultural Research Commercialization Corporation (Corporation) in the Department of Agriculture to facilitate the commercialization of new industrial products and processes using traditional and new agricultural and forestry crops. Directs the Corporation to establish between ten and 12 regional centers. Provides for the appointment of regional advisory councils whose primary duty shall be project application review. Sets forth center activities, including: (1) identification of new products and of areas for new product commercialization; (2) coordination of research and development programs; (3) provision of technical assistance; (4) dissemination of information; and (5) coordination of private sector, university, and government needs and activities. Sets forth Corporation operating and administrative provisions, including financial disclosure and public access to Corporation information requirements. Directs the Corporation to provide grants, loans, and loan guarantees to eligible projects. States that the Corporation shall not receive proprietary or patent rights to any project proposal in return for such financial assistance. Sets forth financial assistance criteria. Requires a successful venture to repay the regional center the amount of financial assistance received for such project. Exempts unsuccessful ventures from such repayment, except that they must transfer any loan collateral to the Corporation. Establishes a revolving fund for the Corporation. Authorizes the establishment of regional revolving funds. Authorizes FY 1989 through 1999 appropriations. Authorizes a trust fund for the Corporation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1988
Designates the period of July 25 through July 31, 1988, as National Week of Recognition and Remembrance for Those Who Served in the Korean War. Authorizes and requests the President to urge that the American flag be flown at half staff on July 27, 1988, in honor of those Americans who died as a result of their service in Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 1988
Declares that the Congress recognizes the heroic acts of civilian construction workers who participated in the defense of Wake Island during its invasion by Japan between December 8 and December 23, 1941.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1988
Removes the restriction which prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from acquiring in fee by purchase or condemnation more than 600 acres of Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland. Amends the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 to remove additional restrictions which authorized only certain scenic easement acquisitions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States Trade Representative (USTR) should continue to pursue the U.S. complaint against Japan's obstructive citrus and beef import practices with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Council seeking a decision that Japan is in violation of the GATT; (2) the USTR is urged to initiate an investigation of the enforcement of U.S. trade rights or unfair trade practices in response to the petition filed by the Florida Citrus Mutual and others; (3) the USTR should pursue such investigation of the alleged unfair trade practices; (4) the President should use his authority under the Trade Act of 1974 to restore trade benefits due the U.S. citrus industry which arise from Japan's imposition of quantitative restrictions on U.S. oranges and orange juice; and (5) the President should take action to obtain the recommendation of the GATT Contracting Parties that Japan eliminate or bring into conformity with GATT its citrus and beef import practices with respect to U.S. imports.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 1988
Amends estate tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit use valuation of farmland and other real property even if a person other than the decedent or family member was using the property for a qualified use on the date of the decedent's death; and (2) disallow the imposition of additional estate tax if any member of the qualified heir's family (currently it must be the heir) continues to use the property for a qualified use. Applies these provisions retroactively in connection with the estates of decedents dying after 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit cooperatives (farmers' cooperatives, cooperative banks, mutual insurance companies, and rural electric and telephone cooperatives) to: (1) elect to treat as ordinary income or loss any gain or loss from the sale or other disposition of any asset used by the organization to facilitate the conduct of business done with or for patrons; and (2) include such gain or loss in net earnings of the organization from business done with or for patrons.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 1988
Designates specified land as the Manassas National Battlefield Addition. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land within the boundaries of the Addition and to administer such lands as part of the Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1988
Arizona-Florida Land Exchange Act of 1988 - Title I - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to dispose of the real property used for the Phoenix Indian High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Ratifies the Agreement Among the United States, Collier Enterprises, and the Barron Collier Company under which the United States agrees to exchange such property for certain lands in Florida located in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge owned by Collier and specified monetary proceeds. Requires the Secretary, if such Federal property is conveyed, to convey 20 acres of such property to the city of Phoenix to provide for public open space and recreation, to transfer administrative jurisdiction of 11.5 acres of such property to the Veterans Administration (VA) for expansion of a VA hospital, and to convey 4.5 acres of such property to the State of Arizona for the construction of a nursing home for veterans, provided that each such entity elects to accept such property. Provides that such property conveyed to Phoenix and Arizona shall revert to the United States if not used for the prescribed purposes. Requires Collier to provide 90 days' advance notice of its intention to accept the offer of the United States under the exchange agreement to the Secretary, the Mayor of Phoenix, the Administrator of Veterans Affairs, the Intertribal Council of Arizona (ITCA), the governing body of the Navajo Tribe, and the Governor of Arizona. Requires the Secretary, not later that 45 days after receiving such notice from Collier, to publish notice that the Secretary will consider offers by persons other than Collier for the school property. Requires any such offer to provide for: (1) a single cash payment of a minimum acceptable price; (2) an agreement to make annual payments into the Arizona Intertribal Trust Fund or the Navajo Trust Fund; and (3) an offer to enter into a planning and zoning agreement with the city of Phoenix. Provides that: (1) if no qualifying offer is received, Collier may accept the U.S. offer under the exchange agreement; (2) if a qualifying offer is received, Collier will be allowed to match that offer; and (3) if Collier declines to match the best qualifying offer, the Secretary shall accept such offer. Provides for the management of school property which is not conveyed or which reverts to the United States under this Act. Provides for the deposit of the monetary proceeds from the school property into the Arizona Intertribal Trust Fund and the Navajo Trust Fund. Allows the Secretary to elect to receive such proceeds in a lump-sum payment or in 30 annual payments. Title II - Requires the Secretary to close the Phoenix Indian High School between June 1, 1988, and September 1, 1988. Requires the Secretary to notify the tribal governing body of each affected Arizona tribe and each student, or parent or guardian of each student, enrolled at the school within 30 days after the enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary to transfer administrative jurisdiction of the school property from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the National Park Service within 60 days after the closure of the school. Authorizes the National Park Service to manage and control the property consistent with the requirements of the exchange agreement, although the school property will not be considered a unit of the National Park System. Provides for the establishment of the Arizona Intertribal Trust Fund and the Navajo Trust Fund. Specifies that each fund shall consist of the portion of the monetary proceeds from the school property allocable to the fund. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) invest any lump-sum payments into the trust fund into interest-bearing securities and deposits; or (2) hold the security provided by the purchaser in trust if payment into the trust funds is made in the form of annual payments. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, at the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, to invest any portion of the trust income not used. Limits use of the trust income to supplemental educational and child-welfare programs, activities, and services and the design, construction, improvement, and repair of related facilities. Authorizes the Secretary, pursuant to appropriations and with the approval of the governing body of the affected tribe, to make grants from the trust funds to public school districts on or near the reservations. Directs the Secretary to make annual payments in an amount equal to five percent of the appropriate trust income to the ITCA and the governing body of the Navajo tribe. Limits the use of such income to education, child welfare, community development, and general administrative purposes. Prohibits the use of any part of the trust income for scholarship grants for higher education. Provides for the allocation of the monetary proceeds from school property into the trust funds, with 95 percent of the payment to be deposited into the Arizona Intertribal Trust Fund, and five percent to be deposited into the Navajo Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1988
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove the exemptions for Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS loans) from certain eligibility requirements under title IV (Student Assistance) of such Act. Applies special rules for multiple disbursement to SLS loans. Requires applicants for SLS loans to have: (1) received a determination of eligibility or ineligibility for a Pell Grant; or (2) filed a Pell Grant application and received a preliminary determination of eligibility or ineligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 1988
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to determine the payments to be made to hospitals under Medicare's prospective payment system on the basis of a blend of hospital-specific rates and a national rate, depending on the degree to which costs vary within specific diagnosis-related groups. Eliminates the urban or rural classification of an area as a consideration in hospital payment determinations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) identify relevant labor markets for hospitals; (2) establish a methodology to determine the proportion of hospital costs which are wage-related and compare the hospital wage level in each labor market with the national average hospital wage level; and (3) take into account differences among hospitals in part and full-time employment patterns.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1988
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1988 - Provides that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of handicap in: (1) employment practices and training covered by title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (2) the sale or rental of housing covered by title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968; (3) any public accommodation covered by title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (4) transportation services; (5) the actions, practices, and operations of State and local governments; and (6) broadcasts, communications, or telecommunications services. Lists the forms of discrimination which are prohibited by this Act, including: (1) denying any person the opportunity to participate in or benefit from a service, program, job, or other opportunity on the basis of his or her handicap; (2) establishing (or failing to remove) any architectural, transportation, or communication barriers that prevent the access or limit the participation of persons because of their handicap; (3) failing or refusing to make a reasonable accommodation to permit a handicapped individual to have access to a program, activity, job, or opportunity; (4) imposing any unnecessary standard or criteria that screens out or places the handicapped at a disadvantage; and (5) denying services, programs, jobs, or other opportunities to any person because of that person's relationship to, or association with, a handicapped person. Permits the exclusion or denial of equal access to services, programs, jobs, or other opportunities to persons: (1) for reasons unrelated to the existence of their handicap; or (2) based upon the application of standards or criteria that are necessary and substantially related to the ability to perform essential components of the job, program, activity, or opportunity, and such performance can not be accomplished by a reasonable accommodation. States that it shall be an act of discrimination, in regard to housing, to discriminate in the sale or rental of a dwelling (or in the terms, conditions, or privileges of such sale or rental) to any buyer or renter because of the physical or mental impairment of: (1) the buyer or renter; (2) a person residing in, or intending to reside in, such dwelling; or (3) any person associated with the buyer or renter. States that it shall be an act of discrimination to: (1) refuse to permit reasonable modifications, at the expense of the handicapped person, to afford such person enjoyment of the premises; (2) refuse to make reasonable accommodation in rules, policies, practices, or services to afford handicapped individuals equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling; or (3) fail to design and construct multifamily dwellings (after a specified date) which are not accessible to the handicapped. Provides certain limitations on the duties of accommodation and barrier removal. Sets forth guidelines for the establishment of requirements and promulgation of regulations by specified Federal entities with respect to: (1) the accessibility of buildings and transportation systems; (2) the implementation and enforcement of the requirements of this Act; (3) employment practices; (4) the sale and rental of housing; and (5) the removal of communication barriers. Establishes procedures for the administrative enforcement of the provisions of this Act. Establishes a civil right of action for individuals who are subjected to discrimination in violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1988
Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to extend the deadline for local educational agencies to submit school asbestos management plans to their State Governors to April 12, 1989. Authorizes appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for FY 1989 so that the EPA may provide grants to States to: (1) hire additional personnel to review asbestos management plans; (2) pay for the training of employees of schools or regional or intergovernmental educational entities to conduct school asbestos inspection and management activities; (3) reimburse local educational agencies or schools for excessive or unduly burdensome costs of contracts entered into before May 15, 1988, for asbestos inspection and management plan development services; and (4) reimburse each school for asbestos inspection and management plan development expenditures that exceed two percent of the school's total annual budget.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 1988
Prohibits the Administrator of Veterans Affairs from taking into consideration any payment to any person pursuant to the settlement in the case of In re: "Agent Orange" Product Liability Litigation in determining: (1) eligibility to receive a veterans' pension; (2) the amount of any such pension; or (3) the amount of such person's attributable income for purposes of eligibility for certain medical benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the income tax rules requiring cost capitalization shall not apply in connection with the qualified artistic work expenses of freelance writers, artists, and photographers. Excludes from qualified expenses those related to printing, photographic plates, motion picture films, video tapes, and similar items. Applies the same exemption with respect to qualified indirect costs of certain film producers, not including any direct costs of a motion picture film or video tape.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1988
Recycling Act of 1988 - Establishes the Center for Plastics Recycling Research of Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, in Piscataway, New Jersey, as the national center (Center) for plastics recycling. Requires that such Center: (1) establish and operate a clearinghouse of information relating to plastics; and (2) make grants to four other colleges and universities covering 50 percent of the funds required by each such college or university to assist the Center in conducting specified plastic recycling research activities, with the remaining funds being provided by the State in which such college or university is located. Authorizes appropriations for such activities for each of the first three fiscal years beginning after this Act's enactment. Directs the Secretary of Education to conduct a three-year public outreach program providing information to secondary school students, State and local governments, and the general public regarding: (1) the harmful environmental effects of the improper disposal of plastic and non-plastic wastes; (2) the importance of proper municipal waste disposal; (3) the benefits of recycling; and (4) methods to encourage voluntary recycling activities. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish and operate the National Clearinghouse on Recycling to gather, catalog, and disseminate information on recycling-related issues and activities, including: (1) current and prospective recycling technologies; (2) the development and marketing of recycled waste products; and (3) intergovernmental arrangements for the public and private management of recycling activities. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study and report to the Congress within one year of this Act's enactment on the adverse effects of the improper disposal of paper, glass, aluminum, and other nonplastic articles on the environment and on waste disposal, and the various methods to reduce or eliminate such effects. Requires that the results of such study be integrated with the results of a plastic pollution reduction study required under the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987. Directs the EPA to make grants to State and local governments covering 50 percent of the costs of conducting demonstration projects related to recycling. Requires that at least one such grant each year be awarded to a State whose laws mandate the collection, for purposes of recycling, of two or more types of household or commercial wastes. Authorizes appropriations for such grants for three years.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 1988
Recycling Information Clearinghouse Act of 1988 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a clearinghouse for information about the recycling of municipal solid waste, to be administered by the Office of Solid Waste. Requires that the information collected and disseminated to the public by such clearinghouse include: (1) an annual estimate of the volume and rate of recycling of materials from the municipal solid waste stream; (2) an annual estimate of the balance of trade in recycled materials and products; (3) economic data comparing the costs and benefits of recycling various materials from the municipal solid waste stream; (4) a catalog of State and local laws that encourage or require the recycling of materials from the municipal solid waste stream; (5) a list of all purchases of recycled materials or products by the Federal Government, organized by agency and the type of recycled materials or products purchased; (6) a register announcing all solicitations by Federal agencies for the purchase of recycled materials or products; and (7) information about state-of-the-art recycling methods, programs, or technologies. Requires that a toll-free telephone hotline be established and made available to those seeking information from the clearinghouse. Provides that, to the extent feasible, such information should be computerized to facilitate its analysis and retrieval. Authorizes appropriations for such clearinghouse.
![Official portrait of Rep. Jontz, Jim [D-IN-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000265_200.jpg)