United States · United States Congress · 12 October 1978
Good Samaritan Act - Declares: (1) that any physician, registered nurse, or aircraft employee who, in good faith and with a reasonable belief that immediate medical attention is necessary, renders emergency care to an injured or ill person aboard an aircraft within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission by such individual in rendering such care, except for any act or omission amounting to gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct; and (2) that any such individual shall not be liable for any such act or omission in rendering continued emergency care to the injured or ill person during transportation from the aircraft to a medical facility for further treatment or care.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1978
Declares it the sense of Congress that, in selecting a site to be used as a launching base for the MX intercontinental missile, the Secretary of Defense should exempt from consideration areas where the siting of such a missile would result in the destruction or idling of productive farmland and the displacing of farmers and ranchers from their homes and land.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 1978
Establishes the Claude Pepper Senior Citizen Congressional Intern program which authorizes each Member of Congress to hire each year one senior citizen intern to serve within the District of Columbia for one of two two-week periods. Specifies that such intern shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed $300 per week.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 1978
Provides that an individual shall not be treated as an employee for purposes of the employment tax if a taxpayer did not treat him as an employee for any period prior to January 1, 1980, and had no reasonable basis for so doing. Sets forth criteria for determining whether a taxpayer had a reasonable basis for not treating an individual as an employee. Prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from issuing regulations or rulings before January 1, 1980, regarding the employment status of any individual for purposes of the employment tax.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 1978
Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that remarks of Members made on the floor of the House or submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record, including revisions and extensions, be relevant to governmental matters.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 1978
Soft Drink Interbrand Competition Act - Declares that exclusive territorial arrangements made as a part of a licensing agreement for the manufacture, distribution, or sale of a trademarked soft drink product are lawful under the antitrust laws provided such product is in substantial and effective competition with other products of the same general class.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1978
Sunset Program Reauthorization and Evaluation Act - Title I: Reauthorization of New Budget Authority - Requires Government programs to be evaluated pursuant to a specified schedule to determine whether each such program should be continued, terminated, or altered (reauthorization review). Prohibits the authorization of new budget authority for a period of more than ten years. Prohibits the authorization of new budget authority for any program for which there has not been conducted a reauthorization review. Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, in consulation with the Comptroller General and the Director of the Congressional Research Service, to compile a list of programs subject to a reauthorization date for which new budget authority was not authorized. Title II: Program Inventory - Requires the Comptroller General to compile an inventory of Federal programs including a description of such programs covering specified topics. Title III: Program Review and Evaluation - Requires each House of Congress to select from the programs scheduled for reauthorization review in any given year a number of programs for comprehensive reauthorization review. Requires the President and each congressional committee to recommend such programs. Title IV: Citizens' Commission on the Organization and Operation of Government - Establishes an independent Citizen's Commission on the Organization and Operation of Government to study the organization and operation of Federal agencies and to recommend ways to improve the efficiency and operations of such agencies. Requires the Commission to submit its final report by July 1, 1983, and terminates the Commission 90 days after the submission of such report. Title V: Miscellaneous - Requires the Comptroller General to furnish Congress with the results of prior audits and reviews of programs being reviewed under this Act. Requires all agencies which are exempt from reauthorization review to submit a status report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 1978
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to raise the price support levels for milk, wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton to 90 percent of their respective parity prices. Reduces the price levels at which producers participating in the wheat and feed grains storage program: (1) may redeem and market commodities securing price support loans (from between 140 to 160 percent of their respective parity prices to 100 percent); and (2) must repay such loans (from 175 to 110 percent of their respective parity prices).
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 1978
Court Interpreters Act - Establishes, through the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, a program to: (1) compile and make available lists of qualified interpreters for non-English speakers and hearing impaired persons (whether or not also speech impaired) and; (2) provide the services of such interpreters free in criminal actions and civil actions initiated by the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 August 1978
Urges the President to communicate with the Soviet Union concerning its obligation in accordance with the Helsinki accords to allow Isaac Zlotver to emigrate from the Soviet Union.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 1978
Directs the Internal Revenue Service not to adopt a position which is inconsistent with a general audit position, a regulation, or a ruling in effect on January 1, 1976, in determining whether an individual is an employee for purposes of social security taxation, unemployment taxation, and income tax withholding. Prohibits the treatment of any individual as an employee of any employer, if such employer consistently treated the individual, in good faith, as an independent contractor in reasonable reliance on either past IRS audit practice, published rulings or judicial precedent, recognized practice in the industry, or long-standing treatment of the individual as an independent contractor.
United States · United States Congress · 9 August 1978
Amends Title XI (General Provisions and Professional Standards Review) of the Social Security Act to include within the definition of an organization qualified for conditional designation as a Professional Standards Review Organization, an organization of health care practitioners who hold independent hospital admitting privileges and who are invited to become members by the organization. Includes as members of the advisory group for each statewide Professional Standards Review Council at least one registered professional nurse and doctor of dental surgery. Includes one registered professional nurse, one doctor of dental surgery, and one health care practitioner other than a physician in the National Professional Standards Review Council. Establishes an advisory committee to the National Professional Standards Review Council to be made up of representatives of health care practitioners other than physicians. Amends Title XVIII(Medicare) of the Act to authorize a hospital which meets specified conditions to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under which its inpatient hospital facilities may be used for the furnishing of services of the type which, if furnished by a skilled nursing facility, would constitute post-hospital extended care services. States that payment to any hospital for such services shall be based on the reasonable cost of such services. Sets forth a formula for determining such cost. Sets forth guideleines controlling such agreements. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress concerning such agreements. Amends Title XIX (Medicaid) to provide for payment to be made under a State plan approved under such Title for skilled nursing facility services and intermediate care facility services furnished by a hospital which has in effect an agreement (as set forth above) under Title XVIII. Amends Title XI to require, as a condition for payment to any State under Title V (Maternal and Child Health and Crippled Children's Services) or Title XIX for costs incurred in the performance of audits of certain entities which also provide services under Title XVIII, that the conduct of such audits be coordinated with audits performed with respect to the entity for purposes of Title XVIII. Requires, under Titles V and XIX, that a State plan for medical assistance provide that the records of any entity participating in the plan and providing services reimbursable on a cost-related basis will be audited to insure that proper payments are made under the plan. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress concerning such audits.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1978
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt taxpayers from the payment of interest or a penalty on tax deficiencies attributable to erroneous advice obtained in writing from an Internal Revenue Service Officer or employee acting in an official capacity.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1978
IRA-Employer Plan Coordination Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend to participants in tax-exempt employer pension plans the income tax deduction for cash contributions to a retirement savings account. Limits such deduction to the excess of the lesser of $1,500 ($1,750 for spousal plans) or an amount equal to 15 percent of an individual's employment compensation for a taxable year, over the total amount of contributions to a tax-exempt private employer plan to which such individual has a nonforfeitable right to 100 percent of his accrued benefits. Reduces, by five percent, the allowable deduction for participants in a multiemployer defined benefit plan or a church plan. Disallows deductions for employees covered by government plans, owner-employees, officers of corporations maintaining a plan, ten percent shareholders, and individuals who have attained age 70 1/2. Disallows deductions for individuals who are otherwise qualified but who do not conform to methods prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury for computing the total amount of plan contributions for a taxable year. Sets forth rules for the mandatory distribution of certain amounts from an individual retirement plan when an individual acquires a nonforfeitable right to 100 percent of his accrued benefits under a tax-exempt private employer plan. Requires an individual retirement account to contain a method for determining the taxable year in which specific contributions are made to it and the amount of income and loss which is attributable to a specific contribution for each taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 1978
Tax Cut Extension Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend until 1981: (1) the general tax credit; (2) the earned income credit; (3) withholding of tax requirements; (4) present corporate tax rates and the surtax extension; and (5) the credit for the employment of new employees.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 1978
Directs the Postmaster General to issue a special postage stamp in honor of Doctor Ralph J. Bunche, who worked for the cause of peace and against discrimination and intolerance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1978
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow handicapped individuals who are incapable of operating highway vehicles an income tax deduction for their comuting expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1978
Peace Corps Reform Act - Amends the Peace Corps Act to re-declare the purpose of such Act to be to assist least advantaged people and countries in meeting basic living needs, strengthening development programs, and furthering a spirit of voluntary action. Creates the Peace Corps as a government corporation, with authority for operations vested in a Presidentially appointed Board of Directors. Establishes in the Peace Corps an Advisory Council to evaluate Corps policies and programs. Directs the Peace Corps to request host governments to establish advisory councils to advise Peace Corps Country Directors and host country government officials on Corps operating procedures. Requires the Board (formerly the President) to appoint the Director of the Peace Corps. Directs the Corps to coordinate programs with other volunteer and development organizations. Repeals specified provisions of the Peace Corps Act which empower the President and Secretary of State to carry out such Act. Increases from $125 to$150 the readjustment allowance for Peace Corps volunteers. Prohibts the assignment of volunteers to the clerical staffs of Peace Corps representatives abroad. Prohibits volunteers from serving more than five years in any ten-year period without personal approval from the Director. Requires the Corps, in encouraging volunteers to continue their contributions to good will development, to assist in the readjustment of, and utilization of skills developed by, former volunteers. Includes spouses living with volunteers as eligible to receive living and other allowances, health care, language training, and other benefits. Eliminates the position of "volunteer leaders" from the Peace Corps and makes conforming amendments to the Internal Revenue Code. Amends the Domestic Volunteers Service Act of 1973 to eliminate one of the two Associate Directors of ACTION.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1978
Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act - Requires a report to the Secretary of Agriculture, containing legal name, address, citizenship, type of interest, and legal description of the land involved, and other specified information, from any foreign person (including individuals, organizations, governments, or any combination thereof) who holds, acquires, or transfers any interest, other than a security interest, in agricultural land. Establishes a civil penalty for violation of any provision of this Act in an amount not to exceed 25 percent of the fair market value of the land interest involved on the date of the penalty assessment. Requires the Secretary to report to the President and to Congress an analysis of the information obtained by him pursuant to this Act, and a determination of the effects of foreign holdings, acquisitions, and transfers on family farms and rural communities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1978
Provides that where two or more Members of the House of Representatives pay the basic pay of an individual from the clerk-hire allowance of each such Member, such individual shall be considered to be on the payroll of only one such Member for purposes of determining the number of individuals employed by such Members under the clerk-hire allowance. Requires such Members to designate who shall be considered the employer for the month involved and to report such designation to the Office of Finance.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1978
Animal Welfare Act Amendments - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit coursing (an event which involves the pursuit by one or more dogs of another live animal).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1978
Establishes a National Agricultural Cost of Production Board to review, and advise the Secretary of Agriculture concerning, the adequacy and accuracy of the cost-of-production formulas used by the Department of Agriculture in connection with the administration of its price support programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1978
Amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide payment under the Supplementary Medical Insurance program for lenses prescribed by a physician to improve the eyesight of individuals with severely limited central visual acuity.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 1978
Amends Title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to require States having agreements for coverage of their employees under the system of insurance established by such Title to make payments and reports on a calendar-quarter basis.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1978
Third Party Search Protection Act - Prohibits the issuance of a warrant to search any premises which are not under the control of a suspect in a crime under investigation, except upon a specific and further finding, based upon recorded non-hearsay evidence, that there is a high probability that the objects sought will be concealed, destroyed or altered. Requires search warrants issued under such circumstances to prescribe the protection of all privileged matters, including the sealing or guarding of such objects without examination, until such nonsuspect can be heard by the magistrate or judge.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 1978
Entitles former spouses of members of the armed forces who were married to the member for at least ten years to a portion of that member's retired or retainer pay. Entitles such former spouses to a portion of the annuity of the surviving spouse of such member. Stipulates that such a member may not elect not to provide an annuity under the Survivor Benefit Plan without the consent of the member's spouse and any former spouses.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1978
Georgia Neese Clark (Gray) Dollar Coin Act - Amends the Coinage Act of 1965 to change the size, weight, and design of the one-dollar coin. Provides for the portrayal of the likeness of Georgia Neese Clark (Gray) on the obverse side.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1978
Amends Title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled) of the Social Security Act to provide that an individual may work without being considered as having engaged in substantial gainful activity, and thus forfeiting disability status, if such individual's earnings are at a rate that does not exceed the amount specified by this Act. Excludes from an individual's income, for purposes of determining eligibility for benefits under such Title, an amount equal to the expenses which such individual incurs in earning income.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1978
Social Services Amendments - Amends Title XX (Grants to States for Services) of the Social Security Act to increase the ceiling on the total amount allocable to the States for social services. Specifies a formula for determining increases for fiscal year 1978 and succeeding years. Requires State officials to consult with local officials in developing a comprehensive services program plan. Extends through fiscal year 1979 the provisions of Public Law 94-401 which provides $200,000,000 in additional funds for social services under Title XX of the Social Security Act. Extends, for one year, provisions of Public Law 94-401 pertaining to child day care services. Makes permanent the authorization granted under Public Law 94-120 to use funds to provide for medical care associated with the initial detoxification of alcoholics and drug addicts. Authorizes payment for emergency shelter for adults in danger of physical or mental injury, neglect, maltreatment, or exploitation. Prohibits payment for such shelter for more than 30 days in any six month period. Authorizes appropriations under Title XX for Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands for fiscal year 1979 and succeeding years.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 1978
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to compile and publish a report, to be revised every three years, containing specific recommendations for a railroad transportation system adequate to meet the essential needs of the agricultural industry of the United States. Requires annual reports to Congress regarding the capability of the Nation's transportation system (all forms of transportation) to meet such needs. Directs the Secretary to participate in all proceedings of any Federal agencies likely to make an impact on the agricultural industry of the United States or on rural development in order to foster the cause of an efficient and economical transportation system serving such interests.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 1978
Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 to extend to all units of the legislative branch of the Federal Government the prohibition of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in all personnel actions which now applies only to those units of the legislative branch having positions in the competitive civil service. Amends the National Labor Relations Act to include the United States and the legislative branch of the Federal Government as employers subject to the prohibition against unfair labor practices declared in that Act. Extends the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to the employees of any unit of the legislative branch of the Federal Government whether a unit has positions in the competitive civil service or not. Includes the United States and the legislative branch of the Federal Government within the definition of the term "employer" in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Applies the provisions of the Freedom Information Act and the Privacy Act to the legislative branch. Repeals the exemption of Congress from the social security taxing and benefit provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 1978
Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin Act - Amends the Coinage Act of 1965 to change the size and weight of the one-dollar coin and to require that the obverse side of such coin bear the likeness of Susan B. Anthony.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1978
Small Business Regulatory Relief Act - Amends the Small Business Act to direct each Federal department, agency, and instrumentality engaged in rulemaking to prepare a written analysis of whether it is legal, feasible, and desirable to exempt small businesses (or classes thereof) from a rule or whether the agency should promulgate a rule with lesser compliance standards for businesses. Sets forth information which must be present in such analysis.
![Official portrait of Rep. Keys, Martha E. [D-KS-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/dad2f462c04d4a8ee16d2c737e1011f1_200.jpg)