United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Acid Deposition Control Act of 1986 - Title I: Stationary Sources - Amends the Clean Air Act to require States to develop and submit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) an emissions limitation compliance schedule for sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from fossil-fuel-fired electric utility steam generating units. Requires a two-phase reduction in such emissions, the first to be achieved by 1993, the second by 1997. Requires each State to develop and submit to the Administrator a plan to achieve emissions reductions from other fossil-fuel-fired steam generating units by 1977. Directs the Administrator to conduct and update a comprehensive annual inventory of emissions of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from stationary sources, identifying achievable reductions which could be made by 1997. Requires States to submit to the Administrator for approval a plan for achieving such reductions. Grants States discretion in their choice of compliance measures. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress by July 1, 1993, on phase I reductions and the feasibility of meeting phase II reductions. States that phase II reductions will not take effect if the Congress enacts legislation to that effect. Sets forth emissions rates a State without an approved reductions plan must follow. Authorizes the Administrator to impose a fee on the generation and importation of electric energy between December 31, 1988, and December 31, 1996, to subsidize the interest on qualified pollution control debt incurred by the utility. Establishes civil penalties for fee violations. Establishes in the Treasury the Acid Deposition Control Fund to receive such fees and provide interest subsidy payments for pollution control systems meeting specified standards. Revises the standards for nitrogen oxides emissions for new electric utility steam generating units which burn bituminous or subbituminous coal and for certain fossil-fuel-fired steam generating units. Requires certain smelters to be in compliance with the applicable emissions reduction standard by January 2, 1988, without extension or delay. Title II: Control of Emission from Mobile Sources - Sets oxides of nitrogen emission standards for motor vehicles for model years 1988, 1989, and beyond. Modifies hydrocarbon standards for trucks after model year 1989. Directs the Administrator to regulate sulfur in diesel fuel for 1989 and beyond. Requires either the use of onboard hydrocarbon control technology or the use of gasoline vapor recovery of hydrocarbon emissions emanating from fueling motor vehicles. Title III: International Cooperation - Expresses the concern of the Congress over transboundary pollution between the United States and Mexico and directs the Secretary of State and the Administrator to conclude an agreement within three months of enactment. Requires such an agreement to cover specified copper smelters. Requires the Secretary and the Administrator to report to the Congress within six months on negotiating such agreement. Requires EPA to perform atmospheric field experiments to determine the effects of sulfur dioxide emissions, before and after pollution controls, of the Nacozaria smelter, Mexico, on specified western States. Directs the Secretary to establish an international agency, or utilize an existing agency, to report on the effects of transboundary air pollution from copper smelters on public health and welfare in the United States and in Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Designates May 21, 1986, as National Andrei Sakharov Day. Authorizes and requests the President to urge the Soviet Union to permit Andrei Sakharov and Elena Bonner to freely choose their place of residence.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1986
Amends the American Folklife Preservation Act to extend through FY 1989 the authorization of appropriations for the American Folklife Center, located in the Library of Congress. Repeals a restriction on the Center's use of FY 1985 or 1986 funds to pay for any personnel position established after August 21, 1984.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1986
Prohibits the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to specified proposed sales of Sidewinder, Stinger, and Harpoon missiles and services to Saudi Arabia, as described in the April 8, 1986, certifications from the President to the Congress under the Arms Export Control Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny the tax exclusion for interest on industrial development bonds used to finance the acquisition of farm property by foreign persons. Defines a "foreign person" as: (1) any individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States; (2) any foreign corporation, foreign partnership, foreign trust, or foreign estate; (3) any domestic corporation more than ten percent of the value of the stock of which is held by one or more foreign persons; (4) any domestic partnership more than ten percent of the capital or profits interest in which is held by one or more foreign persons; or (5) any domestic trust more than ten percent of the beneficial interests in which is held by one or more foreign persons.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Attorney General should examine all available evidence regarding the activities of Kurt Waldheim during the Second World War to determine whether he is ineligible to receive a visa and must be excluded from admission into the United States under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Agriculture should take immediate steps to investigate alternative animal identification procedures in lieu of hot-iron cheek branding.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1986
Directs the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Transportation (in conjunction with the State highway agencies of Pennsylvania and New Jersey) to repay Federal funds previously obligated for the Delaware Water Gap Bridge on Interstate 80. Requires the Commission and such States to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Transportation if the Commission and such States decide to operate an uncompleted bridge on Interstate 78 as a toll bridge. Grants congressional consent to a supplemental agreement between Pennsylvania and New Jersey which: (1) grants the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission authority to collect tolls and revenues for the use of Commission facilities and to expend such revenues for existing non-toll bridges over the Delaware River between New Jersey and Pennsylvania; and (2) authorizes such States to construct a bridge across the Delaware River in the vicinity of Easton, Pennsylvania, and Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1986
Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to provide that upon conviction of an air carrier for either failure to file requisite reports, or the falsification of such reports, the criminal penalty shall include a fine in accordance with Federal criminal law, or a maximum term of five years' imprisonment, or both. Provides a maximum civil penalty of $1,000 for safety violations relating to notification of proposed construction of structures which could pose a hazard to air navigation. (Current law provides only for a criminal penalty.) Increases from $1,000 to $10,000 the maximum civil penalty which may be imposed for violation of certain administrative, security, and safety regulations by commercial aircraft operators.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1986
Amends the Act known as the Engle Act of 1958 to require congressional approval of the reservation or withdrawal of airspace zones over nonmilitary public lands for certain defense purposes. Deems the establishment of any such zone to be a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act. Requires any zone proposal submitted to the Congress to be accompanied by an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1986
Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to exempt from any sequestration of funds under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) certain benefits of veterans and their dependents and survivors which are based upon the service-connected disability or death of such veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1986
Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 - Title I: Unified and Specified Commands - Amends general military law to direct the President to establish unified and specified combatant commands to perform military missions and to prescribe the force structure of such commands. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, if a situation warrants it, to establish a special combatant command. Requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to periodically (not less frequently than every other year) review the overall structure of the unified and specified combatant commands and make appropriate recommendations to the President. Directs the President to promptly notify the Congress of any action taken in response to such recommendations. Directs the Secretary of each military department to assign all forces under their jurisdiction (except forces assigned to recruiting, organizing, training, or supplying the armed forces) to unified and specified combatant commands as established under this Act. Outlines provisions concerning the command hierarchy of such assigned forces. Provides that commanders of combatant commands shall be supervised by the Chairman of JCS, and be responsible to the President and the Secretary of Defense for their missions. Makes the Secretary of each military department responsible for the support and administration of forces assigned by that department to combatant commands. Authorizes the commander of a combatant command to request the Secretary of Defense for the transfer to such commander of support or administrative functions. Directs the Secretary of Defense to include in the annual budget of the Department of Defense (DOD) a separate budget proposal for activities of each of the unified and specified combatant commands. Outlines information concerning activities of such combatant commands to be included in such proposals. Requires the commander of each such command to submit to the Chairman of JCS, for review and recommendations, annual program and budget proposals for such commands. Outlines provisions concerning the selection and tenure of combatant command subordinate commanders and staff officers. Establishes in DOD the Joint Commanders Council, consisting of the Chairman of JCS and the commanders of the combatant commands. Directs such council to advise the chairman, the President, and the Secretary of Defense on appropriate matters. Requires the Chairman of JCS to submit to the Secretary of Defense recommendation for the allocation of defense resources under the proposed national defense budget for each fiscal year, and to take certain other specified actions in connection with activities of the unified and specified combatant commands. Directs the Secretary of Defense (the Secretary) to provide for the transfer of staff personnel to the staffs of the commanders of the unified and specified commands in conformity with the reorganization under this Act. Limits the total staff size of the unified and specified commands to a number no greater than the staff size of the military departments before such transfer. Outlines considerations to be included in the initial review of the structure of the unified and specified commands. Title II: Defense Agencies - Directs the Secretary, in appropriate cases, to provide for the performance by one agency or organization of supply or service activities common to more than one military department. Directs the Secretary to periodically (and not less frequently than every two years) review the services and supplies provided by the defense agencies to ensure that such provision is more economical than the provision of such services by the military departments. Specifies various officers and directors whose views are required as part of the Secretary's review. Requires the Chairman of JCS to periodically (and not less frequently than every two years) report to the Secretary concerning the combat support agencies. Outlines information to be included in each report. Directs the Chairman to: (1) provide for the participation of the combat support agencies in joint training exercises; and (2) assess the performance of each agency in such exercise and provide for any necessary changes. Requires the chairman to develop a uniform system for reporting each such agency's readiness to perform in a war or threat to national security. Establishes in each combat support agency a combat support agency policy council. Outlines the composition of such council. Requires such council to: (1) advise the director of that agency on policy matters relating to the operation of that agency; and (2) consider and provide advice as directed by the Secretary of Defense. Requires the director of a combat support agency, upon request, to assign a representative of that agency to the headquarters of a unified or specified combatant commands. Defines "combat support agency." Requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study of the functions and organizational structure of the defense agencies. Outlines determinations to be made in such study. Directs the Chairman of JCS and the Secretaries of the military departments to each conduct a study of the functions and organizational structure of the defense agencies. Requires each such study to be submitted to the Secretary of Defense. Outlines matters to be considered in each such study. Directs the Secretary of Defense, within a specified conditional deadline, to report to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees concerning the studies made of the functions and organizational structure of the defense agencies, together with recommendations. Title III: Joint Officer Subspecialty - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a secondary occupational specialty for officers in each branch of the armed forces, to be known as the joint subspecialty. Outlines provisions concerning the number, selection, and assignments of officers to joint subspecialties. Directs the Secretary to establish career guidelines for officers in the joint subspecialty. Directs the Secretary to revise the curriculum of schools of the National Defense University in order to enhance the education and training of officers in joint military matters. Requires officers graduating from a joint military school in a joint subspecialty to be assigned to a joint position in that officer's next duty assignment. Prohibits an officer from commanding a unified or specified combatant command unless such officer is in a joint subspecialty. Prohibits an officer from appointment as Chairman of JCS unless the officer has served as the commander of a unified or specified command. Sets forth the promotion policy for joint service officers (including faster promotions). Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for monitoring the careers of officers in the joint subspecialty or other joint officers. Revises provisions concerning the review of promotion lists by the Chairman of JCS to allow the Chairman, in a limited number of instances, to recommend for promotion officers who: (1) have served in joint assignments; and (2) were considered by a review board but not recommended for promotion. Allows the Secretary of the military department concerned to disagree with the Chairman's promotion recommendations. Requires the Secretary concerned to record their disagreement as part of their transmittal to the Secretary of Defense of the selection board's report. Requires the Secretary of Defense to resolve any such disagreements before transmitting the report to the President. Requires previous joint officer assignments for officers promoted to brigadier general or real admiral (lower half). Authorizes the Secretary to waive such prerequisite in appropriate cases. Outlines the length of duty as a joint officer required for promotion to certain grades. Requires the Chairman of JCS to advise the Secretaries of the military departments concerned with respect to duty assignments of officers in the joint subspecialty and other joint officers. Requires the Secretary of Defense to ensure that military schools strengthen the focus on joint military operations in preparing certain level officers for joint duty assignments. Directs the Secretary of Defense to make the initial selection of officers for the joint subspecialty, following certain special rules. Title IV: Military Department Organization - Directs the Secretary of Defense to reorganize the executive part of the military departments, following specified reorganization policies. Defines the executive part of each military department. Outlines the functions of the Assistant Secretaries of a military department as reorganized under this Act. Limits to 30 the size of the personal staff of the Secretary of a military department. Limits the size of the staff of each military department to 85 percent of the size of such staff before the reorganization. Requires the Secretary of Defense to provide that operation and planning responsibilities that are duplicated by the staff of the JCS shall be shifted to that staff. Requires the Secretary, as well as the Secretaries of the military departments, to provide that functions able to be performed by commands outside the Washington, D.C. area shall be reassigned to those commands. Directs the Secretary to complete implementation of this title no later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, and to report to the Congress on such implementation 30 days after such date.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1986
Directs the President to provide, within seven days, to the House of Representatives documents relating to the use of specified funds appropriated for humanitarian assistance for the Nicaraguan democratic resistance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Establishes a presumption of service-connection for disability purposes for former prisoners of war suffering from the following conditions after active service: (1) organic residuals of hypothermia; (2) spastic colon; and (3) arthritis due to trauma. Decreases from six months to 90 days the amount of time a former prisoner of war must have been incarcerated to be eligible for outpatient dental services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Benefits Protection Act of 1986 - Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to: (1) provide that certain cost of living increases in railroad retirement annuities shall not be prevented from taking effect by any provision of law other than such Act; (2) prohibit the sequestration of any amounts appropriated to the Dual Benefits Payment Account other than by such Act; and (3) prohibit the sequestration of administrative expenses for the Railroad Retirement Board other than by such Act. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to prohibit any: (1) legislative limitation from being placed upon the availability of railroad unemployment insurance benefit payments other than by such Act; and (2) sequestration of railroad unemployment insurance administration funds other than by such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1986
Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to exempt the pay adjustments of employees under the Federal prevailing rate pay system (blue collar employees) from the President's sequestration order.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that both Spain and Israel should be congratulated on establishing full diplomatic relations with each other.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Amends Federal law relating to competition requirements in defense contracts to direct the head of a defense agency to require any firm that submits a bid or proposal in response to a solicitation to disclose in such bid or proposal any significant interest in that firm that is owned or controlled by a foreign government or a foreign national. Requires the head of an agency to exclude from consideration for a contract exceeding $100,000 a firm in which a hostile foreign government or covered foreign national owns or controls a significant interest. Directs the Secretary of Defense to prescribe regulations listing hostile foreign governments. Makes this Act inapplicable to the Coast Guard or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1986
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to accept specified lands known as the Taney Farm for administration as part of the Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania, if such lands are offered without consideration.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kostmayer, Peter H. [D-PA-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000319_200.jpg)