United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is commended for initiating an unfair trade practice investigation with respect to the petition filed by the American Soybean Association for the enforcement of trade benefits under a trade agreement; (2) the USTR should pursue its investigation of the alleged unfair trade practices contained in such petition; and (3) the President should use his authority to enforce trade agreements under the Trade Act of 1974 to restore the benefits due the U.S. soybean industry as a result of the European Community agreement to provide duty-free treatment for U.S. soybean products.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 1988
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to grant duty-free treatment of bi-level rail passenger cars that are: (1) classified under the Tariff Schedules of the United States; (2) designed for, and are for the use of, the Florida Department of Transportation; and (3) entered into the United States after March 14, 1988, and before January 1, 1989.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 1988
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Death Penalty Act of 1988 - Amends the Federal criminal code to subject any person who is found guilty of the first degree murder of a Federal law enforcement officer, or certain other Federal officials or employees, to the penalty of death. Establishes procedures for the imposition of the death penalty in such cases. Provides that no person who was less than 18 years of age may be sentenced to death. Sets forth mitigating and aggravating factors to be considered by the jury in determining whether the death sentence will be imposed. Requires the Government to serve notice upon the defendant a reasonable time before trial or acceptance of a plea that it intends to seek the death penalty, as well as notice of the aggravating factors upon which it will rely. Provides that no presentence report shall be prepared in such cases. Requires a separate sentencing hearing before a jury or the court (upon motion by the defendant) when the defendant is convicted and the Government has filed notice that it intends to seek the death penalty. Allows the Government and the defendant to present any information relevant to a mitigating or aggravating factor without regard to the rules of evidence, but permits information to be excluded where its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of creating unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, or misleading the jury. Conditions imposition of the death penalty on a unanimous finding by the jury or, if there is no jury, the court, that: (1) the aggravating factors found to exist sufficiently outweigh any mitigating factor found to exist; or (2) in the absence of a mitigating factor, the aggravating factors alone are sufficient to justify a sentence of death. Requires the court to instruct the jury not to consider the race, color, national origin, creed, or sex of the defendant in its consideration of the death sentence. Directs the court to impose the death sentence upon a finding that such sentence is justified. Establishes procedures for appeal from a death sentence. Requires the court of appeals, upon consideration of the record and the information and procedures of the sentencing hearing, and any special finding, to affirm the decision if: (1) the sentence was not imposed under influence of passion, prejudice, or arbitrariness; and (2) the information supports the special finding of the existence of an aggravating factor. Requires the court to provide a written explanation of its determination. Establishes procedures for the implementation of the death sentence.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 1988
Amends the Revenue Act of 1987 to delay until October 1, 1988, the imposition of excise tax on wholesale sales of diesel and aviation fuels. (Under current law the tax applies to sales after March 31, 1988.)
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax credit for farmers' or ranchers' charitable contributions of certain agricultural products. Sets the amount of the credit at ten percent of the taxpayer's choice of either the wholesale market price or the most recent sale price of the product. Describes products eligible for the credit. Disallows the credit with respect to amounts permitted as tax deductions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1988
Imposes a civil penalty upon any person who mails to any individual or group of individuals at their place of residence: (1) any unsolicited sexually oriented advertisement; or (2) any unsolicited obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy, or vile article, matter, thing, device, or substance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 1988
Rail Line Preservation and Employee Protection Act - Amends Federal law regarding railroad industry acquisitions by noncarriers to direct the Interstate Commerce Commission to require as a condition of its approval or exemption procedure the payment of separation allowance to eligible employees. Prescribes employee eligibility criteria. Sets forth a separation allowance schedule. Establishes a maximum separation allowance of $30,000 adjusted annually for inflation. Cites circumstances under which the Commission is authorized to require a transferor carrier to pay separation allowances to employees dismissed as a consequence of a rail line transfer if such employees were performing services upon such lines. Outlines conditions under which the acquiring noncarrier must grant the right of first hire in seniority order to employees who had been performing services for the transferor rail carrier in connection with the transferred rail lines. States that the Commission's authority under this Act is plenary and exclusive.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the excise tax on diesel and aviation fuels. Prohibits imposition of the tax on the sale of these fuels by a producer or importer for use by the purchaser in a nontaxable use (defined to include, among other uses, any off-highway business use, use as supplies for vessels or aircraft, State or local governmental use, and use by a nonprofit educational organization). Permits the exemption only if both the seller and purchaser have registered with the Secretary of the Treasury. Requires producers, importers, and purchasers taking part in reduced-tax sales to file with the Secretary information returns containing specified data. Requires producers and importers, in addition, to furnish corresponding statements to their purchasers. Establishes penalties for failure to file required returns.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1988
Directs the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to develop a master plan for the expansion of the National Air and Space Museum at an airport while allowing such airport to continue its normal operations. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 and 1989 for the development of such plan. Directs the Board, using funds obtained from private sources, to design and construct any new facilities which are needed under such master plan.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1988
Calls for the reestablishment of the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America to study the nature of U.S. interests in the region and the threats now posed to those interests. Directs the Commission to provide advice to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress on a long-term U.S. policy and on a means of building a national consensus on a comprehensive U.S. policy for the region.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1988
Amends the Federal criminal code to require that any individual convicted of a Federal offense pay an assessment to be used for the construction of State prisons. Establishes in the Treasury the State Prison Construction Fund to aid States in constructing prisons. Requires that all amounts received from assessments imposed under this Act be deposited into the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 1988
Requests the President to issue a proclamation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, which occurs on June 25, 1988. (The Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, formerly known as the Wagner-O'Day Act, provides employment and ancillary support services to blind and handicapped individuals.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Postal Reorganization Act of 1988 - Declares that the receipts and disbursements of the Postal Service Fund: (1) shall not be included in the totals of the Federal budget or the congressional budget; (2) shall be exempt from Federal budget limitations on expenditures and net lending; and (3) shall not be counted for purposes of calculating the Federal deficit. Repeals certain limitations on postal borrowing authority. Increases the limitations on postal borrowing authority.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification for U.S. assistance to Peru under provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to countries that fail to take adequate measures to prevent narcotic drugs and other controlled substances from being sold illegally within the jurisdiction of such country to U.S. Government personnel or from entering the United States unlawfully.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification (received by the Congress on March 1, 1988) of the narcotics cooperation of Peru under provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 regarding tariff treatment of products of uncooperative countries.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification (received by the Congress on March 1, 1988) of the narcotics cooperation of Bolivia under provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 regarding tariff treatment of products of uncooperative countries.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification for U.S. assistance to Paraguay under provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to countries that fail to take adequate measures to prevent narcotic drugs and other controlled substances from being sold illegally within the jurisdiction of such country to U.S. Government personnel or from entering the United States unlawfully.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification for U.S. assistance to Mexico under provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to countries that fail to take adequate measures to prevent narcotic drugs and other controlled substances from being sold illegally within the jurisdiction of such country to U.S. Government personnel or from entering the United States unlawfully.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification for U.S. assistance to Bolivia under provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to countries that fail to take adequate measures to prevent narcotic drugs and other controlled substances from being sold illegally within the jurisdiction of such country to U.S. Government personnel or from entering the United States unlawfully.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification for U.S. assistance to the Bahamas under provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to countries that fail to take adequate measures to prevent narcotic drugs and other controlled substances from being sold illegally within the jurisdiction of such country to U.S. Government personnel or from entering the United States unlawfully.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification (received by the Congress on March 1, 1988) of the narcotics cooperation of Mexico under provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 regarding tariff treatment of products of uncooperative countries.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification (received by the Congress on March 1, 1988) of the narcotics cooperation of Paraguay under provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 regarding tariff treatment of products of uncooperative countries.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 1988
Disapproves the President's certification (received by the Congress on March 1, 1988) of the narcotics cooperation of the Bahamas under provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 regarding tariff treatment of products of uncooperative countries.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 1988
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that FY 1989 funding for Federal-aid highway and mass transit programs should be at levels established by the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1988
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the Administration should pursue efforts to further liberalize the Japanese market for U.S. beef and encourage the elimination of the quota system; and (2) if a satisfactory solution is not reached with Japan when the current beef agreement expires, the U.S. Trade Representative should pursue appropriate measures in order to liberalize the Japanese beef market.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 1988
Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to prohibit the issuance of an airman's certificate to any person whose certificate has been revoked for activities relating to controlled substances. (Current law limits such prohibition to a five-year period beginning on the date of revocation.)
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate, as of January 1, 1989, the permitted exclusion from the taxable gross income of U.S. citizens and residents working abroad of: (1) foreign earned income; and (2) eligible housing expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 1988
Designates the week of June 26 through July 2, 1988, as National Safety Belt Use Week. Authorizes and requests the President to: (1) urge the people to wear safety belts and use child safety seats; and (2) encourage State and local governments and concerned organizations and officials to promote greater use of these safety devices.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1988
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to set 1988 through 1990 soybean support prices at $5.02 per bushel. (Currently such levels are a minimum of $4.50 per bushel for 1988 through 1990.) Requires (current law authorizes) soybean loan repayment at the lesser of prevailing world prices or the crop loan level. States that if producers of any crop are permitted to repay loans at less than the crop's loan level, cottonseed and sunflower seed prices shall be supported at traditional soybean-based levels.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit imposition of the excise tax on the sale of diesel or aviation fuel to any purchaser (or purchaser for resale to a second purchaser) for use on a farm for farming purposes. (Although fuel sold for these purposes is tax-exempt under current law, provisions of the Revenue Act of 1987 require purchasers to pay the tax and subsequently apply for a refund based on nontaxable uses of the fuel.) Prohibits imposition of the gasoline tax on the sale or removal of gasoline by any person (or for resale to a second person) for use on a farm for farming purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 1988
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the excise tax on diesel and aviation fuels any sales of fuel for exclusive State or local governmental use. (Under current law, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to issue regulations exempting such sales.) Prohibits the Secretary from requiring reporting or registration in connection with this tax exemption and exempt sales.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 1988
Repeals specified provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 that eliminated income averaging. Provides that the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) be applied and administered as if such provisions had not been enacted. Amends the IRC to restore income averaging for a person: (1) actively engaged in the trade or business of farming, including aquaculture; and (2) whose average annual gross income for the three preceding taxable years is at least 50 percent attributable to farming.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 1988
Expresses disapproval of the refusal of the U.S.S.R. to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic Republics. Designates June 14, 1988, as Baltic Freedom Day. Authorizes and requests the President to submit the issue of the Baltic Republics to the United Nations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 1988
Designates March 29, 1988, the birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, as Education Day, U.S.A. Calls on heads of state of the world to join the President of the United States in this tribute by signing an international scroll of honor.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lewis, Thomas F. [R-FL-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000295_200.jpg)