United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1986
Rural Health Care Improvement Act of 1986 - Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to require that whenever the Secretary of Health and Human Services proposes a regulation or promulgates a final version of a regulation under titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), or part B (Peer Review) of title XI of the Act which will have a substantial impact on small rural hospitals, the Secretary make a regulatory impact analysis available to the public. Amends the Medicare program to continue, beyond FY 1986, current law regarding Medicare payment to sole community hospitals for capital-related costs, treating such costs as distinct from operating costs of inpatient hospital services. Provides certain small sole community and rural hospitals with payment for extremely high cost cases (outlier payments) which represent five or six percent of the total payments made to such hospitals. Sets aside ten percent of amounts expended by the Secretary on certain experiments and demonstration projects for projects relating exclusively to rural health issues. Requires fiscal intermediaries to pay certain small rural hospitals for Medicare claims, at the latest, 30 days after receiving the request for such payment. Amends title VII (Administration) of the Act to establish an Office of Rural Health Policy in the Office of the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration to: (1) advise the Administrator regarding the effects of changes in the Medicare and Medicaid programs on rural health; and (2) oversee compliance with provisions of this Act requiring regulatory impact analysis and rural health demonstration projects.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that dairy cattle designated for slaughter under the dairy buyout program should be instead shipped to the Soviet Union and any European countries found to have been contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear accident and to those countries not contaminated by the accident but which can provide food products to affected areas. Provides that feed grain from the Commodity Credit Corporation as well as dairy beef resulting from the buyout program's slaughtering activities should be made available to the stricken countries.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1986
Declares that the President should: (1) suspend the importation of food and drink from countries affected by radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl accident until such countries can show that such food and drink are safe; and (2) appoint a task force to establish guidelines for the resumption of importation of such food products. Requires that the ban on such imported food products remain in effect until such guidelines are formed and put into effect.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1986
Grain Quality Improvement Act of 1986 - Amends the Grain Standards Act of 1916 to authorize the rounding off of numbers relating to grain condition or quality. Requires that any rounding off shall be in a direction to understate the condition or quality of the grain. Authorizes the Administrator of the Federal Grain Inspection Service to refuse to certify an export crop of grain if he believes that such cargo will deteriorate significantly in quality enroute to a foreign destination. Requires a quality variation statement on all official grade certificates issued for export grain lots. Prohibits the recombination of dockage and foreign material with any grain intended for export when the result will be to reduce quality or spoilage resistance. Amends the Agricultural Act of 1956 to provide in-kind bonuses to producers and exporters of specified high-quality export corn. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make in-kind reimbursements for: (1) inventory loss of value; and (2) cleaning and blending equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1986
General Aviation Tort Reform Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to provide uniform rules for negligence and products liability claims arising from general aviation accidents. Allows any person claiming damages from such an accident to bring a products liability action against the general aviation manufacturer if: (1) the product was defective when it left the control of the manufacturer; (2) the defective condition was the proximate cause of the harm; (3) the condition would not have been corrected by actions described in directives issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the manufacturer; and (4) the aircraft was being used for a purpose and in a manner for which it was manufactured. Provides an alternative method to establish manufacturer liability where the manufacturer failed to provide reasonable warnings (unless such warnings would not have affected the conduct of the product user). Provides a third method to establish manufacturer liability where: (1) the manufacturer made an express warranty with respect to the product; (2) the warranty related to that aspect of the product which caused the harm; (3) the product failed to conform to the warranty; and (4) such failure was the proximate cause of the harm. States that all actions for damages arising from a general aviation accident shall be governed by the principles of comparative responsibility. Provides that defendants in such actions are severally but not jointly liable for damages (except that manufacturers of airframes and systems or components of aircraft may be jointly and severally liable under certain circumstances). Provides a 12-year limitation on liability of manufacturers. States that express warranties running for a longer period of time and the duty to provide additional warnings shall not be affected by such limitations. Allows awards of punitive damages. Prescribes a statute of limitations for such actions. Preempts State laws to the extent that this Act establishes applicable rules or procedures. Grants Federal district courts (concurrently with State courts) original jurisdiction (without regard to the amount in controversy) in all civil actions for damages arising out of a general aviation accident. Allows the removal of State actions to an appropriate Federal district court by any defendant. Prescribes venue restrictions. Expresses the intent of the Congress that orders to pay reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, be enforced.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 1986
Provides that, for taxable years beginning after 1984, rural letter carriers are permitted to compute the amount of their deduction for use of their automobiles in performance of such services: (1) by using a standard mileage rate for all such miles of such use equal to 150 percent of the basic standard rate; or (2) without applying the limitation on deductions rules where the business use of the automobile used in performing such services is not greater than 50 percent of the time. Prohibits the use of 150 percent of the basic standard mileage rate in determining the allowable deduction where the taxpayer claimed an investment tax credit or depreciation deduction for such automobile.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1986
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) condemns the Soviet Union's failure to provide notification and information about the nuclear accident at Chernobyl; and (2) calls upon the Soviet Union to permit outside nuclear experts to assist with the accident and to allow the international press corps to cover the situation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 1986
Amends Federal armed forces provisions to direct the Secretary of the military department concerned to conduct an independent operational test and evaluation with respect to a major defense acquisition program under which a major system is to be acquired. Requires such test and evaluation to be conducted before the program may proceed into the production stage. Requires side-by-side testing as part of such test and evaluation. Requires the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation to independently analyze the results of each such operational test and evaluation, and to report such analyses to the Secretary of Defense. Prohibits the operational testing to be conducted until the Director approves in writing the adequacy of the plans for such operational test and evaluation. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary concerned to contract for low-rate initial production of a program only for the purpose of acquiring items for use in operational tests and evaluations. Prohibits a final decision from being made to proceed with full production of a program until 30 days after the congressional defense committees have received the report of the Director. Authorizes the President to suspend any provision of this Act in time of a declared war.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Anti-Terrorism Act of 1986 - Declares that any person who organizes, attempts, commits, procures, or supports acts of terrorism shall be considered to have committed an act of aggression against the United States and may be pursued with deadly force. Defines terrorism to mean activity directed against U.S. persons which: (1) is committed by a non-U.S. national or permanent resident alien; (2) involves violent or dangerous acts which would be crimes in the United States; and (3) is intended to intimidate a civilian population, to influence government policy, or to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. Authorizes the President, subject to the provisions of the Constitution, to protect U.S. persons from terrorism through the use of all antiterrorism and counterterrorism measures that the President deems necessary. Requires the President's authority to apply: (1) to all terrorists wherever they may be; and (2) until the President determines that no terrorist poses a threat to U.S. persons. Prohibits this Act from being construed as granting any authority to use deadly force within the United States which would not exist in the absence of this Act. Requires the President to report to the Congress within ten days of taking any action under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to provide that an eligible foreclosed Farm Credit System (System) borrower may retain occupancy (three to five years) of his or her homestead property (up to ten acres) for family maintenance purposes. Grants such borrower first right of referral to reacquire the property at the end of such occupancy period. Prohibits the sale of System-held land if such sale will have a detrimental effect on land values in specified depressed farming areas. Requires offers to sell System-held land to be made through local real estate agents. Requires the leasing of such land to be on a competitive bid basis. Requires a System institution with individual shareholders to provide them with a copy of the bylaws and upon request a copy of the charter or articles of incorporation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to allow an extension of time for the filing of claims for credit or refund of Federal income taxes for insolvent farmers who were exempted by such Act from the alternative minimum tax on capital gains realized on the transfer or sale of farmland under threat of foreclosure or in cancellation of indebtedness.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1986
Declares that the House of Representatives, on behalf of the U.S. people, expresses its gratitude to the Government and people of the United Kingdom who assisted the United States in its exercise of self-defense against Libya and in the fight against state-sponsored international terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 1986
Agricultural Credit Act of 1986 - Title I: Interest Subsidy Incentives for Restructuring Loans - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, and a State at its option, to provide interest rate subsidies to lenders who defer principal or interest payments on agricultural loans. Limits eligible aggregate loan amounts. Sets forth rate reductions. Establishes a three-year deferral period. States that at the end of such period lenders may not charge interest rates in excess of existing comparable rates. Permits lenders to enforce pre-deferral loan terms in the event of a nonmonetary borrower default. Requires lenders to make a good faith effort to reduce principal or interest due before foreclosing, except in the case of a bankruptcy. Requires lenders to develop debt restructuring guidelines. Terminates Federal and State subsidy payments upon foreclosure. Directs the Secretary to use the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund to carry out such subsidy program. Authorizes the use of additional specified funds under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Title II: Conservation Provisions - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to prohibit such loan deferral assistance to producers who cultivate crops on erodible land or wetlands. Title III: Accounting Provisions - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require the appropriate Federal banking agency to: (1) permit an insured agricultural bank to account for debt restructuring according to generally accepted accounting principles by not requiring a change in the recorded investment unless the investment exceeds total, reasonably anticipated, future receipts given the new terms of the loan; (2) establish a program of capital standard forbearance for such an insured bank for which capital reduction is attributable to problems in the agricultural sectors of the economy; and (3) implement call report requirements for renegotiated loans which authorize such loans to be disclosed as "restructured and in compliance with modified terms." Requires States to conform their appropriate regulations to such amendments. Prohibits a national banking association from holding real estate under mortgage or purchased to secure debts for longer than ten years with no extension (currently, five years with a five-year extension if approved by the Comptroller of the Currency). Directs the Comptroller of the Currency to establish new lending limits for banks covered by the capital standard forbearance program. Prohibits such lending limitation from exceeding 20 percent of the unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus of the lending institution. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Directs the Secretary to prescribe implementing regulations within 30 days. States that any State law prohibiting fixed rate loans shall not apply to credit extensions under this Act. Sets forth penalties for misuse of funds under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1986
Farm Tax Relief Act of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of a qualified farmer any income which would be includible in gross income by reason of a discharge of an indebtedness of the farmer, regardless of whether the farmer is insolvent immediately before the discharge. Defines a "qualified farmer" as one who, immediately before the discharge of the indebtedness: (1) had a debt to asset ratio exceeding 70 percent; and (2) earned at least 50 percent of gross income in the preceding taxable year in the trade or business of farming.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Federal funds for the Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service should be maintained at a level sufficient to prevent the reduction of benefits provided by such Service.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Defense should defer the final award of a specified contract (for crawler tractors) until the Congress completes consideration of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1987.
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
Establishes the Insurance Availability Crisis Commission of 1986 to: (1) coordinate the intergovernmental examination of the tort law system and its relationship with insurance availability and cost; (2) bring representatives of industry, government, and consumers together to perform an examination of the issue of insurance availability; (3) make recommendations for reform of the tort system and insurance industry practices; and (4) raise funds to cover the costs of the Commission's activities. Directs the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the executive officer of each State. Provides for the Commission's termination upon the transmission of such report. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Makes individuals who are not U.S. citizens or nationals and specified foreign-controlled interests ineligible for agricultural price supports, loans, crop insurance, and disaster payments. Exempts a foreign interest operating a single small- or medium-sized family farm from such prohibition.
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 Congress that the Farm Credit Administration and its associated agencies and institutions should take additional actions to alleviate the agricultural financial situation, including restructuring, rather than foreclosing, loans.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that Federal telecommunications policy should maintain universal telephone service, retain nationwide toll rate averaging for interstate long distance calls, and reduce regulatory and administrative burdens on small telephone systems. Provides that any Federal access charge plan should: (1) support rural telephone systems through a universal service fund designed to ensure affordable rural telephone rates; (2) allocate to interstate long distance service no less than the proportion of the local telephone system access costs currently allocated to such service; (3) retain the current arrangement for the pooling of such costs; and (4) avoid collecting all of such costs by means of flat rate access charges.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 1986
Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans Act - Makes permanent provisions which provide benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act for individuals who perform substantial gainful activity despite a severe medical impairment. Removes SSI limitations for the first two months of an individual's stay in a health facility if such individual was eligible for the benefits made permanent by this Act during the month preceding admission to the facility. Requires the district offices of the Social Security Administration to each designate a staff member to implement the program providing benefits to individuals who perform substantial gainful activity despite severe medical impairment. Revises the eligibility requirements for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and implement procedures which provide that whenever an individual is formally notified of his or her SSI eligibility, such individual will also be notified of the availability of assistance under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act. Directs the Secretary, when any individual receives SSI benefits on the basis of a disability, to notify such individual of his or her potential eligibility for the SSI benefits available for those performing substantial gainful activity despite a severe medical impairment. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study of the operation of the SSI section which provides benefits for individuals who perform substantial gainful activity despite a severe medical impairment, with the particular objective of evaluating the work incentive provisions of such section. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the Congress the findings of such study. Provides that when an individual becomes ineligible for SSI benefits upon entitlement to child's insurance benefits under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Act, such individual shall be treated for Medicaid purposes as continuing to receive SSI benefits so long as he or she would otherwise be eligible for such benefits. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct demonstration projects designed to assess the advantages and disadvantages of various work incentive programs under the OASDI and SSI programs. Sets forth reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1986
Terrorist Prosecution Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal criminal code to make it an offense to commit or attempt to commit murder or manslaughter against any U.S. national abroad, or conspire to do so. (Murder is punishable by capital punishment, a life sentence, or for any term of years and voluntary manslaughter is punishable by imprisonment up to ten years and involuntary manslaughter by imprisonment up to three years and/or a fine up to $1,000.) Makes it an offense to (or to attempt to) assault, wound, strike, imprison, endanger, or make any other violent attack upon the person or liberty of any U.S. national in any foreign country (or make violent attack on his or her business premises, private accommodation or means of transport). Provides for a fine of not more than $5,000 and/or imprisonment for not more than three years. Increases the fine to $10,000 and/or imprisonment to ten years if a deadly or dangerous weapon is used. Makes it an offense to conspire, outside the United States, to murder any U.S. national within the United States. Prohibits an indictment under this Act without the written approval of the Attorney General or his designee.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1986
Landowner Protection Act of 1986 - Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to require a Farm Credit System institution to restructure, rather than foreclose, a loan to an eligible borrower if foreclosure costs equal or exceed restructuring costs. Sets forth borrower appeals procedures. Requires a program report to the Congress within 270 days. Terminates such program one year after enactment of this Act, or 90 days after submission of such report, whichever is later.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 1986
Provides that the Internal Revenue Service may not, before July 1, 1987, enforce its regulations relating to substantiation requirements for the deductions attributable to the business use of vehicles. Requires the Internal Revenue Service to follow the regulations in effect prior to the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1984. Prohibits the issuance of any regulations with respect to the substantiation requirements before July 1, 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Infrastructure Protection Act of 1986 - Prohibits the receipts and disbursements of the Highway Trust Fund (for both the Federal aid highway program and the Mass Transit Account), the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, and the Inland Waterways Trust Fund which are allocable to the transportation-related operations of such Funds from being included in either the Federal budget as submitted by the President, or in the congressional budget. Exempts such Trust Funds from any general statutory budget limitation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction for amounts paid by or on behalf of an individual to an individual health services account. Limits the amount of the allowable deduction to any individual for any taxable year to $2,000. Defines "individual health services account" as a trust created or organized exclusively to pay qualified health expenses of the distributee. Sets forth various requirements for the trust. Defines "qualified health expenses" as amounts paid for: (1) care of the distributee at a skilled nursing facility; (2) care of the distributee at an intermediate care facility; (3) care at any other long-term facility which provides nursing or custodial care; (4) home health care of the distributee prescribed by, and under the supervision of, a qualified physician; (5) Medicare supplemental policies for the distributee; or (6) health services supplemental policies for the distributee. Defines a "health services supplemental policy" as a health insurance policy or other health benefit plan offered by a private entity to an individual which provides reimbursement for expenses incurred, or services for, catastrophic and long-term care. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to establish minimum requirements and standards for the certification of health services supplemental policies and procedures for the Secretary to certify policies submitted to the Secretary. Requires any amount distributed from an individual health services account to be included in the gross income of the distributee for the taxable year in which the distribution is received. Imposes a ten percent penalty on distributions which are not used exclusively for qualified health expenses. Permits the exclusion of ten percent of a distribution from an individual health services account where the distribution is used exclusively to pay qualified health expenses of the distributee, if the distributee has attained the age of 59 and one-half. Provides that only 80 percent of any distribution used exclusively to pay for Medicare supplemental policies or health services supplemental policies shall be included in income of the distributee, regardless of the age of the distributee. Provides that an individual health services account will be exempt from taxation unless the distributee engages in prohibited transactions with the account. Treats as a distribution from the account any portion of the account used as security for a loan. Provides that the individual health services account will terminate on the death of the distributee. Allows the deduction for amounts paid to a health services savings account to be taken in arriving at adjusted gross income. Imposes a tax penalty on excess contributions to an individual health services account, on prohibited transactions, and on failure to file certain information reports. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with various interested groups, to report to the Congress, not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, on a regulatory program to provide for the application of minimum standards with respect to health services supplemental policies. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare benefits for catastrophic care. Provides that each individual enrolled under Medicare shall be deemed to have elected this coverage unless the individual files a notice that such coverage is not wanted. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to determine the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees for the catastrophic coverage option. Provides that the monthly premiums for each individual covered under this month shall be the amount equal to the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Makes funds available from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives for a voluntary controlled substances testing program for Members and employees of the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Postmaster General should issue a postage stamp honoring American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for as a result of the conflict in Indochina.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1986
Provides that any requirement to substantiate a deduction under the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the business use of a vehicle must be based on regulations in effect before the Tax Reform Act of 1984.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lightfoot, Jim [R-IA-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000305_200.jpg)