United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1986
Amends the National Housing Act to extend authority through FY 1987 for: (1) title I financial institution insurance for housing renovation and modernization; (2) general mortgage insurance; (3) low and moderate income and displaced families mortgage insurance; (4) homeownership for lower income families including mortgage insurance authority and housing stimulus authority; (5) mortgage co-insurance, including rental rehabilitation and development projects; (6) graduated payment and indexed mortgage insurance; (7) the demonstration mortgage reinsurance program; (8) mortgage insurance for armed forces' civilian employees and defense housing for impacted areas; (9) mortgage insurance for land development; and (10) mortgage insurance for medical and dental group practice facilities. Sets forth specified limits on FY 1986 and 1987 insured housing loans and on FY 1987 guaranteed mortgage-backed securities. Amends the Housing Act of 1964 to extend urban rehabilitation loan authority through FY 1987. Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to extend Farmers Home Administration authority through FY 1987 for: (1) insured loans for rental and cooperative housing and related facilities for elderly persons and families in rural areas; (2) rural communities with 10,000 to 20,000 population to participate in rural housing programs; and (3) mutual and self-help housing grant and loan authority. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend authority for national flood insurance, including emergency implementation and flood-risk zones through FY 1987. Amends the National Housing Act to extend authorities for the national crime insurance program and existing contracts through FY 1987. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to extend community development block grant entitlement authority for certain metropolitan city and urban county areas through FY 1987. Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to extend for 30 days the maximum interest rate limitation on loans for housing and related facilities for elderly or handicapped families through FY 1987. Extends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act through FY 1987.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 1986
Disapproves the President's recommendation to extend the President's authority to waive the freedom of emigration requirements under the Trade Act of 1974 in order to extend the most-favored nation status of Romania.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 1986
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States should not abandon its obligation to promote democracy in Nicaragua; and (2) in order to ensure the implementation of democratic commitments, the United States should provide assistance to the United Nicaraguan Opposition forces until such commitments have been implemented and verified by the Organization of American States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1986
Amends the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 to establish a cost-sharing formula for certain Federal disaster assistance programs. Declares the Federal share of assistance to be 75 percent for the repair of damaged public facilities and debris removal on the condition that remaining costs are paid by a State or local government. Declares the Federal share of assistance to be 100 percent for: (1) unemployment assistance; (2) temporary housing assistance; and (3) crisis counseling assistance and training.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1986
Title I: Short Title; Findings - Child Care Act of 1986 - Sets forth congressional findings regarding the child care policies of the country. Title II: Dependent Care Tax Credit and Voucher System - Part 1: Changes in Dependent Care Tax Credit - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow dependent care tax credits when a taxpayer's adjusted gross income exceeds $50,000. Provides for a yearly cost-of-living adjustment to both base and ceiling amounts. Disallows such credit where any of the employment-related expenses are paid with any vouchers. Part 2: Voucher System for Child Care - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to each State having an approved plan for child care vouchers for certain low income individuals. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1987 through 1990. Directs the Secretary to establish criteria, standards, and a timetable for the State plan. Requires the Secretary to reimburse a State for 75 percent of its costs under such plan. Provides for proportional allotments based upon the amount received under title XX (Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act. Permits a State to use block grant funds for the voucher plan. States that the redemption of a voucher for child care services by a child care provider constitutes receipt of Federal funds for purposes of provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 relating to racial discrimination. Prohibits sex discrimination by any child care program. Exempts child care providers serving seven or fewer children. Permits the Secretary to withhold payment from a noncomplying State. Excludes the amount of any voucher from determinations of income or resources for purposes of any Federal or State law. Requires each State to report biennially to the Secretary on the implementation of the plan including the amounts used on vouchers from block grant funds. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress an analysis of the State reports.
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 · 22 April 1986
National Liability Commission Act - Establishes the National Commission on the Liability Crisis to investigate the cause of the liability and liability insurance crisis and recommend reforms to alleviate the crisis. Requires the Commission to report to the President and to the Congress. Terminates the Commission 30 days after the submission of such report.
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
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
Natural Gas Policy Act Amendments of 1986 - Title I: Open Access to Transportation - Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the Commission) to: (1) allow any pipeline to transport natural gas on behalf of any person; (2) require pipelines to transport gas without discrimination; and (3) require pipelines which receive gas to provide nondiscriminatory transportation services. Requires the Commission (upon request by any person) to direct an interstate pipeline to provide transportation service (without discrimination) unless such pipeline demonstrates to the Commission that it is incapable of providing such service. Title II: Removal of Wellhead Price Controls and Repeal of Jurisdiction Over First Sales - Removes wellhead price controls over all natural gas first sales beginning April 1, 1987. Removes such control for certain gas sales contracts executed after March 1, 1986. Removes Commission jurisdiction over first sales of natural gas committed or dedicated as of the day before enactment of this Act. Repeals Commission authority to specify the minimum duration of certain natural gas contracts (thus removing all non-price regulation of first sales of natural gas). Declares that, with respect to ceiling prices of certain natural gas sales, the last price paid for such gas shall be considered a federally established rate for purposes of an area rate clause. Title III: Repeal of Certain Restrictions on the Use of Natural Gas and Petroleum Use and Pricing - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to: (1) repeal the prohibitions against the use by electric powerplants and major fuel-burning installations of petroleum and natural gas as primary energy sources; (2) remove the restrictions placed upon Federal major fuel-burning installations against the use of natural gas and petroleum as primary energy sources; and (3) repeal the guidelines for the emergency use of natural gas or petroleum as a primary energy source by any person operating a peakload powerplant or a major fuel-burning installation. Revokes the authority of the Secretary of Energy to require any major fuel-burning installation to furnish certain information regarding the use of primary energy sources of fuel. Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to repeal the natural gas incremental pricing provisions. States that incremental pricing rules promulgated by the Commission shall continue in effect only with respect to the flow-through of costs incurred before enactment of this Act, including any surcharges based on such costs.
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
Bilingual Education Act Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Bilingual Education Act (the Act) to add to the statement of policy the declaration that, regardless of the method of instruction, programs which serve children of limited English proficiency have the equally important goals of developing both academic achievement and English proficiency. Removes a requirement that the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) reserve limited portions of funds under the Act for special alternative instructional programs and related activities. Removes a requirement that the Secretary reserve at least 75 percent of funds under part A (Financial Assistance for Bilingual Education Programs) of the Act for transitional bilingual education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 1986
Designates August 13, 1986, the 25th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall, as Berlin Freedom Day. Urges the East German Government to dismantle the Berlin Wall.
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 · 21 March 1986
Emergency Energy Act of 1986 - Title I: Amendments of Internal Revenue Code of 1954 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a credit against the income tax for crude oil producers equal to the excess of an oil well's operating costs allocable to a barrel of oil over the sales price of the barrel (but in no event for more than $5.00 per barrel). Provides for a carryback of unused excess credits for any year. Allows a credit for 15 percent of the costs of exploring for oil or natural gas in the United States. Provides for a carryback of unused excess exploration cost credits. Revises the minimum tax treatment rules for insolvent oil producers to provide that an insolvent taxpayer who transfers property used in the active conduct of a trade or business of exploring for or producing crude oil is not required to treat the net capital gain on a transfer as a tax preference if the transfer was made to a creditor in cancellation of indebtedness or to a third party under a threat of foreclosure. Limits such treatment revision to persons who have derived at least 50 percent of the gross income from an oil exploration or production business. Revises the minimum tax rules to allow a taxpayer to elect to carry over any portion of a percentage depletion deduction to the succeeding taxable year. Revises the definition of intangible drilling and development costs eligible for annual deduction as business expenses when paid or incurred to include geological, geophysical, and surface casing costs paid or incurred for the purpose of ascertaining the existence, location, extent, or quality of any domestic deposit of oil or gas. Repeals the tax preference cutback which currently requires integrated oil and gas producers to reduce (and thereby capitalize) the amount of intangible drilling and development costs eligible for a tax deduction by 20 percent. Repeals the rule that limits percentage depletion for oil or gas properties to 50 percent of a taxpayer's net income from the property. Revises the rule regarding an election to treat operating mineral interests as separate properties to allow such an election without regard to whether one or more of the operating mineral interests participated, under a voluntary or compulsory unitization or pooling agreement, in a single cooperative or unit plan of operation. Repeals specified rules which currently disqualify certain properties from: (1) the percentage depletion allowance deduction; and (2) the stripper well oil exemption from the windfall profits tax. Revises the special rules for the windfall profits tax to declare that a return shall not be treated as required if the amount of windfall profit tax withheld from the purchase payment to an oil producer equals or exceeds the amount required to be withheld as shown on the first purchaser's return. (The statute of limitations on assessments for windfall profits tax liability will thus begin to run concurrently with the statute of limitations on the taxpayer's income tax return.) Limits such rule revision to returns filed after February 29, 1980. Repeals the windfall profits tax. Declares that it is the sense of the Congress that the provisions relating to oil and gas taxation contained in H.R. 3838, the Tax Reform Act of 1985 (as passed by the House of Representatives), or any similar provisions in any other legislation, shall not be enacted. Title II: Removal of Wellhead Price Controls and Repeal of Natural Gas Act Jurisdiction Over Certain First Sales of Natural Gas - Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to: (1) remove wellhead price controls over natural gas prices; (2) repeal the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over natural gas exempt from wellhead price controls; (3) repeal the President's standby price control authority; and (4) repeal congressional review of natural gas price controls. Title III: Repeal of Certain Restrictions on the Use of Natural Gas and Petroleum - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to: (1) repeal the prohibitions against the use by electric powerplants and major fuel-burning installations of petroleum and natural gas as primary energy sources: (2) remove the restrictions placed upon Federal major fuel-burning installations against the use of natural gas and petroleum as primary energy sources; (3) repeal the guidelines for the emergency use of natural gas or petroleum as a primary energy source by any person operating a peakload powerplant or a major fuel-burning installation. Revokes the authority of the Secretary of Energy to require any major fuel-burning installation to furnish certain information regarding the use of primary energy sources of fuel. Title IV: Repeal of Incremental Pricing Requirements - Amends the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 to repeal the natural gas incremental pricing provisions. States that incremental pricing rules promulgated by FERC shall continue in effect only with respect to the flow-through of costs incurred before enactment of this section, including any surcharges based on such costs. Title V: Strategic Petroleum Reserve - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve only with crude oil produced in the United States. Prohibits the disposition of the Federal share of crude oil in the Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve unless: (1) the minimum quantity of crude oil in storage in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is 750,000,000 barrels (currently, 500,000,000 barrels). Title VI: Plugging of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells - Declares it is the sense of the Congress that: (1) no State should impose less than a one year waiting period before requiring the permanent plugging of abandoned oil and gas wells; and (2) States should encourage limited plugging of such wells for reopening at a later date at minimal cost. Title VII: Separability - Sets forth separability provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1986
Telephone Decency Act of 1986 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit any obscene or indecent telephone communication for commercial purposes to any person in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication. (Current law prohibits such communication to any person without his or her consent or to any person under 18 years of age.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 1986
Product Liability Uniform Standards Act - Sets forth uniform national standards for products liability cases. Preempts inconsistent State laws. Declares that the provisions of this Act shall be inapplicable in certain environmental actions. Makes negligence the sole test for all defective design and failure-to-warn product liability actions. Places the burden of proof on the claimant in such cases. Treats the product seller as the manufacturer (for the purposes of such actions) if: (1) the manufacturer is not subject to service of process; or (2) the court determines that the claimant would be unable to enforce a judgment against the manufacturer. Requires damages to be reduced by the amount of workers' compensation benefits paid. Makes a product manufacturer or seller who acted with reckless disregard for the consumers' safety liable for punitive damages. Lists factors for the trier of fact to consider when determining the amount of punitive damages. Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to establish a Product Liability Damages Review Panel to conduct a study of damages in relation to the product liability litigation system. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1986
Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to repeal the prohibition against: (1) the use of natural gas or petroleum as a primary energy source in new electric powerplants; and (2) the construction of new electric powerplants which cannot use coal or other alternate fuels as a primary energy source.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1986
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to repeal the provision prohibiting States that collect sales tax on food stamp purchases from participating in the food stamp program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Radio Broadcasting to Nicaragua Act - Requires the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) to provide for radio broadcasts to Nicaragua subject to Voice of America standards. Requires the Director of the USIA to establish within the Voice of America a Nicaragua Service that shall be responsible for such broadcasts.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1986
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the aspirations of the Angolan people deserve U.S. support; (2) the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and its leader, Dr. Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, have the right to play a role in the political life of Angola; and (3) the Marxist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has violated the rights of the Angolan people. Declares that the MPLA should agree to negotiations which will include UNITA, end the presence of Soviet and Cuban forces in Angola, result in national reconciliation within Angola, and facilitate the independence of Namibia. Urges the President to provide assistance to UNITA in order to promote a political solution and withdrawal of outside forces, and to help UNITA deter and resist continued Soviet, Cuban, and MPLA military escalation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1986
Terrorist Prosecution Act of 1986 - Amends the Federal criminal code to create a Federal criminal offense for terrorist acts committed against U.S. nationals abroad. Makes it an offense for any person in an act of international terrorism to assault, strike, wound, imprison, or make other violent acts upon the person or liberty of any U.S. national. Specifies punishment for such persons found guilty of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, or conspiracy. Establishes criteria for the imposition of the death penalty for certain Federal offenses. Requires the Government to: (1) serve notice upon the defendant when it seeks imposition of the death penalty; and (2) set forth the aggravating factors upon which it will rely. Requires a separate sentencing hearing before a jury, or the court upon motion by the defendant when the defendant is convicted of such an offense. Allows the defendant and the Government to present any relevant information, regardless of its admissibility under the rules of evidence. Permits such information to be excluded where its probative value is substantially outweighted by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of issues, or misleading of the jury. Specifies certain mitigating factors (including the defendant's age and inability to appreciate his or her conduct) and aggravating factors (including the intentional killing of the victim, previous convictions, and the nature of the offense) for jury consideration. Requires the court to instruct the jury not to consider the race, color, national origin, creed, or sex of the defendant when sentencing. States that the death penalty shall not be carried out on pregnant women. Establishes procedures for the appeal of a death sentence. Requires the court of appeals, upon consideration of the trial record, information submitted during the sentencing hearing, and the procedures of such hearing, to affirm the decision if: (1) the sentence was not imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice, or arbitrariness; and (2) the information supports the finding. Requires the court to provide a written explanation of its determination.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1986
Anti-Terrorism Tax Act of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny the foreign tax credit for taxes paid to any country identified as repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism. Requires the Secretary of State to identify foreign countries which repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism.
![Official portrait of Rep. Livingston, Bob [R-LA-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000371_200.jpg)