United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1985
United States Immigration Court Act of 1985 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a United States Immigration Court, consisting of a 70-judge trial and a six-judge appellate division. Sets forth jurisdictional provisions and appellate review procedures. Grants jurisdiction to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to review immigration matters such as deportation, exclusion, and asylum. Provides for exclusion without hearing under specified circumstances. Permits any alien physically present in the United States or at a land border or port of entry to apply for asylum unless exclusion or deportation proceedings have been instituted. Prescribes conditions under which asylum shall be considered even where exclusion or deportation proceedings have been instituted. Provides for a public asylum hearing and requires aliens to be advised of right of counsel. Sets forth effective dates and transition procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 1985
Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal criminal code to define "armor-piercing ammunition." Excludes from the definition: (1) shotgun shot composed in order to comply with Federal or State law; (2) frangible projectiles for target shooting; (3) ammunition containing frangible projectiles; and (4) any ammunition or projectiles which the Secretary of the Treasury determines are primarily intended for sporting purposes. Makes it unlawful for any person to manufacture or import armor-piercing ammunition. Allows: (1) the manufacture or importation of armor-piercing ammunition for the use of the United States or any State or local government; (2) manufacture for the sole purpose of exportation; or (3) manufacture or importation for the purposes of testing and experimentation authorized by the Secretary. Establishes a licensing fee of $1,000 per year for manufacturers and importers of armor piercing ammunition. Authorizes the Secretary to revoke a license from a dealer for violating this Act. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to promulgate regulations allowing for special marking on armor-piercing communication and packaging. Establishes an additional mandatory sentence for any person who during and in relation to the commission of a violent crime carries a firearm and is in possession of armor-piercing ammunition capable of being fired by such firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1985
'Designer Drug' Enforcement Act of 1985 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish criminal penalties for the manufacture or possession with intent to distribute or the distribution of unregulated drugs with a chemical structure or effect substantially similar to that of a controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 1985
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the President, in providing assistance to developing countries, to: (1) place a high priority on conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests; and (2) take certain steps (including engaging in dialogues on conserving forest resources and information exchanges with recipient countries, supporting projects and activities which offer alternatives to colonizing forests, supporting related training and research programs, helping to end destructive agricultural practices, and denying any assistance for certain activities harmful to the forests). Directs the President, whenever feasible, to accomplish the objectives of this Act through projects managed by private and voluntary and other nongovernmental organizations. Requires the annual report to the Congress on foreign aid programs to include a report on the implementation of this Act. Requires that each country plan prepared by the Agency for International Development include an analysis of actions necessary to achieve conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests and the extent such actions meet the needs identified.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 1985
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations to help developing countries protect and maintain wildlife habitats and develop sound wildlife management and plant conservation programs. Requires each country development strategy statement or other country plan prepared by the Agency for International Development (AID) to include a detailed plan to assist that country in the conservation of biological diversity. States that, whenever feasible, such protection, maintenance, management, and conservation activities shall be accomplished through projects managed by private and voluntary organizations and other nongovernmental organizations. Directs AID to allocate at least a specified sum for projects managed by such organizations. Directs the Administrator of AID to take certain steps, including: (1) cooperating with appropriate organizations; (2) looking to the World Conservation Strategy as an overall guide; (3) engaging in dialogues and exchanges of information with recipient countries which stress the importance of conserving biological diversity; (4) supporting training and education which improve the capacity of recipient countries to prevent loss of biological diversity; and (5) the denial of any assistance for actions which invade or significantly degrade national parks or similar protected areas. Requires the annual report to the Congress on foreign aid programs to include a report on implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 1985
Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute (RICO) to allow a civil action to be brought by a plaintiff only when the private suit rests on an injury caused by conduct that led to the defendant's conviction of one of the predicate offenses listed in the statute or of a criminal violation of RICO itself. Requires the plaintiff to bring such action within one year of the defendant's conviction.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1985
Recognizes the efforts of the members of the Airborne Divisions of the U.S. Army who served during World War II. Urges the Postmaster General to issue commemorative stamps honoring those Divisions, and to determine the appropriate denomination, design, and period of issuance of the stamps.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 1985
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should negotiate a treaty with other democratic nations to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. Provides that such treaty should incorporate: (1) an operative definition of terrorism; (2) integrated intelligence operations; (3) joint counterterrorist efforts; and (4) uniform laws on asylum, extradition and punishment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 1985
Amends the Federal criminal code to establish criteria for the imposition of the death penalty for Federal crimes. Requires the Government, for any offense punishable by death, 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. Requires a separate sentencing hearing before a jury or the court upon motion by the defendant when the defendant is found guilty or pleads guilty to an offense punishable by death. Provides that no presentence report shall be prepared in such cases. Provides that at the hearing, any information may be presented as to any matter relevant to the sentence and shall include all matters relating to any of the listed aggravating factors and to any mitigating factors. Allows the defendant to present any information relevant to sentencing, without regard to the rules of evidence, but permits information to be excluded where its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading of the jury. Allows the Government to present any information relevant to mitigating or aggravating factors in accordance with the rules of evidence applicable to a criminal trial in which the question of guilt or innocence is determined. Permits the Government and the defendant opportunity to rebut any information received at the hearing. Specifies mitigating factors which the defendant must establish by a preponderance of the information and aggravating factors which the Government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Lists threshold aggravating factors for homicide, including that the defendant: (1) intentionally killed the victim; (2) intentionally inflicted serious bodily injury which resulted in the death of the victim; or (3) intentionally participated in an act which he reasonably should have known would create grave risk of death to a person and the victim did die as a direct result of the act. Sets forth other aggravating factors. Includes among the mitigating factors that the defendant was less than 18 years old at the time of the crime. Conditions imposition of the death penalty on a unanimous finding by the jury that: (1) some aggravating factor exists in addition to a threshold factor; and (2) the aggravating factor sufficiently outweighs any mitigating factor found to exist. Directs the court to impose the death penalty upon a finding that such sentence is justified. 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. Establishes procedures for appeal from a death sentence. Requires the court of appeals, upon considering the record and the information and procedures of the sentencing hearing, to affirm the decision if: (1) the sentence was not imposed under influence of passion, prejudice, or arbitrariness; and (2) the information supports the finding of aggravating factors or the absence of mitigating factors. Requires the court to provide a written explanation of its determination. Revises the definition of "aircraft piracy" to state that it is a continuing offense throughout the period the seizure or exercise of control continues.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1985
Money Laundering and Related Crimes Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal criminal code to establish money laundering as a Federal offense. Sets forth fines and penalties to be imposed on anyone who conducts transactions involving the movement of funds by wire or other electronic means, or involving monetary instruments, through a financial institution engaged in or affecting interstate commerce: (1) with the intention of carrying out specified types of unlawful activity; or (2) with knowledge or reckless disregard of the fact that such a monetary instrument represents income derived from such unlawful activity. Provides for a fine of not more than $250,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument, whichever is greater, or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both. Imposes a civil penalty of the greater of the value of the funds or the monetary instrument involved or $10,000. Authorizes components of the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury to investigate such an offense, as appropriate. Establishes extraterritorial jurisdiction if certain conditions are met. Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to permit a financial institution to provide records to law enforcement agencies without notice to customers when it has reason to believe that those records are relevant to the commission of a crime. Permits a financial institution to alert a law enforcement agency that it has information relevant to a possible violation. Provides as a defense for a financial institution in a civil suit under the Right to Financial Privacy Act that it provided records in a good faith belief that they were relevant to a possible violation of law. Amends the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow the court to prohibit any person to whom a subpoena is directed from notifying any other person of the existence of the subpoena. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) examine books, papers, and records of domestic financial institutions; and (2) summon an officer or employee having possession or custody of reports or records to appear before the Secretary and give testimony under oath. Allows the Secretary to disclose such information when relevant to a matter within the jurisdiction of the receiving agency or for national security reasons. Increases the civil penalties for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act's reporting rules. Provides in the case of a reporting violation for a maximum penalty of $1,000,000 and a minimum penalty of $25,000. Imposes a $10,000 fine in any other case. Reduces the civil penalty by any amount forfeited to the United States. Imposes a civil penalty for the criminal violation of such section, in the amount of the transaction or $25,000, whichever is greater, where the violation involves a transaction. Provides for a fine of the entire amount deposited in an account during the reporting year or $250,000, whichever is greater, where the violation involves the failure to report or omissions in such report. Imposes a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 in the case of a negligent violation. Increases the penalty, if such violation is in conjunction with violations of other laws, or if it is part of a pattern of illegal activity involving more than $100,000 in a year, to imprisonment for not more than ten years. Lists money laundering as a predicate offense for purposes of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute. Authorizes wiretapping for purposes of the investigation of money laundering. Makes whoever knowingly facilitates, by providing substantial assistance, the commission by another person of an offense against the United States punishable as a principal. Makes it a Federal offense for any person to receive, possess, or conceal any money or property which has been obtained in connection with a violation of any law of the United States or to bring or transfer into the United States any money or other property which has been obtained in connection with a violation of any law of a foreign country concerning the manufacturing of or trafficking in a controlled substance. Provides for a fine of not more than $250,000 and imprisonment for not more than ten years or both. Establishes civil and criminal forfeiture procedures for the offenses of money laundering and of receiving the proceeds of a crime.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 1985
Narcoterrorism Information Rewards Act of 1985 - Authorizes the Attorney General to reward any individual who furnishes information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual who killed or kidnapped, or conspired to do so, any U.S. officer or employee (or family member) on account of his or her official duty involving drug enforcement. Grants a reward to any individual who furnishes information leading to the prevention or frustration of such a kidnapping or killing. Authorizes the Attorney General to determine the amount of such reward. Allows the Attorney General to protect the identity of a recipient, if necessary. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 1985
Antitrust Damages Clarification Act of 1985 - Provides that no damages, costs, or attorney's fees shall be awarded under an antitrust suit with respect to the establishment or use of any rate, charge, or premium filed with a State insurance department or authorized, approved, or permitted to become effective pursuant to State insurance laws. Applies this Act to pending cases.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 1985
Improved Standards for Laboratory Animals Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to revise the humane standards for animals transported in commerce. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate standards to govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors. Requires each research facility to establish an institutional animal study committee with sufficient expertise to assess the appropriateness of animal care and treatment in experimental research. Requires the committee at each facility to: (1) inspect at least semiannually all animal study areas and animal areas and animal facilities at the research facility; (2) file an inspection certification report of each inspection at the research facility; (3) notify the administrative representative of the research facility of any deficiencies; and (4) notify the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the funding Federal agency if such deficiencies remain uncorrected. Requires each research facility to provide for annual training in the humane treatment of animals for scientists, animal technicians, and other personnel involved with animal care and treatment in such facility. Directs the Secretary to establish an information service at the National Agricultural library to provide information on improved methods of animal experimentation, including: (1) employee training; (2) preventing unnecessary duplication of animal experimentation; (3) reducing or replacing animal use; and (4) minimizing pain and distress. Requires funding Federal agencies to revoke Federal support for a project if it is determined that conditions of animal care, treatment, or practice in a particular project have not been in compliance with standards promulgated under this Act. Requires the Secretary to inspect each research facility at least once each year. Requires such follow-up inspections as may be necessary until all deficiencies which may be found are corrected. Imposes penalties for the release of any confidential information or trade secrets by any member of an institutional animal committee. Increases penalties for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1985
Bank Bribery Amendments Act of 1985 - Amends the Federal criminal code to modify the state of mind requirements for certain bank bribery offenses. Requires a knowing state of mind with the intent to influence corruptly any transaction as elements of the offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 1985
Deplores and condemns the murder of Major Arthur D. Nicholson, Jr., and calls on the Soviet Union to apologize for his murder and to indemnify his family. Calls on the President to rename Checkpoint Charlie in honor of Major Nicholson.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1985
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present gold medals to Jan Scruggs, Robert Doubek, and Jack Wheeler, in recognition of their tireless efforts to give the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to the Nation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to sell bronze duplicates of the medal. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 1985
Young Astronaut Program Medal Act - Commemorates the Young Astronaut Program by directing the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and deliver to the Young Astronaut Council no more than 750,000 medals with emblems, devices, and inscriptions determined by the Secretary. Authorizes the Council to dispose of the medals at a premium and to have them delivered as required in quantities of no less than 2,000. Directs that no medals be struck after December 31, 1987. Directs the Secretary to set the price of the medals at no less than the manufacturing cost plus a surcharge of ten percent of such cost. Requires the furnishing of security sufficient to fully indemnify the United States for such costs. Directs that the medals be struck in gold, silver, and bronze and in such size or sizes as determined by the Secretary. Gives the U.S. Comptroller General the right to examine the records of the Council which are related to the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 1985
Amends the Tariff Schedules of the United States to add Afghanistan to the list of communist countries the imports from which are subject to the column two rate of duty. Prohibits granting nondiscriminatory (most-favored-nation) treatment to the products of Afghanistan. Prohibits entering into a commercial agreement with Afghanistan pursuant to the Trade Act of 1974. Prohibits Afghanistan from participating in any program under which the United States extends credit, credit guarantees, or investment guarantees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 1985
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the administration should comply with the automatic appropriation and earmarking provisions of the Wallop/Breaux Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund. States that funds owed to the States from such Fund should not be withheld or delayed.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 1985
Designates the week beginning on April 13, 1986, as National Garden Week. Urges the wearing of garden flowers during that week as a symbol of appreciation for the contributions of the Nation's gardeners.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 1985
States that on the occasion of President Jose Napoleon Duarte's trip to the United States, the House of Representatives applauds him and the Government of El Salvador and expresses its appreciation for his leadership in the campaign to immunize the children of El Salvador.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 1985
Establishes in the legislative branch of the Government the Perot Commission on Americans Missing in Southeast Asia to conduct an investigation and report to the Congress its findings with respect to the existence and the release of prisoners of war in Southeast Asia. Sets forth specified administrative procedures and powers of the Commission. Requires the Commission to terminate 30 days after the filing of its report to the Congress or on January 3, 1987, whichever occurs first.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 1985
States that the Congress condemns: (1) Nicaraguan actions that hinder freedom of religion; and (2) the association of the Nicaraguan Government with international terrorist organizations, including the Palestine Liberation Organization. Calls upon the President, in communications with Nicaragua, to raise the issues of religious persecution of and compensation for members of the Jewish, Miskito, and other communities who have been forced to leave because of interference with freedom of religion.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1985
Directs the President to take steps to ensure: (1) substantial equivalence between the number, status, and privileges and immunities of Soviet officers or employees in the United States and the number, status, and privileges and immunities of U.S. officers and employees in the Soviet Union; and (2) that comparable restrictions regarding travel, accommodations and facilities are imposed on Soviet officers and employees living in the United States as are imposed on U.S. officers and employees living in the Soviet Union. Requires the President to report to the Congress on actions taken to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 1985
States that the House of Representatives condemns the Soviet Union's military terrorism and attempted destruction of Afghanistan. Recommends that the President provide medical, military, and food assistance to the Afghan Freedom Fighters.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 1985
Requires the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to consider the current and projected number of veterans residing in each State when deciding where medical facilities should be constructed or acquired. Directs the Chief Medical Director at the end of each fiscal year to determine the current and projected number of veterans residing in each State. Requires the Director to report such information to the appropriate congressional committees and to consider it when making recommendations for the apportionment of funds.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 1985
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for outpatient occupational therapy services.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 1985
Amends the Federal Reserve Act to authorize the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to regulate the activities and operations of Government securities dealers. Directs the Board to prescribe necessary regulations to take effect within one year after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 1985
Humane Product Testing Act of 1985 - Requires Federal departments and agencies to promote nonanimal alternatives to the LD50 test used in the testing of products. Phases out the use of such test to the degree possible within one year of this Act's enactment. (LD50 is a procedure whereby toxicity is measured in terms of the median dose which will kill 50 percent of the test animals within a specified period.)