United States · United States Congress · 18 March 1997
Royalty Settlement Reform Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 to require the Secretary of the Interior's approval for any settlement by an alternative means of dispute resolution of certain claims against the United States for payment of royalties under which the absolute value of the sum of all individual claims covered by the settlement exceeds $2 million.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 1997
Internet Tax Freedom Act - Prohibits a State or local government from imposing, assessing, or attempting to collect any tax or fee on the Internet or interactive computer services (ICs) or on their use. Preserves State and local taxing authority with respect to income, license, and sales taxes. Directs the Secretaries of the Treasury, Commerce, or State to: (1) undertake an examination of U.S. and international taxation of the Internet and ICs, as well as commerce conducted thereon; and (2) jointly submit to the President appropriate policy recommendations concerning such taxation. Directs the President to transmit to the appropriate congressional committees policy recommendations on the taxation of sales and other transactions effected on the Internet or through ICs. Requires all such recommendations to be consistent with policy statements of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to state that the Federal Communications Commission or any equivalent State commission shall have no regulatory authority or jurisdiction with respect to charges paid by subscribers for ICs or information services transmitted through the Internet, except for the requirement that such services be provided at affordable rates to rural health care providers, schools, and libraries. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should seek bilateral and multilateral agreements through various international forums to establish that activity on the Internet and ICs be free from tariff and taxation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
House of Representatives Election Campaign Reform Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with respect to House of Representatives campaign financing. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide a full tax credit for small individual contributions to a House candidate; and (2) establish in the Treasury the House of Representatives Campaign Trust Fund. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require broadcast stations to offer their lowest rates for certain campaign commercials to House candidates who agree to limit personal spending. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Child Safety Lock Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal criminal code to define (firearm) "locking device." Makes it unlawful for a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun without a locking device or a specified related warning, with exceptions for law enforcement and governmental entities. Sets forth civil penalties (in addition to any administrative penalties) for related violations, including suspension or loss of license.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the full realization of the rights of women is vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations; and (2) the Senate should give its advice and consent to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 1997
Requires the Capitol Police Board to: (1) designate or establish a flag pole upon which the U.S. flag shall be flown at half-staff for one day whenever a Federal, State, local, or territorial law enforcement officer is slain in the line of duty; (2) post, in close proximity to the flag, public notice of the name, tenure of service, and jurisdiction of the officer being honored; and (3) present such flag to the officer's family.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Hemophilia Relief Fund Title II: Treatment of Certain Private Settlement Payments in Hemophilia-Clotting-Factor Suit under the Medicaid and SSI Programs Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1997 - Title I: Hemophilia Relief Fund - Establishes in the Treasury the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 103) Specifies that any individual who has a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection shall receive $125,000 from amounts available in the Fund if the individual meets one of the following conditions: (1) has a blood-clotting disorder and was treated with blood-clotting agents between July 1, 1982, and December 31, 1987; (2) is the lawful spouse of such individual or the former lawful spouse and was the lawful spouse of the individual at any time after a date within such period on which the individual was treated; or (3) acquired the HIV infection through perinatal transmission from a parent who is such an individual. Requires that the following conditions be met with respect to such individual: (1) the individual submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services written medical documentation that the individual has an HIV infection; (2) a petition for payment be filed with the Secretary by or on behalf of such individual; and (3) that the Secretary determine that the claim meets the requirements of this Act. (Sec. 105) Specifies that any right under this Act shall not be assignable or transferable. Sets limits regarding the number of claims per victim. (Sec. 106) Prohibits the Secretary from making any payment with respect to any petition filed under this Act unless the petition is filed within three years after the enactment of this Act. Title II: Treatment of Certain Private Settlement Payments in Hemophilia-Clotting-Factor Suit under the Medicaid and SSI Programs - Prohibits a settlement payment from being considered income or resources in determining a class member's eligibility for, or the amount of: (1) medical assistance under the Medicaid program; or (2) benefits under the Supplemental Security Income program. Defines the terms: (1) "class member"; and (2) "settlement payment."
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Termination of Provisions of Public Law 104-193 Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits for Legal Immigrants Title II: Tax Provisions Immigrant Fairness Act of 1997 - Title I: Termination of Provisions of Public Law 104-193 Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits For Legal Immigrants - Repeals title IV (Restricting Welfare and Public Benefits for Aliens) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Title II: Tax Provisions - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to: (1) tax provisions on expatriation, including coordination with estate and gift tax and health insurance portability rules; (2) basis of assets of nonresidents who become U.S. citizens or residents; (3) foreign income exclusions; (4) treatment of domestic corporation stock dispositions by certain foreign shareholders as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and related withholding requirements; and (5) imposition of an alternative minimum tax on corporations importing products into the United States at artificially inflated prices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Safe and Sober Streets Act of 1997 - Amends Federal transportation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to withhold five percent of the funds authorized for Federal aid highway programs for FY 2001, and ten percent of such amounts for subsequent fiscal years, from any State that has not enacted and is not enforcing a law that considers as intoxicated an individual who has an alcohol concentration level of 0.08 percent or greater while operating a motor vehicle in such State. Allows funds withheld from a State during FY 2001 to be available for up to three fiscal years after such date (to allow a State to meet such requirement within such period), but allows no grace period with respect to funds withheld during the subsequent fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Act of 1997 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to certify and, where appropriate, provide technical assistance to any State program for brownfields (abandoned industrial sites in need of hazardous waste remediation before they may be returned to productive use) if the program: (1) covers only sites that have been contaminated prior to enactment of this Act and are not listed on the National Priorities List; (2) provides for public participation prior to a landowner's release from liability upon completion of site remediation (carried out under a certified program) under State law and under abatement and response provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA); (3) provides for a reopening of a cleanup proposal under specified conditions; (4) contains standards for the sites that protect public health and the environment; and (5) includes coordination among State agencies for environmental protection and economic development. Provides (in addition to the release of landowners from liability described above) for the release from liability under State law and under CERCLA, upon completion of remediation, of lenders and developers (except with respect to pollution directly caused by them), prospective purchasers, and local governments not involved in the management of a site. Allows the Administrator to waive Federal permit requirements if the State program includes a waiver of State permit requirements. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax deduction for payments into a tax-exempt Hazardous Waste Remediation Reserve to be used exclusively to pay costs of the taxpayer to: (1) assess the extent of a site's environmental contamination and its expected remediation cost; and (2) remediate the contamination.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Northern Forest Stewardship Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to: (1) provide technical assistance for sustainable forest management; (2) assist in coordinating ecological and economic research and implementation of interstate and Northern Forest Lands Council policies; (3) provide technical and financial assistance for State conservation land planning and acquisition (authorizes appropriations), and rural community assistance. Expresses the sense of the Congress regarding: (1) the need to address certain tax policies that work against Northern Forest conservation; (2) liability exemption for private landowners who permit public use of their land; and (3) nongame conservation funding. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, at the request of the Governor of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, or Vermont, to provide technical and financial assistance for Northern Forest water quality assessment. Authorizes specified appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Restricted Explosives Control Act of 1997 - Prohibits the distribution or receipt of restricted explosives without a Federal permit. Defines "restricted explosives" to mean high explosives, blasting agents, detonators, and more than 50 pounds of black powder. Requires applications for such permits to include the applicant's photograph and fingerprints, which shall be taken and transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury by the chief law enforcement officer of the applicant's place of residence.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the post-1987 reduction in the State ceiling on private activity bonds. Provides, beginning in 1999, for cost-of-living adjustments in the State ceiling on such bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 1997
Reaffirms the universal nature of human rights and the principle that women's rights are human rights. Supports: (1) the inter-agency council on women; and (2) action on the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Considers that dedication to enacting U.S. commitments to promote the following would benefit citizens around the world: (1) economic security; (2) the human rights of women; (3) the health of women and children; (4) the empowerment of women and the strengthening of families; and (5) women's legal status and political participation. Encourages the U.S. Government to build on the strong partnership of nongovernmental organizations and governments that developed during the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. Urges governmental actions that uphold and enact the tenets of the platform for action and the commitments of the United States made at the Conference.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
Theodore Roosevelt Wildlife Legacy Act of 1997 - Declares the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System to be to preserve a network of lands and waters for the conservation and management of U.S. fish, wildlife, and plants for present and future generations. Establishes as the System's priority public uses: (1) wildlife observation and photography; (2) hunting; (3) fishing; and (4) environmental education and interpretation. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in administering the System, to: (1) resolve any conflict between the primary purpose of a National Wildlife Refuge and any purpose of the System in a manner that first fulfills the primary purpose of the refuge; (2) plan, propose, and direct System expansion to accomplish the mission and purposes of the System and of each refuge and to contribute to the conservation of U.S. ecosystems; and (3) inventory and monitor the status and trends of fish, wildlife, and plants in each refuge. Prohibits the Secretary, effective three years after enactment of this Act, from initiating or permitting a new use of a refuge or an expansion of an existing allowed use unless such use is compatible with the primary purposes of the refuge and the mission and purposes of the System. Directs the Secretary to: (1) propose within 15 years and revise every 15 years comprehensive conservation plans for each refuge in the System, except refuges in Alaska; (2) develop and implement a process to ensure an opportunity for active public involvement in the preparation and revision of such plans; (3) manage each refuge in a manner consistent with its conservation plan; and (4) prepare a conservation plan for a refuge established after enactment of this Act not later than two years after the Secretary determines that sufficient land has been acquired to warrant comprehensive planning.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
James Guelff Body Armor Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit the sale or delivery of body armor unless the buyer and seller meet in person to accomplish its sale, delivery, and receipt, with an exception for body armor used by law enforcement officers. Sets penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 1997
Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to make certain senior legal aliens present in the United States before passage of such Act eligible for supplemental security income benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 - Provides limited tort claim liability protection for nonprofit or governmental volunteers acting in good faith and within the scope of their duties. Sets forth discretionary State conditions and exceptions to such liability protection. Increases Social Services Block Grant Program allotments under title XX of the Social Security Act to a State that has adopted a similar measure within a specified time and conditions such increase upon an annual certification that the State law remains in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
Women's Health Office Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish an Office of (or on) Women's Health and a related coordinating committee in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, the Health Care Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements, contracts, and interagency agreements with public and nonprofit private entities, agencies, and organizations. Requires that the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall directly or through contracts with public and private entities, agencies, and organization, provide for evaluations of projects carried out with financial assistance provided under the grants and for the dissemination of information developed as a result of such projects. Transfers to such Office all functions exercised by the Office on Women's Health of the Public Health Service prior to the enactment of this Act, including all personnel and compensation authority, all delegation and assignment authority, and all remaining appropriations. Authorizes appropriations of such sums as may be necessary for FY 1998 through 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: General Provisions Title II: Revenue from Mining Claims Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources Title IV: National Park Concessions Public Resources Deficit Reduction Act of 1997 - Title I: General Provisions - Prohibits the disposal of federally-owned natural resources at less than fair market value (including forage, timber, minerals, water and hydroelectric energy generated at a Federal facility). Authorizes a presidential waiver of this proscription whenever the President determines it is in the national interest. (Sec. 102) Authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to impose user fees upon program beneficiaries. (Sec. 103) Requires the President's budget message to include a separate statement, asset by asset and aggregated by major functional category, identifying: (1) projected revenues from the anticipated sale, lease, or transfer of any physical asset; and (2) the estimated price at which it would be sold in an arms length transaction in the private sector. Title II: Revenue from Mining Claims - Requires the payment of a royalty to the Federal government of five percent of the net smelter return from the production of locatable minerals or mineral concentrates produced from any mining claim located under the general mining laws. Establishes the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund, into which all such royalty receipts shall be deposited for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past minerals activities (other than coal and fluid minerals activities). Identifies the kinds of land and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Authorizes appropriations for the Fund. Restricts the issuance of any patents for mining or mill site claims to those for which applications were filed, and certain statutory requirements governing vein or lode claims, placer claims, and mill site claims were complied with, before September 30, 1994. Sets forth annual claim maintenance fee requirements (which shall not apply to oil shale claims subject to claim maintenance fees under the Energy Policy Act of 1992). Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources - Amends the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest lands in the 16 contiguous Western States, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public domain lands, where domestic livestock grazing is permitted under applicable law, to establish and implement an annual domestic livestock grazing fee equal to fair market value, based on a specified formula. Abolishes grazing advisory boards. Dedicates the U.S. share of grazing fee receipts to: (1) fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement; (2) restoration and improved management of riparian areas; and (3) enforcement of applicable land management plans, allotment plans, and regulations. (Sec. 302) Amends the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to prohibit below-cost timber sales from National Forest System Lands. Requires sale revenues to exceed costs. (Sec. 303) Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to require the Secretary of Agriculture in revising land management plans to take into account the economic suitability of lands for timber production. (Sec. 304) Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to require that irrigation water from the Bureau of Reclamation used to produce crops on production flexibility contract acreage be paid for at the full cost for delivery. (Sec. 305) Amends the Food Security Act of 1995 and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to provide for the reduction of payment limitations for persons who receive Federal irrigation water for agricultural purposes. (Sec. 308) Amends the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 to repeal the livestock feed assistance program. (Sec. 309) Requires that right-of-way permits for the use and occupation of public lands or National Forests be established at fair market value. (Sec. 310) Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require that oil and gas rental prices for leases on public lands be established at fair market value. (Sec. 311) Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act of 1996 to identify circumstances under which the Secretary of the Interior may make an assessment of 20 percent of the amount of underreported royalties from any lease for any production month. Title IV: National Park Concessions - Repeals the Concessions Policy Act of 1965. (Sec. 404) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award concession contracts that authorize private persons, corporations, or other entities to provide services to park visitors and to utilize facilities if it is determined that such award is appropriate. (Sec. 405) Requires a concession contract to be awarded to the person submitting the best proposal through a competitive selection process to be established by the Secretary. Allows noncompetitive award of a temporary contract to avoid interruption of services. Requires the Secretary to publish a notice of availability for a prospectus soliciting proposals for contracts for concessions at a Park specifying minimum contract requirements and contract terms and conditions. Requires congressional notification for any proposed contract with anticipated gross receipts exceeding $1 million or of a duration of over ten years. Prohibits the Secretary from granting a preferential right to a concessioner to renew concession contracts under this Act, except for certain outfitting and guide contracts and certain contracts with annual gross receipts of under $500,000. (Sec. 406) Sets forth criteria for determining franchise fees, including fees for multiple franchise contracts within a park. (Sec. 407) Requires all fees to be: (1) covered into a special Treasury account established for reallocation to NPS units for resource management and protection, maintenance activities, interpretation, and research; or (2) deposited into a Park Improvement Fund established by the concessioner (as directed by the Secretary) from which expenditures shall be made for park activities and projects. Requires: (1) an annual statement from the concessioner to the Secretary reflecting total activity in the Fund for the preceding fiscal year; and (2) an annual report from the Secretary to specified congressional committees concerning Fund expenditures. (Sec. 408) Establishes a maximum: (1) ten-year duration for a concessions contract, provided that the Secretary may award a contract for up to 20 years if determined necessary; and (2) two-year duration for a temporary contract. (Sec. 409) Requires the approval of the Secretary and congressional notification before a concession contract can be transferred, assigned, sold, or conveyed. Sets forth conditions that preclude such approval. (Sec. 410) Grants possessory interest to: (1) concessioners who have commenced acquisition or construction of any structure on Federal land within a park before the enactment of this Act; and (2) concessioners who construct or acquire an improvement on U.S. land within a Park after enactment of this Act. (Sec. 411) Places limitations on a concessioner's rates and charges to the public. (Sec. 412) Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate periodically the performance of each concessioner under contract; (2) terminate a contract if a concessioner fails, within the prescribed time, to meet minimum requirements identified in a notice of unsatisfactory performance; and (3) notify specified congressional committees of each unsatisfactory rating and each contract terminated. (Sec. 413) Grants the Comptroller General of the United States access to and the right to examine any pertinent books, documents, papers, and records of the concessioner related to the contracts. (Sec. 414) Exempts contracts awarded by the Secretary under this Act from certain provisions of Federal law with respect to the leasing of U.S. buildings and properties. (Sec. 416) Requires the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior to submit biannual reports to specified congressional committees on the implementation of this Act and its effect on facilities operated pursuant to concession contracts and on visitor services. (Sec. 417) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Working Families Child Care Act of 1997 - Amends the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for grants to States for child care for: (1) low-income working families; and (2) areas with child care shortages. Requires States to use certain of such funds to provide child care services for: (1) families who have left the State program of assistance under title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)) of the Social Security Act because of employment; (2) families that are at risk of becoming dependent on such assistance program; and (3) low-income working families meeting specified criteria. Requires States to use certain of such funds for child care activities in areas of the State that have child care supply shortages. Includes among such child care activities programs for: (1) infant care; (2) before- and after-school; (3) resources and referrals; (4) nontraditional work hours; (5) extending the hours of pre-kindergarten programs to provide full-day services; and (6) any other program the Secretary deems appropriate. Requires State reports to include information on access to child care by low-income working families. Requires reports of the Secretary to place particular emphasis on such access.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Morris K. Udall Wilderness Act of 1997 - Designates specified lands in Alaska as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Commemorative Coins Title II: Circulating Coins Marian Anderson Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Title I: Commemorative Coins - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) mint and issue one-dollar and half-dollar coins in commemoration of the centennial of the birth of Marian Anderson; and (2) allocate sales surcharges to the Smithsonian Institution, the Public Broadcasting Fund, and the National Museum of American History for the support of the National Numismatic Collection. Title II: Circulating Coins - Amends Federal currency law to provide that at the Secretary's discretion, half-dollar coins minted after specified dates may bear the same design as the commemorative coins minted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 1997
Increases the salaries of the Chief Justice and associate Supreme Court justices of the United States and the judges of the United States courts of appeals, the United States district courts, and the United States Court of International Trade by 9.6 percent. Requires future adjustments in judicial salaries to equal the percentage by which General Schedule pay rates are adjusted (currently, the percentage change in the Employment Cost Index).
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 1997
Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 1995 (sic) - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to include certain service in the organized military forces of the Philippines and service as Philippine Scouts within the definition of active U.S. military service for purposes of eligibility for various veterans' benefits for former active-duty military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Findings and Purposes Title II: Targeting Violent Gang, Gun, and Drug Crimes Subtitle A: Federal Prosecutions Targeting Violent Gangs, Gun Crimes and Illicit Gun Markets, and Drugs Subtitle B: Grants to Prosecutors' Offices to Target Gang Crime and Violent Juveniles Subtitle C: Youth Violence Courts Title III: Protecting Witnesses to Help Prosecute Gangs and Other Violent Criminals Title IV: Protecting Victims' Rights Title V: Federal Prosecution of Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders Title VI: Incarceration of Juveniles in the Federal System Title VII: Office of Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention Subtitle A: Creation of the Office of Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention Subtitle B: Juvenile Crime Assistance Subtitle C: Missing and Exploited Children Anti-Gang and Youth Violence Act of 1997 - Title I: Findings and Purposes - Sets forth the findings and purposes of this Act with respect to juvenile crime and the Government's role in preventing and combatting it. (Sec. 1003) Makes additions and revisions to definitions of terms used in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act). Title II: Targeting Violent Gang, Gun and Drug Crimes - Subtitle A: Federal Prosecutions Targeting Violent Gangs, Gun Crimes and Illicit Gun Markets, and Drugs - Part 1: Targeting Gang and Other Violent Crimes - Increases penalties under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to increase the maximum penalty from 20 years to the greater of 20 years or the maximum term applicable to a racketeering activity on which the violation is based. (Currently, this principle applies under RICO only where the predicate racketeering activity carries a maximum life sentence.) (Sec. 2112) Increases the penalty for, and broadens the scope of provisions covering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering (including threats to commit a crime of violence). (Sec. 2113) Eliminates as an element of Federal carjacking that the offense be committed with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm. (Sec. 2114) Makes it unnecessary, for purposes of RICO, to establish that a defendant agreed personally to commit any acts of racketeering activity. (Sec. 2115) Repeals the statute of limitations for class A felonies involving murder. Extends to ten years the statute of limitations for all crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes (except for cases involving murder) currently classified as Class A felonies. (Current law provides that the general Federal five-year statute of limitations applies to non-capital crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes.) (Sec. 2116) Extends the civil and criminal forfeiture statutes to cover crimes of violence, racketeering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit such offenses. Part 2: Targeting Serious Gun Crimes and Protecting Children from Gun Violence - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Act to prohibit: (1) the sale or other disposition of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person has committed an act of juvenile delinquency; and (2) anyone who has committed an act of juvenile delinquency from shipping, possessing, or receiving any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Requires the statement from the transferee to specify that such transferee has not committed an act of juvenile delinquency. Provides that State laws restoring firearms rights will continue to be recognized for Federal firearms enforcement purposes only if the restoration was done on an individualized basis, including a determination that the circumstances of the person's conviction and his or her record and reputation make it unlikely that the person will endanger public safety. (Sec. 2122) Prohibits any licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer from selling or delivering any firearm to any person (other than a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer) without providing the transferee with a locking device that prevents the firearm from discharging without first being deactivated or removed by a key or lock. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to suspend or revoke any firearms license, or to subject the licensee to a civil penalty of up to $10,000, for knowingly violating such provision. (Sec. 2123) Sets penalties for possessing (currently, using or carrying) a firearm during a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime. Enhances penalties for discharging or using a firearm to cause serious bodily injury. (Sec. 2124) Increases penalties for: (1) transferring a handgun or ammunition to a juvenile; and (2) firearms conspiracy. Part 3: Targeting Illicit Gun Markets - Makes specified firearms offenses predicates to a violation of RICO. (Sec. 2132) Makes it a felony for Federal licensees to violate requirements which are tantamount to aiding and abetting unlawful deliveries or purchases of firearms, such as: (1) selling firearms to persons known to be juveniles or who reside out of State; and (2) making false statements to a licensee in relation to the acquisition of a firearm and knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted felon or other prohibited category of firearm recipient. (Sec. 2133) Prohibits any licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer from storing any firearms in its business inventory in a manner not in conformity with regulations issued by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary, in issuing such regulations, to take into consideration the type and quantity of firearms to be stored, as well as the standards of safety and security recognized in the firearms industry. Authorizes the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for hearing, to suspend or revoke any Federal firearms license (license) or to subject the licensee to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for knowing violations of this section. Limits review of the Secretary's actions. Makes secure storage of firearms inventories a condition of such license. (Sec. 2134) Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) suspend a license or subject the licensee to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation (current law makes license revocation the only option) for willful violations; and (2) compromise, mitigate, or remit the liability with respect to any such violation at any time. (Sec. 2135) Sets penalties for transferring a firearm having reasonable cause to believe that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime. (Sec. 2136) Increases the penalty (from five to ten years) for knowingly receiving a firearm with an obliterated serial number. (Sec. 2137) Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to amend the Federal sentencing guidelines to increase the base offense level for specified offenses (prohibited receipt, possession, transportation, or transactions involving firearms or ammunition) to assume that a person who transferred a firearm or ammunition and who knew or had reasonable cause to believe that the transferee was a prohibited person is subject to the same base offense level as the transferee. (Sec. 2138) Authorizes civil and criminal forfeiture of firearms used to commit crimes of violence and felonies. Specifies that: (1) if the Government institutes an administrative forfeiture action within 120 days of a seizure, and a claim is then filed that requires that a judicial forfeiture action be filed in Federal court, the Government must file the judicial action within 120 days of the filing of the claim; and (2) the time during which any related criminal indictment or information is pending shall not be counted in calculating the 120-day period. (Sec. 2139) Provides for the civil and criminal forfeiture of any conveyance used to commit specified gun trafficking offenses involving five or more firearms, any proceeds of such offenses, and any property traceable to such property. Part 4: Targeting Serious Drug Crimes and Protecting Children From Drugs - Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to increase penalties for: (1) using minors to distribute drugs; (2) distributing drugs to minors; (3) drug trafficking in or near a school or other protected location; and (4) using Federal property to grow or manufacture controlled substances. (Sec. 2144) Makes serious juvenile drug trafficking offenses predicates to a violation of the Armed Career Criminal Act. (Sec. 2145) Extends the Attorney General's existing authority to schedule a substance on an emergency basis to include the rescheduling of an already scheduled drug to Schedule I for substances posing an imminent danger to public safety. (Sec. 2149) Amends the Violent Offender Incarceration-Truth-In-Sentencing grant program of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) to: (1) require the State, by September 1, 1998, to have a plan for drug testing, monitoring, and treatment for violent offenders housed in their corrections facilities, including sanctions for inmates who test positive; and (2) permit the State to use funds received under the program to pay the costs of required testing and treatment. Subtitle B: Grants to Prosecutors' Offices to Target Gang Crime and Violent Juveniles - Amends the VCCLEA to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to make grants to State, Indian tribal, or local prosecutors (as under current law), or combinations thereof, for specified purposes, including to combat gang crime and youth violence; (2) authorize appropriations; and (3) require that two percent of all funds appropriated be set aside for training and technical assistance and ten percent be set aside for research, statistics, and evaluation. Subtitle C: Youth Violence Courts - Amends the VCCLEA to authorize the Attorney General to make grants and enter into contracts to plan, develop, implement, and administer programs to adjudicate and better manage juvenile and youthful violent offenders within State, tribal, and local court systems. Sets forth grant program provisions regarding applications, the Federal share, geographic distribution, training and technical assistance, research, statistics, and evaluation, and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Title III: Protecting Witnesses to Help Prosecute Gangs and Other Violent Criminals - Amends the Travel Act to add witness bribery, intimidation, obstruction of justice, and related conduct in State criminal proceedings to the list of predicates under such Act. (Sec. 3002) Expands pretrial detention eligibility for serious gang and other violent criminals by amending the Bail Reform Act to: (1) define "convicted" to include finding that a person has committed an act of juvenile delinquency and "crime of violence" to include an offense that is a violation of provisions relating to possession of explosives or firearms by convicted felons and other categories of prohibited persons; and (2) make membership or participation in a criminal street gang, racketeering enterprise, or other criminal organization a factor to be considered by courts in making bail determinations. (Sec. 3003) Subjects persons who engage in a conspiracy to tamper with or retaliate against a witness, victim, or informant to the penalties prescribed for the offense that was the object of the conspiracy. Title IV: Protecting Victims' Rights - Amends Federal criminal code (code) provisions regarding juvenile records to allow disclosure of: (1) communications with any victim of juvenile delinquency or, as appropriate, with the official representative of the victim; and (2) necessary docketing information. Directs that fingerprints and photographs of adjudicated delinquents found to have committed the equivalent of an adult felony offense or possession of a handgun be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and made available in the manner applicable to adult defendants. Authorizes further disclosure of records relating to a juvenile or delinquency proceeding if it would be permitted under the law of the State in which the delinquency proceeding took place. (Sec. 4002) Extends authorizations of appropriations for regional and local children's advocacy centers and for specialized technical assistance and training programs under the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Title V: Federal Prosecution of Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders - Enhanced Prosecution of Dangerous Juvenile Offenders Act of 1997 - Revises Federal criminal code provisions regarding delinquency proceedings and criminal prosecutions in district courts to authorize a juvenile to be prosecuted as an adult if specified conditions are met, such as if the juvenile is alleged to have committed an act on or after the day the juvenile attains age 16 which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony crime of violence or a specified drug or other offense. Requires the approval of the Attorney General to prosecute a juvenile between the ages of 13 and 16. (Under current law, the decision to charge a juvenile as an adult for specified crimes is a result of a motion by the United States to transfer the juvenile for criminal prosecution, and the offenses subject to this transfer authority are limited.) Authorizes: (1) the prosecution of a juvenile as an adult for any other offense which is properly joined under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, including for lesser included offenses; and (2) the court to order the transfer of a defendant to juvenile status under specified circumstances. Limits the applicability of statutory minimum sentences in certain prosecutions of persons under age 16. (Sec. 5003) Requires: (1) an arresting officer to promptly take reasonable steps to notify the parents, guardian, or custodian of a juvenile taken into custody (current law requires immediate notification of such parties and the Attorney General); and (2) the juvenile to be taken before a judicial officer without unreasonable delay (current law prohibits a juvenile from being detained for longer than a reasonable period before being brought before a magistrate). (Sec. 5005) Requires juvenile delinquency proceedings for a juvenile in detention to begin within 45 (currently, 30) days after the beginning of such detention. (Sec. 5006) Modifies sentencing options under the code to make available increased detention, fines, and supervised release for adjudicated delinquents. Makes mandatory restitution applicable to adjudicated delinquents. Increases, for an adjudicated delinquent, the maximum period of: (1) probation to the same period applicable to an adult; and (2) official detention to the lesser of the maximum term of imprisonment authorized if the juvenile had been tried and convicted as an adult, ten years, or the date the juvenile becomes 26 years old. Title VI: Incarceration of Juveniles in the Federal System - Amends code provisions regarding juvenile detention to require that juveniles being prosecuted as adults be detained prior to sentencing: (1) in such suitable place as the Attorney General may designate, with preference given to a place located within, or a reasonable distance of, the district in which the juvenile is being prosecuted, if the juvenile is 16 years of age or older; and (2) in such an available, suitable juvenile facility, in any other such facility, or if no such facility is available, in any other suitable place as the Attorney General may designate if the juvenile is under age 16. (Current law does not distinguish between juveniles under or over age 16 and requires detention prior to disposition in a foster home or community based facility located in or near the juvenile's home community.) Expands current protections for juveniles detained prior to disposition to cover detention prior to sentencing and to include provision for reasonable safety and security. (Sec. 6002) Amends code provisions regarding commitment to: (1) prohibit the Attorney General from causing any person under age 18 adjudicated delinquent, or under age 16 convicted of an offense, to be placed or retained in an adult jail or correctional facility in which the person has regular contact with adults incarcerated because they have been convicted of a crime or are awaiting trial on criminal charges, except for placement in a community-based facility (current law bars such contact with respect to any juvenile and does not contain such exception); and (2) provide for reasonable safety and security for every juvenile adjudicated delinquent. Title VII: Office of Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention - Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention State and Local Assistance Act of 1997 - Subtitle A: Creation of the Office of Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention -Amends the Safe Streets Act to establish within the Department of Justice the Office of Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention (replacing the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) which shall establish and administer policies and programs to address: (1) the reduction control, and prosecution of juvenile crime; (2) the juvenile justice system; (3) youth violence; and (4) other purposes consistent with this Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to establish a Coordinating Council on Juvenile Crime Control and Prevention to: (1) ensure coordination and cooperation among Federal agencies with jurisdiction over juvenile and youth programs; (2) ensure that juvenile crime prevention programs are complementary and not duplicative; and (3) offer program and policy advice to the President and executive agencies. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) withholding grant funds for non-compliance with this title; (2) confidentiality of program records; (3) restrictions on the use of funds; and (4) continuation of rules and authorities of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and of proceedings commenced by or against the Government before the enactment of this title. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle B: Juvenile Crime Assistance - Authorizes the Director of the Office to: (1) award grants to assist States in planning, establishing, operating, coordinating, and evaluating projects for development and implementation of policies, initiatives, and programs designed to reduce, control, and prevent juvenile crime and violence and improve the juvenile justice system; (2) award grants and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with Indian tribal governments and other public and private agencies to assist Indian tribal governments in planning, establishing, operating, coordinating, and evaluating projects directly for the development and implementation of policies, initiatives, and programs designed to reduce, control, and prevent juvenile crime, to assist Indian juveniles who have had contact with, or are at risk of having contact with, the juvenile justice system, and to improve the juvenile justice system; (3) award grants to States, for use by local governments, Indian tribes, and locally based public and private agencies and organizations, to develop, implement, and operate school and community-based programs for the reduction and prevention of truancy, school violence, and juvenile crime; and (4) make grants to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals for the development, testing, and demonstration of promising initiatives and programs for the prevention, control, or reduction of juvenile crime. Authorizes the Director to make incentive grants to States that have or, within a year, will have: (1) implemented a system of accountability-based graduated sanctions applicable to juveniles within the juvenile justice system designed to hold such juveniles accountable for their actions and to protect local communities from the effects of juvenile crime by providing appropriate sanctions for every act for which a juvenile is adjudicated delinquent; and (2) designed a system for juvenile delinquency history record information collection, storage, and dissemination that will ensure that such records will be available for such purposes as provided by State or tribal law. Requires grant funds to be used for: (1) implementation and design of such systems; (2) programs designed to prevent or intervene in the unlawful possession, distribution, or sale of firearms by or to juveniles; (3) collection and dissemination of information regarding juvenile crime; (4) programs that enhance tracking, intervening with, and controlling serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders; (5) comprehensive program services in juvenile detention and correctional facilities; and (6) programs that address efforts to prevent and reduce disproportionate confinement of minority juveniles. Sets forth provisions regarding application requirements, uses of grant funds, the Federal share, training and technical assistance, research, statistics, and evaluation, and recordkeeping requirements. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 7206) Youth Violence Reduction Research Act of 1997 - Authorizes the Director to: (1) transfer funds to and enter into agreements with the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research or evaluation and statistical work, respectively, in juvenile justice matters; and (2) plan and identify the purposes and goals of all grants, contracts, or agreements to be supported under this section. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 7207) Authorizes the Director to: (1) develop and implement programs and initiatives to educate, provide technical assistance, and award grants and contracts with respect to programs and practices consistent with the goals and purposes of this Act; and (2) review reports and data relating to juvenile justice in the United States and internationally and award grants to disseminate such information. Authorizes appropriations. Subtitle C: Missing and Exploited Children - Extends the authorization of appropriations under the Missing Children's Assistance Act. Directs that ten percent of appropriated funds be set aside for research, statistics, and evaluation, and two percent be set aside for training.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 1997
Directs the Attorney General to promulgate regulations relating to gender-based persecution, including female genital mutilation, for use in determining an alien's eligibility for asylum or withholding of deportation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Deauthorizes the Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico (a participating project under the Colorado River Storage Project Act and the Colorado River Basin Project Act). Requires the Secretary of the Interior to promptly seek to enter into negotiations with the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to satisfy the water rights interests of those tribes that were intended to be satisfied with water supplied from such Project.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
21st Century Scholars Act of 1997 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a 21st Century Scholars Program, which shall give eligible 21st Century Scholars (eligible Scholars) a legally binding promise, secured by the full faith and credit of the United States, to provide the maximum authorized Pell Grant to cover the costs of attendance for each of up to four years of attendance at an eligible institution. Makes students eligible Scholars if they successfully completed the uppermost grade at a qualifying elementary school and were residents of the such school's attendance area during the school year in which such grade was completed. Makes schools qualifying elementary schools if they serve attendance areas in which the concentration of children from low-income families exceeds 75 percent, as determined under specified provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to extend the one year transition from disqualification for a current welfare recipient while his or her naturalization application is pending.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Citizens' Choice Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an individual to designate five dollars for payment to the House of Representatives General Election Trust Fund (the Fund); (2) permit the individual to direct such payment to any political party; and (3) establish such Fund in the Treasury. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to: (1) set forth requirements for House of Representatives candidates who accept amounts from such Fund; and (2) prohibit any House of Representatives candidate from making loans totaling more than $50,000 to any campaign committee of the candidate.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 1997
Intelligence Budget Accountability Act of 1997 - Directs the President to include in the annual budget submitted to the Congress a separate, unclassified statement of the appropriations and proposed appropriations for the current fiscal year, and the amount of appropriations requested for the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted, for national and tactical intelligence activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 1997
Accuracy in Campus Crime Reporting Act of 1997 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise campus security policy reporting and crime statistics disclosure requirements. Includes other campus officials (as well as campus security or law enforcement, or local law enforcement) among those officials that must report, for statistical disclosure purposes, if specified types of criminal offenses are reported to them. Specifies additions to the list of such offenses. Makes annual submission of campus crime statistics mandatory for all institutions participating in any student aid program under HEA title IV (participating institutions). (Currently such submissions are only required upon the request of the Secretary of Education). Directs the Secretary to report each set of such statistics, clearly identifying each institution and campus, not only to specified congressional committees but also to each participating institution and to the public via printed and electronic means. Requires each official charged with compiling such statistics to certify their accuracy. Repeals a disclaimer that nothing in certain provisions relating to institutional policy on prevention of sexual assaults and procedures after such an assault may be construed to confer a private right of action upon any person to enforce such provisions. Requires any participating institution which maintains a police or security department to keep a daily log of specified crime information open to public inspection. Requires any participating institution to develop and distribute a statement of its disciplinary practices and procedures with respect to crimes, including specified information and policies. Amends the General Education Provisions Act to exclude allegations of criminal activities from the education records subject to family access. Sets forth methods of enforcement of HEA campus security provisions. Directs the Secretary to terminate all assistance to an institution under an applicable program, or issue other specified orders the Secretary deems appropriate to achieve compliance, if any participating institution fails or refuses to comply with requirements for disclosure of campus security policy and campus crime statistics. Prohibits institutional retaliation against individuals for exercising rights or participating in proceedings under such campus security provisions. Requires, under student aid program agreements, that the campus security policies and crime statistics disclosed be comprehensive and accurate.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 1997
Federal Power Asset Privatization Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to sell, at the highest possible price, all Federal electric power generation and transmission facilities supervised by, or coordinated with, the Federal Power Marketing Administrations. Restricts such sales to domestic entities or U.S. citizens. Requires the Secretary to terminate Federal Power Marketing Administration operations upon completion of the sales. Directs the Secretary to retain a private sector firm through a competitive bidding process to serve as financial advisor with respect to such sales. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the purchaser of any such facilities should offer to employ former Federal Power Marketing Administration personnel. Mandates that sale proceeds be deposited into the Treasury. Sets forth a sales completion deadline for each Power Marketing Administration. Mandates that the pertinent sales agreements require each purchaser providing electric power to customers within any region to insure that the price of electric power does not increase above the baseline price at a rate greater than ten percent annually. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue to the purchaser of a hydroelectric generation facility a ten-year original license under the Federal Power Act to insure that the project will continue operations under the same conditions as were applicable prior to the sale. Grants FERC Federal Power Act jurisdiction over any such facility sold. Amends the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 1993 to repeal the proscription against the use of appropriated funds for studies regarding a changeover from an "at cost" to a "market rate" or other noncost-based methodology for pricing hydroelectric power.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 1997
Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide an exception to food stamp and supplemental security income limited eligibility for totally and permanently disabled permanent resident aliens whose disability arose after U.S. admission.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 1997
Legal Immigrants' Fairness Act of 1997 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to permit legally admitted permanent resident aliens to receive Federal Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid payments.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 1997
Recognizes Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Jose Ramos-Horta (1996 Nobel Peace Prize recipients) for their contributions on behalf of their oppressed people in East Timor. Affirms support for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in East Timor based on the people's right to self-determination.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Patient Right to Know Act - Prohibits any contract or agreement, or the operation of any contract or agreement, between an entity operating a health plan (including any partnership, association, or other organization that enters into or administers such a contract or agreement) and a health care provider (or group of health care providers) from prohibiting or restricting the provider from engaging in medical communications with his or her patient. Requires that each State shall enforce this Act with respect to health insurance issuers that sell, renew, or offer health plans in the State. Provides for enforcement of this Act by the Secretary of Health and Human Services if the Secretary, after consultation with the chief executive officer of a State and the insurance commissioner or chief insurance regulatory official of the State, determines that the State has failed to substantially enforce the requirements. Mandates a civil money penalty. Allows State requirements equal to or more protective of medical communications than the requirements of this Act. Defines "medical communication" as a communication between a provider and a patient (or the patient's guardian or legal representative) regarding the patient's health status, medical care, or treatment options.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the Attorney General to provide certain older persons with special consideration concerning the English language naturalization requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Bear Protection Act - Prohibits any person from: (1) importing bear viscera into, or exporting it from, the United States; or (2) selling bear viscera, bartering, offering it for sale or barter, purchasing, or possessing it with intent to sell or barter, transporting, acquiring, or receiving it in interstate or foreign commerce. Subjects persons who violate such prohibitions to specified penalties. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the United States Trade Representative to discuss issues involving such trade with representatives of countries that are the leading importers, exporters, or consumers of such products. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on the progress of efforts to end illegal trade in bear viscera.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Directs the Secretary of the Army to close the military education and training facility known as the United States Army School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. Repeals current statutory authority for the School.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Tennessee Valley Authority First Step Reform Act of 1997 - Amends the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 to prohibit appropriations after FY 1998. Instructs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to report to the Congress on: (1) the historical and current costs to the Federal Government of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) subsidies; and (2) how TVA plans to make the transition from receiving Federal subsidies to an organization generating, transmitting, and distributing electric power on an open and competitive market.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to restore the link ended by the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 1995 between the rules relating to substantial gainful activity for blind individuals and the rules relating to excess earnings under the social security earnings test for individuals who have attained retirement age (thus allowing blind individuals, once again, to earn up to the social security excess earnings threshold without being regarded as having demonstrated an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity and without losing entitlement to OASDI benefits).
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Requires the House of Representatives to participate in State and local government transit programs to encourage House employees to use public transportation. Directs the Committee on House Oversight to issue appropriate regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Commends the organizers, sponsors, coordinators, and volunteers of NetDay. Supports NetDay's commitment to providing the Nation's elementary and secondary schools with the technological infrastructure needed to help the Nation's children succeed.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 1997
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) Al-Faran, a militant organization that seeks to merge Kashmir with Pakistan, immediately release Donald Hutchings and four Western Europeans from captivity; and (2) Al-Faran and its supporters cease all acts of hostage-taking and other violent acts within the State of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 1997
Medicare Hospice Benefit Amendments of 1997 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to hospice care to: (1) restructure the hospice care benefit period; (2) cover any other item or service which is specified in the plan and for which payment may otherwise be made under Medicare; (3) permit contracting with independent physicians or physician groups for hospice care services; (4) allow waiver of certain staffing requirements for hospice care programs in non-urbanized areas; (5) define coverage denial, with respect to the limitation on the liability of beneficiaries and providers, to mean a determination that an individual is not terminally ill; and (6) extend the period for physician certification of an individual's terminal illness.
![Official portrait of Rep. Meehan, Martin T. [D-MA-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m000627_200.jpg)