United States · United States Congress · 21 September 1999
Freshness Disclosure Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide that a food shall be deemed to be misbranded unless it is labeled for freshness. Requires the label to state a date upon which the food will no longer be fresh (i.e., contain the quantity of nutrients specified on the label and otherwise be not adulterated and of acceptable quality). Requires such date to be preceded by "best if used by," and requires such label to be conspicuously located, easy to read, and in a type size no smaller than eight point.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 1999
Clean Smokestacks Act of 1999 - Amends the Clean Air Act (CAA) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to achieve specified reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury from powerplants (electric generation facilities with a nameplate capacity of 15 megawatts or greater that use a combustion device to generate electricity for sale) by January 1, 2005. Requires outdated powerplants, on the later of the date 30 years after the powerplant commenced operation or five years after this Act's enactment, to comply with the most recent new source performance standards under CAA provisions regarding air quality and emissions limitations and with specified requirements for modified sources. Defines an "outdated powerplant" as a powerplant that has been in operation for 30 years or more.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 1999
Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Coverage Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of vision rehabilitation services under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 1999
Sexual Harassment Awareness Reporting and Posting Act of 1999 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require institutions of higher education participating in any program under HEA title IV (Student Assistance) to distribute and post information for prospective and enrolled students describing their procedures for receiving and responding to complaints regarding sexual harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 1999
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present congressional gold medals to astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, in recognition of their monumental and unprecedented feat of space exploration, as well as their achievements in the advancement of science and promotion of the space program. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Requires receipts from such sales to be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 1999
Wildland Firefighters Pay Equity Act of 1999 - Amends Federal Civil Service provisions regarding the computation of overtime pay to provide that: (1) the overtime hourly rate of pay for U.S. Forest Service employees in the Departments of Agriculture and Interior engaged in emergency wildland fire suppression is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of such employees' basic pay, whether such pay falls below, equals, or exceeds the minimum rate of basic pay for GS-10; and (2) all that amount is premium pay.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 1999
Community Development Venture Capital Assistance Act of 1999 - Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to: (1) enter into contracts with one or more development organizations specializing in community development in low-income communities to carry out training and research activities to enhance the professional skills of individuals within community development venture capital organizations operating in such communities; and (2) make grants to development organizations for such activities and to intermediary organizations to provide training and assistance to community development venture capital organizations operating in such communities. Requires matching non-Federal funds. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2000 through 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Kristen's Act - Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to public agencies or nonprofit private organizations, or combinations thereof, for programs to: (1) assist law enforcement and families in locating missing adults; (2) maintain a national, interconnected database for the purpose of tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be endangered due to age, diminished mental capacity, or the circumstances of disappearance, when foul play is suspected or circumstances are unknown; (3) maintain statistical information of adults reported as missing; (4) provide informational resources and referrals to families of missing adults; (5) assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults; and (6) establish and maintain a national clearinghouse for missing adults. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Pacific Salmon Recovery Act of 1999 - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce, subject to appropriations, to provide financial assistance for salmon habitat restoration activities to: (1) Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California; and (2) tribal governments or Alaska native regional corporations of Indian tribes on behalf of which lands located within, or on the border of, such States are held in trust by the United States and that the Secretary determines have economic or other interests in salmon habitat restoration. Allocates shares equally to States and treats all tribal governments collectively as a State. Provides for a memorandum of understanding regarding use of the assistance between the Secretary and a State or tribal government seeking assistance under this Act. Permits the use of assistance outside the jurisdiction of the recipient if the assisted activity will provide conservation benefits to naturally produced salmon in streams of concern to the recipient. Requires: (1) States to match grants provided under this Act; and (2) tribal governments to pay certain administrative costs. Directs States and tribal governments seeking assistance under this Act to establish citizens advisory committees or other similar fora for the public to participate in obtaining and using assistance under this Act. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
AIDS Marshall Plan Fund for Africa Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish the AIDS Marshall Plan Fund for Africa Corporation (AMPFA Corporation) which shall carry out a program to provide assistance for HIV-AIDS research, prevention, and treatment activities in Africa. Establishes the AIDS Marshall Plan Fund for Africa which shall consist of contributions from private sources and from foreign governments, including the governments of other G-8 countries (France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Italy, and Russia). Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
Central American and Haitian Adjustment Act of 1999 - Amends the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (Act) to: (1) extend permanent resident status adjustment provisions to qualifying Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Haitian nationals; and (2) extend the application filing deadline. Permits certain pending applications filed by Salvadoran or Guatemalan nationals under the Act or Haitian nationals under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to be converted to an application for status adjustment under the Act. Amends such Acts to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility; and (2) provide for issuance of immigrant visas to certain spouses and children. Provides for the limited reopening of certain orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal by certain Haitian, Cuban, or Nicaraguan nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 1999
George Thomas "Mickey" Leland Hunger Relief Stamp Act of 1999 - Amends Federal law to require the Postal Service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail that is up to 25 percent higher than the regular rate as a voluntary alternative that the public may use to contribute to funding for emergency food relief within the United States. Requires 50 percent of collected amounts to be paid to the: (1) Department of Agriculture, for purposes of the Emergency Food Assistance Program; and (2) Agency for International Development, for purposes of the Africa Food Security Initiative. Expresses the sense of the Congress that nothing in this Act should: (1) cause a net decrease in total funds received by the Department of Agriculture, the Agency for International Development, or any other Federal agency below the level that would have otherwise been received but for this Act's enactment; or (2) affect first-class or other regular postage rates. Requires special postage stamps to be made available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 1999
Violence Prevention Training for Early Childhood Educators Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants for a specified period to enable selected institutions of higher education and other qualified entities to provide violence prevention training as part of the early childhood education training programs they offer. Prescribes application procedures and selection priorities. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 1999
Federal Employee Retirement Contributions Act of 1999 - Amends Federal retirement provisions to reduce to seven percent after December 31, 1999, the required retirement contribution by Federal employees participating under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) (such contribution currently is scheduled to be 7.4 percent for calendar year 2000, and 7.5 percent for 2001). Reduces similarly the required percentage contribution under CSRS for Members of Congress and congressional employees, law enforcement or firefighting personnel, certain judges and magistrates, and nuclear material couriers. Makes similar reductions for participants in the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Makes conforming reductions with respect to military and volunteer service under FERS. Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to make similar employee retirement contribution reductions under the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System, and the Foreign Service Pension System.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Certified Development Company Program Improvements Act of 1999 - Amends provisions of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 relating to the certified development company (CDC) program (a program providing loans to State or local development companies for assisting small businesses) to: (1) include within program goals the expansion of women-owned business development; (2) increase to $1 million the authorized amount of a loan from the development company to an identifiable small business; (3) terminate on or after October 1, 2003, the authority of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to charge a fee for such loans; (4) repeal the certified lenders program; and (5) provide for the sale of certain defaulted loans under the CDC program, requiring prior notice of the sale of such a loan to any CDC which has a contingent liability for such loan. Authorizes the SBA to delegate to any qualified State or local development company the authority to foreclose and liquidate defaulted loans that are guaranteed with the proceeds of debentures guaranteed by the SBA. Outlines delegation eligibility requirements and the scope of such delegation authority (all necessary liquidation and foreclosure as well as required litigation). Requires each eligible development company, before carrying out such liquidation and foreclosure, to submit a proposed liquidation plan to the SBA for approval. Provides administrative procedures with respect to the submission and approval of such plan. Authorizes the SBA to suspend or revoke any delegation authority granted for failure to comply with delegation requirements. Requires an annual report from the SBA to the congressional small business committees on the results of the delegation of authority under this section. Terminates on the effective date of final regulations implementing this section the current loan liquidation pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Family Planning and Choice Protection Act of 1999 - Title I: Prevention - Subtitle A: Family Planning - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to authorize appropriations for voluntary family planning projects. (Sec. 102) Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any authority of the United States, in or through any health care services or information program or activity administered or assisted by that authority, from limiting any person's right to provide or receive nonfraudulent information regarding reproductive health care services. Subtitle B: Prescription Equity and Contraceptive Coverage - Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 1999 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the PHSA to prohibit a group health plan, and an insurer providing coverage in connection with a group plan, from restricting benefits for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, or outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or services. Prohibits related denial of eligibility or enrollment, monetary payments or rebates to covered individuals, and penalties or incentives to health care professionals. Amends the PHSA to apply these prohibitions to insurers in the individual market. Declares that this paragraph does not preempt State law providing greater enrollee protections. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for a contract that includes prescription drug coverage unless the contract includes a provision for contraceptive coverage, except for plans that object to such coverage for religious reasons. Prohibits a plan from discriminating against an individual because the individual refuses, for religious reasons, to prescribe contraceptives. Subtitle C: Emergency Contraceptives - Mandates development and dissemination to the public and health care providers of information on drugs or devices designed to be used after sexual relations to prevent pregnancy. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Choice Protection - Amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting the expenditure of any funds appropriated by that Act and the expenditure of any funds in any trust fund to which funds are appropriated under that Act for any abortion or for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Sec. 202) Makes congressional findings that: (1) Federal resources are necessary to ensure safety for women and health professionals regarding reproductive health facilities and services; (2) it is necessary and appropriate to use Federal resources to combat the nationwide campaign of violence and harassment against reproductive health centers; and (3) Congress should support increasing Federal resources to fully ensure the safety of health professionals, center staff, and all women using reproductive health center services and the family members of such persons. Establishes in the Department of Justice the Task Force on Violence Against Health Care Providers to: (1) coordinate investigative, prosecutorial, and enforcement efforts of Federal, State, and local governments regarding violence at reproductive health care facilities and violence against health care providers; (2) conduct security assessments for such facilities; and (3) provide related training for local law enforcement and provide methodologies for assessing risks and promoting facility security. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Department of Justice to make grants to such facilities to enhance security and to purchase and install security devices. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) ensure that a Food and Drug Administration decision to approve the drug called Mifepristone or RU-486 is made only on the basis provided in law; and (2) assess initiatives to promote the testing, licensing, and manufacturing in the United States of the drug or other antiprogestins. (Sec. 204) Prohibits a State from restricting a woman's freedom to choose pregnancy termination before fetal viability. Allows a State to: (1) restrict that freedom after viability unless termination is necessary to preserve the woman's life or health; and (2) impose requirements on abortions if the requirements are medically necessary to protect the woman's health. (Sec. 205) Prohibits, notwithstanding any other provision of law, construing any Federal law to prohibit a health plan from offering coverage for the full range of reproductive health care services, including abortion services. (Sec. 206) Amends Federal law to allow funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) to be used for abortions when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest or when the abortion is medically necessary or appropriate. Replaces provisions prohibiting (with exceptions) the use of DOD facilities to perform abortions with provisions declaring that certain provisions do not limit performing abortions in a uniformed services facility outside the 48 contiguous States if the cost is fully paid by non-DOD funds, abortions are not prohibited by the facility's jurisdiction, and the abortion would otherwise be permitted under laws regarding health care for uniformed services members and former members and their dependents in that facility. (Sec. 207) Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) of the Social Security Act to remove provisions prohibiting using funds under the title for abortions or for health insurance that includes coverage of abortions. Includes (currently, includes only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest) abortion services in the definition of "child health assistance." (Sec. 208) Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting using any funds appropriated in that Act to the Department of Justice from being used to pay for an abortion or to require any person to perform, or facilitate the performance of, an abortion. (Sec. 209) Amends the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting using funds appropriated by that Act for abortions. (Sec. 210) Amends the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal provisions prohibiting using any funds appropriated in that Act to pay for an abortion or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employees health benefit program that covers abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Medicare Home Health Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA '97) to eliminate the 15 percent automatic reduction in payment amounts to home health agencies furnishing home health services under the Medicare program. Allows home health agencies to elect to repay certain overpayments made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services over a 36-month no-interest grace period. Makes such an election effective as if included in BBA '97.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 1999
Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to guarantee a general business loan made by a bank or other financial institution to a small business in the amount of: (1) 75 percent of the outstanding balance of such loan, if such balance exceeds $150,000 (currently $100,000); and (2) 80 percent of the outstanding balance of less than $150,000 (also currently $100,000). Prohibits any such loan from being made to a borrower if the total amount outstanding and committed to the borrower from the business loan and SBA investment funds would exceed $1 million (currently $750,000). Makes current provisions requiring the payment of accrued interest on defaulted guaranteed loans inapplicable to loans made on or after October 1, 1999. Requires a borrower who prepays any loan guaranteed by the SBA to remit to the SBA a subsidy recoupment (calculated under this Act) if: (1) the loan is for a period of less than 15 years; (2) the prepayment is voluntary; (3) the amount of prepayment in any calendar year is more than 25 percent of the outstanding loan balance; and (4) the prepayment is made within the first three years after disbursement of the loan proceeds. Revises loan guarantee fee amounts. Authorizes lenders participating in an SBA program to retain no more than 25 percent of such fee with respect to any loan not exceeding $150,000. Authorizes a borrower to permanently lease to one or more tenants not more than 20 percent of any property constructed using guaranteed loan proceeds, as long as the borrower permanently occupies and uses not less than 60 percent of the total business space in the property.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
Older American's Protection From Violence Act of 1999 - Title I: Violence Against Women Act of 1994 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to direct the Attorney General to: (1) make grants to law school clinical programs to fund inclusion of cases addressing issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals; and (2) develop curricula and training programs to assist prosecutors and Federal and State law enforcement personnel (including local courts) in recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such abuse. (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Family Violence Prevention and Services Act - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include, within grants for State domestic violence coalitions, funds to develop outreach, support groups, and counseling targeted towards victims of elder domestic abuse. (Sec. 204) Expands the eligibility criteria for community initiative demonstration grants to include adult protective services entities. Title III: Older Americans Act of 1965 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary for Aging to consider the importance of research about the sexual assault of women who are older or disabled individuals when establishing research priorities. (Sec. 304) Expands the scope of eligible demonstration projects to include domestic violence shelters and programs for elder and disabled individuals. (Sec. 305) Authorizes appropriations without fiscal year limitation to implement the ombudsman program and the elder abuse prevention program. (Sec. 306) Directs the Secretary to: (1) make grants to nonprofit private organizations to support local community initiatives to coordinate activities concerning intervention and prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals; (2) develop and implement outreach programs for assisting older or disabled victims of such abuse; and (3) implement continuing education training programs for adult protective service workers, persons carrying out a State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, health care providers, and community-based social service providers to improve recognition and treatment of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault against older or disabled individuals. Title IV: Public Health Service Act - Elder Abuse Identification and Referral Act of 1998 (sic) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary, in awarding grants or contracts to health professions entities under such Act, to give preference to an entity that has in effect a requirement that each student receiving a degree or certificate from such entity has had significant training as a provider of health care in the identification and referral of victims of elder abuse and neglect. Title V: Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 - Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to ensure that nothing in title XI of the Act shall preclude a financial institution, officer, employee, or agent from reporting suspected financial exploitation of an older or disabled individual to State, Federal, or local law enforcement authorities, or to government-regulated adult protective services entities. Protects such individuals from liability for such disclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 1999
America's Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or through agreements with other public or nonprofit entities, for 25 programs that involve: (1) continuing judicial supervision, including periodic review at least every 45 days, over preliminarily qualified offenders with mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders who are charged with non-violent misdemeanors, for a period not to exceed one year; and (2) the integrated administration of services, which includes specialized training of law enforcement and judicial personnel to identify and address the unique needs of a mentally ill or mentally retarded offender, voluntary diversion into outpatient or inpatient mental health treatment that carries with it the possibility of prosecution of the original criminal charge if the mentally ill or mentally retarded defendant is noncompliant with program requirements, centralized case management involving the consolidation of all of a mentally ill or mentally retarded defendant's misdemeanor cases (including violations of misdemeanor probation) and the coordination of all treatment plans of mental health and social service providers, and life skills training. Defines "preliminarily qualified offender with mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders" to mean a person who: (1) previously or currently has been diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional as having a mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders or who manifests obvious signs of mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders during arrest or confinement or before any court; and (2) is deemed eligible for diversion by designated judges. Directs the Attorney General to issue regulations and guidelines necessary to carry out this Act, including the methodologies and outcome measures proposed for evaluating each applicant program. Sets forth provisions regarding application requirements, the Federal cost share (75 percent), geographic distribution of grants, reporting requirements, and technical assistance, training, and evaluation. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 1999
Cigars Are No Safe Alternative Act - Prohibits any person from selling or distributing a cigar to any individual under 18. Requires that cigar retailers: (1) ensure that all cigars are located in areas where customers do not have direct access; and (2) sell cigars only in face-to-face exchanges (prohibiting sales through vending machines, mail-order sales, or the Internet). Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to impose restrictions on the sale, advertising, distribution, and marketing of cigars directed at youth as appropriate to limit sale to individuals 18 or over. Prohibits advertising cigars on any form of electronic communication. Requires cigar manufacturers which pay for, or participate in, the placement of cigars in movies and on television where a substantial segment of the audience is under 18 to report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the FTC each time that occurs. Mandates health warnings on the labels of cigars and cigar packaging. Requires a study and report to Congress and the President on: (1) the health effects of occasional cigar smoking, nicotine dependence demonstrated by cigar smokers, biological uptake of toxic and carcinogenic constituents of cigars, and environmental cigar smoke exposure; and (2) the yields of tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and any other additive designated by the Secretary. Requires cigar manufacturers to report to the Secretary on those yields. Requires a study and report to Congress and the President by the FTC on current cigar sales, advertising, and marketing practices. Directs the Secretary to monitor trends in youth access to and use of cigars and, if cigars are inappropriately accessible to children and adolescents, to notify Congress and make recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1999
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a program to assist States and local educational agencies (LEAs) to recruit, train, and hire 141,000 additional school-based mental health personnel, including 100,000 additional counselors, 21,000 additional school psychologists, and 20,000 additional school social workers over a five-year period, in order to reduce the student-to-counselor ratios nationally, in elementary and secondary schools, to an average of one school counselor for every 250 students, one school psychologist for every 1,000 students, and one social worker for every 800 students, as recommended in a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences relating to schools and health. Directs the Secretary of Education, after reserving certain funds for schools in outlying areas and schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to make program allotments to States according to a specified formula. Requires States to allocate Federal and State shares of program costs to LEAs according to specified formulas. Sets forth requirements for State and LEA applications and LEA use of funds. Requires Federal, State, and local shares of program costs to each equal one-third, but allows State and local shares to be in cash or in kind. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1999
Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to carry out a program, directly or through grants or contracts, for professional and public education and training, research, and epidemiological activities regarding folic acid and birth defects. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1999
Designates the U.S. Post Office building located at 3101 West Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana, California, as the Hector G. Godinez Post Office Building.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Educating America's Girls Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to: (1) ensure education technology and teacher training programs are targeted in a manner that addresses the unique needs and different learning styles of all students, including girls; (2) provide schools with resources for programs to prevent sexual harassment and abuse; (3) provide for collection of data on high school athletic participation by girls; (4) establish dropout prevention programs to keep pregnant and parenting teens in school; and (5) reauthorize the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA). (Sec. 2) Requires that attention be given to the incorporation and use of technology to enhance teaching and learning, under specified ESEA requirements relating to school improvement, professional development, teacher training, and educational innovation. Requires schools to give attention to professional development that incorporates technology used to improve teaching and learning. Requires professional development activities to include instruction in the use of technology. Adds technology to the list of core subject areas for the National Teacher Training Project grants program. Requires authorized professional development activities to incorporate effective technology for meeting the educational needs of diverse groups of students. Includes technological innovation as a higher education activity to improve teacher education programs. Directs the Secretary of Education to take into special consideration the different learning needs for and exposures to technology for all students, including girls and students who have economic and educational disadvantages, in carrying out ESEA titles I (Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards), II (Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program), and III (Technology for Education). Requires the Secretary, as well as applicants and grantees, to provide for such special consideration to be given under specified programs, including: (1) such Technology for Education programs as national challenge grants, regional technical support and professional development, educational technology product development, and Star Schools grants; and (2) the Fund for the Improvement of Education (part A of ESEA title X Programs of National Significance). (Sec. 3) Authorizes the Secretary, through the Office of Educational Technology, to award matching grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible consortia to develop or redesign programs to prepare prospective elementary and secondary school teachers to use technology effectively in their classrooms. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 4) Getting Our Girls Ready for the 21st Century Act (Go Girl Act) - Amends ESEA to authorize the Secretary to make grants to, and contracts and cooperative agreements with, local educational agencies to provide subgrants to elementary and secondary schools for services that: (1) encourage the ongoing interest of girls in science, mathematics, and technology; and (2) prepare girls to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees and careers in those fields. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Grants Act - Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to State and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) or other public or private entities to train teachers and administrators in identifying and preventing sexual harassment. Authorizes appropriations. Amends ESEA title IV (the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994) to include high rates of reported incidences of sexual harassment and abuse on the list of examples of objective data which an SEA is required to consider in determining which LEAs have the greatest need for additional funds. Includes, under authorized uses of grants and contracts under Governors' programs, developing and implementing strategies and programs to greatly reduce the incidence of sexual harassment and abuse and to encourage positive and respectful interactions between girls and boys. Requires LEA drug and violence prevention programs to be designed, for all students and employees, to greatly reduce the incidence of sexual harassment and abuse. Includes sexual harassment and abuse among the types of school violence for which the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is required to collect data to determine frequency, seriousness, and incidence. (Sec. 6) Amends the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 to require NCES to collect and disseminate statistics on the participation, by gender, of secondary school students in elective physical education and athletic programs. (Sec. 7) Amends ESEA title V part C (the School Dropout Assistance Act) to direct the Secretary to give additional special consideration to grant applications that include provisions that emphasize mentoring and other support services for pregnant and parenting teenagers. Revises implementation or expansion plans for ESEA title XI coordinated services projects to include: (1) an assessment of the needs of children requiring specialized comprehensive services such as students who are pregnant or parenting; and (2) strategies to ensure addressing the health and welfare needs of families with pregnant or parenting children in school. (Sec. 8) Women's Educational Equity Act of 1999 - Renames, reauthorizes, and revises ESEA title V part B (currently the Women's Educational Equity Act of 1994) (WEEA). Directs the Secretary to report: (1) to the President and Congress on the status of educational equity for girls and women in the Nation; and (2) to Congress on evaluation, materials, and programs under WEEA. Extends the authorization of appropriations for WEEA programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1999
Act to Save America's Forests - Title I: Amendments to Existing Land Management Laws - Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (National Forest System), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (public lands), the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (National Wildlife Refuge System), and Federal law relating to forest management on military lands to: (1) provide for native biodiversity conservation; and (2) restrict and prohibit certain logging practices. Title II: Protection for Ancient Forests, Roadless Areas, Watershed Protection Areas, and Special Areas - Describes special areas as Federal forest land parcels possessing outstanding biological, scenic, recreational, or cultural values, exemplary on a regional or national level, which may not meet the definitions of Ancient Forests, Roadless Areas, or Watershed Protection Areas. Designates specified Special Areas which shall be subject to restrictions on road construction and logging in the following States: (1) Alabama; (2) Alaska; (3) Arizona; (4) Arkansas; (5) California; (6) Colorado; (7) Georgia; (8) Idaho; (9) Illinois; (10) Michigan; (11) Minnesota; (12) Missouri; (13) Montana; (14) New Mexico; (15) North Carolina; (16) Ohio; (17) Oklahoma; (18) Oregon; (19) South Carolina; (20) South Dakota; (21) Tennessee; (22) Texas; (23) Vermont; (24) Virginia; (25) West Virginia; (26) Wisconsin; and (27) Wyoming. Provides for the appointment of a committee of scientists to recommend additional Special Areas. Restricts road construction and logging in Ancient Forests, Special Areas, Roadless Areas on Federal lands, and Watershed Protection Areas.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1999
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) prescription drug accessibility is crucial to the well-being of senior citizens; (2) prescription drug costs should not prohibit seniors from taking the vital steps necessary to maintain their health; (3) extending prescription drug benefits to seniors should not require the creation of extensive new bureaucracies, regulations, or price controls; and (4) Congress should pursue legislative measures to address this matter as soon as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1999
Public Health Osteoporosis Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) make osteoporosis screening a required primary health service for Federal health centers; and (2) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States and local governments for the establishment and operation of programs for screenings, referrals, and education regarding osteoporosis. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 1999
Infant Crib Safety Act - Makes it unlawful for any commercial user to: (1) manufacture, sell, or contract to sell any full-size or non full-size crib which is unsafe for any infant; or (2) sell, contract to sell or resell, lease, sublet, or otherwise place in the stream of commerce any such crib which is not new and is unsafe for any infant. Makes it unlawful for any lodging facility to offer or provide such an unsafe crib. Presumes as unsafe a crib which does not conform to specified standards in the Code of Federal Regulations and the American Society for Testing Materials Voluntary Standards, with an exception. Authorizes a fine and injunction against violators of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Authorizes the President to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal to General Wesley Clark in recognition of his exemplary performance as a military leader in coordinating the planning, strategy, and execution of the United States and NATO combat action and his invaluable contributions to the United States and to the successful return to peace in the Balkans as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and Commander-in-Chief, United States European Command. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act of 1999 - Title I: Prohibition of Health Insurance Discrimination on the Basis of Predictive Genetic Information - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (regarding a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group insurance through a group plan), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) (regarding such a plan or issuer, and with regard to an issuer offering health insurance in the individual market), the Internal Revenue code (IRC) (regarding a group health plan), and title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) (regarding Medicare supplemental policies) to prohibit, with respect to genetic information: (1) discriminating in individual enrollment; (2) discriminating in group eligibility or group premium or contribution rates; (3) requesting or requiring test performance; and (4) requesting, requiring, collecting, purchasing, or disclosing information, unless authorized by the individual. Allows a plan or issuer: (1) regarding payment for genetic services, to request evidence that the services were performed; and (2) regarding payment for other benefits, to request predictive genetic information in certain circumstances. Allows a court, for violations, to award any appropriate legal or equitable relief, attorney's fees and costs, and expert witness costs. Allows civil monetary penalties. Applies the requirements of this paragraph to plans that have fewer than two participants who are current employees. Amends ERISA and the PHSA to: (1) declare that the provisions of paragraph above do not preempt any provision of State law that protects genetic information confidentiality or privacy, or prohibits genetic discrimination, more completely than ERISA's and the PHSA's group health plan provisions; and (2) apply the requirements of the paragraph above to Medicare supplemental health insurance and similar supplemental coverage, if provided under a separate policy, certificate, or contract of insurance. Amends the IRC to apply the requirements of this title to apply the requirements of this title to any governmental plan. Title II: Prohibition of Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Predictive Genetic Information - Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate because of predictive genetic information, including making it unlawful to request, require, collect, or purchase such information. Allows an employer to request, require, collect, or purchase such information: (1) where used for genetic monitoring of biological effects of workplace toxic substances; or (2) with consent of the employee, if results are received only by the employee (or the employee's family). (Sec. 206) Requires employers possessing such information to treat and maintain the information as part of the employee's confidential medical records. Prohibits disclosure, subject to exception. (Sec. 207) Empowers one or more employees, labor organization members, or training participants to bring an action in Federal or State court for violations. Applies to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), for enforcement of this title, the powers, remedies, and procedures under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Allows a court to award any appropriate legal or equitable relief, attorney's fees and costs, and costs of experts. (Sec. 209) Authorizes appropriations to carry out this title.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 1999 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to define "high speed data service" as a service capable of transmitting electronic information at a rate generally not less than 384 kilobits per second in at least one direction. Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and each State, except as expressly provided in this Act, from regulating the rates, charges, terms or conditions for, or entry into the provision of, any high speed data service or Internet access service, or to regulate the facilities used in the provision of such service. Prohibits the FCC from requiring an incumbent (established) local exchange carrier to: (1) provide unbundled access to any network elements used in the provision of any high speed data service, other than those elements described in FCC regulations; or (2) offer for resale at wholesale rates any high speed data service. States that nothing in this Act shall: (1) limit or affect the authority of any State to regulate voice telephone exchange services; (2) affect the ability of the FCC to retain or modify the exemption from interstate access charges for enhanced service providers; or (3) prohibit the FCC from modifying the regulation concerning the number of networks subject to its unbundling requirement. Requires each incumbent local exchange carrier to provide: (1) Internet users with the ability to subscribe to and have access to any Internet service provider that interconnects with such carrier's high speed data service; (2) any Internet service provider with the right to acquire necessary facilities and services to facilitate such interconnection; and (3) any Internet service provider with the ability to collocate equipment in order to achieve such interconnection. Includes high speed data service or Internet access service within the definition of "incidental interLATA services" permitted for a Bell operating company (BOC). States that, until the date a BOC is authorized to offer interLATA services originating in an in-region State, such BOC offering any high speed data service or Internet access service may not, in such State, bill or collect for interLATA voice telecommunications service obtained by means of such high speed data or Internet access service provided by such company.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Targeted Gun Dealer Enforcement Act of 1999 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit, and set penalties for, making certain false or fictitious statements with respect to the identity of the person purchasing or attempting to purchase a firearm or ammunition. Prohibits a licensed dealer from transferring a firearm without notifying the transferee whether applicable State law requires persons to be licensed to carry concealed firearms in the State or prohibits the carrying of concealed firearms in the State. Rewrites Brady Act provisions to allow the Secretary of the Treasury to suspend or revoke a license and to assess and collect a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, subject to specified requirements and procedures. Directs the Secretary to designate a licensed dealer as a "high-volume crime gun dealer": (1) upon determining that the dealer sold, delivered, or otherwise transferred to one or more unlicensed persons at least 25 firearms that, during the preceding calendar year, were used during the commission or attempted commission of a criminal offense under, or were possessed in violation of, Federal, State, or local law; or (2) immediately upon the expiration date of a suspension of that dealer's license for a willful violation that involved one or more firearms that were subsequently used during the commission or attempted commission of a criminal offense under Federal, State, or local law. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) the effective period of such designation; (2) requirements for designation notification by the Secretary to the appropriate U.S. attorney's office, appropriate State and local law enforcement agencies, and State and local agencies responsible for issuing business licenses in the jurisdiction; (3) dealer reporting and record keeping requirements regarding the transfer of a handgun; (4) inspection of such dealer at any time without a showing of reasonable cause or a warrant for purposes of determining compliance with requirements of this Act; (5) handgun transfer record keeping requirements for local police departments; (6) time requirements for license renewal decisions; and (7) suspension of the license of a high-volume crime gun dealer for violations. Sets penalties for failure to comply with requirements of this Act. (Sec. 3) Amends the Brady Act to authorize a successor licensee to retain the records of a discontinued firearms or ammunition business or submit them to the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to receive and centralize any information or records submitted and to maintain such information or records in whatever manner will enable their most efficient use in law enforcement investigations. Directs the Secretary to retain a record of each firearms trace conducted by the Secretary unless the Secretary determines that there is a valid law enforcement reason not to retain the record. Requires a licensed importer, manufacturer, and dealer to submit to the Secretary a monthly report of each firearm received from an unlicensed person, excluding any identifying information relating to the transferor or any subsequent purchaser. (Sec. 4) Prohibits, and sets penalties for, knowingly transferring a firearm having reasonable cause to believe that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime. Increases penalties for trafficking in firearms with obliterated serial numbers. (Sec. 5) Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to amend the Federal sentencing guidelines to reflect the amendments made by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Railroad Safety Reform Act of 1999 - Title I: Employee Fatigue - Amends Federal transportation law to revise the hours of duty limitations with respect to train employees (including determining when an employee is on or off duty). Declares that a railroad carrier shall not be held responsible for violating such requirements in the case of a dually employed employee if none of the railroad carrier's managers, supervisors, officers, and agents had actual knowledge of the employee's work schedule for another employer. Makes similar changes with respect to signal employees and dispatching service employees and power directors. (Sec. 105) Revises certain sleeping quarters limitations with respect to train employees (including signal employees), and for any individuals employed to maintain the right of way of a railroad carrier, to require such carrier and its managers, supervisors, officers, and agents to provide, among other things, a separate bedroom for each employee or individual. (Sec. 106) Requires each Class I and Class II railroad carrier, each railroad carrier providing intercity rail passenger transportation, and each railroad carrier providing commuter rail passenger transportation, to submit to the Secretary of Transportation a fatigue management plan designed to reduce: (1) fatigue experienced by railroad employees or its independent contractors; and (2) the likelihood of accidents and injuries caused by such fatigue. Provides a waiver for the submission of such plan. (Sec. 108) Prohibits, except in a specified emergency, a railroad carrier and its managers, supervisors, officers, and agents from requiring a transport vehicle driver to remain or go on duty: (1) unless such driver has at least eight consecutive hours off duty, during which such driver receives no communication from such carrier and its managers, supervisors, officers, and agents, during the prior 24 hours; (2) for a period in excess of ten consecutive hours; (3) unless such driver has received notice at least eight hours before going on duty; and (4) unless such driver has had at least one period of at least 24 consecutive hours off duty in the past seven days. (Sec. 110) Authorizes a railroad carrier and its managers, supervisors, officers, and agents to require a train employee to work a split shift only if the split shift begins between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. and ends before 2:00 a.m. on the day following the day on which the shift begins. (Sec. 111) Prohibits a railroad carrier and its managers, supervisors, officers, and agents from requiring an employee to report for duty to begin an eight-hour shift which begins at a time that is more than four hours earlier or more than six hours later than the time of day when that employee, within the previous 72 hours, began a prior eight-hour shift (rotating shift). Directs the Secretary to report to Congress the results of a study regarding: (1) the effect of rotating shifts on employee fatigue; and (2) alternative methods of preventing fatigue due to such shifts. (Sec. 112) Directs the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee to convene a working group to consider what legislative changes might be appropriate with respect to hours of service. Requires the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to report to Congress on the Committee's recommendations with respect to such changes. Title II: Protection of Employees and Witnesses - Revises certain employee protection requirements prohibiting a railroad carrier from discharging or discriminating against an employee also to prohibit such carrier from threatening, intimidating, or disciplining for, or preventing an employee from (among other things): (1) notifying, or attempting to notify, the carrier of a work-related personal injury or illness; (2) cooperating with a safety investigation; (3) furnishing information to any party as to the facts relating to any accident resulting in injury or death or damage to property occurring in connection with railroad transportation; (4) accurately reporting hours of duty or dual employment status; or (5) reporting a hazardous condition or refusing to work when confronted by a hazardous condition. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements under this Act. (Sec. 201) Sets forth certain requirements with respect to the exclusion of an individual from employment by a railroad carrier as a safety-critical employee. (Sec. 203) Requires a railroad carrier to have an annual audit of the process by which it reports accidents. (Sec. 204) Makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly interfere with, obstruct, or hamper a railroad safety investigation, or knowingly or intentionally use intimidation, harassment, or threats to influence the testimony of any person or prevent a person from attending such investigation. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Title III: Grade Crossing Safety - Revises grade crossing safety requirements to require each railroad carrier to: (1) establish a toll-free telephone service to receive calls reporting malfunctions of safety equipment, or disabled vehicles blocking railroad tracks, at grade crossings; (2) notify trains operating near a grade crossing of the malfunction or disabled vehicle and contact appropriate public safety officials; and (3) ensure placement of signs at each grade crossing displaying the toll-free telephone information. (Sec. 302) Directs the Secretary to review current local, State, and Federal laws regarding violations of grade crossing signals. Directs the Secretary to develop and make available to State and local governments model State legislation providing for civil or criminal penalties, or both, for violations of grade crossing signals. Title IV: Passenger Service Safety Standards - Requires all passenger railroad cars to have emergency windows after January 1, 2002. (Sec. 402) Sets forth requirements for: (1) passenger railroad signals; and (2) internal and compartmentalized fuel tanks on passenger locomotives. Title V: Safety Rulemaking and Enforcement - Amends Federal transportation law with respect to railroad safety to direct the Secretary to convene an annual conference to determine the most important actions needed to improve railroad safety, and report the results to Congress. (Sec. 503) Directs the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to report monthly to specified congressional committees on the status of FRA's safety-related rulemakings and reports. (Sec. 504) Sets forth requirements with respect to the rulemaking process of rules proposed by the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee. (Sec. 505) Declares that certain railroad power brake safety rules proposed on September 16, 1994, shall take effect as final rules one year after enactment of this Act if before that time the Secretary has not issued all final regulations required by specified law. (Sec. 506) Directs the Secretary to initiate a rulemaking to ensure the safety of operators of railroad cranes and other hoisting equipment, and of railroad employees working in the vicinity of cranes and other hoisting equipment. (Sec. 508) Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations addressing noise emissions from high-speed rail systems (including magnetic levitation systems) when operating at speeds greater than 150 miles per hour. (Sec. 509) Directs the Secretary to issue rules requiring that no track inspection shall be conducted from a vehicle traveling at a speed of more than 15 miles per hour. (Sec. 510) Authorizes officers, employees, or agents of the Secretary to monitor railroad radio communications for purposes of conducting any rulemaking, accident investigations, and acquiring general information as to railroad operations as it relates to railroad safety. Prohibits the use of information obtained from such monitoring as evidence for the assessment or collection of civil penalties or for implementation of other enforcement activities, except that it may be used as background for further investigation which might lead to the discovery of other useful evidence. (Sec. 511) Expands the Secretary's emergency authority to order restrictions and prohibitions to include instances of unsafe conditions involving significant harm to the environment. (Sec. 512) Requires fees imposed on railroad carriers to cover the costs of providing an additional 400 railroad safety inspectors. Title VI: Miscellaneous Provisions - Directs the Federal Transit Administrator to consult with the Federal Railroad Administrator concerning relevant safety issues when making a grant or loan to a commuter railroad to help eliminate or correct an unsafe condition that may cause a serious hazard of death or injury. (Sec. 602) Provides for the adjustment of civil penalties for inflation with respect to railroad safety violations committed under Federal railroad safety law. (Sec. 603) Requires certification of other safety-related railroad personnel in addition to locomotive engineers. (Sec. 604) Sets forth requirements with respect to: (1) transport motor vehicle inspections; and (2) railroad employee seniority rights.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1999
Better America Bonds Act of 1999 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a limited income tax credit to a holder of a Better America Bond. Requires the proceeds of such bonds to be used for specified purposes, including: (1) the acquisition of land for use as open space, wetlands, public parks, or greenways, and the provision of visitor facilities for land so used; (2) the remediation of land so acquired to enhance water quality; and (3) the environmental assessment and remediation of real property owned by a State or local government.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. (Such FLSA prohibitions are also known as the Equal Pay Act). (Sec. 3) Amends FLSA to provide for enhanced enforcement of equal pay requirements, adding a nonretaliation requirement. Increases penalties for such violations. Provides for the Secretary of Labor to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in such cases. (Sec. 4) Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, including convening a national summit and carrying out other specified activities. (Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop guidelines for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria, to be used voluntarily by employers to compare wages for different jobs to determine if pay scales adequately and fairly reflect each job's educational and skill requirements, independence, working conditions, and responsibility, in order to eliminate unfair pay disparities between occupations traditionally dominated by men or women; and (2) establish a program to recognize employers who use such guidelines to ensure that women are paid fairly in comparison to men without lowering men's wages. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance for employers to carry out such evaluations. (Sec. 7) Establishes the Robert Reich National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace, which shall be evidenced by a medal. Sets forth criteria for specified types of entities to receive such an award. (Sec. 8) Amends the Civil Rights Act to direct the EEOC to: (1) complete a survey of data currently available to the Government relating to employee pay information for use in the enforcement of Federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination, and identify additional data collections to enhance enforcement of such laws; and (2) based on survey results and consultations with other relevant Federal agencies, issue regulations for the collection of pay information data from employers as described by the sex, race, and national origin of employees. (Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1999
National Center for Research on Domestic Health Disparities Act - Amends title IV (National Research Institutes) of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), as amended by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, to establish, as another agency of the National Institutes of Health, a National Center for Research on Domestic Health Disparities to conduct and support basic and clinical research, training, and dissemination of health information, and other programs with respect to minority health. Directs the Director of the Center to assist in the administration of certain PHSA clinical research requirements with respect to the inclusion of minority groups as clinical research subjects. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an advisory council to assist the Director. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1999
Commends Emir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait for his commitment to Kuwaiti womens' right to vote and run for public office, as reflected in his decision of May 16, 1999, to grant such right. Congratulates the Kuwaiti women for this achievement. Urges: (1) the Kuwaiti Parliament to support this landmark decision; and (2) President Clinton to support further democratic development in the Persian Gulf region.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1999 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by covered entities. Declares that a disparate impact does not establish a prima facie violation of this Act. Prohibits related retaliation and coercion. Declares that this Act does not apply to the provision of employee benefits for the benefit of an employee's domestic partner. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from: (1) collecting statistics on sexual orientation from covered entities; and (2) compelling covered entities to collect such statistics. Prohibits: (1) quotas and preferential treatment; and (2) an order or consent decree for a violation of this Act that includes a quota or preferential treatment. Declares that this Act does not apply to: (1) religious organizations (except regarding employment in a position the duties of which pertain solely to activities of the organization that generate unrelated business income subject to taxation under specified Internal Revenue Code provisions); (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the armed forces; or (3) laws creating special rights or preferences for veterans. Provides for enforcement. Prohibits the imposition of affirmative action for a violation of this Act. Disallows State immunity. Makes the United States or a State liable for all remedies (except punitive damages, with compensatory damages available to the extent specified in certain existing provisions of law) to the same extent as under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Allows recovery of attorney's fees. Requires posting notices for employees, applicants, and members.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
Safety Net Preservation Act of 1999 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a new prospective payment system for federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1999
National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (the Act) to: (1) include among permissible uses of drug control and system improvement (Byrne) grants improving the quality, timeliness, and credibility of forensic science services for criminal justice purposes; and (2) require State certification that it has established a forensic science laboratory or laboratory system or a medical examiner's office that meets specified requirements, with respect to any such grant for such purpose. Amends the Act to require a State to submit to the Attorney General: (1) a certification that the State has developed a consolidated State plan that meets specified requirements and a specific description of the manner in which the grant will be used to carry out that plan; (2) a certification that any forensic science laboratory system, medical examiner's office, or coroner's office in the State that will receive any portion of the grant amount uses generally accepted laboratory practices and procedures, established by accrediting organizations; and (3) a specific description of any new facility to be constructed as part of the program, estimated costs of that facility, and a certification that the grant will not be used to fund more than 40 percent of such facility's total costs. Prohibits the use of grant funds for any general law enforcement or non-forensic investigatory function. Limits facilities and administrative costs. Sets forth provisions regarding record-keeping (and access to records and documents) and reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Safe Motherhood Monitoring and Prevention Research Act of 1999 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) establish and implement a national monitoring and surveillance program to identify and promote the investigation of deaths and severe complications that occur during pregnancy; (2) expand the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to provide surveillance and collect data in each of the 50 States; (3) expand the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program to provide technical support, financial assistance, or the time-limited assignment of senior epidemiologists to maternal and child health programs in each of the 50 States. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the CDC, to expand research relating to: (1) encouraging preconception counseling; (2) identifying critical components of prenatal delivery and postpartum care, outreach and support services for pregnant women, and women who are at high risk for complications; (3) preventing preterm delivery, urinary tract infections, and unnecessary caesarean sections; (4) examining the higher rates of maternal mortality among African American women and the relationship between domestic violence and maternal complications and mortality; and (5) preventing substance abuse during and after pregnancy and infections that cause maternal and infant complications. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the CDC, to carry out activities to promote safe motherhood, including public education campaigns on healthy pregnancies, education programs for health care providers, and activities to promote community support for pregnant women. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Access to Contract Equity Act - States that, with respect to a contract goal by the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the award of five percent of their procurement contracts to small disadvantaged businesses and certain minority institutions, no suspension of price modifications (allowing an item's contract price to exceed fair market value) shall be issued in an industry category if the President determines that contracts for a price exceeding fair market value are necessary to remedy demonstrated discrimination in such category. Requires such determination to be published in the Federal Register, and allows any person affected by the application of such determination to seek appropriate judicial review. Amends provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 relating to the Mentor-Protege Pilot Program to: (1) make the program term three years, or five years in unusual circumstances as determined by the Secretary of Defense; (2) authorize (currently, requires) the Secretary to reimburse a mentor firm for the full cost of certain payments and assistance made under the program; (3) allow the Secretary to provide such reimbursement using a separate contract; (4) make determinations made in the annual performance reviews of a mentor firm's agreement a major factor in determining reimbursement amounts; and (5) limit to $1 million per fiscal year the total amount reimbursed for assistance to a protege firm, except when the Secretary determines that unusual circumstances justify reimbursement of a higher amount.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 1999
Women and Heart Disease Awareness Resolution - Declares that the House of Representatives recognizes: (1) the severity of the issue of women and heart disease; (2) the importance of federally funded programs that provide research and collect data on the rate of heart disease among women, according to age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; and (3) the importance of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, and the need for adequate funding to continue research and data collection about women and heart disease, particularly with respect to minority populations. Calls on the people of the United States to take this opportunity to learn about heart disease, its symptoms, and the steps women can take to lower their risk.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
History of the House Awareness and Preservation Act - Directs the Librarian of Congress to: (1) prepare a new and complete written history of the U.S. House of Representatives; (2) in preparing the history, consult, commission, or engage the services or participation of eminent historians and Members or former Members of the House; (3) arrange for the printing of the history and the dissemination of excerpts of the history over the Internet; (4) make the history available for sale to the public; and (5) make available, free of charge, a limited number of copies to each Member of the House of Representatives and to the Senate. Sets forth guidelines for the history. Authorizes the Librarian to solicit and accept private funding for the publication, marketing, and public distribution of the history. Directs the Librarian to accept for deposit, preserve, maintain, and make accessible, an oral history of the House as told by its Members and former Members, compiled and updated (on a voluntary or contract basis) by the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress or other outside organization. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) orientation programs for freshman Members of the House should contain a seminar on the history of the House; and (2) the Speaker of the House should conduct a series of forums on the topic of such history.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Prohibits any individual who is serving as the chairman or co-chairman chairman of, or in any other senior-level management position with, a political committee for a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate or a national committee of a political party from being appointed or from serving as a member or staff member of the Census Monitoring Board or from entering into any contract with the Board.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1999
Equity for Temporary Workers Act of 1999 - Prohibits employers from discriminating with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment against any temporary employee. Makes a temporary employee eligible to receive any benefit offered by an employer to other permanent employees after the temporary employee works for the employer for 1,000 hours during a 12-month period, regardless of whether placed by the employer, by a temporary help agency or staffing firm, or under a leasing arrangement by a third party. Requires equal pay for temporary employees. Prohibits employers with employees subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 from discriminating between employees on the basis of employment status by paying wages to temporary employees in the same establishment at a rate less than that at which the employer pays full-time employees for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions. Exempts from such prohibition any such payments made pursuant to: (1) a seniority system; (2) a merit system; (3) a system that measures earning by quantity or quality of production; or (4) a differential based on any other factor other than employment status. Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to require employers to furnish each employee a place free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Sets forth enforcement provisions with respect to violations of this Act, including civil actions by employees and administrative and injunctive actions by the Secretary of Labor.
![Official portrait of Rep. Millender-McDonald, Juanita [D-CA-37]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m000714_200.jpg)