United States · United States Congress · 23 February 1984
Directs the President to: (1) secure from the Indochina nations a full accounting of Americans captured or missing as a result of the Vietnam conflict; and (2) work for the release of captive Americans and the return of the remains of those American servicemen and civilians who died in Southeast Asia. Requires the President to submit two reports to Congress on American POW/MIAs in Southeast Asia.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 1984
Amends rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit the Committee on Appropriations from considering any supplemental appropriation bill unless the request for such appropriation is accompanied by a statement of necessity.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 1984
Revises general defense procurement contract law to require a contractor who must deliver technical data or computer software in connection with parts or components which are subject to replacement (spare parts) to grant the contracting agency, upon request, rights to the use of such data or software. Requires that such data and software be sufficiently informative as to allow subsequent competitive procurement of parts and components from another manufacturer. Sets forth the parameters and limitations on such requirement, including exemptions for data or software sold or leased generally to the public. Directs the Secretary of each military department to establish a board to review exemption requests.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1984
Coal Export Enhancement Act of 1984 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, a Federal Coal Export Commission which shall meet at least four times a year for consultation on activities leading to increased cooperation among entities involved in U.S. coal exports, with the goal of expanding the U.S. share of the international coal market. Requires the Commission to examine the potential for small- and medium- sized coal companies to enter the export coal trade through export trading companies. Requires the Commission to submit its report to the President and the Congress within two years of its first meeting. Terminates the Commission upon submission of its report.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 1984
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should direct the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to introduce a resolution in the U.N. Security Council to establish a U.N. peacekeeping force to replace the Multinational Force in Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
National Observance Advisory Act - Establishes a commission known as the President's Advisory Commission on National Observances to establish criteria for recommending to the President that a proposed national observance be approved or disapproved.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1983
Authorizes the President, notwithstanding any time limitations, to award a medal of honor to a named individual for acts of valor performed as a naval officer during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1983
Permits a gas utility holding company registered under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 to invest in or acquire interests in cogeneration facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1983
Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1983 - Amends the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a new license to an existing licensee for a hydroelectric project authorized under such Act if the United States does not, upon the expiration of the existing license, exercise its right to take over, maintain, and operate such licensee's project, unless the Commission determines that such licensee's project will not meet the licensing standards under such Act. Provides that if the Commission determines that such licensee's project does not meet such standards, the Commission is authorized to issue a new license to a new licensee which may cover the existing licensee's project provided that the new licensee pays just compensation determined by the Commission and enters into any contracts required under the Federal Power Act. (Under current law, the Commission is authorized to issue a new license to the original licensee or a new license to a new licensee if the United States does not exercise its rights with respect to an expired license.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 1983
Amends the Social Security Amendments of 1983 to make the mandatory extension of coverage under the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance program to employees of nonprofit organizations for service performed after December 31, 1983, inapplicable to an employee of a nonprofit organization not covered by a waiver certificate who is eligible on December 31, 1983, to receive another governmental pension or annuity.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1983
Fair Trade in Steel Act of 1983 - Declares that it is the policy of Congress that access to the U.S. market for foreign-produced carbon, alloy, and specialty steel mill products should be on an equitable basis to safeguard national security, insure orderly trade in steel mill products, reduce unfair trade in steel mill products, and alleviate U.S. balance-of-payments problems. Limits annual imports of specified steel mill product categories to specified percentages of the apparent domestic supply which are based on adjusted average import penetration levels for each such product category for the years 1979, 1980, and 1981. Directs the Secretary to allocate global product limitations among foreign countries, groups of countries, or areas. Sets forth guidelines for making such allocations. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to make an annual determination of the expected apparent domestic supply in each steel mill product category. Requires the Secretary to revise such determination periodically during the year. Directs the Secretary to monitor capital investments in steel operations made and announced by the steel industry. Authorizes the Secretary to consult with steel industry representatives with respect to such investments. Requires the Secretary to consult with such representatives and with steel industry employees if the Secretary believes that the capital investment made or announced is substantially less than the cash flow generated from steel operations. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress and authorizes the Secretary to modify or suspend import limits on steel mill products if the Secretary determines that commercial conditions or other relevant considerations do not justify such reduced level of capital investment in steel operations. Directs the Secretary to examine the supply and demand situation in the United States for a specified steel product category if reguested by affected steel consumers. Sets forth criteria to be used in determining short supply. Directs the Secretary to monitor imports of fabricated steel mill products. Sets forth the method of investigating whether imports of fabricated steel products are rendering ineffective or materially interfering with the objectives of this Act. Limits the quantity of iron ore that may be entered from any source other than Canada during any calendar year after 1983. Directs the Secretary to allocate global iron ore limitations among foreign countries, groups of countries or areas (excluding Canada from any such allocation). Sets forth guidelines for making such allocation. Provides for the enforcement and implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 1983
Constitutional Amendment - Allows the President an item veto of appropriations bills. Requires the President, in signing such a bill, to designate the provisions disapproved and return the bill to the House in which it originated. Subjects such bills to the same proceeding as other bills disapproved by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 1983
Criminal Fine Collection Act of 1983 - Amends the Federal criminal code with respect to the imposition, payment, and collection of fines. Lists factors that the court must consider in determining whether to impose a fine, including: (1) the ability of the defendant to pay; (2) the burden that payment will impose on the defendant; and (3) any restitution or reparation made by the defendant. States that payment of a fine is due immediately unless the court requires payment by installment or by any date certain. Permits a sentence to pay a fine to be stayed while an appeal is taken. Makes a fine delinquent if any portion of such fine is not paid within 30 days of when it is due. Provides that a fine is in default if it is more than 90 days delinquent. Allows for the modification or remission of a sentence to pay a fine. Requires the clerk to forward each fine payment to the U.S. Treasury and notify the Attorney General of its receipt. Requires the court to certify to the Attorney General when a fine exceeding $100 is imposed, modified, or remitted. Makes the Attorney General responsible for the collection of any unpaid fine for which certification has been issued. Allows the court to impose interest and monetary penalties for any willful nonpayment. Establishes civil remedies for the satisfication of an unpaid fine. Provides that a judgment imposing a fine may be enforced by execution against the property of the person fined as are judgments in civil cases. Allows the court to resentence a person upon willful failure to pay a fine to any sentence which might originally have been imposed. Provides for a statute of limitations on the liability to pay a fine of 20 years or upon death of the person fined. Provides penalties for criminal default of a fine. Makes payment of a fine a condition of probation or parole in certain circumstances. Requires the Attorney General to include in the annual crime report steps taken to implement this Act and any progress achieved in criminal fine collection.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 1983
Establishes the National Commission on Federal Budget Deficit Reductions to review all relevant elements of fiscal and monetary policy, identify problems which may hinder the control and reduction of Federal budget deficits, and analyze all potential options which would result in deficit reductions and place the Government on a sound financial basis. Requires the Commission to transmit a report to the President and Congress not later than February 15, 1984, or the close of the 90th day beginning after the date of enactment of this resolution. Requires such report to contain a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its recommendations for such legislation and administrative actions as it considers appropriate. Terminates the Commission 30 days after it submits its report.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1983
Expresses the sense of the Congress that attacks on international civilian airlines are to be denounced and condemns the Soviet attack on KAL flight 7. Supports the President's actions to bring the Soviet Union before the world community to: (1) admit its liability and responsibility for this incident; (2) offer recompense to its victims; and (3) guarantee that the safety of civilian airlines will not be violated in the future.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the reporting of tips by large food or beverage establishments in lieu of allocation requirements if reported tips do not equal eight percent of gross receipts. Allows for a reduction of such percentage under certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 1983
Amends the Department of Defense Appropriation Act, 1983 to repeal the Boland Amendment, which is the prohibition against using the funds provided in such Act to furnish military aid for the purpose of overthrowing the Government of Nicaragua or to provoke a military exchange between Nicaragua and Honduras.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 1983
Universal Telephone Service Preservation Act of 1983 - Provides that, effective as of enactment of this Act, the decisions and orders of the Federal Communications Commission in C.C. docket numbered 78-72 shall cease to have effect. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Commission to establish a system of charges to compensate exchange common carriers for exchange access, and to reform the system of settlements and jurisdictional separation of property and expenses in force on the date of enactment. States that the purposes of such system of charges shall be: (1) to compensate exchange common carriers for all costs associated with providing or making available exchange access; (2) to achieve equitable treatment of all interexchange carriers and other persons who benefit from the services and facilities of each exchange common carrier, and to prevent contributions between exchange services or functions and interexchange services or functions of such carriers, except as provided below; (3) to ensure the continued universal availability of communications service provided by exchange common carriers at reasonable and affordable charges; (4) to assure that payments and assignments of costs relating to exchange access are carried out in a manner which ensures accountability and is open to public examination; and (5) to encourage efficient investment decisions and technological development. Requires the system to provide that an exchange common carrier shall file to the Commission a tariff for exchange access for each of its exchange areas. Authorizes a carrier to file, or the Commission or State Commission may require a carrier to file, a joint tariff for exchange access for all of its exchange areas within a single State until January 1, 1988, or later as the Commission may provide. Requires each tariff to specify separate charges for each type of exchange access on an element-by-element basis. Requires the charges for each type of tariff to be justified by costs. Requires each tariff to consist of four charges to be recovered from interexchange carriers. Provides that three of the charges shall encompass all costs associated with exchange access and one shall be the surcharge determined by the Universal Service Board (established by this Act). Requires the charges of each tariff which encompass all costs associated with exchange access to specifically identify the separate charges involved. Requires the system to provide that an exchange common carrier shall submit to the Commission a tariff for exchange access available from such carrier for interexchange carriers or other persons who indirectly interconnect with the facilities of such exchange carrier. Requires each tariff to include: (1) a charge for the direct costs of any services, facilities, or other factors required solely for the provision of such interconnection; (2) a charge reflecting an appropriate portion of the cost of services, facilities, and other factors which are used jointly or in common to provide exchange service and exchange access; (3) a charge reflecting the availability of the facilities of the exchange carrier for exchange access as an alternative for indirectly interconnecting interexchange carriers and interexchange customers to the extent such facilities are not used for exchange access by such carriers and customers; and (4) the surcharge determined by the Universal Service Board. Requires any person who owns or operates facilities to originate or terminate interexchange communication other than through direct interconnection to notify the appropriate exchange carriers, the Commission, and the appropriate State Commissions. Imposes a $50,000 fine on any person who is required, but fails, to make such notification. Directs the Commission, after consideration of recommendations of the Universal Service Board, to establish practices and methods to ascertain and fully apportion the cost of services, facilities, and other factors used jointly or in common to provide exchange services and exchange access. Provides that the initial tariffs for exchange access shall take effect on July 1, 1985. Sets forth provisions governing the transitional period. Establishes the Universal Service Fund, in order to assure the continued availability of universal transmission services, including service in rural or remote areas, at reasonable and affordable charges. Directs the Universal Service Board to annually determine uniform surcharges on the amounts collected by exchange common carriers under this Act, such that the Fund is sufficient to make required payments. Provides that an exchange common carrier is entitled to receive payments from the Fund if it certifies to the Universal Service Board that its average costs for nontraffic sensitive facilities per customer access line is in excess of 115 percent of the national average of such costs. Provides that the amount of such payments for an eligible exchange carrier shall be determined by the Universal Service Board. Directs the Universal Service Board to establish and oversee an exchange access board (consisting of representatives of exchange common carriers, interexchange carriers, and other customers directly obtaining exchange access) to administer the accounts of the Universal Service Fund. Directs the Commission to establish the Universal Service Board for the purpose of: (1) ensuring equitable and efficient economic treatment of users of common carrier services and exchange services and carriers providing such services; (2) providing for an orderly transition to the system of charges for exchange access established by this Act; and (3) achieving cooperation between the Federal Government and the States. Directs the Board to: (1) establish and maintain formulas for defining and comparing national average costs and charges and uniform practices for determining the payments required by the Fund, and to oversee the distribution of funds from the Fund by the exchange access board; (2) make such changes and modifications in the system of jurisdictional separation of carrier property and expenses in force as may be necessary for the transitional system of charges for exchange access; and (3) determine at regular intervals the relative assignment by exchange common carriers of the cost of factors of production which are used jointly or in common to provide exchange service and exchange access. Grants State commissions authority: (1) to establish classifications for exchange facilities and the portion of facilities used jointly for exchange and interexchange services assigned to the States by the Board; and (2) to prescribe the methods by which exchange carriers shall recover investments in such facilities. Requires such methods to provide for recovery of investments in such classes of facilities in a manner which promotes the economic viability of the exchange carriers involved. Provides that in the case of any interexchange service provided by any carrier under a tariff in effect July 1, 1983, which was filed jointly with another carrier or under any successor tariff in effect after such date, the tariff applicable to such service provided by such carrier shall be based on the nationwide average of the cost of providing interexchange service. Authorizes a State commission to require any exchange common carrier to lease and maintain on request a single basic one-line telephone instrument, and associated wiring, to any subscriber within such State on the basis of a tariff that includes all costs of providing and maintaining such instrument and wiring. Requires each State commission to establish rules for the provision of lifeline telephone service by exchange carriers which consists of providing minimum telephone exchange service at a discounted rate for low-income residential customers. Prohibits any carrier or exchange carrier from using revenues from regulated communications services to defray any costs associated with its entry into or engaging in commercial activities the prices for which are not regulated by the Commission or any State commissions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 1983
Directs the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain a post-traumatic stress disorder program at the Veterans Administration hospital in Brecksville, Ohio. Requires such program to provide treatment for any veteran who incurred such a disorder as a result of active duty service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era. Directs the Administrator to establish an advisory committee of representatives from Vietnam era and other veterans and community groups. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1983
National Defense Stockpile Amendments of 1983 - Amends the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act to require that excess defense industrial property be transferred from a Federal department or agency to the National Defense Stockpile on the same basis as excess material. Directs the President to use barter in the acquisition and disposal of materials from the stockpile when in the national interest. (Under current law, the President is encouraged to use barter.) Authorizes the President to require agency heads to barter or transfer excess material or defense industrial property under such agency's control. Sets forth bartering procedures. Makes stockpile material and property available for transfer at fair market value as payment of incidental expenses incurred in an acquisition or transfer. Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the Barter Coordination Council, an interagency council headed by a chairman who shall be designated by and report to the President. Requires the Council to establish a procedure to identify opportunities for barter. Makes technical and conforming amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that one-half of the cost of insurance paid by a self-employed taxpayer for medical care during the taxable year will be allowed as a business deduction.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1983
Expresses the sense of the Congress that further expansion of cargo preference requirements, either for commercial or other trade, should not be imposed.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1983
Expresses the sense of the Congress that use of the five year quantitative restrictions recommended by the domestic specialty steel industry on imported specialty steel will: (1) eliminate unfair competition; and (2) provide time for plant modernization and for research and development projects. Urges the President to implement such import relief for the domestic industry in lieu of the restrictions recommended by the United States International Trade Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 1983
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the changes in the Federal estate tax laws which were made by the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 are vital to the continuation of the family farm and small business, and should not be repealed or amended.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 1983
Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to provide technical assistance for streambank failure retardation and erosion control. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act through FY 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny property used by governments, tax-exempt foreign individuals, and other tax-exempt entities accelerated depreciation deductions. Requires that any deductions for depreciation of such property be calculated according to the straight line method. Exempts from such limitation short-term or casual leases of property and property used in an unrelated trade or business. Denies the investment tax credit for property used by foreign governments and other foreign persons. Denies the investment tax credit for rehabilitation expenditures for property which is financed by the proceeds of industrial development bonds. States that the provisions of this Act shall be effective for property placed in service after May 23, 1983, with an exception for binding contracts and mass commuting vehicles financed by tax-exempt securities.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1983
Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for Lebanon's and Israel's agreement on arrangements for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. Calls upon other nations to work toward the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon. Emphasizes the need of all nations to recognize the sovereignty of Lebanon. Urges Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization to agree to the arrangements for the withdrawal of their forces from Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 1983
Church Audit Procedures Act of 1983 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restrict the Secretary of the Treasury from investigating or auditing churches unless the Secretary possesses evidence causing him to believe that a church: (1) is carrying on an unrelated trade or business; or (2) should not be granted tax-exempt status. Restricts the Secretary from beginning any investigation unless he has first provided the church with written notice that an investigation is being commenced. Sets forth the requirements of such notice. Requires that the Secretary must first approve an application by the regional counsel of the internal revenue region for examination of church records and religious activities before beginning any such examination. Requires the Secretary, prior to the approval of any such application, to offer in writing an opportunity for a conference to discuss facts, evidence, and issues relevant to the investigation. Requires the Secretary to notify the church in writing of the approval of the application for examination at least 15 days prior to the commencement of such examination. Limits the examination of religious activities to that necessary to determine whether an organization is a church or convention or association of churches. Limits the examination of church records to that necessary to determine the amount of tax imposed. Allows an organization which claims that the Secretary has violated the provisions of this Act to bring a civil action for injunctive relief against the Secretary. Reduces the statute of limitations for collection after assessment of tax to three years in the case of any organization which is a church or convention or association of churches.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 1983
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to define "geothermal energy" as the natural heat of the Earth at any temperature (present regulations require that such heat must exceed a specified temperature). Qualifies for the residential energy tax credit and the investment tax credit for energy property energy systems which use both geothermal energy and another energy source not eligible for such credits if geothermal energy provides more than 80 percent of the energy for such system. Qualifies for the investment tax credit for energy property energy systems which use both geothermal energy and another energy source eligible for such credit (such as biomass, solar, wind, ocean thermal, or hydroelectric) if the combination of such energy sources provides more than 80 percent of the energy for such system.