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United States · Official source
6,804 records where Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 1995
Federal Contractor Labor Relations Enforcement Act of 1995 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make ineligible for all Federal contracts for a period of three years any person or entity that, with a clear pattern and practice, violates such Act. Allows removal of such debarment or reduction of such period under certain conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 1995
Nigeria Democracy Act - Imposes certain economic sanctions against Nigeria to promote democracy and human rights there. Requires the President to direct the Secretary of Transportation to revoke the right of Nigerian air carriers to service, and prohibit U.S. air carriers from servicing, routes between the United States and such country. Authorizes waiver of such sanctions if the President certifies to the Congress that such waiver is important to the national interest. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the United States should exclude Nigerian sporting teams from participating in any sporting event in the United States; and (2) no later than 60 days before the opening of the 1996 Olympic Games, the President should determine the appropriateness of issuing visas for Nigerian participants in such Games. Directs the President to report periodically to the Congress on the extent to which Nigeria has made progress toward democracy, civilian rule, and respect for internationally-recognized human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 1995
Genetic Privacy and Nondiscrimination Act of 1995 - Establishes limitations with respect to the disclosure and use of genetic information. Prohibits disclosure of genetic information about an individual unless specifically authorized by the individual involved, or the individual's legal representative, through a written authorization which includes a description of the information being disclosed, the name of the individual or entity to whom the disclosure is being made, and the purpose of the disclosure. Allows such a disclosure if it is: (1) authorized under Federal or State criminal laws relating to the identification of individuals, or as is necessary for the purpose of a criminal or death investigation, a criminal or juvenile proceeding, an inquest, or a child fatality review by a multidisciplinary child abuse team; (2) required under the specific order of a Federal or State court; (3) authorized under Federal or State law for the purpose of establishing paternity; (4) intended to furnish genetic information relating to a decedent to the decedent's blood relatives for the purpose of medical diagnosis; or (5) intended for the identification of bodies. (Sec. 5) Prohibits any employer from seeking to obtain, obtaining, or using the genetic information of an employee or a prospective employee, or requiring a genetic test of an employee or prospective employee, to distinguish between or discriminate against or restrict any right or benefit otherwise due or available to the employee or prospective employee. Provides for enforcement of such prohibition through the same powers, procedures, and remedies that are provided to a person alleging a violation under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Sec. 6) Prohibits an insurer offering health insurance from using genetic information to reject, deny, limit, cancel, refuse to renew, increase the rates of, or otherwise affect health insurance. Requires, if an insurer requests that an insurance applicant (other than a health insurance applicant) take a genetic test, that: (1) the use of the results of such test be disclosed to the applicant; and (2) the insurer obtain the applicant's specific written authorization for such disclosure. Prohibits an insurer from using such a genetic test as an inducement for the purchase of insurance. (Sec. 7) Directs the National Bioethics Advisory Commission to report to the appropriate congressional committees its recommendations on the development and implementation of appropriate standards: (1) to provide increased protection for the collection, storage, and use of identifiable DNA samples and genetic information obtained from those samples; and (2) for the acquisition and retention of genetic information in all settings, including appropriate exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 1995
Amends Federal armed forces provisions to provide that: (1) the special rule concerning annual cost-of-living adjustments to retired military pay for individuals who first became members of a uniformed service before August 1, 1986, shall apply only through FY 1996 (currently, FY 1998); and (2) the initial month that such increase is payable shall be March (currently, September) of the year following the effective date of such increase.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 1995
Prohibits the disbursement of basic pay to a Member of Congress during any period in which: (1) there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution; or (2) the Government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt limit has been reached.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1995
Repeals a Federal law authorizing the Secretary of the Army to operate the military education and training facility known as the U.S. Army School of the Americas. Authorizes the Secretary to operate the United States Academy for Democracy and Civil-Military Relations (Academy). Requires instruction at the Academy to be provided to civilian and military personnel of Latin American and Caribbean countries through seminars, roundtable discussions, conferences, and a guest instructor program. Directs the Secretary to conduct a thorough screening of potential instructors and students at the Academy for commitment to and respect for democracy and human rights. Requires the Secretary to establish an advisory committee to provide advice on establishing and operating the Academy, as well as the content of its curriculum. Provides Academy funding. States that this Act does not affect the authority to conduct countermine programs at Fort Benning, Georgia, at the School of the Americas in response to a request from the Organization of American States. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on Academy achievements after two years of operation. Expresses the sense of the Congress that resources made available to operate the Academy should be commensurate with the total resources that were dedicated to the School of the Americas in FY 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1995
Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits insurers and health carriers from engaging in specified acts (such as denying, terminating, or limiting coverage) on the basis that the applicant or insured (or any person with whom the applicant or insured is associated) is, has been, or may be the subject of abuse involving household or family members, current or former spouses, or individuals in or formerly in a sexually intimate relationship. Prohibits insurers from using, disclosing, or transferring information about an applicant's or insured's abuse status or abuse-related medical condition for any purpose unrelated to the direct provision of health care unless required by an order of an insurance regulatory entity, a court order, or abuse reporting laws. Requires an insurer that takes any adverse action relating to any plan or policy of an abuse subject (whether applicant or insured) to advise such individual of the specific reasons for the action. Regulates subrogation of claims resulting from abuse. Empowers the Federal Trade Commission to examine and investigate any insurer regarding compliance with this Act. Provides for a private cause of action against the insurer in Federal or State court by an abuse subject applicant or insured claiming to be adversely affected by an act or practice of the insurer.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 1995
NAFTA Accountability Act - Requires assessment of the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), further negotiation of certain NAFTA provisions, and withdrawal from NAFTA unless specified conditions are met and certified to. Sets forth conditions for continuing U.S. participation in NAFTA, which must be met before the end of 1996. Requires the President to renegotiate the terms of NAFTA to correct trade deficits, currency distortions, and agricultural provisions in specified ways. Requires certifications by certain U.S. officials with respect to NAFTA, relating to: (1) gains in U.S. jobs and living standards (by the Secretary of Labor); (2) increased U.S. domestic manufacturing (by the Secretary of Commerce); (3) health and environmental standards, with respect to food imports and to U.S.-Mexico border areas (by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency); (4) flow of illegal drugs from Mexico and Canada (by the Attorney General); and (5) Mexican democracy and human freedoms (by the President). Directs the President to consult regularly with the Congress regarding such negotiations. Directs the U.S. Trade Representative to consult with appropriate congressional committees in developing technical and conforming amendments that may be required to carry out this Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that until the conditions set by this Act are met: (1) the President should not engage in negotiations to expand NAFTA to include other countries; and (2) fast-track authority should not be renewed with respect to the approval of any such NAFTA expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 1995
Transfers jurisdiction over specified Federal real property located in the District of Columbia from: (1) the Architect of the Capitol to the Secretary of the Interior (provides for the consideration of certain of such parcels as a site for a national memorial to Japanese American patriotism in World War II); (2) the Secretary of the Interior and the District of Columbia to the Architect of the Capitol to be included within the definition of the United States Capitol Grounds; and (3) the Federal Government to the District of Columbia government.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 1995
Extends the law making further continuing appropriations for FY 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 1995
Smithsonian Institution Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue five-dollar gold coins and one-dollar silver coins emblematic of the scientific, educational, and cultural significance of the Smithsonian Institution. Mandates that: (1) all but a certain portion of surcharges received from coin sales be paid by the Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution for such purposes as its Board of Regents determines to be appropriate; and (2) a certain portion of such surcharges be dedicated to supporting the operation and activities of the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 1995
Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from using amounts held in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, or any of the railroad retirement funds and accounts for any purpose other than paying benefits and related administrative expenses from such fund. Authorizes the Secretary to invest amounts credited to any such fund in accordance with normal operating procedures as otherwise provided by law.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 1995
Extends the law making further continuing appropriations for FY 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 1995
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Amendments Act of 1995 - Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to revise and reduce the waiting period for unemployment benefits. Repeals the prohibition against payment of benefits for days of unemployment during the first 13-day period of unemployment registration within a benefit year in which the employee has more than four days of unemployment. Permits payment of such benefits to an employee after seven days of unemployment during such first registration period during a time of continued unemployment, if such period is the employee's initial period of continuing unemployment in that benefit year. Prohibits payment of benefits during a registration period in excess of an employee's monthly compensation base for the applicable base year. Applies the seven-day waiting period allowance and requirements, where a period of continuing employment is due to a strike-related work stoppage, to an employee's first registration period following exhaustion of benefit rights in a new period of continuing employment based upon the same work stoppage. (Currently, such waiting period would be 14 days.) Defines period of continuing unemployment. (Sec. 3) Makes similar revisions to, and reductions in, the waiting period for sickness benefits. Repeals the prohibition against payment of benefits for days of sickness during the first 13-day registration period within a benefit year in which the employee has both four consecutive days of sickness and more than four days of sickness. Permits payment of such benefits to an employee for each day in excess of seven during such first registration period in a period of continuing sickness if that registration period begins with four consecutive days of sickness and includes more than four days of sickness. Waives such waiting period for the first registration period in any subsequent period of continuing sickness beginning in the same benefit year. Defines period of continuing sickness. (Sec. 4) Repeals the current formula for calculating the maximum daily benefit rate to make such rate five percent of the monthly compensation base. (Sec. 5) Repeals the eligibility for extended unemployment benefits of employees with less than ten years of service. Reduces from 13 14-week periods to 65 days the maximum number of extended unemployment or sickness benefit days for employees with 15 or more years of service (thus limiting to 65 the maximum number of such extended benefit days for all employees with ten or more years of service). Repeals the entitlement to supplemental unemployment benefits of certain employees with less than ten years of service.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 1995
Smokeless Tobacco Consumption Reduction and Education Act of 1995 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the excise tax on snuff and chewing tobacco to an amount equivalent to that on small cigarettes. Establishes in the Treasury the Smokeless Tobacco Education and Prevention Trust Fund. Requires ten percent of the net increase in revenues received by reason of this Act to be transferred to such Fund. Makes the Fund available for programs of public education regarding the risks of smokeless tobacco and other programs to reduce the consumption of smokeless tobacco.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 1995
Travel and Tourism Partnership Act of 1995 - Establishes the National Tourism Board to develop a national travel and tourism strategy for increasing U.S. travel and tourism. Establishes the National Tourism Organization as a non-Federal non-profit organization to implement the national travel and tourism strategy. Directs the Secretary of State and the Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) to: (1) place priority on implementing recommendations by the National Tourism Board; and (2) cooperate with the National Tourism Organization. Authorizes the President to transfer up to 25 staff members of the United States Travel and Tourism Administration to the Foreign Service or the Commercial Service for two years to assist the Organization in its start-up activities. Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee's (TPCC) Federal trade promotion plan to reflect, among other things, recommendations by the National Tourism Board. Makes the President of the National Tourism Organization a member of the TPCC.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 1995
National Driver Register Amendments of 1995 - Amends Federal transportation law to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to enter into an agreement with an organization representing the interests of the States to transfer to it the operation of the National Driver Register's computer timeshare and user assistance functions. Conditions such transfer upon a determination that all States are participating in the National Driver Register's acts as an agent or attorney for or otherwise represents or advises, for compensation, "Problem Driver Pointer System" (which effects the exchange of motor vehicle driving records). Authorizes the head of a Federal agency that issues motor vehicle operator's licenses to request the chief driver licensing official of a State to obtain information about an applicant's motor vehicle driving record. Requires such agency to report to the Secretary on any individual whose operator's license has been denied, revoked, suspended, or canceled, or who has been convicted of a motor vehicle- related offense. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 1995
Livestock Concentration Report Act of 1995 - Directs the President to appoint a Commission on Concentration in the Livestock Industry to review and report on specified meat packing industry matters, including certain studies, effects of antitrust laws, and prices.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 1995
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain additional oral anticancer drugs prescribed for use in an anticancer nonsteroidal antiestrogen and aromastase inhibitor regimen.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 1995
Iran Foreign Oil Sanctions Act of 1995 - Directs the President to impose certain twelve-month economic sanctions against foreign persons who, with requisite knowledge, export goods or technology that would contribute to Iran's ability to extract, refine, produce, store, or transport petroleum or natural gas products. Waives the requirements of this Act if the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Iran has: (1) substantially improved its adherence to internationally recognized standards of human rights; (2) ceased its efforts to develop or acquire a nuclear explosive device, chemical or biological weapons, or missiles or related delivery systems; and (3) ceased support for acts of international terrorism. Sets forth additional criteria for such a waiver. Directs the President to establish a List of Petroleum and Natural Gas-Related Goods and Technology which shall be subject to the export control restrictions of this Act. Requires the President to report periodically to the appropriate congressional committees on Iran's: (1) nuclear and other military capabilities; and (2) support, if any, for acts of international terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 1995
Safe Commercial Transportation of Horses for Slaughter Act of 1995 - Amends specified Federal law (and entitles it as the Federal Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) issue regulations governing the humane commercial transportation of horses for slaughter; (2) enter into related cooperative agreements with Federal and State entities; and (3) make necessary investigations and inspections. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations of such provisions, including interference with enforcement activities. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 1995
Urges the Government of Iran to extend to the Baha'i community the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international covenants on human rights. Calls upon the President to continue to: (1) assert the U.S. Government's concern regarding Iran's violations of the rights of its citizens, including members of the Baha'i community, along with expressions of concern regarding the Iranian Government's support for international terrorism and its efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction; (2) emphasize that the United States regards the human rights practices of the Iranian Government, particularly its treatment of the Baha'i community and other religious minorities, as a significant factor in the development of U.S.-Iranian relations; (3) urge the Iranian Government to emancipate the Baha'i community by granting those rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international covenants on human rights; and (4) encourage other governments to continue to appeal to the Government of Iran, and to cooperate with other governments and international organizations, in efforts to protect the religious rights of the Baha'is and other minorities in Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: National Highway System Title II: Highway Funding Restoration Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 - Title I: National Highway System - Designates the National Highway System (NHS) as submitted by the Secretary of Transportation on September 1, 1995. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to submit to specified congressional committees for approval a proposed modification of the NHS, subject to specified requirements, which shall take effect only if a law has been enacted approving such modification. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) initial proposed modifications to the NHS; (2) congressional high priority corridors; and (3) interim eligibility for Federal highway funds. Title II: Highway Funding Restoration - Highway Funding Restoration Act of 1995 - Directs the Secretary to allocate among the States specified amounts for Interstate highway substitute, NHS, surface transportation program, Interstate, congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, bridge, hazard elimination, and rail- highway crossings projects (State High Priority Project Restoration Program, hereinafter referred to as the High Priority Program) for FY 1996 and 1997. Specifies allocation percentages by State. Provides that such allocations shall not affect a State's minimum allocation of Federal-aid highway funds or specified allocations under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) the period of availability; (2) a special rule for the obligation of allocations in urbanized areas with a population of over 200,000; and (3) limits on planning expenditures. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 204) Rescinds funds from various previously authorized projects and from unobligated balances of funds previously made available and derived from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). Reduces the authorized funding levels for certain programs (regarding magnetic levitation and highway safety) funded from the HTF for FY 1996 and 1997. Transfers certain funds (regarding the Congestion Pricing Pilot Program) derived from the HTF made available for such fiscal years to carry out the High Priority Program. (Sec. 205) Directs the Secretary: (1) to notify each State of the total amount of the reduction in authorized funds for FY 1996 that would have been allocated and apportioned to such State, as a result of specified ISTEA provisions; and (2) in determining such amount, to deduct the amount allocated to each State in FY 1996 pursuant to the High Priority Program and certain other amounts available for FY 1996. Requires: (1) each State to designate on or before November 1, 1995, or as soon as possible thereafter, unobligated balances of funds apportioned or allocated on or before September 30, 1995, and which are subject to the obligation ceiling, that may be made available for any purpose currently eligible under the Minimum Allocation Program; and (2) the Secretary to make such funds available to the States before November 15, 1995, or as soon as possible thereafter. Prohibits unobligated balances of funds attributed to urbanized areas with a population of over 200,000 from being designated by the State without the concurrence, in writing, of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) designated for such area. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) congestion mitigation and air quality balances; (2) interstate construction balances; (3) periods of availability; and (4) limits on statutory construction. (Sec. 206) Revises provisions regarding the method of distribution of funds made available under the Minimum Allocation Program in FY 1996 and 1997. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) a special rule for urbanized areas of over 200,000 in FY 1996 and 1997; and (2) funding. (Sec. 207) Prohibits the Secretary from penalizing States for failure to implement various highway and transportation management systems during FY 1996. Repeals a requirement that States meet minimum utilization requirements for asphalt pavement containing recycled rubber and the penalties for failure to meet those requirements. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Directs the Secretary to distribute any limitation otherwise imposed on transit operating assistance so that each urbanized area that had a population of less than 200,000 under the 1990 decennial census will receive for FY 1996 75 percent of the amount the area received under such distribution for FY 1995. Requires the Secretary, in the distribution of such limitation to urbanized areas that had a population under such census of one million or more, to direct each such area to give priority consideration to the impact of reductions in operating assistance on smaller transit authorities operating within the area and to consider the needs and resources of such authorities when the limitation is distributed among all transit authorities operating in the area. (Sec. 302) Directs the Secretary to: (1) require each recipient of Federal financial assistance for a highway or transit project with an estimated total cost of $1 billion or more to submit to the Secretary an annual financial plan, which shall be based on detailed annual estimates of the cost to complete the remaining elements of the project and on reasonable assumptions (as determined by the Secretary) of future increases in the cost to complete the project; (2) make a recommendation to the Congress on whether or not future Federal assistance should be withheld regarding any such project for which an annual financial plan is not submitted or for which the Secretary determines that the estimates or assumptions are not reasonable; and (3) submit to the Congress an annual report on the financial plans submitted and any such recommendation. (Sec. 303) Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation, after this Act's enactment and before the date on which Federal-aid highway and transit programs are reauthorized, from issuing a letter of intent, or entering into a full financing grant agreement or early systems work agreement for a project or operable segment of a project unless the full amount of Federal financial responsibility for the project or segment has been included in an authorization law. Makes such prohibition inapplicable to any project: (1) for which a letter of intent was issued before this Act's enactment date; and (2) included as an element of an interrelated project which also includes another project for which a letter of intent was issued before such date. (Sec. 304) Requires an annual report on Capital Projects for Fixed Guideway Systems and Extensions of Existing Fixed Guideway Systems to include: (1) an analysis of potential funding requirements of the project in the succeeding five fiscal years; and (2) a description of the planning and study process undertaken to select the locally preferred alternative, and of efforts undertaken to seek alternative funding sources, for the project. (Sec. 305) Repeals the authorization for the Long Beach Metro Link Fixed Rail Project. Reduces the authorization for the Honolulu Rapid Transit Project. (Sec. 306) Modifies various previously authorized transit projects and makes funds available for certain additional projects. (Sec. 307) Adds consideration of recreational travel and tourism to the metropolitan planning process under the transit program. (Sec. 308) Requires that any contract or subcontract awarded for engineering and design services, whether funded in whole or in part with Federal transit funds, be performed and audited in compliance with cost principles contained in the Federal acquisition regulations. Requires the recipient of Federal funds to: (1) accept and use indirect cost rates established by a government agency in accordance with such regulations for one-year applicable accounting periods in estimating, negotiating, and administering contracts; (2) notify affected firms before requesting and using the cost and rate data; and (3) keep such data confidential. Makes this section effective two years after this Act's enactment, but grants a State the option of adopting by statute an alternative process intended to promote engineering and design quality and to ensure maximum competition by professional companies of all sizes providing engineering and design services. (Sec. 309) Allows Federal participation in the construction of ferry boats and terminal facilities that operate between a State and a point in Canada. (Sec. 310) Directs the Secretary to issue guidance to encourage States to utilize private sector sources for surveying and mapping services for highway projects. (Sec. 311) Specifies that the hiring of law enforcement or security personnel is an eligible expense under the transit security program. Allows half of the publicly funded ferry boat service provided to the City of Avalon, California, to be counted under the formula grant transit program. (Sec. 312) Amends the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 to require that accessibility requirements for private over-the-road buses be met by small providers within three years, and by other providers within two years, after the issuance of final regulations. (Sec. 313) Makes the Alaska Railroad eligible for certain fixed guideway modernization funds for improvements to its passenger operations. (Sec. 314) Amends Federal transportation law to authorize (current law requires) preemployment alcohol testing of: (1) mass transit, railroad, air carrier, and Federal Aviation Administration employees responsible for safety-sensitive functions; and (2) operators of commercial motor vehicles. (Sec. 315) Provides that a State shall be treated as having met the requirement of having a statewide program for roadside sobriety checkpoints if such a program would violate the constitution of the State and if the State meets certain other safety requirements. Moves from the Supplemental Grants Program to the Basic Grants Program the requirement that a State provide that any person under age 21 with a blood alcohol concentration of .02 percent or greater when driving a motor vehicle shall be deemed to be driving while intoxicated. (Sec. 316) Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study of technologies and practices to improve the driving performance of older drivers and other special driver groups; (2) undertake demonstration activities which incorporate and build upon gerontology research related to the study of the normal aging process, and initially implement such activities in States with the highest population of aging citizens for whom driving a motor vehicle is their primary mobility mode; and (3) carry out the study by entering into a cooperative agreement with an institution that has demonstrated competencies in specified fields. Requires the Secretary: (1) in carrying out the work zone safety program under ISTEA, to utilize a variety of methods to increase safety at highway construction sites, including conferences, creation of a national clearinghouse, and a national promotional campaign; and (2) to conduct a study to develop and evaluate radio and microwave technology for a motor vehicle safety warning system in furtherance of safety in all types of motor vehicles, and determine whether such technology has other appropriate safety applications. (Sec. 317) Amends ISTEA to extend until the reauthorization of the Federal-aid highway and transit programs a temporary waiver from axle weight limitations for any vehicle regularly and exclusively used as an intrastate public agency transit passenger bus. (Sec. 318) Freezes funding allocations under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) at the FY 1994 levels for the remaining years of ISTEA, and provides that CMAQ funds may be used for projects for the maintenance of air quality standards. Provides that certain funding equity provisions will not be affected by this section. (Sec. 319) Directs the Secretary to establish a program to require States to conduct an analysis of the life-cycle costs of, and carry out a value engineering analysis for, all projects on the NHS with an estimated total cost of $25 million or more. (Sec. 320) Specifies that transportation conformity requirements only apply to areas that are designated as nonattainment areas and to areas that have been designated at attainment areas but that are still subject to maintenance requirements under the Clean Air Act. (Sec. 322) Exempts certain specialized vehicles operating on the 104-mile portion of Wisconsin State Route 78 and U.S. Route 51 from vehicle weight limitations upon the inclusion of the route as part of the Interstate System. (Sec. 322) Sets forth provisions regarding contracting for engineering and design services funded in whole or in part with Federal-aid highway funds (analogous to provisions under Sec. 308). Repeals a pilot program under ISTEA for uniform audit procedures. (Sec. 323) Includes the Centennial Bridge, Rock Island, Illinois, under provisions relating to toll agreements. (Sec. 324) Prohibits the Secretary, before September 30, 1997, from requiring the States to expend any Federal or State funds to construct, erect, or otherwise place, or modify, a highway sign relating to any speed limit, distance, or other measurement using the metric system. (Sec. 325) Specifies that the Federal ban on outdoor advertising on scenic highways does not restrict the authority of a State with respect to commercial and industrial areas along a scenic byway, nor does it prevent a State from establishing standards stricter than those in Federal law. (Sec. 326) Adds recreational travel and tourism to the factors that must be considered by MPOs in developing transportation plans and programs. (Sec. 327) Allows any non-Federal funds expended for the seismic retrofit of certain toll bridges to be credited toward the non-Federal share required as a condition of receipt of Federal funds for such retrofit made available after the date of the expenditure. (Sec. 328) Specifies that data collected for safety reports or surveys shall not be subject to discovery or admitted into evidence in Federal or State court proceedings. (Sec. 329) Revises the National Recreational Trails Program under ISTEA, including a provision requiring States to provide 20 percent of the program costs in the sixth year of the program. Requires a State to give priority to projects which mitigate and minimize impacts to the environment. Permits a State to apply to the Secretary for an exemption from requirements for the distribution of Federal trail program funds. (Sec. 330) Revises ISTEA regarding the routing of certain existing high priority corridors and adds additional high priority corridors. Designates certain of these routes as future Interstate routes, if they are not already designated, when the Secretary determines that such routes meet Interstate standards and connect to an existing Interstate segment. (Sec. 331) Amends ISTEA to authorize a feasibility study to identify routes that will expedite future emergency evacuations of coastal areas of Louisiana. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing a route for the East-West Transamerica Corridor in West Virginia and Virginia. (Sec. 334) Delineates the route of the East-West Transamerica High Priority Corridor. (Sec. 341) Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 to make the High Street to Causeway Street section of Central Artery project eligible for Interstate construction funds. Makes certain revisions to the Interstate 95 and Pennsylvania Turnpike project authorized by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. Prohibits the use of Federal funds to construct Type II noise barriers, other than for projects already approved. (Sec. 342) Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement modifying an existing agreement that provides Orange County, California, with a line of credit. Allows the Secretary to require an interest rate higher than that previously specified. (Sec. 343) Directs the Secretary to conduct a study: (1) and report to the Congress on the adequacy of and the need for improvements to the Pan American Highway; (2) to determine the cost, need, and efficacy of establishing a highway sign for identifying routes on the NHS; and (3) and report to the Congress on compliance with the Buy American Act with respect to contracts entered into using amounts made available from the HTF. (Sec. 344) Provides that tolls collected for motor vehicles on any bridge connecting the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York, shall continue to be collected for only those vehicles exiting from such bridge in Staten Island. (Sec. 345) Authorizes appropriations for FY 1996 for the National Driver Register. (Sec. 346) Modifies ISTEA provisions to: (1) provide that not less than two and a half percent of the mileage of new or replacement permanent or temporary crashworthy barriers included in awarded contracts along Federal-aid highways within the boundaries of a State in each calendar year shall be innovative crashworthy safety barriers; and (2) define "innovative crashworthy safety barrier" as a barrier, other than a guardrail or guiderail, classified by the Federal Highway Administration as experimental or classified as operational after January 1, 1985, which meets or surpasses the requirements of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 350 for longitudinal barriers. (Sec. 347) Allows signs, displays, and devices identifying and announcing free motorists aid call boxes and their sponsorship by corporations or other organizations in areas adjacent to the Interstate System and the primary system. (Sec. 348) Repeals: (1) the national maximum speed limit and all related enforcement requirements; and (2) the penalty States face for not having a law requiring individuals on motorcycle to wear a motorcycle helmet. (Sec. 350) Adds safety rest areas to the list of safety projects that qualify for 100 percent Federal funding. (Sec. 351) Sets forth exemptions from requirements relating to commercial motor vehicles and their operators, regarding: (1) transportation of agricultural commodities and farm supplies; (2) transportation and operation of groundwater well drilling rigs; (3) transportation of construction materials and equipment; and (4) snow and ice removal. Authorizes the Secretary: (1) to conduct a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether granting any such exemption is not in the public interest and would have a significant adverse impact on the safety of commercial motor vehicles; and (2) if so, to prevent the exemption from going into effect, modify it, or revoke it). (Sec. 352) Deems traffic control signs erected under the experimental project conducted in the State of Oregon in December 1991 to comply with requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices of the Department of Transportation. (Sec. 353) Allows the Brightman Street Bridge in Fall River Harbor, Massachusetts, to be reconstructed to result in a clear channel width of less than 300 feet.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 1995
Requires that any markup in the committees or subcommittees of the House of Representatives of any legislation changing existing law concerning Medicare or Medicaid pursuant to the reconciliation instructions of the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 1996 be preceded by a minimum of four weeks for public disclosure of and public hearings on the legislative text of such changes. Prohibits such legislation from being considered in the House until such requirements have been met. Expresses the sense of the House that the Senate should adopt a similar schedule for public disclosure and hearings on the legislative text of any such changes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 1995
Federal Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 1995 - Amends Federal civil service law with respect to the Civil Service and Federal Employees' Retirement Systems and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Program. Provides for: (1) an additional Small Capitalization Stock Index Investment Fund and International Stock Index Investment Fund in the TSP; and (2) repeal of the limitations on individual TSP contributions, including those from judges and other specified personnel of the Federal judicial branch.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 1995
Federal Aviation Administration Revitalization Act of 1995 - Establishes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an independent Federal agency to succeed the FAA which is currently part of the Department of Transportation (DOT). (Sec. 3) Establishes a Federal Aviation Board (Board), which shall appoint a Chief Executive Officer. Directs the Board to develop, and submit to the Congress, a personnel management system for the Administration. Establishes the Federal Aviation Management Advisory Committee to provide advice and counsel to the Administration. Prohibits the FAA, without the prior approval of the Board, from issuing a proposed or final regulation, airworthiness directive, or advisory circular that may result in the expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments, or by the private sector, of $10 million or more in any one year. Provides an exception in cases of an emergency. Requires Department of Transportation (DOT) review of all proposed or final FAA regulations. Directs the Board to develop, and submit to the Congress, an acquisition management system for the FAA. Permits the judicial review of Administration actions. (Sec. 4) Revises Federal transportation law to require the Chief Executive Officer to prepare, subject to Board approval, an annual budget for the FAA. (Sec. 5) Requires the FAA to publish cost-benefit analyses of minimum aircraft safety regulations that result in annualized compliance costs in excess of $25 million. (Sec. 6) Declares that receipts and disbursements of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund: (1) shall not be included in the totals of the President's or Congress' budget; (2) shall be exempt from any general budget limitations; and (3) shall be exempt from the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Requires the FAA to make annual estimates of unfunded aviation authorizations and net aviation receipts at the close of the following fiscal year. (Sec. 8) Directs the Administrator of the current FAA to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking or a denial of the petition in Docket 27791 of the FAA relating to increasing the fee that airlines retain in collecting passenger facility charges. Makes such fee increase sought in such petition effective if the Administrator fails to respond to the petition. (Sec. 9) Requires the Board to establish a select panel to review and report to the Congress on innovative financing mechanisms for ensuring adequate funding for existing and future aviation infrastructure needs. (Sec. 13) Terminates the FAA of the DOT. (Sec. 14) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to terminate 200 employee positions in the Office of the Secretary to reflect reductions in the aviation responsibilities in such office. (Sec. 15) Amends Federal transportation law to make conforming amendments to reflect FAA changes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 1995
Amends Federal civil service law to declare that civilian employees of the National Guard may not be required to wear military uniforms while performing civilian service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Leave Equity for Adoptive Families Act of 1995 - Entitles any employee who needs it, because of the placement of a child with that employee for adoption or foster care, to any leave benefit provided by the employer for care of an employee's newborn biological child or for recovery from the employee's own illness, injury, or disability. Requires that such leave commence no later than 12 months after such placement. Authorizes civil actions to enforce this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Bear Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to prohibit: (1) the import into, or export from, the United States of bear viscera; and (2) the sale, barter, offer of sale or barter, purchase, or possession with intent to sell or barter, in interstate or foreign commerce, of bear viscera. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on the bear viscera trade and any U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to monitor it. Requires the United States Trade Representative and the Secretary to discuss issues involving such trade with representatives of countries that are the leading importers, exporters, or consumers of such products.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Rail Infrastructure Preservation Act of 1995 - Amends Federal transportation law to authorize appropriations for local rail freight assistance. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to declare that a disaster has occurred and that Federal funding is necessary to repair and rebuild rail lines damaged by it. Prohibits such assistance unless emergency disaster relief funds are appropriated for such purpose. Amends the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 to declare that it is the purpose of the Congress to promote the revitalization of the railway system through, among other things, preservation of light density lines. Revises interest rate, repayment, and prepayment penalty requirements with respect to guaranteed railroad improvement loans.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 1995 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of medical nutrition therapy services of registered dieticians and nutrition professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Provides that the conveyance of specified lands located in Carlton County, Minnesota, pursuant to a patent issued by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management on February 17, 1955, is legalized, validated, and confirmed as far as any U.S. interest in such lands is concerned, with the same force and effect as if such lands had been held on the date of such conveyance under absolute fee simple title by the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a cooperative organization to elect to apportion pro rata any portion of the small ethanol producer credit among patrons on the basis of the quantity or value of business done with or for the patrons for the taxable year. Provides for the treatment of the organization and the patrons.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to mortgage revenue bonds to modify the requirements to be a qualified veteran. Establishes State subcap and State overall cap restrictions.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 1995
Expresses the sense of the Congress in affirmation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, commonly known as the Motor Voter Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Ocean Shipping Reform Title II: Controlled Carriers Amendments Title III: Elimination of the Federal Maritime Commission Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1995 - Title I: Ocean Shipping Reform - Amends the Shipping Act of 1984 to include as one of its purposes the granting of authority to carriers and shippers to develop transportation arrangements to meet their specific needs. (Sec. 102) Redefines the term "conference," with respect to an association of ocean carriers permitted, pursuant to an approved agreement, to engage in concerted activity, to change "common tariff," which they all utilize, to "common schedule of transportation rates, charges, classifications, rules, and practices." Defines ocean freight forwarder and shippers' association. (Sec. 103) Revises the scope of the Shipping Act of 1984, with respect to certain agreements by or among ocean common carriers, to: (1) substitute "ocean freight forwarders" for "non-vessel-operating common carriers" in exclusive, preferential, or cooperative working arrangements with ocean common carriers covered by the Act; and (2) cover agreements that discuss any matter related to ocean transportation contracts, and enter ocean transportation contracts and agreements related to those contracts. Repeals coverage of agreements to regulate or prohibit the use of service contracts. (Sec. 104) Revises provisions relating to independent actions on certain matters by members of a shipping conference agreement. (Sec. 106) Repeals the mandate for an automated tariff filing and information system. Revises provisions relating to: (1) schedules of transportation rates, terms, and conditions of common carriers and conferences for transportation services not governed by an ocean transportation contract; (2) ocean transportation contracts between one or more common carriers and a conference and one or more shippers; and (3) prohibited acts by persons or common carriers with respect to the provision of ocean transportation services. (Sec. 109) Amends the Foreign Shipping Practices Act of 1988 with respect to actions that the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) may take against foreign carriers whose practices in a foreign country result in conditions that adversely affect U.S. carriers in the oceanborne trade, and do not exist for foreign carriers of that country in the United States. (Sec. 110) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to request the Secretary of the Treasury to refuse or revoke any clearance required for a common carrier vessel if such carrier fails to supply certain information in a FMC investigation or adjudicatory proceeding. (Sec. 114) Revises certain license and bond requirements with respect to ocean freight forwarders. (Sec. 117) Requires marine terminal operators to make available to the public any schedules of rates, regulations, and practices, including limitations of liability, pertaining to receiving, delivering, handling, or storing property at its marine terminal. Title II: Controlled Carriers Amendments - Revises provisions concerning the unjustness and unreasonableness of controlled carrier rates. (Sec. 201) Declares that the rate standards, information submissions, remedies, reviews, and penalties under the Shipping Act of 1984 shall apply to ocean common carriers that are not controlled, but which have been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be structurally or financially affiliated with nontransportation entities or organizations (government or private) in such a way as to affect their pricing or marketplace behavior in an unfair, predatory, or anticompetitive way that disadvantages U.S. carriers. Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations that would govern how price and other information is to be submitted by controlled and non-controlled carriers when it would be needed to determine whether prices charged by them are unfair, predatory, or anticompetitive. (Sec. 202) Directs the Secretary to develop, and submit to the Congress, a negotiation strategy to persuade foreign governments to divest themselves of ownership and control of ocean common carriers. Title III: Elimination of the Federal Maritime Commission - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit to the Congress a plan to eliminate the FMC no later than October 1, 1997.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 1995
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1995 - Amends the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984 to require the Secretary of Transportation to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to prohibit a person from operating a commercial motor vehicle with an uncovered or unsecured open load on any street or highway. Requires the Secretary to transfer an amount equal to one and one-half percent of a State's apportionment for Federal-aid highways to its apportionment for highway safety programs if such State does not have a law compatible with such Federal regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 1995
Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from closing, consolidating, or reducing to seasonal status any Coast Guard multi- mission small boat station unless he certifies that such action will not result in the degradation of services that would cause an increased threat to life, property, environment, public safety, or national security.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1995
Bovine Growth Hormone Milk Labeling and Residue Test Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to impose labeling requirements on milk and milk products intended for human consumption produced from cows treated with synthetic bovine growth hormone (BGH). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue regulations for recordkeeping by persons who sell, purchase, distribute, or use synthetic BGH. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a detection test for synthetic BGH residues in milk.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Labeling Title II: Reduction in Price Title III: Residue Test Bovine Growth Hormone Milk Act - Title I: Labeling - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to impose labeling requirements on milk and milk products intended for human consumption produced from cows treated with synthetic bovine growth hormone (BGH). Directs the Secretary to issue recordkeeping regulations for persons who sell, buy, distribute, or use synthetic BGH. Establishes civil penalties for labeling, recordkeeping, or related violations. Title II: Reduction in Price - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to reduce the price received for milk produced by cows injected with synthetic BGH. Title III: Residue Test - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a detection test for synthetic BGH residues in milk.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 1995
George Washington Commemorative Coin Act of 1995 - Requires the Secretary of Treasury to mint and issue five-dollar gold coins emblematic of George Washington. Mandates that the design for the coins be: (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and the Commission of Fine Arts; and (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee. Provides for the distribution of coin sale surcharges to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1995
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 1995 - Requires a health plan that provides any emergency services coverage to cover emergency services furnished to a plan enrollee without regard to: (1) whether the provider has an arrangement with the plan; and (2) prior authorization. Mandates prompt payment in a reasonable and appropriate amount and prohibits cost-sharing greater for hospital emergency services than for other settings. Requires specified measures relating to the timeliness of prior authorization determinations regarding needed care identified in initial evaluations. Prohibits plans from discouraging appropriate use of the 911 emergency telephone number or from denying coverage or payment for an item or service solely on the basis that an enrollee uses the number. Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require health maintenance organizations, competitive medical plans, and managed care plans to meet the requirements of this paragraph. Allows State laws that provide protections exceeding those of this Act. Provides for civil money penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 1995
Amends Federal civil service law to include under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program medical foods (as defined by the Orphan Drug Act) as a specific supplemental benefit item for which coverage may be provided.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1995
Reduces the number of Department of Defense Operational Support Aircraft: (1) after September 30, 1996, to no more than two-thirds of the number available as of June 1, 1995; and (2) after September 30, 1997, to no more than one-half of the number of such aircraft available as of June 1, 1995, except if the Secretary of Defense certifies to the Congress that additional aircraft are needed for wartime purposes or to retain aircrew readiness. Directs the Secretary of Defense to: (1) designate the Secretary of one of the military departments to administer the maintenance and operation of all fixed-wing aircraft which previously had performed the functions of Operational Support Aircraft; (2) issue regulations for maintaining, operating, and using the fixed-wing aircraft; and (3) designate the United States Transportation Command as the manager for all fixed-wing Operational Support Aircraft. Reduces by half the number of Department of Defense helicopters used for administrative purposes (excluding support of the President) in the National Capital area after September 30, 1996. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on implementation of this Act and on the number of fixed-wing aircraft in the Department's inventory as of June 1, 1995.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1995
Superior National Forest Resort Special Use Permit Land Exchange Act of 1995 - Provides for the exchange of certain lands in the Superior National Forest for certain lands owned by Cook County, Lake County, and St. Louis County, Minnesota, in the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1995
Adoption Incentives Act of 1995 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income: (1) employee and military adoption assistance benefits; and (2) a withdrawal from an individual retirement account for qualified adoption expenses to the extent that such amount exceeds the sum of such benefits plus any credit allowable with respect to such expenses, as long as such amount does not exceed such expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1995
Coastal Zone Management Reauthorization Act of 1995 - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize annual grants to States to develop coastal zone management programs. Limits each State to four (currently, two) grants. Authorizes grants to States to implement program changes. Allows financial assistance under existing provisions for research and monitoring in a national estuarine reserve to be used for research outside such a reserve if the activities support research inside the reserve. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) such development grants; (2) administering State management programs; (3) resource management improvement grants; (4) coastal zone enhancement grants; (5) grants under the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; (6) technical assistance; and (7) expenses incidental to the administration of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 1995
Mother-Infant Health Protection Act of 1995 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require group health plans to provide certain minimum obstetrical benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1995
Medical Training Nondiscrimination Act of 1995 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Federal Government, and any State that receives Federal financial assistance, from discriminating against any health care entity because: (1) the entity refuses to undergo training in the performance of induced abortions, to provide such training, to perform such abortions, or to provide referral for such abortions; (2) the entity refuses to make arrangements for any such activities; or (3) the entity attends a post-graduate physician training program that does not require or provide training in the performance of induced abortions or make arrangements for the provision of such training.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 1995
Amends Federal civil service law to provide for certain minimum requirements under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program with respect to obstetrical benefits, including at least: (1) 48 hours of inpatient care following a vaginal delivery; and (2) 96 hours of inpatient care following a caesarean section. Waives such requirements if a contract's post-delivery care coverage meets specified home care criteria.