United States · United States Congress · 3 August 1993
Condemns the Sudanese Government for its human rights abuses and calls upon such government to improve human rights conditions. Calls on the Sudanese People's Liberation Army to cease hostilities and resolve differences through peaceful means. Encourages the military government of Sudan to hand over political power to an elected civilian government as soon as possible. Recognizes the right of the people of southern Sudan to self-determination. Calls upon the President to: (1) appoint a special representative for mediation, reconciliation, peace, and humanitarian affairs in Sudan; (2) increase the levels of humanitarian assistance provided through nongovernmental organizations; (3) place Sudan on the list of states that support international terrorism; (4) oppose specified international financial institution assistance for Sudan; (5) explore other means necessary to force the Sudanese Government to halt its war should humanitarian conditions further deteriorate and such government continues to impede relief efforts; and (6) urge the United Nations to take certain steps to end the conflict in Sudan and to protect war and famine victims.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 1993
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Airport and Airway Improvement Act Amendments Title II: Miscellaneous Provisions Aviation Infrastructure Investment Act of 1993 - Title I: Airport and Airway Improvement Act Amendments - Amends the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 to reauthorize the Airport Improvement Program through FY 1996. Specifies allocations for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Facilities and Equipment Program. Limits amounts appropriated from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to certain percentages. (Sec. 103) Authorizes appropriations for the FAA through FY 1996. (Sec. 104) Increases the minimum entitlement funding for small airports. States that, in deciding whether to make a discretionary grant, the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) shall consider, as a factor militating against the grant, that the airport is using airport-generated revenues for purposes other than capital or operating costs. (Sec. 105) Increases the minimum funding for integrated airport system planning. Extends through FY 1996 the programs for: (1) converting military airports to civil use (increasing from 12 to 16 the number of eligible airports); and (2) constructing parking lots, fuel farms, and utilities. Requires the Secretary, as a condition precedent to approval of an airport development project, to receive assurances that the airport owner or operator shall file annual reports on: (1) the amounts the airport pays to other governmental units; and (2) all services and property provided to other governmental units, and the amount of compensation received. (Sec. 107) Allows the unlimited use of discretionary funds for terminal development at primary airports enplaning up to .05 percent of total U.S. enplanements (small airports). Title II: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to authorize any air carrier to provide advance notice to the public of: (1) the date on which a change of a rate, fare, or charge for air transportation is scheduled to take effect; and (2) the date on which a rate, fare, or charge is scheduled to terminate. (Sec. 202) Requires the Secretary, in determining what is basic essential air service and in selecting an air carrier to provide it, to give no consideration to whether slots at a high density airport are available. Requires the Secretary, if essential air service is to be provided to and from a high density airport, to ensure that a sufficient number of slots at the airport are available to the pertinent air carrier, transferring slots or otherwise making them available if necessary. States that the Secretary is not required to make slots available at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, if there are at least 132 slots available for basic essential air service to and from it. Declares that slots need not be transferred from an air carrier terminating basic essential air service to one selected to provide it if the carrier suspending essential air service is using slots to provide basic essential air service to another point. (Sec. 203) Prohibits the Secretary from taking a slot at a high density airport from an air carrier, and awarding it to a foreign air carrier, if U.S. carriers are not provided equivalent rights of access to airports in the country of which the foreign carrier is a citizen. (Sec. 204) Directs the Secretary to complete a rulemaking proceeding and issue a final decision on whether there should be a reduction in the annualized rate of random testing for prohibited drugs now required of personnel engaged in aviation activities. (Sec. 205) Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to prohibit any public agency authority from collecting an authorized fee from a passenger enplaning at an airport if the passenger did not pay for the air transportation which resulted in such enplanement, including any case in which the passenger obtained the ticket with a frequent flier award coupon without monetary payment. (Sec. 206) Amends Federal law to limit to five years the term of office of any individual appointed as FAA Administrator after enactment of this Act. (Sec. 207) Amends the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979 to allow the Secretary to make grants for sound-proofing of residential buildings at airports which have not received approval for a Part 150 noise abatement program, but have been approved to receive such grants under an exemption to specified law. (Sec. 208) Amends the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986 to direct the Secretary to include in a certain airport lease terms and conditions necessary to ensure that: (1) all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in construction work shall be paid wages at prevailing rates in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act; and (2) the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Airports Authority) shall not approve any construction contract without first obtaining adequate assurance that such wages shall be paid. (Sec. 209) Applies the National Labor Relations Act and the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947 to labor-management relations between the Airports Authority and labor organizations representing bargaining units at the Metropolitan Washington Airports. Declares that collective bargaining agreements between the Airports Authority and labor organizations shall be effective for at least two years. Provides for resolution of grievances and mediation of labor disputes, including binding arbitration. Prohibits the parties to a collective bargaining agreement between the Airports Authority and a labor organization from: (1) resorting to strike or lockout; or (2) making changes in working conditions pending resolution of a labor dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1993
Business Improvement Act of 1993 - Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the head of any participating Federal agency (other than the Department of Defense), in order to facilitate the attainment of such agency's goal regarding the participation in procurement contracts of small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, to enter into contracts using: (1) less than full and open competition; or (2) a price evaluation preference of up to ten percent for offers received from such qualifying small businesses. Terminates such authority at the end of FY 2000. Revises the authority of the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to continue to award Capital Ownership Development Program (Program) contracts to past Program participants. Eliminates the requirement restricting competition for such contracts to eligible Program participants. Restricts the competition for the award of a contract to furnish products or services to a participating agency to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals if there exists a reasonable expectation of receiving offers from two or more of such small businesses. Requires such small business in turn to subcontract a specified percentage of such contract to small businesses in the development stage of the minority small business and capital development program. Directs the SBA Administrator to authorize a short-term study for determining the appropriate program participation term by industry sector for qualifying small businesses and to submit study results to specified congressional officers and committees. Suspends temporarily the termination of eligibility for qualified small businesses for participation in the Program until one year after the completion of such study. Requires compliance with the Buy Indian Act for Federal agencies contracting with the SBA for the acquisition of goods or services supplied by Indian tribes. Directs the Administrator to establish uniform procedures for contesting the status of a small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1993
Authorizes a State or political subdivision to require that municipal solid waste generated within its jurisdiction be processed, composted, disposed of, or otherwise managed at a facility designated for such purpose if the designated facility is in compliance with Federal and State environmental laws and regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1993
Great Lakes Sediment Management and Reduction Act of 1993 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to make it unlawful, after 1994, to dispose of dredge spoil in Great Lakes waters other than at a confined disposal facility unless the disposal is consistent with guidelines established under this Act. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop guidelines for the disposal of sediment material in the open waters of the Great Lakes. Prescribes civil penalties for violations concerning such disposal. Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from establishing, expanding, or modifying any confined spoil disposal facility in Great Lakes waters unless the facility is consistent with such guidelines. Directs the Administrator to implement management plans for such facilities. Requires the Secretary to develop remediation plans for confined disposal facilities that are at risk of exceeding water or sediment quality standards or interfering with the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of fish and wildlife. Terminates the use of facilities for which plans are implemented by January 1, 1999. Requires persons who dispose of dredge spoil at confined spoil disposal facilities to obtain permits. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop tributary sediment transport models for each major river system that deposits sediment into a Great Lakes federally authorized commercial harbor, channel maintenance project site, or area of concern; (2) develop an analytical method to project the effectiveness of sediment source reduction approaches; and (3) use such method to conduct sediment load reduction analyses for the models. Requires the Secretary to make grants to States for projects to reduce erosion that contributes to the sedimentation of such areas. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 1993
Air Traffic Controller Incentive and Retention Act - Increases the premium pay differential for certain air traffic control system employees and other specified employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense from five to 15 percent of the applicable rate of basic pay. Entitles such employees to Sunday premium pay for work performed on Saturday.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 1993
Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to prohibit the issuance of a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing an air carrier to engage in air transportation to any applicant which is controlled by a person who has controlled one or more air carriers which have filed, in the aggregate, two or more petitions for bankruptcy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1993
Federal Franchise Disclosure and Consumer Protection Act - Makes it unlawful for any person, partnership, or corporation, in connection with the advertising, offering, licensing, contracting, sale, or other promotion in or affecting commerce of any franchise, to: (1) employ a device or artifice to defraud; (2) engage in any act or practice which operates or is intended to defraud; (3) obtain money or property by means of untrue statements or intentional omissions of material facts; or (4) discriminate among prospective franchisees on the basis of race, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Outlines similar provisions with respect to the acts or omissions of a franchisor in presenting false or misleading information with respect to the franchise to a prospective franchisee. Specifies information to be furnished within prescribed time periods to a prospective franchisee by a franchisor or franchise broker, as required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Franchise Rule. Requires the franchisor to keep and maintain adequate records for purposes of substantiation of all information required to be presented to a prospective franchisee. Authorizes the FTC to enforce the provisions of this Act. Authorizes any person injured by a violation of this Act to bring an action in Federal district court within prescribed time periods and for specified relief, including injunctive relief. Prohibits a franchisor from requiring franchisees to agree to provisions in franchise agreements which would: (1) violate prohibitions of, or rights granted under, this Act; or (2) relieve parties from appropriate liability. Provides for the use of arbitration to resolve disputes arising under a franchise agreement. Directs the FTC to conduct an ongoing study of the need for additional provisions to strengthen franchise disclosure requirements and protect prospective franchisees.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1993
Federal Franchise Data and Public Information Act - Requires all persons, partnerships, or corporations selling or offering for sale any franchise or any relationship represented either orally or in writing to be a franchise to file with the Department of Commerce a franchise disclosure document or circular which lists the most recent information with respect to the performance of the franchise. Requires the disclosure document to be filed annually with the Department, and requires the Department to make available to the Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and other Federal agencies, as requested, copies of such document, as well as provide for public viewing. Requires the Department to establish procedures for the compilation, analysis, and publication of statistical information on franchise ownership and national franchising practices, using as its principal source of information the disclosure documents required under this Act. Requires the Department to take specified actions to ensure that such statistical information is accurate and updated at least annually. Requires the Department to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the information and findings relating to franchise ownership and national franchising practices required to be compiled under this Act. Directs the Department's Bureau of the Census to include in each Business Census beginning with 1997 statistical information on the number, ownership, and operation of franchise businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 1993
Federal Fair Franchise Practices Act - Prohibits a franchisor or subfranchisor, in connection with the promotion, sale, licensing, performance, enforcement, and termination of any franchise agreement, from: (1) engaging in an action which operates as a fraud or deceit upon any person; (2) employing unlawful or deceptive acts or practices; (3) discriminating among franchisees on the basis of race, sex, religion, disability, or national origin, with exceptions; (4) prohibiting a franchisee from obtaining equipment, supplies, or services from sources of the franchisee, with exceptions; (5) terminating a franchise prior to its normal expiration without good cause; (6) prohibiting a franchisee from engaging in another business after the expiration of the franchise; (7) prohibiting the free association of a franchisee for any lawful purpose; or (8) establishing a new outlet or point of sale of good or services similar to that offered by a franchisee and identified by the same trade name used by a franchisee in unreasonably close proximity to such franchisee. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) minimum standards of conduct (good faith, due care, and limited fiduciary duty) for each party to a franchise agreement; (2) a prohibition against requiring the inclusion of a franchise agreement term or condition which violates this Act or relieves a person from a duty or liability under this Act; (3) a prohibition against the waiver from compliance under this Act; (4) legal actions brought by persons injured or damaged by a violation of this Act; (5) the right to arbitration or mediation in lieu of a legal action; and (6) the obligation to comply with all applicable State franchising laws to the extent not inconsistent with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1993
Great Lakes Federal Effectiveness Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a Great Lakes Research Council to: (1) prepare and provide to the Congress a report that promotes coordination of Federal research activities with respect to achieving protection of the Great Lakes and assesses and makes recommendations concerning research activities needed to fulfill the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; (2) identify topics for and participate in workshops and conferences on Great Lakes research issues; (3) make recommendations for the uniform collection of data for enhancing research and management protocols relating to the Great Lakes ecosystem; (4) make recommendations for the establishment of a multimedia data base for the ecosystem; and (5) ensure that findings and information regarding such research is disseminated in a timely manner.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 1993
Great Lakes National Program Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend the deadline for the publication of the final Lakewide Management Plan for Lake Michigan and to establish publication deadlines for a final plan for Lake Superior and proposed plans for Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Ontario. Directs the Great Lakes National Program Office to: (1) conduct five demonstration projects of promising technologies to remedy contaminated sediments at appropriate sites; (2) conduct chemical, physical, and biological assessments of contaminated sediments at each area of concern and make recommendations on technologies to remedy contaminated sediments; and (3) report findings and recommendations to the Congress. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Great Lakes water quality program through FY 2000.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 1993
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Nonpoint Source Management Programs Title II: Nonpoint Source Prevention on Federal Lands Title III: Water Quality Criteria; Standards; Antidegradation; New Sources Title IV: Citizen Watershed Monitoring Program Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Prevention Act of 1993 - Title I: Nonpoint Source Management Programs - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require State Governors to revise nonpoint source management programs for purposes of achieving full restoration and protection of target watersheds. Directs State Governors to: (1) identify and prioritize target watersheds into five groups based on the severity of nonpoint source pollution problems; and (2) notify landowners and operators who conduct nonpoint source activities in first priority group watersheds that they will be required to implement site-level programs. Establishes requirements for site-level programs. Authorizes exemptions from requirements for site-level programs in cases of insignificant environmental degradation or severe economic hardship. Requires State watershed management programs to be approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and to achieve full restoration and protection of watersheds within eight years of implementation. Withholds nonpoint source pollution management grants from, and approval of specified discharge permits for, States that fail to comply with watershed management requirements. Requires additional management measures to be taken in watersheds that have not achieved the required goal by the end of the eight-year period. Makes water quality standards enforceable against nonpoint sources of pollution in target watersheds after the expiration of the eight-year period, with exceptions for individuals meeting requirements for an extended compliance period. Extends the authorization of appropriations for nonpoint source pollution management and groundwater quality grants through FY 1998. Title II: Nonpoint Source Prevention on Federal Lands - Requires the President to issue regulations for the prevention and control of nonpoint sources of pollution on Federal lands to provide for full restoration and protection of watersheds within eight years of issuance. Revises existing licenses or operational authorities to comply with regulations. Directs the President to prevent pollution resulting from federally assisted highway construction projects. Prohibits approval of specified highway projects unless they comply with pollution prevention measures promulgated by the President. Title III: Water Quality Criteria; Standards; Antidegradation; New Sources - Directs the Administrator to revise specified water quality criteria triennially and include numerical pollution concentration limits or biological monitoring and assessment methods. Requires States to provide specific numerical criteria for nonpoint source pollutants in water quality standards. Directs the Administrator to issue: (1) antidegradation regulations to apply to nonpoint source pollutants in the same manner that such policies extend to point sources; and (2) guidance for identifying new nonpoint sources. Title IV: Citizen Watershed Monitoring Program - Requires States to establish citizen watershed monitoring programs. Allocates funding for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 1993
Designates September 17, 1993, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Requires the display of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag at: (1) all national cemeteries and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial on May 31, 1993 (Memorial Day), September 17, 1993 (National POW/MIA Recognition Day), and November 11, 1993 (Veterans Day); and (2) the White House and the buildings containing the primary offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Selective Service Commission (sic) on September 17, 1993 (National POW/MIA Recognition Day).
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 1993
Leave Equity for Adoptive Families Act of 1993 - Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against an employee regarding any term or condition of any leave benefit because a child of an employee is not his or her biological child. Authorizes civil actions to enforce this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1993
Congressional Campaign and Election Reform Act of 1993 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reduce maximum contribution amounts to candidates for Federal office from: (1) multicandidate political committees (PACs); and (2) persons other than PACs. (Sec. 4) Delineates circumstances in which a person's contribution shall be considered as being made through an intermediary or a conduit (and therefore treated as contributions from such person). (Sec. 5) Treats contributions by dependents not of voting age as contributions of the person or persons upon whom they are dependent. (Sec. 6) Aggregates, for contribution limit purposes, contributions from State and local party committees with all contributions from such political party. (Sec. 7) Makes it unlawful to secure or to use contributions secured by physical force or other intimidation. (Sec. 8) Prohibits a candidate from accepting cash contributions aggregating more than $100 from any one person. (Sec. 9) Defines "generic campaign activity" and "State Party Grassroots Fund." (Sec. 10) Establishes individual and PAC contribution limits to State Party Grassroots Funds and other State party committees. Allows individuals to contribute up to a specified amount of funds annually to State party committees in addition to current amounts contributed annually to all candidates and their authorized committees. Replaces the current individual contribution limits for any calendar year with aggregate contribution limits for an election cycle. Revises presidential campaign expenditure limits. (Sec. 11) Prohibits, with exceptions, a national committee and a congressional campaign committee from soliciting or accepting contributions not subject to certain limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements. Subjects to such requirements any amount ("soft money") solicited, received, or expended by a national, State, district, or local committee of a political party with respect to certain activities such as voter registration or get-out-the vote efforts. (Sec. 12) Sets forth fundraising limitations for Federal candidates and office holders and certain political committees. (Sec. 13 and 14) Sets forth reporting requirements for: (1) political committees; (2) exempt contributions; (3) State committees; and (4) certain independent expenditures. (Sec. 15) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require a licensee to provide equal broadcast time to qualified candidates for public office. (Sec. 16) Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit Federal candidates from establishing leadership committees. Restricts contributions between principal campaign committees. (Sec. 17) Prohibits fund transfers among noncandidate, nonparty political committees. (Sec. 18) Restricts certain connected political action committee activities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 1993
Vietnam Women's Memorial Coin Act of 1994 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue silver coins emblematic of the Vietnam Women's Memorial sculpture. Requires all surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be used for: (1) an endowment for the Memorial; (2) education and research concerning veterans and their families; and (3) the identification and documentation of women who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam era. Expresses the sense of the Congress that this coin program shall be self-sustaining and administered to result in no net cost to the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 1993
Equitable Escheatment Act of 1993 - Amends specified Federal law to prescribe guidelines under which unclaimed distributions of security interests shall be subject to the custodial taking (escheatment) by the State which contains the principal executive offices of either the issuer or the holder of those securities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 1993
Independent Safety Board Act Amendments of 1993 - Amends the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for FY 1994 through 1996 for the National Transportation Safety Board.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 1993
Lupus Research Amendments of 1993 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to expand and intensify research and related activities of the Institute with respect to lupus. Requires the Director to: (1) coordinate such activities with similar activities conducted by other national research institutes and agencies of the National Institutes of Health; and (2) conduct or support research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, lupus, including research to determine the reasons underlying the elevated prevalence of the disease among African-American and other women. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 1993
Urges the President to recognize the influential role rail, bus, air passenger service, highway, and byway investments and other transportation initiatives have in the development of tourism opportunities in the United States by convening a White House Conference on Tourism to address critical issues which highlight the interdependence of transportation and tourism. Declares that transportation infrastructure and the Scenic Byways Program are key components of economic development and should be addressed by the Conference.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1993
American Jobs Protection Act - Requires employers to provide specified notice and employee benefits (including severance pay, continuation of health care benefits, reimbursement for retraining, training incentive payments, and accelerated eligibility for early retirement) to employees who are subject to a plant closing or mass layoff because their work is transferred to (or similar products are imported from) another country which has specified levels of lower wages or less effective employment standards for overtime compensation, child labor, and employee safety. Prohibits employers who do not provide such notice and benefits from entering into a contract with the United States for provision of products or services involved in the work transfer or substantially similar to such products or services. Provides for enforcement of this Act by: (1) investigative and administrative actions and actions for injunctions by the Secretary of Labor; and (2) civil actions by employees, local governments, States, and the Secretary. Requires employers to post notice concerning this Act and the filing of a charge. Authorizes civil fines for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 1993
Congratulates the Anti-Defamation League on its 80th anniversary and commends it for effectively pursuing the goal of promoting greater tolerance throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1993
Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require all Federal agencies to use printing and writing paper containing at least ten percent postconsumer material. Authorizes Federal agencies that are in compliance with such requirement to use any monies received from the sale of materials collected for recycling for activities within their legal authority.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1993
Bankruptcy Amendments of 1993 - Amends Federal bankruptcy law to raise to $1 million the ceiling on debts for eligibility to file as a chapter 13 debtor (bankrupt consumer repayment of debt under court supervision). (Currently the ceiling is $100,000 for unsecured debts, or $350,000 for certain secured debts.) Modifies the guidelines for: (1) chapter 13 bankruptcies; (2) automatic stays; (3) exemptions; (4) discharges; and (5) preferences. Directs the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to compile and make available to the public statistical information regarding bankruptcy cases.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 1993
Declares that it is the Congress' intent that the Secretary of Transportation, in negotiating under the auspices of the Land Transportation Standards Committee established under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), shall not weaken U.S. truck safety standards by increasing truck sizes and weights or by compromising such standards as truck driver hours of service, front brake and other safety equipment requirements, and the truck driver record system.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1993
Amends the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 and Federal veterans' benefits provisions to: (1) extend through December 31, 1998, the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide sexual trauma counseling at Department facilities as well as through non-Department providers; (2) remove a requirement that veterans seek such counseling within a specified period after discharge; (3) remove the current one-year limit on the length of such counseling; (4) make the provision of such counseling equal in priority to the provision of Department outpatient services; (5) authorize the Department to provide such counseling to all veterans (currently, only women); and (6) require (current law authorizes) the provision of a 24-hour toll-free telephone number for the provision of sexual trauma crisis counseling. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain reports with respect to: (1) the operation of the telephone hotline; and (2) the difficulties veterans encounter in obtaining from the Department determinations that disabilities relating to sexual trauma are service-connected. Modifies responsibilities of Department coordinators of women's services. Requires the Secretary to ensure that such coordinators are provided sufficient resources to carry out such responsibilities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1993
Permits qualified air carriers that make an election in a taxable year with respect to any portion of their net operating loss carryforwards to apply such a carryforward against any tax imposed upon such carrier on the date its return is filed, or the date such election is made. Limits such tax credit to the lesser of a certain percentage of such portion or the carrier's aggregate transportation excise taxes deposited during calendar 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 1993
Designates July 25 through 31, 1993, as National Week of Recognition and Remembrance for Those Who Served in the Korean War. Authorizes the President to urge U.S. departments and agencies, interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the American flag at half-staff on July 27, 1993, in honor of the Americans who died as a result of their service in Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1993
Free Trade With Cuba Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to repeal the embargo on trade with Cuba. Prohibits the exercise by the President with respect to Cuba of certain authorities conferred by the Trading With the Enemy Act and exercised on July 1, 1977, as a result of a specified national emergency. Declares that any prohibition on exports to Cuba under the Export Administration Act of 1979 shall cease to be effective. Authorizes the President to impose export controls with respect to Cuba and exercise certain authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act only on account of an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security that did not exist before enactment of this Act. Repeals the Cuban Democracy Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the denial of the foreign tax credit with respect to Cuba. Authorizes common carriers to install, maintain, and repair telecommunications equipment and facilities in Cuba, and otherwise provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. Prohibits regulation or banning of travel to and from Cuba by U.S. citizens or residents, or of any transactions incident to travel. Directs the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba. Urges the President to take all necessary steps to conduct negotiations with the Government of Cuba to: (1) settle claims of U.S. nationals against Cuba for the taking of property; and (2) secure protection of internationally recognized human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1993
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow married couples to make a combined return of income taxes under which each spouse is taxed using rates applicable to unmarried individuals. Makes the standard deduction applicable to such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 1993
Commends radio amateurs for their contributions to technical progress in electronics and for their emergency radio communications in times of disaster. Urges the Federal Communications Commission to continue and enhance the development of the amateur radio service as a public benefit by adopting rules and regulations which encourage the use of new technologies within the amateur radio service. Declares that reasonable accommodation should be made for effective operation of amateur radio from residences, private vehicles, and public areas and that regulation at all levels of government should facilitate and encourage amateur radio operation as a public benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1993
Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to authorize air carriers to provide advance notice of changes of rates, fares, and charges for air transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 1993
Social Security Disability Benefits for the Blind Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to make blind persons eligible for disability benefits regardless of their ability to engage in substantial gainful activity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1993
Fairness in Tobacco and Nicotine Regulation Act of 1993 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations governing the manufacture, distribution, sale, labeling, and advertising and promotion (manufacture) of tobacco products which are consistent with regulations governing other products which are ingested, but bars the Secretary from outlawing the sale and distribution of a tobacco product solely because tobacco causes disease. Sets minimum requirements pursuant to such regulations, including a prohibition on the sale or distribution of tobacco products to minors. Establishes in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Tobacco and Nicotine Products Advisory Committee which shall review: (1) the available scientific evidence on the effects of tobacco products on human health, including the effects of environmental tobacco smoke on nonsmokers; (2) the manufacturing process of tobacco products; (3) the role of nicotine as part of the smoking habit; (4) the marketing and promotional techniques used by tobacco manufacturers; and (5) current Federal, State, and local laws governing the manufacture of tobacco products. Requires each tobacco product manufacturer to: (1) register with the Secretary; and (2) pay an annual fee determined by the Secretary based upon the total market share for each brand of tobacco product. Credits fees collected for a fiscal year to the appropriation account for salaries and expenses of the FDA. Amends: (1) the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (FCLAA) and the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 (CSTHEA) to modify warning labels to emphasize the addictive nature of smoking; and (2) the FFDCA to include tobacco products within recordkeeping requirements applicable to the interstate shipment and factory inspection of food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) modify the warning labels required by the FCLAA and CSTHEA if the modification in the content of the label does not weaken the health message and is in the best interests of the public health; and (2) increase the size and placement of such required labels.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 1993
National Senior Citizens Pet Ownership Protection Act - Amends the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 to prohibit owners and managers of federally assisted rental housing from preventing elderly and disabled tenants from owning or having household pets.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1993
Native American Veterans' Memorial Establishment Act of 1993 - Authorizes the National Museum of the American Indian to design, construct, and maintain a National Native American Veterans' Memorial. Locates the Memorial on the same site as the National Museum of the American Indian. Provides for funding of the Memorial through private donations. States that the United States shall not pay any of the Memorial's establishment expenses, other than providing the location. Defines "Native American" as an Indian, a Native Hawaiian, and an Alaska Native.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 1993
Small Business 503 Loan Refinancing Assistance Act of 1993 - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to permit a qualified State or local development company that issues a debenture purchased by the Federal Financing Bank (Bank) and guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), at the election of the small business borrower whose loan secures such debenture, to: (1) continue to make payments under the original debenture terms; (2) make payments at an adjusted interest rate; or (3) prepay the debenture to the Bank by paying the unpaid principal balance and the amount of the repurchase premium (determined under this Act). Prohibits any fees or penalties other than those specified in this Act from being imposed against the issuer, borrower, or the SBA as a condition for adjusting the interest rate or prepayment.
![Official portrait of Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/o000006_200.jpg)