Rep. Packard, Ron [R-CA-48]

An amendment to eliminate as criteria under which the Transportation Department would disapprove a proposed airline stock acquisition, the finding that the probable intent of the acquiring party is to make a major reduction in the size of the airline by disposing of aviation-related assets.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to alter provisions of the bill that specify guidelines for monitoring low income groups in order to give USDA and HHS greater discretion in designing nutritional surveys.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to give the Interior Department discretion to weigh the factors of human health and safety when making decisions on projects that affect endangered species and their critical habitats.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment dealing with water projects in San Diego, California and Mexico.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to impose fines and penalties to any party that intentionally affixes a label bearing a "Made in America" inscription to any product sold in or shipped to the United States that is not made in the United States.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment requiring the state selected as the site for the Superconducting Super Collider project to contribute 10 percent of the initial estimated cost of the project.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment striking section 806 of the bill which prohibited revision of certain regulations dealing with protection of pupil rights.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to change the provision of the bill which requires the Department of Transportation to disapprove those acquisitions which fail to meet the specified criteria. Such disapprovals would be discretionary rather than mandatory.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to permit rental assistance vouchers to be used towards rentals of manufactured homes, such as mobile homes.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to limit the bill's reporting requirements.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment, not preprinted in the Congressional Record, to prohibit the use of funds appropriated in the bill for employee training that does not meet identified needs for knowledge, skills, and abilities bearing directly on the performance of official duties or contains elements likely to induce high levels of emotional response or psychological stress in some participants. The amendment would also prohibit the use of funds for training that is offensive to, or designed to change participants personal values or lifestyle outside the workplace, or includes content related to HIV/AIDS other than that which is necessary to make employees more aware of medical ramifications of HIV/AIDS and the workplace rights of HIV positive employees.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment to language to the mandatory cleanup standards provisions such that the standards of the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act or any water quality criteria under the Clean Water Act must be "relevant and appropriate under the circumstances presented by the release or threatened release" of the toxic substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

United States · United States Congress

Expressing the sense of the House with respect to the release of findings and recommendations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the electricity crisis in California.

United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2000

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should make public its findings and recommendations regarding the electricity crisis in California.

Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2001

United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2000

Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2001 - Title I: Department of Defense - Civil - Makes appropriations to the Department of the Army and its Corps of Engineers for FY 2001 for: (1) authorized civil functions of the Department of the Army relating to rivers and harbors, flood control, beach erosion, and related purposes; (2) expenses necessary for the collection and study of information related to such purposes; (3) the prosecution of river and harbor, flood control, shore protection, and related projects; (4) certain flood control projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries; (5) the navigable waters and wetlands regulatory program; (6) formerly utilized sites remedial action program; and (7) general expenses. States that amounts in the Revolving Fund are available for relocating the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers headquarters to office space in the General Accounting Office headquarters building in Washington, D.C. (Sec. 101) Instructs the Secretary of the Army to enter into an agreement with the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, wherein the City agrees to assume certain contractual responsibilities of the Trinity River Authority of Texas. (Sec. 102) States that agreements proposed for execution by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shall be limited to specified credits and reimbursements per project, and total credits and reimbursements for all applicable projects. (Sec. 103) Authorizes the Secretary of the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers) to construct the locally preferred plan for flood control, environmental restoration and recreation, Murrieta Creek, California. (Sec. 104) Bars the use of funds to implement any activity relating to closure or removal of the St. Georges Bridge across the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, Delaware. (Sec. 105 ) Directs the Secretary of the Army to provide specified amounts to replace and upgrade the dam which collapsed in Kake, Alaska, in order to provide drinking water and hydroelectricity. Title II: Department of the Interior - Makes FY 2001 appropriations to the Department of the Interior for: (1) the Central Utah Project; (2) the Bureau of Reclamation, water and related resources; (3) Bureau of Reclamation Loan Program Account; (4) Central Valley Project Restoration Fund; and (5) general administrative expenses. (Sec. 201) Prohibits the use of appropriated funds to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel to purchase or lease water in the Middle Rio Grande or the Carlsbad Projects in New Mexico unless such purchase or lease is in compliance with specified statutory purchase requirements. (Sec. 202) States that Drought Emergency Assistance funds under this title shall be made available primarily for leasing of water from willing lessors for specified drought related purposes subsequent to State approval. (Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) assess and collect annually from Central Valley Project water and power contractors specified sums to be remitted to the Trinity Public Utilities District; (2) continue funding from power revenues the activities of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program as authorized by the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992; and (3) use up to $1 million to refund specified payments (including the amount of associated interest) to the United States for pre-1994 charges assessed for failure to file certification or reporting forms before receipt of irrigation water under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982. (Sec. 206) Amends the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 to require the Canyon Ferry (Montana) Cabin Site appraisal to be consistent with the Universal Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisition. Repeals the repeal of the limitation on reinvestment of interest earned on the principal of the Canyon Ferry-Broadwater County Trust (thus allowing reinvestment of the interest, and its consideration as part of the Trust corpus, only until $3 million, or a lesser amount as offset by in-kind contributions, is deposited as the initial corpus of the Trust). (Sec. 207) Declares that any amounts provided for the Newlands Water Rights Fund for purchasing and retiring water rights in the Newlands Reclamation Project shall be non-reimbursable as of FY 2000. (Sec. 208) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into contracts with the city of Loveland, Colorado, (and related entities) providing for the use of facilities of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Colorado, for specified water uses. (Sec. 209) Amends the Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1998 to extend from December 31, 2000, to December 31, 2003: (1) certain water service or repayment contracts for the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin Project; and (2) certain contract extensions that are coterminous with a specified cooperative agreement. (Sec. 210) Amends Federal law to extend through FY 2001 the prohibition on the use of funds to further reallocate Central Arizona Project water until the enactment of legislation authorizing and directing the Secretary of the Interior to make allocations and enter into contracts for the delivery of Project water. (Sec. 211) Amends the San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement Act to: (1) require the Secretary of the Interior permanently to furnish annually water, power capacity, and energy through the Yuma Arizona Area Power Managers on behalf of the San Luis Rey Bands and local entities;and (2) provide that certain annual repayment installments under the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act shall continue to be non-reimbursable during the period that the Indian Water Authority and the local entities receive specified amounts of water conserved by specified canal works and facilities. (Sec. 212) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the El Dorado Irrigation District, all Federal right, title, and interest in the Sly Park Dam and Reservoir, Camp Creek Diversion Dam and Tunnel, and certain conduits and canals. Title III: Department of Energy - Makes appropriations to the Department of Energy (DOE) for FY 2001: (1) energy supply programs; (2) non-defense environmental management; (3) uranium facilities maintenance and remediation; (4) general DOE science activities; (5) nuclear waste disposal activities; (6) DOE administration; (7) Office of the Inspector General; (8) atomic energy defense weapons activities (including immediate funds for the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory); (9) atomic energy defense and defense nuclear nonproliferation activities; (10) naval reactors activities; (11) Office of the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); (12) defense environmental restoration and waste management; (13) defense facilities closure projects; (14) defense environmental management privatization; (15) other DOE defense activities; (16) defense nuclear waste disposal; (17) the various geographical power marketing administrations of DOE (including specified costs for the hydroelectric facilities at the Falcon and Amistad Dams under the Western Area Power Administration); and (18) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Rescinds specified funds earmarked for: (1) interim storage of nuclear waste; and (2) the Tank Waste Remediation System at Richland, Washington. (Sec. 301) Prohibits the use of appropriations under this Act to award a management and operating contract unless it is awarded using competitive procedures, or the Secretary of Energy grants a waiver on a case-by-case basis. Prohibits delegation of such waiver authority. (Sec. 302) Prohibits the use of appropriations under this Act to: (1) develop or implement a workforce restructuring plan for DOE employees, or to provide them with enhanced severance payments or other benefits (unless the Department of Energy submits a reprogramming request); or (2) prepare or initiate Requests for Proposals for a program that has not been funded by Congress. (Sec. 306) Declares that no more than six percent of funds provided to government-owned, contractor-operated laboratories shall be available for Laboratory Directed Research and Development. (Sec. 307) Cites a maximum fund amount for the reimbursement of management and operating contractor travel expenses. (Sec. 308) Denies any funds for the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration to enter into any agreement to perform energy efficiency services outside the Bonneville service territory without certification that such services are not available from private sector businesses. (Sec. 309) Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to dispose of transuranic waste containing concentrations of plutonium exceeding 20 percent by weight in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. (Sec. 310) Authorizes the NNSA Administrator to authorize the plant manager of a covered nuclear weapons production plant to engage in research, development, and demonstration activities in order to maintain and enhance plant engineering and manufacturing capabilities. (Sec. 311) Authorizes each Federal Power Marketing Administration to engage in activities and undertake studies and proposals relating to the formation and operation of a regional transmission organization. (Sec. 312) Makes specified funds available to DOE for interim waste storage activities for Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal upon certification by the Secretary of Energy that the Site Recommendation Report cannot be completed timely without additional funding. (Sec. 313) Establishes a three-year term of office for the first person appointed as Under Secretary for Nuclear Security of DOE. (Sec. 314) Amends the National Nuclear Security Administration Act to set forth: (1) the scope of the Secretary of Energy's authority to modify NNSA organization; and (2) a prohibition on the pay of personnel engaged in concurrent service or duties inside and outside the NNSA. Title IV: Independent Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY 2001 for: (1) the Appalachian Regional Commission; (2) the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; (3) the Delta Regional Authority; (4) the Denali Commission; (5) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); (6) the NRC Office of the Inspector General; and (7) the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. Title V: Fiscal Year 2001 Emergency Appropriations - Makes appropriations for FY 2001 for expenses to remediate damaged DOE facilities and other expenses associated with the Cerro Grande fire. Mandates that a specified amount of such funds be made available to the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake immediate measures to provide erosion control and sediment protection to sewage lines, trails, and bridges in Pueblo and Los Alamos Canyons downstream of the Diamond Drive in New Mexico. Authorizes appropriations to implement programs authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, of which specified amounts are available only to the extent that the President transmits an emergency budget request for them to Congress. Title VI: General Provisions - Expresses the sense of Congress that all equipment and products bought with funds under this Act should be American-made. Requires each Federal agency to give notice of this policy to any entity to which it provides financial assistance or contracts. Bars contracts funded under this Act from being awarded to any person determined by a court or Federal agency to have falsely labeled products as made in America. (Sec. 603) Prohibits the use of any funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to determine the final point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis Unit until the Secretary of the Interior and the State of California have developed a plan, which conforms to California water quality standards approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis drainage waters. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to classify the costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup and the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Programs as reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully repaid pursuant to the "Cleanup Program--Alternative Repayment Plan" and the "SJVDP--Alternative Repayment Plan" described in a specified report. (Sec. 604) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act for: (1) promulgations to implement a certain 1997 Kyoto Protocol regarding climate change which has not been submitted to the Senate for advice and consent to ratification. (Sec. 605) Extends from FY 2000 to 2009 funding for the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. (Sec. 606) Redesignates: (1) a certain "Interstate Sanitation Commission" for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as the "Interstate Environmental Commission"; and (2) a certain "Interstate Sanitation District" for those States as the "Interstate Environmental District." Title VII: Department of the Treasury - Makes a supplemental appropriation for FY 2001 to reduce the public debt. Title VIII: Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to extend to September 20, 2005, the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assess and collect user fees and annual charges. Revises the formula and percentages used to determine the aggregate amount of annual charges collected from licensees and certificate holders. Reduces the fee recovery requirement from 100 percent to 98 percent in FY 2001 and by yearly increments down to 90 percent in FY 2005.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the basic allowance for housing for members of the Armed Forces stationed in San Diego and Orange Counties, California, should be increased to compensate for increased energy costs there.

United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2000

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the basic allowance for housing for military personnel stationed in San Diego and Orange Counties, California, should be adjusted promptly to provide immediate relief from an electricity crisis in such areas.

Veterans Commemoration Act of 2000

United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2000

Veterans Commemoration Act of 2000 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue a maximum of 500,000 $1 coins to commemorate the service of veterans of the United States armed forces. Mandates that the proceeds from sale surcharges be paid promptly to the Disabled American Veterans to fund the transportation of veterans to and from hospitals administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Expressing the strong support of Congress that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission execute its fundamental responsibility to reform the unjust and unreasonable electric power rates in California immediately.

United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2000

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has the duty, not the option, to reform the unjust and unreasonable electric power rates in California without further delay.

Energy Efficient Buildings Incentives Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2000

Energy Efficient Buildings Incentives Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish, for a limited time period, deductions and credits for commercial and residential properties using specified energy efficient construction or reconstruction materials or technologies, including solar energy. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) allocation of deductions for public property; and (2) property financed by subsidized energy financing. Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish specified certification and compliance procedures. Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Energy.

CALFED Extension Act of 2000

United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2000

CALFED Extension Act of 2000 - Directs Federal agencies, through the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, to develop a program to achieve increased water supply, system reliability, water quality, water use efficiency, water transfers, levee protection, and environmental benefits in the Central Valley water system in California. Requires funding for water supply enhancements and environmental benefits to proceed concomitantly. Directs such Federal agencies to: (1) ensure that Federal participation results in continuous, measurable, and significant benefits in increased water supply yield, water supply reliability, and improved water quality; and (2) participate with involved State agencies to develop and recommend by May 30, 2001, a proposed structure for CALFED operations to be authorized by Congress and the California legislatures. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) management of the Environmental Water Account to reduce the risk of water supply delivery disruptions, to reduce Delta water quality degradation, and to mitigate such impacts; (2) land acquisition; (3) reporting requirements; (4) Program participant coordination; and (5) a required Office of Management and Budget interagency crosscut budget report. Directs CALFED to: (1) provide a statement of goals for long term water quality, water supply reliability, and ecosystem restoration; (2) provide ecological monitoring plans to gauge project performance relative to ecological goals; (3) establish a Coordination Program to ensure the coordination of goal-setting, funding, and implementation so as to ensure the effective expenditure of Federal funds for CALFED related activities.

To designate the United States courthouse located at 3470 12th Street in Riverside, California, as the "George E. Brown, Jr. United States Courthouse".

United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2000

Designates the U.S. courthouse located at 3470 12th Street in Riverside, California, as the George E. Brown, Jr. United States Courthouse.

Fairness in Electricity Supply Act of 2000

United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2000

Fairness in Electricity Supply Act of 2000 - Amends the Flood Control Act of 1944 to repeal the preference given to public bodies and cooperatives in the sale of power and energy generated at Federal facilities. Prohibits granting preference to any entity in connection with the purchase of electric power and energy generated at any federally owned facility or hydroelectric project.

Direct Graduate Medical Education Equity Act of 2000

United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2000

Direct Graduate Medical Education Equity Act of 2000 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase the payment floor from 70 percent to 100 percent of the locality adjusted national average per resident amount for direct graduate medical education under the Medicare Program for FY 2001.

To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Tiger Woods, in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people.

United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2000

Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to Tiger Woods in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people. Authorizes funding.

Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2000

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2000

Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2000 - Title I: Amendments to the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 - Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to increase benefits to railroad employees and their beneficiaries and to revise financing of the pension part (tier II) of the railroad retirement system. (Sec. 101) Increases benefits for widows and widowers by guaranteeing to them all of the tier II annuity the employee was entitled to at the time of the death. (Sec. 102) Makes employees with 30 years of service eligible to retire at age 60 with unreduced tier I and tier II annuities. Makes spouses of such employees eligible for unreduced annuities at age 60. (Sec. 103) Reduces the vesting requirement for tier II retirement annuities from ten years to five years of service after December 1995. Makes employees with at least five years of such service, but less than ten years of total service, eligible for a tier I disability annuity if their combined railroad retirement and social security earnings credits would satisfy social security eligibility requirements. Makes spouses, divorced spouses, and survivors of employees with at least five years of such service, but less than ten years of total service, eligible for a tier I annuity if they would have been entitled to a social security benefit based on combined service. (Sec. 104) Repeals a limit on the total amount of monthly railroad retirement benefits payable to an employee and spouse at the time the employee's annuity begins. (Sec. 105) Establishes a Railroad Retirement Trust Fund (the Fund) and a Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (RRIT) to manage and invest the assets of the Fund. Declares that RRIT is not an agency, department, or instrumentality of the U.S. Government. Requires RRIT to be administered by a Board of Trustees (the Trustees) with seven members (three representing labor, three representing employers, and one representing the general public) with experience and expertise in the management of financial investments and pension plans. Requires the Trustees to be appointed by a unanimous vote of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). Prohibits RRB members from being Trustees. Applies specified reporting requirements and fiduciary standards to the RRIT. Requires the Trustees to diversify investments so as to minimize the risk of large losses. Authorizes the Trustees to invest Fund assets in non-Governmental assets. (Sec. 106) Abolishes the Railroad Retirement Supplemental Annuity Account and provides for transfer of its funds to the Fund. (Sec. 107) Requires the RRB, upon the establishment of the Fund, to determine the portion of the Railroad Retirement Account not needed to pay current administrative expenses and direct the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer that amount into the Fund. Requires the Fund to transfer the necessary amount of funds to pay benefits and related administrative expenses to the disbursing agent. Transfers to the Fund Social Security Equivalent Benefit account funds not needed to pay current benefits, but requires that such funds only be used to pay benefits or to invest in U.S. Government or Government-guaranteed securities. Transfers to the disbursing agent from the Dual Benefit Account the amount necessary to make dual benefit payments. Requires the Trustees to consult with the Secretary of the Treasury to develop an appropriate method for transferring or converting existing account obligations. (Sec. 108) Requires the RRB to calculate the ratio of assets to benefits to determine annual tier II tax rates for employers, employee representatives, and employees. Establishes schedules for: (1) decreasing tax rates if the average account benefits ratio, based on the ratios for the ten most recent fiscal years, is above six; and (2) increasing employer and employee representatives' tax rates if the ratio is below four. Title II: Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt the Railroad Retirement Trust Fund (the Fund) from taxation. (Sec. 203) Repeals a supplemental annuity tax that railroad employers pay to finance a benefit for long-time rail employees. (Sec. 204) Provides for adjustments to railroad employers, employee representatives, and employee tier II tax rates. Decreases such rates in 2001 and in 2002 for employers and employee representatives. Provides in the years after 2002 for tax rate schedules, based on the ten-year average account benefit ratio, for employers, employee representatives, and employees.